There aren’t many better ways to close out a career than what Giles Jackson just did for the Washington Huskies in El Paso.
In his final game as a Husky, Jackson exploded for 11 catches, 161 yards, and 4 touchdown receptions, more than doubling his season total of 3 scores. The senior was Washington’s leading receiver by more than 80 yards and had 7 more receptions than the next leading receiver.
Jackson was particularly lethal on deep routes, scoring touchdowns from 40, 49, and 31 yards out before closing out with a one-yard slot fade to get the Huskies into position to attempt what would’ve been the game-winning two-point conversion.
Louisville had only 164 yards passing as a team, just barely outpacing Jackson.
Demond Williams Jr. threw for 374 yards and a quartet of touchdowns, all to Jackson, and added a fifth score on the ground in his second start for the Huskies. After starting 0-2 with a pick-six, the freshman went 26-30 in a prodigiously sharp performance that hammered home his status as the future of the program under Jedd Fisch.
Despite throwing for more yards than Louisville’s offense totaled overall, the Huskies came up one point short after Fisch elected to go for two and the win following Jackson’s fourth touchdown. Washington faked a screen to Jackson and looked towards Jeremiah Hunter in the corner, but a dropping Antonio Watts batted the ball away for the Cardinals to preserve the win.
Washington will now pivot to the offseason, bidding Jackson and a number of other seniors goodbye and handing the keys fully over to Williams for 2025 and beyond.