Minnesota Stuns Huskies at Home in Conference Opener
Much was expected of the Washington Huskies football team entering the 2026 season.
With the return of $4-plus million quarterback Demond Williams Jr., a stout defense and some highly touted yet inexperienced players around Williams, there was talk of being in the mix for a College Football Playoff.
After three uninspiring wins during a weak non-conference schedule, the Huskies’ thoughts of a strong season suffered a major setback with a 27-24 to midling Big Ten team Minnesota Saturday night in the conference opener at Husky Stadium.
The black uniforms looked cool, the band sounded good and the student section showed out. All else was essentially a mess for the Huskies. It was Washington’s first loss at Husky Stadium to an unranked opponent since a disaster of a 2021 season when UW finished 4-8.
Big Ten Picks: Will The Real Huskies Stand Up Saturday Against Minnesota?
We’ll find out a lot about Big Ten teams this week, after most played Charmin-soft nonconference schedules.
Fifteen of the 18 teams will open their conference seasons this week, including 3-0 Washington. The Huskies host Minnesota (2-1) in a battle of teams with much to prove after underwhelming nonconference slates.
This felt like an easy one to place in the Huskies win column before the season began, but Washington enters the game with a lot of questions on the offensive side of the ball after narrow wins over Washington State and Utah State prior to last week’s domination of a struggling FCS Eastern Washington program.
Huskies Dominate Eastern Washington, Leave Unanswered Questions
No drama this time.
Not in this week’s result, though concerns remain despite a decisive win over an FCS opponent.
The Washington Huskies football team capped its non-conference slate with a 48-16 win over Eastern Washington on Saturday at Husky Stadium. The Huskies, favored by more than three touchdowns before eking out wins against Washington State and Utah State, dispatched the 42.5-point underdog Eagles from Cheney with relative ease.
The announced attendance was 61,619, though it appeared that many of the purported attendees found something else to do while Washington (3-0) played an inferior opponent for the third straight week.
What the undefeated start means remains to be seen when UW opens its stretch of nine straight Big Ten games next Saturday against Minnesota. And despite the lopsided result, there is still work to be done as the competition stiffens dramatically over the next few games.
Big Ten Picks: Huskies Will Silence Eastern, Not Doubters, This Week
Can the mighty Eastern Washington Eagles stun Washington this week?
Well…
No…
This isn’t Vernon Adams and Cooper Kupp coming to town this week. That duo was trying to score late to stun the Huskies in 2014. First-year UW coach Chris Petersen and his team held on to win 59-52 that day, just three years after Steve Sarkisian escaped the Eagles with a 30-27 win.
All those Eags are long gone, however. Eastern, a powerhouse during the 2010s, last finished with a winning season in 2021. They’re off to a 1-2 start this season, and Eastern will soon be 1-3.
The Huskies, of course, have problems of their own despite a 2-0 start. Though they beat Washington State 24-10, the Cougars trailed just 10-7 in the fourth quarter. Last week, Utah State was throwing into the end zone to win the game, which UW held on to win 13-10.
There are plenty of questions about head coach Jedd Fisch’s offense, Demond William Jr.’s quarterback play, a running back room depleted by injuries and an offensive line that has failed to dominate lesser opponents the first two weeks.
Huskies Escape Utah State With Second Straight Underwhelming Performance
For the second straight week, the Washington Huskies underwhelmed and escaped.
Last week, it was an Apple Cup that was a three-point game in the fourth quarter. On Saturday, it was Utah State, a member of the resurrected Pac-12, throwing into the end zone to try to steal a win at Husky Stadium — Big Ten country.
The pass landed out of harm’s way, into the arms of UW defensive back Rahshawn Clark to seal a 16-14 win for the four-touchdown favorite Huskies. Washington’s offense, dysfunctional for three quarters against Washington State on Sept. 6 and for most of Saturday’s game, struggled in all phases against a Utah State team that lost to FCS opponent Idaho State last week.
Big Ten Picks: Washington Huskies Look to Rebound After Underwhelming Apple Cup
A win is a win, but it was less simple than that on Sunday when the Huskies won the Apple Cup.
Washington looks to put some meat on what is essentially a three-game preseason sandwich when Utah State visits Husky Stadium. UW struggled to run the ball in the season opener against Washington State, in part due to a lackluster performance by what is expected to be a solid offensive line.
The Huskies, down their top two running backs, will look to get more production from the big guys up front. Washington led just 10-7 in the fourth quarter before pulling away for a 24-10 win against WSU, mostly via the passing game.
