Williams Returns to Lead Washington Past Nebraska

Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. came off the bench in the fourth quarter to help the Huskies beat Nebraska 17-10 on October 31, ending a difficult stretch for the offense and delivering a late comeback in front of a black-clad crowd at Memorial Stadium.

Washington trailed 7-3 when coach Jedd Fisch put Williams in with 10:01 remaining. After an initial drive ended in a punt, the Huskies got another chance when their defense forced Nebraska to punt. Williams then ran for 17 yards on third-and-15 and, after a sack, found Chris Lawson on fourth-and-18.

Lawson caught two passes for 47 yards on the 81-yard scoring drive. He took a short pass, spun past a defender and ran 25 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 90 seconds left. He finished with 12 catches for 155 yards. Williams completed seven of 13 passes for 99 yards and ran four times for 28 yards.

Safety Alex McLaughlin intercepted Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea on the Cornhuskers’ next possession and returned the ball 48 yards. It was Washington’s third interception of the game. Nebraska had led 7-3 after a first-quarter touchdown, but Washington’s defense repeatedly kept the Huskies in reach.

Williams had missed time after fracturing a rib against Iowa and had faced criticism from some Washington fans during the team’s losing streak. Fisch defended him after the game, saying Williams had been a strong teammate and that personal attacks on a player were difficult to accept. Washington improved to 5-3 overall and 2-3 in Big Ten play, with four games left.