Washington’s receiving room is getting a welcome break at just the right time.
The Huskies head into Saturday’s 4:15 p.m. PT matchup with Eastern Washington at Husky Stadium already dealing with a wave of injuries, but fourth-year wide receiver Rashid Williams appears set to be available after being listed week-to-week earlier this month.
Washington coach Jedd Fisch said Williams had a "great week" of practice and is cleared to play against Eastern Washington, according to a post on "X" from Christian Caple of On Montlake.
That’s a notable development for a Huskies offense still trying to settle in after a banged-up first two weeks. Washington has been hit hard on that side of the ball since the season opened Sept. 6 against Washington State, when the team lost running backs Quaid Carr and Jayden Limar for an extended stretch and also saw sixth-year receiver Christian Moss go down with a lower-body injury that will keep him out for two-to-three months.
Williams had been a concern after he was injured early in Washington’s Week 2 win over Utah State on Sept. 12. For a while, it looked like the Huskies might be without another starting receiver, but that now seems unlikely.
The Brentwood, Calif., native gave the staff reason to trust him this offseason. He stayed healthy, built chemistry with third-year quarterback Demond Williams Jr. and earned a starting job in the process.
Through two games, Williams has four catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. That score came in Washington’s 24-10 win over the Cougars, and it was his first touchdown in front of the home crowd at Husky Stadium despite being in his fourth year with the program.
Washington will need every available weapon it can get as it closes out its final nonconference game of the regular season against the FCS Eagles.
In Other News...
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Washingtons offensive line has spent the early part of the season trying to find its footing without one of its most experienced pieces. Landen Hatchett, a fourth-year center, has been working back from a broken wrist that sidelined him since last season, and his absence has shown up in the middle of the line, where Kolt Dieterich has been starting while the Huskies have dealt with some early issues up front.
The good news is that help may be close. In a news conference, Jedd Fisch said Hatchett is expected to be back for the Big Ten opener against Minnesota on Sept. 26, giving Washington a chance to stabilize the unit before conference play really gets going. For a line that has already been asked to absorb a lot of change, getting a veteran center back in the fold could be a meaningful step, even if the bigger question is how quickly the whole group can settle in once he returns. [Read more 🡒]
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Demond Williams and the offense have not yet given the program much separation, and the run game has lagged enough to raise questions about how sustainable this start really is. Eastern Washington is next on the schedule, but the larger concern is what comes after that, when conference play tightens and Washington has to show it can do more than survive the opening stretch. [Read more 🡒]