UW football coach Jedd Fisch thanks fans for ‘awesome’ spring game

SEATTLE – Jedd Fisch wanted UW’s spring game to feel like an event.

The UW coach, an outspoken proponent of spring games as college football programs around the country do away with the tradition, hoped UW fans were willing to come out and spend a beautiful Friday evening at Husky Stadium.

For the most part, Fisch said he got the environment he was hoping for when he began talking about the spring game back in February.

“I want to thank our fans, our students,” Fisch said. “How awesome was that for a spring game.”

Fisch and the Huskies welcomed an announced attendance of 20,565 to Husky Stadium for their spring game, officially marking the end of UW’s spring practices. They witnessed Team Gold defeat Team Purple 20-12, a final taste of football on Montlake before the 2025 season starts in earnest with fall camp in late July and August.

“I thought it was great,” Fisch said. “I love having the music playing throughout. I thought we had a really good turnout.”

Fisch, who emphasized making the spring-game experience fun and exciting, saw an increase in announced attendance for the event, which drew an announced attendance of 18,448 in 2024. Tailgaters were in the Husky Stadium parking lots hours before the game, and included a strong showing of students. Fisch said it was the best attended game he’s seen during his five seasons leading a program dating back to his time at Arizona.

The UW coach hopes to see the event continue to grow going forward, along with finding new ways to expand the event. He said he enjoyed being able to incorporate other UW teams like gymnastics, men’s and women’s soccer and the men’s basketball team, and said he’d continue finding ways to integrate the spring game with other sports.

The Huskies also included opportunities for students, who kicked field goals which counted for points, a throwing competition, and a 40-yard dash. The halftime corgi race was won after a dominant performance by GG, a local corgi owned by Alicia Wen and Dustin Embry. All while a barge carrying a large Big Ten logo floated just offshore in Lake Washington and before a light mist began to fall shortly after the game’s ending.

“I just want to appreciate them, appreciate the community here,” Fisch said. “The athletic department for allowing us to put on such a fun game.”

On the field, the Huskies produced a mixed outing, though Fisch noted the fairly even split of starters on each team makes it hard to project what this performance means for the team in the long run.

Sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. and fifth-year signal caller Kai Horton were under center for the first half, though neither found the end zone. Williams was 5-for-8 passing for 40 yards. He was also sacked twice. Horton was intercepted twice, including one that fifth-year safety CJ Christian returned for 64 yards to set up a 46-yard field goal by senior kicker Grady Gross. Christian would’ve returned it for a touchdown.

Freshmen quarterbacks Dash Beierly and Treston “Kini” McMillan took over for the second half. Both freshman quarterbacks also threw interceptions that were returned for big gains, too. Beierly was picked off by freshman safety Rylon Dillard-Allen while trying to throw out of a sack, and the defensive back returned it 28 yards for the game’s first touchdown. McMillan was intercepted on the goal line by junior safety Alex McLaughlin, who had a chance to return it nearly the length of the field but was chased down by running back Jordan Washington.

However, Beierly and McMillan also threw the game’s only touchdowns. Beierly connected with his former high school teammate Marcus Harris for a 5-yard strike in the fourth quarter, while McMillan connected with freshman receiver Raiden Vines-Bright from 16 yards.

Vines-Bright enjoyed a particularly strong spring game, making several difficult catches including an acrobatic touchdown catch from McMillan, contorting in midair to get his left foot down in the end zone. Vines-Bright also hauled in a deep shot from McMillan down the right sideline for 35 yards on a go route. Fisch said it was a nice ending to the spring for Vines-Bright, who missed several practices because of a hamstring injury.

Yet the most impressive moment of the spring game might’ve come from senior running back Jonah Coleman. The 5-9, 228-pound tailback was summoned from the sideline to kick an extra point, which he converted easily. He then ripped off his helmet in celebration before sprinting to the middle of the field and doing a cartwheel into a back handspring as he was mobbed by teammates.

Any questions about the difficulty of Coleman’s made point-after attempt were answered at the end of the game when junior edge rusher Isaiah Ward shanked his point-after attempt wide right.

“Fun night,” Fisch said. “I think the guys had a really good spring. I’m proud of the way the guys competed all spring. Loved the energy of our team.”

Extra points

• Honorary captain Michael Penix Jr. arrived Friday after spending the week going through OTAs with the Atlanta Falcons. Fisch said he sent a video for the team and spent about 30 minutes speaking in the locker room before the game. Donald Butler, the other honorary captain, spoke to the team Thursday, along with former UW offensive lineman Lincoln Kennedy.

• Former Huskies John Ross, Chico McClatcher and Sidney Jones were also in attendance, along with former Seahawk linebacker Bobby Wagner, the uncle of UW linebacker Anthony Ward and edge rusher Isaiah Ward.