Washington is heading back to the Midwest again, and this one comes with a familiar rhythm: another long trip, another Big Ten road test, and another chance to see whether the Huskies can keep handling life away from home. It’s their third trip to the Midwest in the last four weeks, so the travel miles are piling up fast. The hope inside the program is that this weekend looks a lot like the last two.
There’s also some future schedule news on the football side. Washington and Notre Dame have agreed to a home-and-home series, with the Huskies set to play in South Bend on September 27, 2031, and Notre Dame coming to Seattle on November 11, 2034.
UW hasn’t faced Notre Dame since 2009, and the Huskies have never beaten the Irish in eight meetings. Christian Caple also noted that a Husky coach was fired the Monday after the last time the teams met in Husky Stadium in 2008.
It likely isn’t a coincidence that the College Football Playoffs announced teams need to play at least 10 Power-4 opponents, or Notre Dame, as part of the expanded playoff setup.
Washington is also in discussions to keep the Apple Cup going beyond the 2028 season, when the current agreement expires.
The coaching staff and players also met with the media yesterday, and the biggest defensive topic was the 12-men-on-the-field penalty late in the Penn State game. Coach Walters spoke for the defensive staff and took responsibility for it, saying he and the other coaches need to be more detailed so it doesn’t happen again. He also repeated what Coach Fisch had already said: there weren’t really halftime adjustments, just reminders to the players to stick to their assignments.
On the offensive side, Coach Switzer talked about Kodi Greene and Kolt Dietrich and the progress they’ve made. He also said the Huskies want to get the run game going early so it can help open up the offense.
Derek Colman-Brusa and Darin Conley handled the defensive player portion of the availability. Conley talked about going back to the Midwest, which is close to home, while Colman-Brusa spoke about playing in the Big Ten in his first season. Dawgman has a transcript.
Demond Williams, Geirean Hatchett, and Jayden Limar met with the media on offense. Hatchett said he had hoped to “play side by side with” his brother in his final season of college football. Dawgman has a transcript of that interview as well.
Lars Hanson also pointed out that Jayden Limar showed promise against Penn State. Fisch said Limar was still limited as he continues working back from the injury he suffered in the Apple Cup, but the expectation is that he’ll be able to take on more snaps this weekend and for the rest of the season.
There was also a record-setting special teams note: Hunter Green now owns the UW mark for most punts of 60 yards or more in a single season, with seven.
And on the honors front, Husky great Olin Kreutz was recognized as the 13th Washington player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Around the rest of UW Athletics, several members of the women’s tennis team will be heading to the NCAA tournament, which begins November 17. Men’s soccer has a bigger immediate stage tonight, with Rutgers coming to Husky Soccer Stadium for the Big Ten semifinals at 6 PM. Washington beat Rutgers 4-1 there back in September, and if the Huskies win again, they’ll move on to the conference championship game on Sunday, either at home or at Indiana depending on the result of the other semifinal.
In Other News...
Dan Lanning Just Added Fuel To Oregons Michigan Buildup
The buildup to Oregons meeting with Michigan at Autzen Stadium has already started to take on the edge fans would expect from two programs with real stakes attached. Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham recently pointed to Dan Lannings recruiting success and the financial resources behind Oregons program, and it was the kind of comment that tends to linger once the teams are headed toward a showdown.
Lanning answered in a way that kept the focus on the Ducks while still nudging the conversation back toward the Wolverines. He praised Whittingham, but also suggested Michigans spending priorities could end up shaping how the program recruits. With the game still ahead, the exchange has only added another layer to a matchup that was already going to draw plenty of attention. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Walks Into An Oregon Atmosphere Fans Already Hate
Autzen Stadium is getting a little extra theater for Oregons first meeting with Michigan since 2003, and the Ducks are leaning all the way into it. For the matchup, Oregon will break out a special Godzilla-themed uniform combination with black, silver and green jerseys, grey pants and a matte black helmet built around the movie monster motif.
The look is only part of the rollout. Oregon is also tying the game to its Ducks of a Feather NIL brand with related merchandise created in collaboration with Toho International, giving the weekend a full promotional package around one of the seasons most anticipated home dates. For a fan base that already treats Autzen as a weapon, the Ducks are clearly aiming to make the atmosphere feel as loud and as unmistakably Oregon as possible. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Could Be Closing In On Another Late Recruiting Flip
Oregon is heading into the Early Signing Period for the 2027 recruiting cycle with plenty of momentum, and the Ducks have managed to keep their class intact so far. That matters this time of year, when programs are trying to protect what they have while still leaving room for one more addition, and Oregon appears to be doing both as it continues to work the board.
One name to watch is Virginia Tech running back commit JP Jones-Priest, who is set for an official visit to Eugene. The 4-star recruit has put together a strong season and sits among the more highly regarded backs in the class, which is exactly the kind of player Oregon tends to keep in play late. Whether the Ducks can turn that visit into a real push remains the question, but the interest is clearly there. [Read more 🡒]