Jonah Coleman had only four carries during the Washington Huskies’ 48-14 win over the hosting UCLA Bruins on Saturday, but he made them count. Powering through the pain of an injured left knee which had sidelined him for most of the last two weeks, Coleman delivered four grueling runs to pick up six yards and his 16th scrimmage touchdown of the season.
On Monday, Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch explained the decision he’d made the week before: to win the game and move Coleman up Washington’s single-season scoring leaderboards without risking his returning health.
“I told Jonah, ‘Hey, here’s your plan for the week: You’re gonna play third down, you’re gonna play a couple snaps here and there, and then if we’re inside the 5-yard line we’re gonna try to get you a touchdown,’” Fisch said. “That was our plan, and that was the only set of plays [where] we were actually inside the five.”
The Huskies entered the Rose Bowl on Saturday with looming injury questions across the offense. Coleman and star receiver Denzel Boston had missed the previous week’s Purdue game after both went down early against Wisconsin in Week 11. Center Landen Hatchett and offensive tackle Drew Azzopardi had both been out since the Wisconsin game, and receiver Raiden Vines-Bright had been concussed against Purdue.
There was hope throughout the leadup to Saturday’s game that Coleman and Boston would return to at least a fraction of their former powers, but Coleman was heavily limited and Boston played just three snaps.
Instead, the Huskies relied on backup running back Adam Mohammed , as well as second string receivers like Omari Evans and Chris Lawson, to overcome the Bruins’ defense. These and other members of Washington’s supporting cast have been invaluable at times this year, but the situation this week is clear:
To beat No. 6 Oregon, the Huskies will need their big guns back.
The Huskies’ longest rivalry may be with Washington State, but Washington’s most contentious rivalry right now is with the Ducks. It’s been a back-and-forth affair, too.
Washington holds an all-time lead of 63-49-5 in head-to-head, but Oregon won 12 straight from 2004-2015. Washington’s won five of the nine games played since then, but Oregon won last year’s game in dominating fashion. Throughout the back and forth, enmity has remained, and the 2025 clash will be no different.
The Ducks (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten) will enter Husky Stadium as the College Football Playoff selection committee’s sixth-ranked team following a 42-27 home victory over the No. 15 USC Trojans. Oregon’s got plenty of offensive firepower for Washington to worry about, but the Ducks’ defense could give quarterback Demond Williams Jr. and the Dawgs’ offense some serious problems.
The Ducks rank third nationally in yards allowed per game (248.7) behind just Toledo (240.9) and Ohio State (206.6), and they’re eighth in points allowed per game (14.9). Eight of their eleven opponents have been held to less than 17 points, and only three have surpassed 300 yards of total offense.
To make matters worse, Oregon’s defense is well-rounded. If Boston and Coleman can return to action, they’ll each be facing their own uphill battles.
Let’s start with the battle on the outside. Oregon’s allowed the nation’s third-fewest passing yards per game (145.7), and they matchup well individually, too. The Ducks have allowed only three 100+ yard receiving performances all year, so they’d be a formidable matchup for even a healthy Boston.
Oregon’s strong on the inside, too. They’ve allowed the nation’s fifteenth-fewest rushing yards per game at just 103.0. They also hold the nation’s second-highest tackling grade (91.9) according to Pro Football Focus (PFF) and haven’t allowed 90+ yards to a single rusher this year. The Huskies will need Coleman at or near his prime if they want much hope of ending that trend.
Will either Boston or Coleman be good to go at the level Washington may need? Fisch was optimistic about their chances during Monday’s press conference.
“Yeah, I would expect them both to be back in a much more significant manner than they were last week,” Fisch said of his two stars. “[As for] what that really means, I don’t know how many reps that is, but a substantial amount.”
Husky fans have heard this before. Coleman was expected to play against Purdue but suffered a setback during warmups. Fisch then announced that Coleman was doing significantly better in preparation for the UCLA game than he had been before Purdue, but Coleman was limited to just four carries of goal-line action against the Bruins.
He did so wearing a brace and wrap on his left knee. The senior told reporters on Tuesday he’s unsure if he’ll wear the brace against Oregon.
“It’s my first time running and trying to cut and do different things with a brace, so obviously it took some getting used to,” Coleman said.
Thankfully, Fisch seemed especially confident this week that Coleman, Boston, and Vines-Bright were on track to return to the starting lineup.
“I believe that all of those guys–Denzel, Raiden, Jonah–will all be good to go for Saturday barring any setbacks,” Fisch said on Monday.
However, the news wasn’t as good on the offensive line. Fisch announced on Saturday that Hatchett will remain out at center, as he’s still wearing a ball cast on his dominant hand. He’s cleared to play at guard and could suit up again, but won’t be a member of the starting rotation.
Fisch also announced that Azzopardi’s status had yet to be determined, but that full participation was unlikely.
“We’re going to start practicing with Drew tomorrow,” Fisch said on Monday. “We’re going to get him some team reps on Wednesday and Thursday and see how he’s doing. Right now, he’s trending in a positive direction, he’s done a great job with rehab, and our goal is to be able to get him into the game in some capacity.”
Washington will need all hands on deck when Oregon comes to Husky Stadium on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PST. However, if the Dawgs can get their offense healthy between now and then, the Ducks could be in for a late-season shootout on the shores of Lake Washington.