The Washington Huskies achieved bowl eligibility with a 31-19 win over the UCLA Bruins on Friday night. That’s an impressive feat for coach Jedd Fisch, considering he had to replace over 40 players from the 2023 team that went 14-1 and made the national championship game.
The Huskies have struggled mightily at times this season but got a boost from plenty of players that Fisch considers the future of his program, namely quarterback Demond Williams Jr., who replaced fifth-year senior Will Rogers midway through the third quarter. The true freshman gave Washington’s offense a spark thanks to his playmaking ability, completing 7 of his 8 pass attempts for 67 yards and a touchdown, which went to his classmate, tight end Decker DeGraaf.
He also added 31 yards on the ground thanks to his jaw-dropping mobility, which also freed up plenty of room for running back Jonah Coleman, who crossed the 1,000-yard mark with 95 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win.
Defensively, Steve Belichick got a massive boost from his pass rush, which sacked UCLA quarterback and one-time Husky Ethan Garbers six times. Three of those sacks came from edge rusher Russell Davis II, who has missed most of the season with an injury. One of those was a strip sack that Davis recovered, one of two fumbles the Huskies recovered in the victory.
Check out the best photos from Washington’s senior night, where they donned their alternate all-black uniforms.