Why Washington will win
The passing attack
Washington can pass the ball, ranking 21st in the nation with 282.7 yards per game. Nebraska counters with the 17th-best passing defense with 171.7 yards per game allowed.
If the Huskies are clicking through the air, this could be a long game for Nebraska.
Starting quarterback Demond Williams Jr. didn’t play against Purdue due to a rib injury. Williams is listed as the starter on this week’s depth chart.
Williams’ backup, Elijah Brown, performed well against Purdue despite three interceptions.
The quarterbacks’ 2026 numbers:
* Williams: 116-of-174 (66.7 percent) for 1,396 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions.
* Brown: 51-of-69 (73.9 percent) for 578 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions.
Washington has outgained opponents through the air, 1,979 to 1,435 yards.
“They’re certainly very similar and different if I may,” Rhule said. “I think first of all Coach [Jedd] Fisch runs a fantastic system for guys who’ve been in the NFL, guys who’ve studied NFL tape. You can see he runs a true West Coast offense and it’s really, really, really elitely well constructed …
“They’re a vertical passing offense, I think they’re third in the Big Ten in passing offense. I think it’s 18th in the country passing offense. They push the ball down the field. This is not like a dink and dunk only, this is a true play-action, push the ball down the field offense.
“So they have the guys to do it, so they have to be elite with their arm and they both use their legs to get in and out of trouble.”
Huskies are due
After a nice opening win over rival Washington State, the Huskies barely got by Utah State, then routed Eastern Washington. Their fourth win was at surprising Purdue before the bye
Washington’s losses are troubling — at home to Minnesota and Iowa, and at USC. It’s time for the Huskies to make a stand, and define their season. Fisch called the Huskies’ bye-week practices “Training Camp 2.0” and had the players in full pads three days. They should be ready.
Rushing defense
Washington held Purdue star running back Fame Ijejoi to 19 yards, a week after he gained 195 against Minnesota. Nebraska is going to run the ball and this is where Washington can control the game. The Huskies rank 53rd in the nation in rushing defense, allowing 131 yards per game.
