By Khalid Bennett, The Seattle Medium
For the first time in school history, the University of Washington Huskies hosted the Colorado State Rams to kick off their 2025 football campaign.
Under the lights at Husky Stadium, fans witnessed the highly anticipated debut of sophomore quarterback Demond Williams as a starter on his home turf. Last season, Williams started at Oregon and had a breakout performance in the Sun Bowl against Louisville, throwing for 374 yards and four touchdowns in a one-point loss. Washington also returned running back Jonah Coleman and wide receiver Denzel Boston, giving them what could be one of the most explosive offenses in the Big Ten.
Defensively, Washington had to replace linebacker and defensive captain Carson Bruener, along with several other veteran leaders. The secondary features tall cornerbacks Ephesians Prysock and Tacario Davis, both standing at 6-foot-4—shades of the Seahawks’ “Legion of Boom” era, when head coach Jedd Fisch was a quarterbacks coach under Pete Carroll in Seattle. Senior edge rusher Zach Durfee also looked to step into a leadership role on defense.
The Husky offense didn’t disappoint early, as Coleman found the end zone with a 25-yard touchdown run to open the scoring. Unfazed by the hostile crowd, Colorado State quickly answered with a touchdown of their own. In fact, each time Washington scored in the first half, Colorado State matched them. Williams was sharp in the passing game, but it was his ability to extend plays and create big gains with his legs that made him especially dangerous. On one key play, he hit Denzel Boston deep to the Colorado State 1-yard line, setting up another Washington touchdown.
A fumbled snap on a promising Husky drive stalled their momentum late in the second quarter, and Colorado State capitalized, marching down the field and tying the game at 14 with just 10 seconds remaining in the half—making some Husky fans a bit uneasy heading into the locker room.
In the second half, Washington struck quickly with a four-minute touchdown drive to open the third quarter. Williams continued to lead the offense, now leaning more heavily on the ground game. Adam Mohammed contributed alongside Coleman as the Huskies attempted to wear down a resilient Rams defense.
“The captains, the leaders… we all knew. At halftime we all knew what needed to be done,” said Coleman after the game.
Colorado State’s quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi kept the Rams in the game, finding tight end Jaxxon Warren for two big catches on the next drive, including a 25-yard touchdown that appeared to result from a missed defensive assignment. Once again, Colorado State tied the game, this time at 21.
Washington maintained a balanced attack throughout. They found continued success on the ground, and Boston helped in the air with a spectacular 12-yard touchdown catch that put the Huskies back on top, 28–21.
“It was awesome. When you have a chance to throw it up there and let your guy get it, it’s great,” Williams said of Boston’s touchdown grab.
Up to that point, the Washington defense hadn’t made a game-changing play. None of the players who recorded interceptions last season were still on the roster. But senior safety Makell Esteen—who last logged a takeaway in 2023—came up with a key interception that swung the momentum in the Huskies’ favor. A field goal stretched the lead to 10, and Coleman sealed the game in the fourth quarter with a 38-yard run that was initially ruled a touchdown but later marked down at the 3-yard line. On the next play, Coleman powered into the end zone with a 3-yard score to put the game out of reach.
“You got to be able to run the ball… that’s a part of being tough, and being in the Big Ten means you have to be able to run the ball even when they know you’re running the ball,” said Coleman of his performance.
Washington went on to win 38–21, improving their home winning streak to 21 games. Williams finished his first start at Husky Stadium completing nearly 70% of his passes.
“We’re still working out the kinks. I’m still embracing being a leader and trying to rally us after that first half,” Williams said.
Coleman finished with 177 rushing yards, just one yard shy of his career high at Washington.
“I felt like our team came to play. It was a good first game to get behind us. That’s a really good team, and I expect them to win a lot of games this year,” said head coach Jedd Fisch. “I’m really proud of our offensive line. We ran the ball for 283 yards, and that’s pretty cool.”
Next week, Washington will host UC Irvine as they look to maintain momentum heading into the Apple Cup in two weeks.
