UW Huskies, Jonah Coleman make history in flawless blowout win over UC Davis

Jonah Coleman made program history with 11:37 remaining in the third quarter.

With Washington facing first-and-goal from the UC Davis 5-yard line, Coleman, the senior running back, lined up in the backfield. He took the handoff from sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. and charged straight up the middle.

Coleman was met by UC Davis linebacker Thomas McCormick before he even reached the line of scrimmage. But it didn’t matter. Coleman skipped out of McCormick’s tackle attempt, then dragged three Aggies into the end zone with him.

It was Coleman’s fifth touchdown rushing of the game, tying UW’s modern single-game record and making the Stockton, Calif., native the first player in 29 seasons to achieve the feat.

Coleman’s big day was the exclamation mark on a 42-point first half by Washington, which beat FCS-opponent UC Davis 70-10 in front of an announced crowd of 65,421 on a hazy Saturday night at Husky Stadium. The Huskies have now won 22 consecutive games at home.

Coleman finished the game with 111 yards rushing on 15 carries for the Huskies (2-0). It’s his seventh game with at least 100 yards rushing since transferring to Washington. Coleman’s career-best five-touchdown performance tied the modern record for UW touchdowns in a game.

Corey Dillon scored five touchdowns rushing against UCLA in 1996. Hugh McElhenny reached the end zone rushing five times during the 1950 Apple Cup against Washington State. Ervin Daily holds the program’s record after scoring seven touchdowns against Whitman College in 1919.

Coleman set the tone early. Washington took only three plays to march 60 yards down the field on its first drive of the game. The 5-foot-9, 220-pound running back was responsible for more than half by himself. He gained 18 yards on his first carry — UW’s second play — then waltzed into the end zone virtually untouched for a 15-yard touchdown to give UW a quick 7-0 lead. He scored his second touchdown of the game, a 1-yard plunge, before UC Davis gained a first down.

The Huskies scored a touchdown on each of their 10 drives. Eight of those were rushing touchdowns, with four different players finding the end zone on the ground, including Coleman, Demond Williams Jr., Adam Mohammed and Kai Horton. UW’s 70 points also ties the program’s modern record for points in a game, set in 2016 when they beat Oregon, 70-21.

The Aggies (1-1) ensured they weren’t going to be shut out when kicker Hunter Ridley nailed a 45-yard field goal after UW junior linebacker Xe’ree Alexander was called for roughing the passer on third down, extending the drive.

But Washington reacted calmly. Williams, who finished the game 16-for-25 passing for 254 yards and a touchdown, led a 12-play, 63-yard drive which he capped with an 8-yard touchdown rush of his own to give Washington a 21-3 lead. Williams added 64 yards rushing on eight carries against the Aggies.

Coleman scored his third touchdown, this time from nine yards out, of the game during Washington’s next drive, essentially sealing the win. The drive started when senior cornerback Tacario Davis snagged his first interception of the season. However, the Arizona transfer appeared to injure himself during the play and did not return, though he did some light sprints behind Washington’s bench.

Davis wasn’t the only Husky to depart early. Sophomore wide receiver Rashid Williams, who caught the first pass of the game for a 27-yard gain, left immediately afterward and failed to return.

Washington finally conceded a touchdown when UC Davis running back Matteo Perez punched the ball into the end zone for a 1-yard score, but Coleman scored his fourth touchdown in response.

Junior wide receiver Denzel Boston put the exclamation point on Washington’s big first half. Boston, who caught five of his nine targets for 50 yards receiving, returned a UC Davis punt 78 yards for a 42-10 UW lead entering halftime.

It was Washington’s first punt return touchdown since Rome Odunze’s 83-yard punt return score against California on Sept. 23, 2023, and the longest of Boston’s career. His previous career-best mark was 25 yards.

Washington’s commanding performance continued during the second half. Coleman scored his historic fifth touchdown, and Williams Jr. completed a 47-yard touchdown pass to freshman Dezmen Roebuck. It was the 5-11, 180-pound wide receiver’s first career touchdown and the longest pass of the season for Williams, who also completed a 45-yard pass to freshman wide receiver Raiden Vines-Bright earlier in the game.

Fifth-year quarterback Kai Horton added a late touchdown mere minutes into the fourth quarter to give UW a 63-10 lead as the Huskies continued to pile on the points.