Washington is coming to Memorial Stadium with a different kind of energy after the bye week, and Jedd Fisch made sure his team treated the time off like anything but a break. While Nebraska backed off a bit during its week away, Washington went full throttle, putting on pads for three of its four practices in what Fisch called “training camp 2.0.”
That approach follows a stretch in which the Huskies handled their nonconference schedule, then snapped out of a three-game skid with a two-score win at Purdue. Now they arrive in Lincoln at 4-3 overall and 1-3 in Big Ten play, trying to pick up a second conference victory and crash Nebraska’s Halloween plans.
The setting adds some juice. Nebraska will be in black instead of red, and the field will feature an alternate logo for the program’s first Halloween game since 1998.
The Huskers are 17-2 all-time on Oct. 31, while Washington has also had plenty of success on the holiday at 7-0. Kickoff is set for Saturday night in the rain, with the game set for 7 p.m.
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Washington’s offense enters the matchup with uncertainty at quarterback and a key injury up front. Starting center and captain Landen Hatchett announced Monday that a season-ending neck injury has ended his year. At quarterback, junior Demond Williams Jr. was the starter to begin the season before a fractured rib in the 41-24 loss to Iowa sidelined him.
Before getting hurt, Williams threw for 1,396 yards and eight touchdowns, and Washington ranked fourth in the conference in passing offense and 19th nationally. In his place, junior Elijah Brown has stepped in and delivered three touchdown passes against both Iowa and Purdue.
Brown is completing 74% of his passes, best among Big Ten quarterbacks, though his three interceptions against Purdue raised concerns. Williams has returned to practice and could be cleared soon, but Fisch won’t reveal his starter until game day.
No matter who is under center, Washington is unlikely to lean on the run. The Huskies have the conference’s worst rushing offense, but they do have two productive receivers who can stress a defense vertically.
Sophomores Dezmen Roebuck and Chris Lawson have become central targets, with the 13th- and 14th-most receiving yards in the Big Ten at 484 and 483. Together, they’ve combined for five receiving touchdowns, including three from Brown.
The passing game has carried a lot of the load because the rest of the offense has been uneven. Washington sits at the bottom of the Big Ten in third-down offense and has allowed 22 sacks, the second-most in the league.
That gives Nebraska a clear area to attack, especially against a Washington defense that has been better at creating turnovers than shutting teams down across the board. The Huskies are 11th in the Big Ten in total defense at 336 yards and 22.7 points allowed per game, but they’ve forced 11 turnovers, second-most in the conference, and rank just inside the top 20 nationally in third-down defense.
The weak spot is obvious once opponents get close. Teams have converted 92% of their trips inside Washington’s 20-yard line, a red flag for a defense that has otherwise leaned on its experience and aggressiveness.
Senior safety Alex McLaughlin is the centerpiece of that scheme. In a blitz-heavy system built around five-down fronts, he has piled up 48 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, three pass breakups and a forced fumble, all of which are at least tied for team highs. Senior linebacker Jacob Manu has also been a major piece, with 40 tackles and 2.5 sacks, and both players spend time near the line and in coverage.
Up front, senior Jacob Lane leads the defensive line with 19 tackles and one sack, while senior Darin Conley has 14 tackles and three quarterback hits. The front four has produced only 2.5 sacks of the team’s 13 total, and Washington has leaned on the back end and linebackers to generate pressure. True freshmen Derek Colman-Brusa and Razmak Fruean have combined for just 1.5 sacks and no quarterback hits.
For Nebraska, that creates a matchup worth watching. The Huskers will try to make Washington defend the whole field, but Fisch’s defense has enough veteran pieces in the secondary and at linebacker to make things difficult if the bye-week work pays off. Nebraska and Washington meet Saturday night in Memorial Stadium.
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