Difference makers: WSU has no answer for UW backfield tandem

Demond Williams Jr.

The Huskies’ sophomore quarterback was unfazed by WSU’s defense throughout a near-spotless Apple Cup performance. With Williams running the show, the Huskies mostly seemed to move downfield effortlessly. He completed 16 of 19 passes for 298 yards and four touchdowns with no turnovers, completing five passes of more than 25 yards and two that went for 45 or more. Williams also shined when he escaped the pocket, rushing for 88 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, with a long rush of 26 yards. Williams took three sacks, but he always made up for them with clutch conversions. The Huskies went 8 of 9 on third downs.

Jonah Coleman

The nation’s leading scorer, Coleman boosted his rushing TD total to nine on the year. The senior, an early-season Heisman candidate, rushed for 59 yards and two scores on 12 carries against the Cougars. Coleman was a handful for the Cougs to tackle in open space, keeping his legs churning as he bounced off defenders for extra yardage. He was also a threat in the passing game, recording six catches for 104 receiving yards and a touchdown – a 34-yarder early in the fourth to put the cherry on top. Coleman, who has 347 yards this season and is averaging about seven yards a carry, broke off three runs of more than 10 yards and was stopped in the backfield once.