The Washington Huskies have spent the first two weeks leaning on a defense that has done the heavy lifting while the offense searches for rhythm.
That trend will be tested again Saturday, when the Huskies wrap up nonconference play against the Eastern Washington Eagles at 4:15 p.m. PT at Husky Stadium in Seattle. Through two games, Washington’s offense has put up 40 total points - a 24-10 win over Washington State on Sept. 6 and a 16-14 victory over Utah State on Sept. 12 - and is still trying to settle in while dealing with injuries.
The defense, though, has looked far more complete. Washington has forced six turnovers in those first two games and has allowed only three combined touchdowns. The biggest reason is the front, which has turned the Huskies into one of the more disruptive defensive teams in the Big Ten.
A graphic shared in a post on X from 247Sports writer Cody Nagel showed Washington with a pressure rate of just over 40% through the first two weeks of the regular season. That puts the Huskies among the best Power Four programs in the country. According to the graphic, only Michigan and Maryland sit ahead of Washington among Big Ten teams in that category.
What makes that number even more impressive is that Washington has done it without one of its top defensive linemen. Fourth-year Elinneus Davis missed the Utah State game and is also likely to be out against Eastern Washington.
Even so, the Huskies have plenty of bodies to keep coming after quarterbacks. The line has a strong mix of youth, experience and athleticism, and the rotation behind the starters gives Washington real depth.
Fourth-year edge rusher Jacob Lane, Davis when healthy, true freshman edge rusher Ramzak Fruean and fellow first-year Derek Colman-Brusa give the Huskies a starting group that already looks dangerous. Behind them, the pressure has not dropped off.
Seven defensive linemen - Lane, Colman-Brusa, Darin Conley, Isaiah Ward, Rusell Davis II, Kai McClendon and DeSean Watts - have recorded at least one tackle for loss. Three players - Colman-Brusa, Davis II and Watts - have at least one sack.
Against an Eastern Washington team from the Football Championship Subdivision, Washington’s front should have another chance to pad those numbers.
In Other News...
Washington May Finally Get The O-Line Boost It Desperately Needs
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 🡒]
Washington Gets A Timely Offensive Boost Before Eastern Washington
Washingtons final nonconference game of the regular season arrives with a small but meaningful lift on offense. Ahead of the matchup with Eastern Washington, wide receiver Rashid Williams is back in the mix after missing time, giving the Huskies another option as they try to keep the passing game moving in the right direction before Big Ten play settles in for the long haul.
Williams had been viewed as a week-to-week case after getting hurt early in the Utah State game, but Jedd Fisch said a strong week of practice earned him clearance to play. The sophomore has only a modest body of work this season, with 4 catches for 96 yards and a touchdown, but for a Washington offense that can use reliable depth at receiver, getting him back now is a timely bit of business. [Read more 🡒]
Washington's 2-0 Start Is Hiding A Bigger Problem
Washington is 2-0 to start the 2026 season, but the early results have done little to quiet the unease around how the Huskies are actually playing. Heavy favorites in both of their first two games, they still had to sweat out Washington State and Utah State, leaving the kind of narrow wins that can mask bigger issues when the record looks cleaner than the performance.
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 🡒]