A moment of suspense, a minute of concern, a morsel of anxiety — those weren’t meant for a game like this.
Anything that would have kept viewers’ eyes glued on the tube for the second half would have been considered a disappointment.
This was a Big Ten program two seasons removed from a national championship game appearance taking on an FCS team. Total dominance was the only acceptable outcome for Washington Saturday night.
Fortunately for their fan base, the Huskies delivered such a result via a 70-10 win over UC Davis of the Big Sky. They scored touchdowns on all nine of their possessions, added a special-teams TD and tied a modern school record for points. It’s impossible to say whether this forecasts anything significant for this team, but in Week 2 the Dawgs did what they were supposed to do.
And with some style.
Yeah, it was just UC Davis, but seven days after a performance that earned him Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week honors, Washington’s Jonah Coleman one-upped himself. His 177 yards on 24 carries in last week’s 38-21 win over Colorado State were impressive, but Saturday he had five touchdown runs — tying a modern record at Washington — to go along with his 111 yards on the ground (this time on 15 carries). It was the first time a Husky running back scored five times since Corey Dillon did it in 1996.
Coleman still has foes such as Ohio State, Michigan and Oregon ahead of him — not to mention a bevy of other squads that can potentially shut him down. Through two games, however, he’s established himself as a running back the rest of the country should be paying attention to.
What’s it feel like to tie a record?
“It hasn’t really hit me yet,” Coleman said. “Obviously you want to leave your jersey better than you found it anywhere that you play. And that’s just what I want to do and be the best teammate I can be.”
Yeah, it was just UC Davis, but quarterback Demond Williams Jr. again showcased his limbs. His right arm racked up 254 yards on 16-of-25 passing with a touchdown. His legs got him 64 rushing yards and a score on eight carries. It’s been an impressive start for the true sophomore, who had 226 yards on 18-of-24 passing and 68 yards rushing on 13 carries in Week 1. And though he hasn’t faced teams with elite pass rushers or secondaries, his accuracy on every type of throw has been solid.
Yeah, it was just UC Davis, but receiver Denzel Boston demonstrated why the Huskies have him on special teams. In addition to his five catches and 50 receiving yards, the junior returned a punt 78 yards for a TD in the final two minutes of the first half, thus giving Washington a 42-10 lead. The punt-return game was virtually non-existent for UW last season. UW hadn’t scored on a special-teams return since the 2023 season. And though all of the remaining opponents are sure to be tougher than Saturday’s, Boston’s sprint to the house provided some hope in that department.
“I knew I had the ability to return one,” said Boston, who, according to Coleman, called the touchdown before he went out on the field. “So going into that rep I just kind of had in my mind that if the opportunity presents itself, let’s try to take it back before the half.”
Washington’s blowout win was hardly unique Saturday. Florida State scored 77 points earlier in the day, Alabama had 73, Tennessee 72, Ohio State 70 and Oregon 69. The second week of the season is generally dedicated to talent disparities across college football. But you also saw teams such as UNLV upsetting UCLA. Anything can happen.
So after the win, perhaps it wasn’t too surprising to hear UW coach Jedd Fisch say the most important thing in games such as this was “to play to the talent advantage.”
“Really what I’m most proud of is we did what we were supposed to do,” Fisch said.
The first real test for the Huskies comes in Pullman two Saturdays from now when the they try and reclaim the Apple Cup from Washington State. Both teams are 2-0, with the Cougars dominating San Diego State 36-13 Saturday.
There wasn’t a whole lot to glean from that 60-point win on Montlake. They did what they were supposed to do. But to beat WSU on September 20th? Well, if we’re talking about the Huskies re-establishing themselves as a premier program, that’s doing what they need to do.