SEATTLE - Washington finally found its rhythm on offense Saturday, and the numbers told the story.
After a slow start to the season, the UW Huskies put together a 48-16 win over Eastern Washington, piling up 546 total yards and scoring 31 points before halftime. It came against an FCS opponent, sure, but it also came after two uneven outings that had left the Huskies searching for something sharper.
“I thought that we did some good things on offense today,” UW head coach Jedd Fisch said. “Disappointed that we weren’t able to finish one drive in the (red) zone, and there were a couple times that I thought we had some opportunities that we didn’t execute.
“But I felt for the most part, we played the type of offense that I’d like us to play.”
Washington opened the day with back-to-back 70-plus-yard touchdown drives and never really let go. Demond Williams Jr. said that early burst mattered.
“It was all about starting fast,” UW quarterback Demond Williams Jr. said. “And once we got that out of the way, we were able to click throughout the first half, and really the rest of the game. It felt really good.”
Williams was the engine of the whole thing. He completed 27 of 33 passes for 373 yards, four touchdowns and one interception, while also adding 33 rushing yards on seven carries. That gave him 406 yards of total offense.
The passing game had answers everywhere. Sophomore wideout Dezmen Roebuck, coming off two uncharacteristic drops last week, responded with nine catches for a career-high 121 yards. Sophomore tight end Baron Naone turned two receptions into 103 yards, including a 75-yard catch-and-run that carried the ball to the 1-yard line and set up a touchdown.
Rashid Williams also made his presence felt after missing the second half of last week’s game with an injury. He caught six passes for a career-high 86 yards and two touchdowns, including a one-handed grab in the front corner of the end zone that stood out as the kind of finish Washington had been missing.
“He does it on a daily basis - he makes those type of plays,” Demond Williams Jr. said. “So for me, it’s just putting the ball in his vicinity and letting him go be himself.”
Washington’s ground game got a lift too, and it needed one. With top backs Quaid Carr and Jayden Limar both sidelined by injuries from the Apple Cup and expected to miss at least until November, four-star freshman Brian Bonner stepped in and gave the Huskies a spark. He rushed for a team-high 81 yards on six carries, highlighted by a 55-yard burst in the second quarter when he found a crease on the right side and sprinted down the sideline.
The rest of the run game didn’t do much beyond that. Washington’s other running backs combined for 57 yards on 17 carries.
“We were a couple blocks away from really being explosive,” Fisch said of his team’s rushing attack. “But for the most part we’ve gotten better.
“We’re not looking to lead the country in rushing, by any means. We just want to get better each week. And then on the same token, as we’re getting better in the run game, see how good can we get in the pass game, and then see what type of offense we can be.”
The Huskies started the season ranked No. 17 in the AP Top 25, but they had fallen out after a 24-10 Apple Cup win over the WSU Cougars and a 16-14 victory over Utah State that produced just four touchdowns combined. Saturday looked a lot more like the offense Washington wants to be.
The schedule gets tougher now. Minnesota visits next week for Washington’s Big Ten opener, followed by a road game at No.
12 USC and then a home matchup with No. 18 Iowa.
“Having a good game to have under your belt, especially before Big Ten play, is super important for us and our confidence,” Demond Williams Jr. said.
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Washington Looked Sharp In One Win That Still Raised Two Concerns
Washingtons non-conference win over an FCS opponent gave the Huskies plenty to like on film. They piled up 546 total yards and averaged 8.8 yards per play, with Demond Williams looking poised in command of the offense, showing good anticipation and letting the receivers and tight ends do much of the damage. The passing game produced several touchdowns and explosive plays, while the defense did its part by limiting the opponents scoring and yardage with solid work up front and in coverage.
Even with the comfortable final result, the performance was not spotless. The rushing attack was less efficient than the rest of the night, which left some balance questions for a team trying to sharpen its offense before tougher tests arrive. There were also signs that discipline and protection will need cleaning up, leaving Washington with a win that looked convincing on the surface but still offered a few reminders of what has to improve. [Read more 🡒]
Washington May Get A Key Defensive Boost At Crucial Time
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The same cant yet be said for cornerback Emmanuel Karnley, whose status remains up in the air after a soft tissue injury. For a defense that has already shown it can function without him, the question now is whether the Huskies can get one important reinforcement back while waiting to see if another arrives in time for a crucial stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Opens Big Ten Play With More On The Line Than Usual
Washingtons first Big Ten game at Husky Stadium brings a little more weight than a typical conference opener, and not just because the league switch has changed the stakes for the program. Minnesota comes in as a familiar but infrequent opponent, with the schools having crossed paths 17 times over the years, and the meeting adds another layer to a matchup that already carries some historical texture for both sides.
Jedd Fisch has made clear he respects what P.J. Fleck has built in Minneapolis, pointing to the Gophers as a well-coached group that consistently does the little things right. For Washington, that means the opener is about more than settling into a new conference routine, with an old series edge and a fresh Big Ten chapter both quietly hanging over the night. [Read more 🡒]