Huskies Retain Apple Cup With Sloppy 24-10 Win vs. Washington State
It lacked the offensive outburst the Washington Huskies expected, but the Apple Cup trophy will stay in Seattle this year.
Washington pulled away from an outcome that was in doubt until the final minutes for a 24-10 victory to secure the second straight win over the Washington State Cougars after head coach Jedd Fisch lost his first attempt in 2024.
Washington Huskies Game-By-Game Predictions, and This Week’s Big Ten Picks
Welcome to Week 1 of Big Ten blowouts. There will be many these first three weeks.
For Washington, it starts with a potentially lopsided Apple Cup. The Huskies most likely need to win 10 games to earn Jedd Fisch’s first career College Football Playoff berth in his third season at UW. You may not need to worry much until Game 5 at USC. Will that be the first loss of the season for the Huskies? Find out below.
Will Apple Cup Continue Past 2028? Like Everything Else in College Football, It’s Complicated
With its future uncertain, the Apple Cup kicks off this Sunday as the season opener for both Washington and Washington State.
There’s a lot in that lede that would have sounded absurd a few years ago. Welcome to college football in 2026, a time in which traditions are maintained — as long as they come with maximum revenue streams.
Jedd Fisch, Huskies Target Four In-State Stars in Loaded 2029 Recruiting Class
In-state recruiting has been a fixture for Washington Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch since he arrived at Montlake two years ago. He has secured a commitment from the best player in the evergreen state in consecutive years.
“It’s important to us to get the best players in the state to stay here, and to get back-to-back No. 1 players in the state. It’s critical.”
Combining the chance of playing for their local school and getting an opportunity to play early will carry a lot of sway with these recruits. 247Sports recently listed four Huskies on its preseason Freshman All-America watch list. This highlights the recruiting angle Fisch gets to pitch to recruits, as they will get the chance to play as true freshmen.
Huskies Depth Chart: A Look At The Expected 2026 Starters, Backups
Eight days from now, 22 players will become official offensive or defensive starters for the Washington Huskies football team.
The Washington football program might release an official depth chart. If there is one, it will likely contain some inaccuracies and be partially incomplete. We’ll see the word “Or” multiple times for a real position battle, but more likely to make the opposition prepare for multiple players at certain spots. Let’s cut through the mystery and figure out who the starters and key backups are for the Huskies this season, and in particular for the Sept. 6 Apple Cup against Washington State.
Big Ten Picks: Can the Huskies Help Conference Overtake SEC in College Football Playoff Field?
What’s the difference between nine and 10 wins?
The simple answer is “one.”
If you’re talking about regular-season wins for a Big Ten team, however, the real answer is:
Everything.
Ten, and you’re almost certainly in the College Football Playoff. Nine means you’re out.
Ten puts a team in the heavyweight division. It’s one extra mile per hour for an airplane to break the sound barrier. It’s not the summit of Mount Everest, but it's The Balcony, a stop way up there that means you’re getting close to reaching the world’s highest mountaintop.
Can the Huskies ascend to The Balcony of the college football world this season, or will they stumble at the base camp?
Freshman Edge Ramzak Fruean Makes More Impressions at Huskies Mock Game
While it’s important to avoid reading too much into the Washington Huskies’ “mock game” on Saturday, true freshman edge Ramzak Fruean once again looked like a future star.
By future, we mean when UW kicks off the season Sept. 6 against Washington State in the Apple Cup. As has been the case for much of fall camp, Fruean once again proved difficult to contain on Saturday. He broke through for, unofficially, 2½ touch sacks against UW’s offense in a scrimmage that served as a dress rehearsal for the season.
After the mock game, head coach Jedd Fisch confirmed Fruean will become Washington’s third true freshman starter, joining defensive lineman Derek Colman-Brusa and left tackle Kodi Greene.
Huskies Receiver Christian Moss’ Long Road Leads to Starting Job at Washington
Christian Moss’ trip to the University of Washington began with the hiring of an attorney.
A common part of one’s journey in modern college football, Moss and his lawyer, Darren Heitner, appealed a decision by the NCAA to deny Moss an extra season of eligibility after he missed all of 2023 with a hand injury. He won, and Huskies receivers coach Kevin Cummings wasted no time convincing the 6-3, 205-pound X receiver to take a trip from Atlanta to Seattle after the injury waiver was granted.
