Washington returns to Montlake this weekend for the first home game in nearly a month. Carrying momentum after a last-minute 17-10 road win over Nebraska, the Huskies, 5-3 overall and 2-3 in Big Ten play, face Penn State with a shot at securing bowl eligibility just two games after a decisive Iowa loss left many wondering if a .500 season was even possible.
Penn State arrives in Seattle at 4-4 overall and 1-4 in conference play, but the Nittany Lions are arguably better than their record suggests.
All four of their losses have come against Big Ten competition, three of them by one possession, and they are coming off a 31-17 win over Purdue. While the offense has been solid, the foundation of Penn State’s team remains its defense, particularly a secondary that ranks among the nation’s best. This game presents a classic strength-versus-strength matchup: Washington’s pass-oriented offense against a Penn State defense that has excelled at limiting explosive plays through the air.
Defensive Overview
Prior to the season, I had predicted that Penn State’s defense would be among the best that we’d face in 2026.
Long-time HC James Franklin is out, and former Iowa State HC Matt Campbell is now in Happy Valley. As a part of the new regime, Campbell brought home former USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. Lynn, a PSU alum, is a rising star in the coaching world. After bouncing around the NFL, Lynn found immediate success as UCLA’s DC in 2023 before moving across town and showing promising results in his two seasons at USC. He has his work cut out for him at his alma mater though.
Former PSU DC Jim Knowles left for Tennessee after Franklin’s firing, and he took many key contributors with him to Knoxville… What remains, and what was added in the Portal, should still pose challenges to offenses in the Big Ten. Returning 4th year LB Tony Rojas, flanked by Iowa State transfers Caleb Bacon, Kooper Ebel, and Cael Brezina, form one of the deepest and most experienced LB corps in the Big Ten.
In front of them, PSU got big up front. Campbell & Co. brought in 7 players along the defensive front, 6 of whom weigh anywhere between 290-320 lbs. That size up front is the foundation of Lynn’s defensive strategy heading into this year. His blitz-happy defense that emphasizes both disguise and fast defensive play is predicated on a stout DL shielding the experienced LBs. Those linemen keep the LBs free to bring pressure and chaos from all angles.
Between the LBs and DL that PSU will bring to Montlake, the Huskies might face their largest physical challenge upfront and an opposing DC who is familiar with Fisch’s offense.
While it’s true that the defense has become the strength of this Nittany Lions squad, and that they are one of the tougher units in the Big Ten, they are not without their flaws. The defense is 24th nationally in scoring, 18th in total defense, and 3rd in passing defense, but they are 88th in rushing defense. In their four conference losses, Penn State hasn’t held their opponent to less than 4.3 yards per carry, and against Northwestern and Michigan they allowed over 6 yards per carry. Pair that with an offense that has struggled to average more than 2.5 yards per carry themselves and Penn State simply hasn’t had the goods to control the game.
Keys to the Game
With UW’s own challenges running the ball with the conventional run game, the game will likely hinge on Demond Williams’ performance. All indications are that he’ll return to his starting role this weekend after sitting out against Purdue and coming off the bench late against Nebraska to lead the offense to it’s sole touchdown. Williams’ ability to make off-script plays with his legs, as well as his ability to stretch the field through the vertical passing game, sparked the offense against a Nebraska defense that had keyed in on Elijah Brown’s short and intermediate passing.
Where Demond has struggled has been his negative play rate and decision making. Too often this season, Demond’s been slow to make decisions and getting the ball out of his hand. These have led to ill-timed sacks, TFLs, and turnovers. With limited run game support, as well as poor discipline accumulating penalty yardage, the offense has faced a large number of 3rd and long situations and 3 and outs. Avoiding mistakes, staying ahead of the sticks, and finding ways to better supplement the run game under Demond will be as crucial to winning the game as finding ways to feature Dezmen Roebuck and the emergent Chris Lawson in the passing game.
