Williams Jr.’s Dual Threat Performance Leads No. 17 Washington Past Washington State in Season Opener

Demond Williams Jr. delivered a stellar dual-threat performance, throwing for one touchdown and rushing for another, as No. 17 Washington kicked off its season with a 24-10 victory over visiting Washington State in the Apple Cup on Sunday afternoon in Seattle.

Jayden Limar capped the scoring with an 11-yard rushing touchdown with 2:18 remaining to secure the win for the Huskies.

Williams completed 24 of 35 passes for 268 yards and added a team-high 61 rushing yards on seven carries. A standout moment came late in the game when he scrambled for 21 yards on third-and-9 from his own 33-yard line with 2:33 left, sparking the final scoring drive.

The Washington defense was equally impressive, holding the Cougars to just 242 total yards, forcing three turnovers, and preventing a single third-down conversion across 11 attempts.

For Washington State, quarterback Caden Pinnick went 16 of 25 for 142 passing yards while also contributing 61 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Pinnick’s 11-yard keeper up the middle brought the Cougars within 10-7 with 10:15 remaining in the game.

Washington answered swiftly. Williams connected on a 29-yard completion and followed it up with a 44-yard flea flicker to Rashid Williams, advancing the ball to the WSU 2-yard line. Williams then hit Rashid Williams for a 1-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead back to 10 points.

Jack Stevens narrowed the gap to 17-10 with a 42-yard field goal at the 4:30 mark.

Washington struck first with a 48-yard field goal from Tyler Robles with 3:53 left in the opening quarter.

Early in the second quarter, Jeron Jones intercepted Pinnick, giving the Huskies excellent field position at the WSU 21-yard line. Five plays later, Williams punched in a 5-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 10-0.

The Cougars committed another turnover deep in their territory on the ensuing possession, as Kirby Vorhees fumbled at his own 24-yard line following a 4-yard run.

Washington advanced to the 5-yard line, but Robles missed a 29-yard field goal attempt wide left.

The Huskies took over at their own 6-yard line with 3:07 remaining and drove all the way to the Cougars’ 1-yard line. However, Limar was stopped short of the goal line by Keith Brown on the final play of the half, prompting Washington head coach Jedd Fisch to visibly toss his headset in frustration.

Washington State managed to reach field-goal range on its opening drives of both halves, but Stevens missed wide right on a 52-yard attempt in the first quarter and a 32-yard try in the third quarter.

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