No. 19 Washington heads into a quick turnaround with plenty to clean up, and not much time to do it.
The Huskies opened their season with a 24-10 Apple Cup win over Washington State on Sunday, then immediately shifted attention to Saturday’s home matchup with Utah State in Seattle. Because of the later start to the NFL season, Washington got a national TV stage for the rivalry game - but the shorter week means the preparation clock is already ticking.
“We've got to move on and we've got to get to tomorrow's practice, start preparing, game planning,” Huskies coach Jedd Fisch said. “Traditionally, we're able to do this on a Sunday, but based on the fact that it's already Monday, we got to get going.”
Washington got a strong outing from Demond Williams Jr., who completed 24 of 35 passes for 268 yards and a touchdown while also rushing seven times for a team-high 61 yards and another score. The defense held Washington State to 242 yards, forced three turnovers and kept the Cougars out of the end zone on third down.
Still, Fisch had a long list of things his team can’t afford to repeat. Washington was flagged 12 times for 130 yards, and several of those mistakes came at costly moments. Two personal fouls on defense erased third-and-long stops, another wiped away a turnover, the offense came up empty from the 1-yard line on the final play of the first half, and the Huskies also missed a 29-yard field goal.
“I felt like there was a lot out there that we can learn from,” Fisch said. “So our team will certainly learn from them, but it's nice to learn with a win. And it's nice to learn with the Apple Cup.”
The Huskies may also be scrambling at running back. Quaid Carr suffered a hand injury that Fisch said will require surgery, while Jayden Limar is expected to miss significant time with an elbow injury. Starting wide receiver Christian Moss also left with an undisclosed injury, and his status for this week is uncertain.
That could push sixth-year senior Trey Cooley - who has played at Louisville, Georgia Tech and Troy - and freshman Brian Bonner into bigger roles against Utah State.
The Aggies are coming off a rough opener of their own, a 29-17 loss to Idaho State of the FCS on Saturday in Logan, Utah. That result leaves them staring at back-to-back road games against ranked opponents, with No. 20 Utah coming next weekend.
“We played exactly as we were prepared to play,” Utah State coach Bronco Mendenhall said.
McCae Hillstead went 15 of 30 for 178 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions before giving way to backup Grady Brosterhous, who also threw a pick. Mendenhall said Hillstead was dealing with a forearm injury.
“His arm was bothering him. It was bothering him increasingly as the game went on, it was affecting his throws,” Mendenhall said. “He's just tough, and I think he was hesitant to tell us the magnitude of which it was kind of hurting him.”
Hillstead’s availability for Saturday is uncertain.
Utah State also hurt itself with 11 penalties for 83 yards and converted just 1 of 4 fourth-down tries, including a stop at the Idaho State 1-yard line early in the second half.
Javen Jacobs led the Aggies on the ground with 80 yards, nearly half of Utah State’s 162 rushing yards.
“The whole team has a sense of urgency now, just to prove to ourselves and to all the fans and everybody that we were much better than what we put on display this past weekend,” Jacobs said. “It really just comes down to not hurting ourselves.”
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Washington Suddenly Needs More From One Young Receiver
The Apple Cup brought Washington a rivalry win, but it also left the Huskies sorting through more injury fallout than they would have liked. Running backs Quaid Carr and Jayden Limar are both expected to miss significant time, with Carr headed for surgery, and the offense took another hit when starting wide receiver Christian Moss was forced out early with a soft-tissue injury.
That opened the door for second-year receiver Chris Lawson, who moved into a starting role and quickly became a bigger part of the passing game. Washington already knows it will need more help across the offense in the weeks ahead, and Lawsons ability to handle a larger workload now matters more than it did even a day ago. [Read more 🡒]
Jacob Manu Is Giving Washingtons Defense A New Ceiling
Saturdays 24-10 win over Washington State offered another look at why Jacob Manu has become such an important part of the Huskies defense. The fifth-year linebacker was everywhere, setting the tone for a unit that kept the Cougars in check and gave Washington another reason to feel good about where the defense is headed. Jedd Fisch singled him out as a player who makes the whole group better, and it is easy to see why when the Huskies are trying to build something sturdier late in the season.
Manus impact has not been limited to tackles or production, either. He also has leaned into the responsibility that comes with being one of the older voices on the defense, especially after a penalty of his own drew attention in the game. Washington wants more consistency and discipline on that side of the ball, and Manu has been willing to own his mistakes while pushing the standard higher. In a defense searching for its ceiling, that kind of presence can matter as much as any single stop. [Read more 🡒]
Washingtons Offensive Line Suddenly Faces Pressure Heading Into Week 2
The Huskies left their opener with a win, but the offensive line did not escape scrutiny. Michael Switzer said the group fell short in the 24-10 victory over Washington State, pointing to penalties and a level of physical play that did not meet the standard he expects. Three linemen were making their first starts, and while the unit settled in as the game went along, the early strain was enough to leave a noticeable mark on a game Washington otherwise controlled.
Now the focus shifts to Utah State, where Washington expects to keep rotating players at right guard while trying to stabilize the front. The lines next test matters even more because the Huskies need that group to help support the running backs, especially with injuries adding pressure to the depth chart. For a unit that already has some learning to do, Week 2 becomes less about easing in and more about showing the sort of consistency the staff is looking for. [Read more 🡒]