Demond Williams Jr. looks lined up to take back the starting job for Washington when the Huskies host Penn State on Saturday in Seattle.
Washington coach Jedd Fisch said earlier this week, "If Demond is feeling good, I don't see why he wouldn't play and start," Fisch said early this week. "But we haven't been on the field yet.
He took some hits in that game. So we just have to make sure that he's good to go and that he feels right."
By Wednesday, Williams was not listed on Washington's initial injury report, a strong sign he is ready to go.
Williams returned from a fractured rib last week and helped spark a fourth-quarter comeback in a 17-10 win at Nebraska. He briefly appeared in the first half and completed a 9-yard pass before coming back in the fourth with Washington trailing 7-3.
From there, he helped drive the Huskies to the winning score, finishing the march with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Chris Lawson with 1:30 left. Lawson caught 12 passes for 155 yards in the victory.
Williams finished 7 of 13 for 99 yards and also made key plays with his legs. He scrambled 17 yards on third-and-15 from his own 14, then hit Lawson for 24 yards on fourth-and-18 to keep the drive alive before the go-ahead touchdown.
Washington safety Alex McLaughlin, the Big Ten defensive player of the week, then sealed it with a 48-yard interception return for a touchdown. It was the Huskies’ second straight win.
Penn State arrives after snapping a four-game skid with a 31-17 home win over Purdue. Cam Wallace ran for a career-high 135 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, while Carson Hansen added 96 yards and a score on 17 carries. Quarterback Rocco Becht completed 16 of 24 passes for 175 yards and another touchdown.
For Penn State coach Matt Campbell, it was his first Big Ten victory since taking over after being hired from Iowa State in the offseason.
"This group's never wavered, they've never flinched, they've never -- honestly -- they haven't bitched, whined, complained," Campbell said. "They've just kind of gone to work and tried like heck to correct the areas and grow themselves forward. And I wouldn't say everybody in that locker room's done it, but I'd say the bulk majority has."
The Nittany Lions traveled to the West Coast on Thursday ahead of the 12:30 p.m. Pacific time kickoff Saturday.
"If it was a later game, maybe it would have been a different approach, but the fact of it being when the game time is plus the travel time, we just felt like this was the best situation for us," Campbell said.
Defensive tackle Keanu Williams, who spent the past three seasons at UCLA, said the trip is manageable as long as the team gets enough rest and stays hydrated.
"It's football at the end of the day, so got to play football, so it's no big deal," Keanu Williams said.
In Other News...
Washington Recruiting Suddenly Has A Jedd Fisch Problem
Recruiting has taken a small hit for Washington in recent days, a reminder that even with on-field momentum there is always work to do on the trail. The Huskies have been building around Jedd Fischs vision, and the pitch has had enough appeal to land attention from prospects who see a program trying to settle in quickly after the conference realignment upheaval.
Still, the latest stretch has brought a little more uncertainty than the staff would like. Former Husky Trent McDuffie also added to the conversation by saying in a radio interview that he misses the Pac-12, a sentiment that speaks to how much the programs identity has changed even as it keeps pushing forward. Washingtons road win at Nebraska showed the team can still deliver in a big spot, but the recruiting side is a different kind of test, and one Fisch will have to keep managing. [Read more 🡒]
Washington May Be Catching Penn State At Exactly The Right Time
Penn States season under first-year head coach Matt Campbell has been a study in adjustment, and Brian Bennetts read on the Nittany Lions suggests Washington is lining up against a team still trying to find its footing. Quarterback Rocco Becht has had to carry a heavy load in an offense that has not always given him much help, while the defense has also been sorting through changes under coordinator DAnton Lynn. For a Huskies team looking ahead on the schedule, that combination makes Penn State a more complicated opponent than the brand name alone might suggest.
The challenge, though, is that the Nittany Lions still have enough pieces to make life difficult if the right players start clicking at the right time. Bennetts breakdown points to a roster that has been pressed by injuries, inconsistency and the demands of a new system, but also one that has shown flashes when the supporting cast has shown up. Washingtons interest now is in whether those flashes stay scattered or start to come together just as the Huskies arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Still Has A New QB Recruiting Question To Solve
Washingtons quarterback recruiting picture has shifted again after Blake Roskopf backed off his pledge, leaving the Huskies with another hole to address in the class. Even before that change, the staff had been working to keep options open, and one name that has stayed on the radar is Caden Jones, a passer currently pledged elsewhere but still in contact with Washington.
Jones has continued to say he is committed to Arizona, but he has also left the door open just enough to keep the conversation alive. For Washington, that matters because the Huskies need stability at the position and are still sorting through how to finish the cycle after a recent run of recruiting uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]