How Husky defense was challenged to stop Illinois
Washington safety Rahshawn Clark picks off a pass from Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer in the fourth quarter Saturday, October 25, 2025 at Husky Stadium in Seattle. (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)
By Andy Yamashita Seattle Times staff reporter
Jedd Fisch and defensive coordinator Ryan Walters had a challenge for their defense during the days leading up to Washington’s 42-25 shellacking of Illinois.
Fisch and Walters wanted to see the Huskies force some turnovers. Prove they were able to create takeaways in key situations and play complementary football — especially in a conference where possessions can disappear as quickly as the late October sun in Seattle.
And against the Illini, Fisch and Walters got the response they’d requested.
“We want to be a takeaway team,” Fisch, now in his second season leading UW, said Monday. “And Saturday showed me we can do that.”
Washington’s defense registered two turnovers — both interceptions — during its convincing win against Illinois. The first led directly to UW’s game-sealing touchdown early in the fourth quarter. The second was Washington’s final defensive play, as the offense bled the final 6:02 remaining to kneel out the win. But Fisch was most impressed by his team’s attitude and intent.
“What really stood out to me was our defense’s personality on the field,” he said. “They were very aggressive. They went after the football.”
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Washington’s defense, particularly during the second half, assembled another strong performance. The Huskies (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) are currently allowing just 20.88 points per game, 38th nationally. Against the Fighting Illini, they surrendered a season-high 25 points. For context, the Huskies allowed 25 points or more five times in 2024 under former defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, when UW’s defense averaged 23.8 points per game
UW’s defensive effort against Illinois was led by its secondary and linebackers. The Huskies held senior quarterback Luke Altmyer, who’d entered the game averaging 260.1 yards passing per game, to just 199 yards passing. His 64.7% passing against UW was the second-lowest completion percentage of 2025.
Forcing Altmyer into interceptions, however, might’ve been UW’s most notable achievement. Entering the game against Washington, Altmyer, one of just two quarterbacks on the Big Ten’s 2025 preseason honors list, had thrown just a single pick this season — against No. 1 Ohio State when a pass breakup tipped the ball to another Buckeye defender.
But the Huskies forced Altmyer into his first game with multiple interceptions since Nov. 30, 2024, when he threw two picks during a 38-28 Illinois win against Northwestern. Fisch praised the defense for its second-half adjustments after the game, and noted UW had one interception in zone coverage and one in man-to-man coverage.
UW freshman linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, a Tacoma native, helped cause the first interception with 2:42 remaining in the third quarter, jarring the ball out of wide receiver Hank Beatty’s hands with a perfectly timed hit as the slot receiver tried to make a leaping catch and into the awaiting arms of senior cornerback Tacario Davis, who returned it 34 yards. UW junior wide receiver Denzel Boston caught a 6-yard touchdown seven plays later to give Washington a commanding 35-17 lead.
Altmyer was intercepted by redshirt freshman defensive back Rahshawn Clark, a Seattle native, with 6:08 remaining. Once again targeting Beatty, Altmyer — pressured by senior defensive tackle Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei and sixth-year edge rusher Deshawn Lynch — was unable to float a pass over Clark along the right sideline.
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Fisch said Clark had impressed the coaching staff with his play during recent games and practices leading up to Illinois, and added the versatile defensive back had earned a chance to start.
Clark played 42 defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, one fewer than his career-high mark of 43 snaps during UW’s 38-19 win against Rutgers. He also made a pass breakup in the end zone, dislodging the ball from Illinois receiver Hudson Clement during the second quarter. Junior safety Alex McLaughlin called Clark a “playmaker.”
“Always around the ball,” McLaughlin said Saturday after the game. “We need him on the field because he brings a lot of energy and is just a great athlete.”
Yet the turnovers Washington didn’t register are the ones that convinced Fisch his defense can consistently force takeaways.
Rainey-Sale dropped a pass Altmyer threw right at him with 13:22 remaining in the third quarter, though it still forced a Fighting Illini punt.
Davis, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound Arizona transfer, had one interception wiped out after he was called for a defensive pass interference in the end zone during the second quarter. Sixth-year safety Makell Esteen also lost an interception and a 19-yard return when Uiagalelei was penalized for roughing the passer.
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Both penalties were fairly questionable. Both drives eventually ended with Illinois touchdowns.
“We control what we can control,” said McLaughlin, who had 12 tackles and a pass breakup against Illinois. “Our job is to stop them and not worry about the officials.”
The Huskies also nearly tallied a forced fumble with 5:45 remaining in the second quarter, when Esteen punched the ball out of Fighting Illini running back Ca’Lil Valentine’s hands near midfield. Replay review ruled Valentine down before Esteen knocked the ball loose, and Illinois appeared to recover it anyway.
But Fisch was generally happy with Washington’s presence around the ball and attempts to force fumbles. He also commended junior linebacker Xe’ree Alexander. He registered 12 tackles to jointly lead the Huskies with McLaughlin while playing in place of senior linebacker Jacob Manu, who voluntarily sat out his second game of the season as he tries to maintain his redshirt and eligibility for 2026.
Fisch said Alexander did a good job staying disciplined and focused on his own responsibilities, instead of feeling pressured to make a play. Alexander also demonstrated good composure, Fisch noted, and has improved his ability to diagnose a play instead of rushing into the action without considering how offenses are trying to manipulate him.
“Just doing his job rather than trying to do someone else’s,” Fisch said. “That really showed up in the last game.”
Led by Clark, Davis, McLaughlin and Alexander, Washington’s defense proved it can regularly create turnovers and gain possessions for UW’s offense, something that will be increasingly important entering the final stretch of the season.
“Takeaways are huge,” Fisch said Saturday. “I told them all week long, if you have zero takeaways, you’ve got about a 25% chance to win. And we took the ball away.”
Andy Yamashita: ayamashita@seattletimes .com. Andy Yamashita is a sports reporter at The Seattle Times, primarily covering Washington Huskies football.