After allowing a touchdown in each of the first three quarters, the Huskies defense finally locked in and shut down the Colorado State offense, highlighted by a Makell Esteen interception and Rahshawn Clark fourth-down sack. Washington scored 17 unanswered points to win the game 38-21, its 21st home win in a row.
Washington was not fooled 💪@UW_Football gets the sack as Colorado State went for some trickeration on 4th down.
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) August 31, 2025
📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/MHTbW6ruEv
Meanwhile, the Huskies offense was on fire all game long, totaling yards 509 of offense. Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. completed 18 of 24 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown, while also showcasing his dual-threat ability with 68 yards on the ground – most of which came on big plays.
It was running back Jonah Coleman who stole the show, however, rushing 24 times for 177 yards, both career highs with UW, while scoring two touchdowns. Coleman's longest run came on a 38-yard sprint late in the fourth quarter, dragging multiple Rams defenders before barely going down at the one-yard line. He would punch in the game-sealing touchdown on the next play.
Jonah Coleman. Shot out of a cannon @jonahcoleman8 pic.twitter.com/r1XFHXjuD7
— connor (Deathrow KP) (@keithpricetrut1) August 31, 2025
Despite the offensive heroics, Husky fans had plenty to be concerned about on the defensive side of the ball and special teams. While the defense did enough to secure the win late, the Rams scored with ease on their three touchdown drives, making it a stressful back-and-forth game for most of the contest.
Colorado State totaled 265 yards and were three for 13 on third down conversions, making the defense's stats appear better than they actually were on the field, as they still allowed big chunk plays due to poor tackling. One of the three Rams third-down conversions came on a crucial 3rd-and-19 play, and they also would've had a 4th-and-18 conversion if not for an inaccurate pass.
The Huskies didn't help themselves on special teams, where the kickoff unit allowed a 50-yard kick return, received a penalty for an out-of-bounds kick, and failed on a squib kick attempt to give the Rams excellent field position three separate times.
Even with the excellent offensive output, two other mistakes squandered opportunities to score more points: a false start penalty took the Huskies out of scoring range, and a bad snap caused a fumble that killed a promising offensive drive.
"Too many self-inflicted wounds that we're going to get better at," coach Jedd Fisch said after the game.
Regardless, the Huskies start their 2025 campaign 1-0, and will face an easier opponent next week in UC Davis. Washington will have plenty to work on in practice going into that matchup.