SEATTLE (AP) - Demond Williams Jr. gave Washington exactly the kind of start it wanted and then kept the Huskies rolling all night.
Williams threw for 373 yards and four touchdowns on 27-of-33 passing as Washington turned in its sharpest offensive performance of the season in a 48-16 win over Eastern Washington of the Championship Subdivision.
“Going into this game, it was all about starting fast,” Williams said. “Once we got that out of the way, we were able to click throughout the first half and the rest of the game. That felt good.”
Washington (3-0) had already scored five touchdowns across its first two games. It matched that kind of production in a hurry against the Eagles, reaching the end zone on four of its first five drives. Every one of those scores came through the air.
The Huskies opened with a 17-yard screen pass to Chris Lawson for the sophomore’s first career touchdown. Williams then found Rashid Williams twice in the end zone and Jordan Clay once, building a 260-yard passing half before the break.
Rashid Williams finished with six catches for 86 yards and two touchdowns, including a one-handed grab at the front pylon that pushed the Huskies out to a three-possession lead.
“He’s a baller,” Demond Williams Jr. said. “… He does that on a daily basis, he makes those types of plays. For me, it’s just putting the ball in his vicinity and letting him be himself.”
Dezmen Roebuck also had a big night, setting a career high with nine receptions for 121 yards. Baron Naone added two catches for 103 yards, becoming the first Washington tight end to top 100 receiving yards since Cade Otton on Nov. 28, 2020.
The Eagles made sure Washington had to earn it early. Eastern Washington leaned on trick plays and unusual formations to keep the Huskies guessing, and the visitors got on the board first with a 20-yard field goal after driving deep into Washington territory on their opening possession.
Eastern Washington then cut into the margin in the second quarter when Nate Bell scored on a 14-yard keeper to make it 14-10.
The Eagles opened the second half with another field goal and later threatened to tighten things even more. They put together a 77-yard drive that included 48 yards of Washington penalties, plus ejections for Jacob Lane and Xe’ree Alexander for targeting and a punch, respectively.
But Washington answered at the key moment. The Huskies stopped Bell short on fourth-and-1 at the 5-yard line, and three plays later Williams connected with Naone for 75 yards before Ansu Sanoe finished the drive from a yard out.
Bell did most of Eastern Washington’s damage, throwing for 150 yards and rushing for 50 on a team-high 17 carries.
“He moved the sticks a few times kind of on his own.” EWU coach Aaron Best said. "He just gets it."
Washington’s defense and discipline still left room for concern. The Huskies were penalized eight times for 101 yards, including five flags that gave Eastern Washington first downs. That followed a season-opening Apple Cup in which Washington was flagged 12 times for 130 yards.
“Just disappointed in the discipline penalties,” Washington head coach Jedd Fisch said. “We’ll have to continue to address them, because clearly it’s not where we need that to be.”
The Huskies’ ground game also remains a work in progress. Washington is still without tailbacks Jordan Washington (neck), Quaid Carr (hand) and Jayden Limar (elbow) long-term, and aside from Brian Bonner’s 55-yard burst in the second quarter, the run game never really found traction. Washington tailbacks combined for 51 yards on 15 carries.
“For the most part, we’ve gotten better,” Fisch said.” We’re not looking to lead the country in rushing by any means. We just want to get better each week, and on the same token, see that as we’re getting better in the run game, how good can we get in the pass game.”
Eastern Washington hosts Cal Poly in a Big Sky matchup Saturday.
Washington opens Big Ten play at home Saturday night against Minnesota.
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