Demond Williams Jr. leads Washington over Washington State 59-24 in Apple Cup

PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Demond Williams Jr. threw four touchdown passes and ran for a score as Washington reclaimed the Apple Cup with a 59-24 victory over Washington State on Saturday night.

Williams was at the heart of Washington’s offensive success with 298 yards through the air and another 88 on the ground, but the Huskies made use of other weapons on their way to 471 total yards.

“Demond is sensational,” Washington coach Jedd Fisch said. “I think a lot of the country saw what Demond can do today, being a national game… and we’ll see what it looks like in the future. But he’s super special, and I can’t wait to see him keep getting better.”

Running back Jonah Coleman rushed for 59 yards and two touchdowns to help a dominant rushing attack. Denzel Boston led all receivers with 107 yards and two touchdowns.

The Huskies scored on every possession, extending their season-opening scoring streak to 21 straight drives. Washington scored touchdowns on seven of its eight scoring drives.

Washington opened the 117th Apple Cup with a touchdown drive as Boston caught a 29-yard pass from Williams.

There was uncertainty at quarterback for Washington State heading into the game as coach Jimmy Rogers did not name a starter before Saturday’s game. Senior Zevi Eckhaus started in place of redshirt sophomore Jaxon Potter, who threw three interceptions last week in a 59-10 loss to North Texas.

Eckhaus was intercepted on Washington State’s first drive by safety Alex McLaughlin. The interception sparked back-to-back touchdowns from Washington, both on the ground courtesy of Williams and Coleman.

The Cougars’ only touchdown of the half came when Eckhaus found redshirt freshman tight end Bo Baker for his first collegiate catch and touchdown.

The instate rivals traded touchdowns to start the second half, with Boston adding his second score on a contested catch in the corner of the end zone to open the fourth quarter.

“No one ever wavered, nobody ever batted an eye in the huddle and we knew what it was,” Williams said. “I saw one-on-one with Denzel and nine times out of 10 he is winning those.”

The Cougars committed back-to-back turnovers after the Boston score, starting with a second interception by Eckhaus which McLaughlin returned for a touchdown. Eckhaus also fumbled on the first play of the next possession.

“I think that’s what separated the game and then gave our defense back the confidence that they needed to go back and get after it,” Fisch said. “Then after that, I think all the momentum turned in our favor.”

Another Coleman touchdown run and a 59-yard touchdown reception by senior Omari Evans capped the scoring as the Huskies secured their 76th win in the Apple Cup series.

“It means a lot,’ Williams said. “You know, walking throughout the facility, you see it everywhere. The past two weeks, we’ve been harping on you know, just bringing it back, bringing it back. That was our goal coming out here and I feel like we did just that.”

The takeaway

Washington: A dominant offensive performance led Washington to its first road win since November 2023 against Oregon State. Since coach Jedd Fisch took over in 2024, the Huskies had lost five straight on the road while winning every home game.

Washington State: The Cougars continue to struggle on the ground. Washington State rushed for 33 yards after ranking in the bottom five in the FBS in rushing yards per game.

McLaughlin strikes twice

McLaughlin, a Northern Arizona transfer and former All-Big Sky first-team selection, recorded his first interceptions as a Husky.

“I was guarding my man, I looked up and I saw the ball and I saw nothing but green, so I just ran straight and scored,” McLaughlin said.

Washington forced three turnovers, and Washington State has now turned the ball over nine times in four games.

Cougars defense collapses again

The Cougar defense gave up 59 points for a second straight week after holding its first two opponents to a combined 23 points.

“We got to be able to execute the basic fundamentals of wrapping up and making plays and tonight we failed at that,” Rogers said.

Up Next

Washington: Hosts reigning national champion Ohio State on Saturday.

Washington State: Visits Colorado State on Saturday.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football