Rutgers struggles against Demond Williams Jr. in a disappointing defeat to Washington

Washington Defeats Rutgers 38-19 in Impressive Show

SEATTLE – Damond Williams Jr., the Washington quarterback, played a pivotal role in the Huskies’ 38-19 victory over Rutgers on Friday night. He had an outstanding performance, rushing for 402 yards and scoring two touchdowns, along with completing 21 of 27 passes and rushing 13 times—setting new career records along the way.

“Demond Williams is a superstar,” praised Washington coach Jed Fisch. “He’s special, and we’ve recognized that for years.”

Williams is now among an elite group, being the 16th player in FBS history to throw for at least 400 yards and rush for over 100 in a single game, and he is the first to achieve this feat since 2023.

Additionally, he became the 12th Washington State quarterback to surpass 100 rushing yards in a game and set a new school record for total offense with 538 yards.

“It’s kind of crazy,” Williams remarked after the game.

He noted that Rutgers’ defense heavily focused on running back Jonah Coleman, which allowed him to exploit openings. “I just took what the defense gave me,” he explained. “They were primarily targeting Jonah, so making some zone reads was essential.”

Rutgers quarterback Eysan Kaliakmanis also had a noteworthy night, recording career highs with 386 passing yards, 31 completions, and 50 attempts, along with two touchdown passes. Ian Strong made seven receptions for 124 yards while Antwon Raymond and KJ Duff contributed touchdown receptions.

Williams connected on touchdown passes of 20 and 38 yards to Denzel Boston, and added two rushing touchdowns of 11 and 7 yards, marking the final scores for the Huskies (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten Conference).

Despite leading 10-0 in the first quarter and maintaining a 13-10 advantage at halftime, the Scarlet Knights (3-3, 0-3) were outperformed after the break. “We made too many mistakes in the second half,” Rutgers coach Greg Schiano commented. “But (Williams) is a dynamic player in both running and passing. His running was particularly impressive.”

The Huskies scored touchdowns on their first four drives of the second half before their momentum finally stalled at the end of the game. “The start was a bit shaky,” Williams admitted, “but we just keep focusing on getting a quick start.”

Denzel Boston accumulated 98 receiving yards while Dezmen Roebuck caught four passes for 108 yards. Ephesus’ Priesock also sealed the victory for Washington with an interception in the end zone in the game’s waning moments.

Second Consecutive Comeback

This marks the second straight game where Washington came back from a double-digit deficit. In their previous match against Maryland, they had trailed 20-0 before securing a 24-20 victory.

“We’re aiming to avoid these double-digit comebacks,” Fisch noted. “We want to start strong and finish even stronger.”

Missed Opportunities

Rutgers had several opportunities to remain competitive in the game, failing to convert on fourth down twice inside the Washington 10-yard line.

Meanwhile, Washington running back Jonah Coleman managed only 44 yards, marking a season-low. After a strong opener against Colorado State, he has struggled in recent games, only reaching 70 yards or fewer in the last four outings, though he did manage a 1-yard touchdown run.