UW Huskies roll to win over No. 23 Illinois, clinch bowl eligibility
For the past week, Jedd Fisch and his defensive coordinator, Ryan Walters, emphasized the importance of forcing turnovers. They beseeched the UW defense to steal a possession and play complimentary football.
And with 2:42 remaining in the third quarter and UW leading 28-17 against No. 23 Illinois (5-3, 2-3), it finally happened. Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer launched a pass intended for his top target, receiver Hank Beatty, while facing third-and-20 from midfield.
But as Beatty rose to make the catch, he was rocked by a hit from UW freshman linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale. The ball popped out of Beatty’s hands and right into the awaiting arms of senior cornerback Tacario Davis, who sprinted 34 yards back down the right sideline.
Seven plays and 36 yards later, UW junior wide receiver Denzel Boston was celebrating in the end zone after giving the Huskies a commanding lead.
Washington (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) picked up its first ranked win of the season Saturday, beating Illinois 42-25 in front of an announced crowd of 68,630 fans at Husky Stadium. The Huskies are bowl eligible with four regular-season games remaining.
Sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. threw for four touchdowns on 26-for-33 passing for 280 yards, while adding 66 yards rushing on 10 carries. Boston had a 10 catches for 153 yards, both career-high marks, and added the first touchdown passing of his career. He’s the first UW player to throw and catch a touchdown in the same game since Dante Pettis achieved the feat against California in 2016.
Washington finally got the hot start its been searching for against Illinois. The Huskies opened the game with a 10-play, 75-yard drive to the end zone. It was a particularly encouraging drive for Williams coming off his three-interception performance against No. 25 Michigan.
The sophomore quarterback completed his first four passes for 43 yards, then capped the drive by showing off his ability to extend a play. Facing third-and-13 after a red zone holding penalty set UW back, Williams escaped the pocket and found freshman wide receiver Dezmen Roebuck on a crossing route at the goal line for a 13-yard touchdown and the 7-0 UW lead.
It was the first time Washington had scored points during the first quarter of a Big Ten game this season. Then, they did it again.
After Illinois (5-3, 2-3) was held to a field goal on its first possession, UW marched back down the field on an 8-play, 67-yard scoring drive aided by a 32-yard kickoff return by sophomore Adam Mohammed. Williams again punished Illinois through the air, completing four of his five passes including a 28-yard strike to junior wideout Denzel Boston.
His best throw of the drive was another 13-yard touchdown to Roebuck, this time on a corner route. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound receiver made an acrobatic effort to haul in the catch, twisting in midair to ensure he got his foot down in bounds to secure a 14-3 lead. It was the first multi-touchdown game of Roebuck’s young career.
Illinois, however, didn’t go away quietly. The Fighting Illini replied to Roebuck’s second touchdown with a methodical 14-play drive that lasted eight minutes before quarterback Altmyer found wide receiver Collin Dixon on a 2-yard slant route for their first touchdown with 7:26 remaining in the first half. The Fighting Illini were aided by a defensive pass interference call made against senior cornerback Tacario Davis in the end zone.
And after a quick three-and-out by Washington following a drop by sophomore tight end Decker DeGraaf, Illinois tallied another touchdown when Altmyer connected with tight end Cole Rusk for a 5-yard touchdown to take its first lead of the game, 17-14, with 1:55 remaining in the half. The Fighting Illini converted seven of their eight third downs during the first half.
Yet the most notable play of the half occurred one play before Rusk’s touchdown. Facing second-and-21 on UW’s 24-yard line after a personal foul penalty, Altmyer sailed a pass intended for wide receiver Justin Bowick in the UW red zone. Davis snagged the interception, but was called for another defensive pass interference penalty for making light contact with Bowick while positioning for the ball.
Washington responded with poise. Williams led an 11-play drive down to the red zone before Fisch dialed up a double-pass play that resulted in a 12-yard touchdown pass from Boston to senior running back Jonah Coleman to give UW a 21-17 lead entering halftime.
Despite UW’s troubles on third down during the first half, the Husky defense got a stop on its first opportunity of the second half when freshman linebacker and former Bethel High standout Rainey-Sale nearly intercepted Altmyer on a third down to force an Illinois punt – which Boston muffed but UW freshman cornerback Dylan Robinson recovered.
And Washington took advantage of its opportunity when Coleman, lined up as a fullback, scored on a handoff from seven yards out to extend UW’s lead, 27-17. It was his 13th touchdown rushing this season and his 15th total touchdown. Coleman entered Saturday leading the nation in both categories, and has at least one touchdown rushing during seven of UW’s eight games in 2025.