Demond Williams Jr. is anticipated to reclaim his starting quarterback position for Washington's upcoming game against Penn State, according to an announcement by head coach Jedd Fisch on Monday. This decision follows Williams's performance in Washington's 17-10 win over Nebraska last Saturday, where he entered the game in the fourth quarter and orchestrated a comeback for the Huskies.
Williams completed 7 of 13 passes for 99 yards against Nebraska. A pivotal play occurred with 1:42 remaining when he connected with Chris Lawson for a 24-yard completion on fourth-and-18, setting up a touchdown pass to Lawson two plays later. "If Demond is feeling good, I don’t see why he wouldn’t play and start," Fisch stated. "… He took some hits in that game, so we’ve got to make sure that he’s good to go and that he feels right. If he feels right, hopefully we can play off the momentum of the fourth quarter."
Williams had been sidelined since halftime of Washington's October 9th game against Iowa, where he sustained a fractured rib during the Huskies’ final drive of the first half. In that game, he had thrown for 69 yards and was sacked four times. Transfer quarterback Elijah Brown replaced Williams, throwing for 251 yards and three touchdowns against Iowa. Brown then started against Purdue on October 16th, completing 21 of 27 passes for 302 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions while Williams recovered.
Before his injury, Williams posted a quarterback rating of 145.7, which ranked 10th in the Big Ten at the start of the season. Following Washington's bye week, Fisch had not named a starter, indicating both quarterbacks would be available. Brown started against Nebraska, but the offense struggled, managing only 136 yards in the first half. Williams was then inserted to spark the team, a move that appeared to be successful. The Huskies will now look to Williams to maintain that momentum against Penn State.