UW Huskies’ huge win over UCLA sets up Oregon showdown
Washington’s Demond Williams Jr. celebrates his 25-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The University of Washington Huskies played UCLA in Big-Ten football Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025 at the Rose Bowl, in... (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)
By Percy Allen Seattle Times staff reporter
Nothing like back-to-back blowout wins against Big Ten also-rans to set the stage for Washington’s regular-season showdown against rival Oregon next Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at Husky Stadium.
The Huskies’ 48-14 thumping over UCLA on Saturday night at the Rose Bowl looked just like their 49-13 thrashing against Purdue last week.
Without several of its top players, Washington still cruised to a comfortable win to improve to 8-3 overall and 5-3 in the Big Ten.
read more huskies 48, ucla 14
Here are three impressions.
Williams is a one-man show
Nearing the end of his sophomore season and after his 13th start, Demond Williams Jr. is making a strong closing argument that he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten.
It’s an audacious claim considering Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza is a top NFL draft prospect and Heisman Trophy front runner along with Ohio State’s Julian Sayin.
And USC’s Jayden Maiava leads the Big Ten with 3,174 passing yards.
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But on a night when he missed several downfield throws, Williams still delivered a masterful performance while connecting on 17 of 26 passes for 213 yards, including two touchdowns and an interception.
He scrambled for first downs when pressured and two designed runs produced a pair of dazzling touchdowns, a 25-yard scamper and an 11-yard dash. He finished with 56 yards on six carries.
Entering Saturday’s games, Williams ranked 14th nationally among Division I players while averaging 302 all-purpose yards.
Remember at the beginning of the season when many believed the Huskies were led by a Big Three including Williams, receiver Denzel Boston and running back Jonah Coleman?
With Boston and Coleman sidelined or hampered the past two weeks, it’s become clear that Williams is the focal point of UW’s offense.
Almost another shutout
Defensive coordinator Ryan Walters might have been the best offseason acquisition for Washington, considering the improvement in points and yards allowed.
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The Huskies rank sixth in the Big Ten points (18.9) and yards allowed (302.4). Last year, they gave up 23.8 points per game (11th) and 328.4 yards (9th).
Washington hasn’t allowed 25 points in a game this season and was poised for a shutout until UCLA scored a couple of second-half touchdowns.
The Huskies held the Bruins to 207 yards, including 57 on the ground. Washington knocked out UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava in the third quarter, who was evaluated for a concussion after a big hit. He finished with 69 yards on 16-of-26 passing.
Safety Alex McLaughlin, cornerback Ephesians Prysock, edge Zach Durfee and linebacker Xe’ree Alexander spearheaded a defense that forced three fumbles and recovered two, while tallying a sack, five quarterback hits and breaking up six passes.
Lamenting loss to Wisconsin
OK, so maybe the Huskies weren’t going to upset No. 1 Ohio State and beating No. 18 Michigan in the Big House was probably far-fetched.
But losing 13-10 against Wisconsin last month?
That loss still stings and will prove even more costly if Washington pulls off the upset and topples No. 7 Oregon.
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Imagine if Washington had taken care of business against a hapless Badgers team that had lost six straight before the UW game, and resides near the bottom of the Big Ten with a 2-6 league record and 4-7 overall.
When they lost to the Badgers, the Huskies were No. 23 in the College Football Playoff rankings and still harboring hopes of snagging a spot in the 12-team playoffs.
A victory against Wisconsin would have given Washington a four-game winning streak before facing Oregon (10-1, 7-1), which has won five in a row.
In hindsight, the Huskies were eliminated from the Big Ten championship game after last month’s loss to Michigan, but a two-loss Washington team might have finished third in the conference and would have been a strong candidate for the CFP committee to consider.
Now the Huskies, who are 11.5-point underdogs against Oregon, are looking to spoil the Ducks playoffs hopes.
Percy Allen: pallen@seattletimes .com. Percy Allen is a sports reporter for The Seattle Times, where he writes about the University of Washington Huskies men’s and women’s basketball teams and the Seattle Storm.