Washington offense overcomes early struggles in Apple Cup win

SEATTLE (AP) — Despite his obvious frustration, Washington coach Jedd Fisch had a few compliments for his offense after it scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to finish off a 24-10 victory over Washington State on Sunday in the Apple Cup.

It was markedly different from Fisch’s mood a few hours prior, when he had some harsh words after the Huskies failed to score a touchdown on fourth-and-1 from the 1, which would’ve put them ahead 17-0.

“We’ve got to run the ball a lot better than we’re running the ball, we’ve got to hit passes that we’re not hitting,” Fisch said during his halftime sideline interview. “We’ve got to continue to play great defense, but we’ve got to score some points. It’s embarrassing right now.”

While the defense shined, holding Washington State to an 0 for 11 mark on third down and finishing with eight tackles for loss, the offense struggled early on. The Huskies gained 186 total yards in the first half, 78 of them on the ground.

Things finally clicked in the fourth when quarterback Demond Williams responded to a Washington State touchdown by hitting Rashid Williams for a 44-yard completion to the 2. The pair then connected for a touchdown two plays later.

Williams then hit Chris Lawson for a 35-yard reception on Washington’s next drive, setting up an 11-yard rushing touchdown from Jayden Limar with 2:18 remaining.

“I thought in the fourth quarter, the offense really turned on and did a fantastic job,” Fisch said. “A couple drives of touchdowns, drives that changed the field position, and I was proud of the way Demond played today.”

Williams threw for 115 of his 268 yards passing in the fourth quarter while completing all six of his attempts. As a team, the Huskies averaged 12 yards per play in the fourth.

“I don’t think we started the way we wanted to, for sure,” Williams said. “But it’s really just going back to the drawing board, and understanding our preparation. When we needed it the most in a 10-7 ballgame and being able to respond in back-to-back drives and understanding that, I think it just speaks volumes of our team.”

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