Demond Williams Jr. offered an impressive fourth quarter in the Washington Huskies' 17-10 comeback win on the road over the Nebraska Cornhuskers. After he was benched to start the game in favor of backup Elijah Brown, the former four-star recruit, who had a streak of 21 straight starts, snapped at Purdue two weeks ago due to a fractured rib, he was a key piece of the victory.
He threw for 99 yards and the game-winning touchdown to sophomore wide receiver Chris Lawson, while adding a team-high 28 rushing yards, showcasing his playmaking ability. After the game, he admitted to feeling some of the pressure on him after a poor first half of the season, which he let out by running around the sidelines and high-fiving every Husky fan he could find.
“I tried to dap up everybody, because it’s just been really tough,” Williams said on Saturday night. “Everybody’s been on me. I feel it. I’m blessed, and I’m ready to go out next week and play again.”
Happy Huskies. pic.twitter.com/jAEgiYuEkd
— Jared Tucker (@jaredetucker) November 1, 2026
During his postgame press conference, coach Jedd Fisch all but affirmed that Williams will be Washington's starter when the Huskies head home to take on Penn State on November 7, and had some strong words to back the quarterback, whom he's touted as the face of the program several times since his arrival.
“Demond Williams has been the starting quarterback here for a lot of weeks, and he is a really good player,” Fisch said. “But I think maybe the last game and a half, as he’s recovering, gave him another opportunity for insight, and boy, I'm so proud of how he played.”
As for the pressure around Williams, Fisch acknowledged what has been a tough year for the third-year quarterback following his brief flirtation with the transfer portal and subsequent return to Montlake in January, which has added a lot of fuel to the fire.
“I understand that fans and people want to get on social media and say things, and they have the right to do that,” he added. “But there are also facts that are involved, as well. And Demond has been an incredible teammate, and Demond has played as hard as possible. To personally attack a kid, I have a hard time with that... I’m more proud of the fact that he was able to block out the noise and just be a good teammate. Look at how he handled the first three quarters. Look at the smile on his face. Look at how he was rooting for Elijah on every single down.”
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Jedd Fisch backs Demond Williams Jr. after comeback win at Nebraska