“Literally an hour into me getting it, I got the call from KC and set up a visit, and everything just worked out,” Moss said. “… Coach Fisch has a lot of good people in the building and the vision. They have a really good quarterback coming back, so it just felt like home as soon as I got on campus.”
Top 10 Huskies’ Freshmen Poised to Make Impact in 2026
The Washington Huskies’ football program has a long history of playing true freshmen who impact winning on the field. Bringing in coach Jedd Fisch’s best recruiting class - and the best in school history (No. 12) - the Huskies have quite a few freshmen who project to get significant playing time this year.
Fisch preaches that he wants players playing as soon as they are ready regardless of class, stating, “If we make a commitment to go get a great player in high school, why would we not expect to play that player?”
Developing young players is important, but Fisch believes the best path toward development is live-game reps.
“There is too much to learn. We are such a young team... we have to look at the tape and teach off of it... we have to keep learning,” Fisch said.
In 2024, Decker DeGraaf was thrust into a starting role after multiple injuries to the tight end room. His insertion into the starting lineup paid immediate dividends, as his play resulted in him being named a Freshman All-American.
The following year, Texas native John Mills won the starting left guard job over a sophomore blue-chip prospect in Paki Finau. Choosing the freshman again proved to be the right call, as Mills earned Freshman All-American honors as well.
Will the Huskies have a third straight Freshman All-American? Who else might start in their first year?
Huskies Ranked 17th in Preseason AP Top 25 Poll
The Washington Huskies football team, ranked for only one week during the 2025 season, opened at No. 17 in the Associated Press Preseason poll.
The ranking is consistent with where UW has been placed in other rankings, and two spots above its No. 17 ranking in the Coaches Poll. Phil Steele lists Washington 15th in his annual College Football Preview. Stewart Mandel of The Athletic placed Washington 15th, while On3’s Brett McMurphy tabbed UW 10th.
Defensive Front, Safeties Make Marks in Huskies Saturday Scrimmage
Creating havoc with the defensive front was one of the Huskies’ stated goals for the 2026 season.
Mission accomplished.
The defense landed the most punches — literally in one instance — during Saturday night’s scrimmage at Husky Stadium. The No. 1 offense countered with some strong moments of its own among a 125-play scrimmage, about half of which featured live tackling.
Overall, UW head coach Jedd Fisch was pleased with what he saw from his team 22 days ahead of the Sept. 6, season-opening Apple Cup against Washington State.
“Overall, though, very hard to assess because you're going against each other, going against the same schemes day in and day out,” Fisch said. “So the key really is for us to just see who makes plays, really, right? Who makes plays when the opportunity presents itself?”
The Montlake Report: Huskies Gear Up for Fall Camp as 2026 Season Approaches
Closing in on the start of the 2026 college football season, the Washington Huskies hope to take the next step forward as a College Football Playoff contender in year three under coach Jedd Fisch.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Aaron Coe breaks down what he heard from coaches and players at Media Day as the Huskies prepare for a new season with high expectations as Fisch returns with plenty of offensive firepower - including quarterback Demond Williams back under center - and intriguing defensive additions to the roster.
Huskies CB Dylan Robinson Ready to Build on Strong Freshman Season
There was no soft landing for Huskies cornerback Dylan Robinson during his first start last season.
He arrived on campus in June after graduating from Bonita H.S. (La Verne, Calif.), where he was mostly known as a wide receiver. By September, he was lining up as a defensive back against soon-to-be, two-time All-American Heisman candidate Jeremiah Smith. In a one-on-one interview with the Emerald City Spectrum at Washington’s media day on Tuesday, Robinson said he felt ready for the moment.
“It's everything that I wanted,” said Robinson, who played in 12 games, starting five in his first college season. “I'm not a person that shies away from competition, and [Smith] is some of the best of the best. So it was always a goal to come in freshman year and play the best comp that I could, and that was the opportunity.
Demond Williams Jr. Must Show Growth On and Off Field for Huskies to Reach Potential
Demond Williams Jr. turned 20 just a few months ago, but he’s no longer young by college football standards.
Entering his second full season as the unchallenged starting quarterback for a Washington Huskies football team with high expectations — for his play and the team’s — Williams must grow up quickly.
The “He’s young” days are over. He’s no longer the raw kid inserted into games as a true freshman before starting the final two games of the 2024 season. He’s not a first-time, full-time teenage starter behind center like he was in 2025.
Williams is a junior with 15 starts under his belt, earning $4-plus million — none of which can be used to buy excuses.
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