With both offenses on fire in the first half, the Seattle rain came at the perfect time to put things out on Illinois in the second half. It was perfect timing for the Huskies on defense, as they finally got an early stop — which included a drop by Illinois wide receiver Hudson Clement, who slipped as he was wide open down the field.
Jonah Coleman wasn’t affected by the rain, though. The Huskies running back took over on the following possession, highlighted by an explosive 29-yard run, and then a bulldozing seven-yard touchdown run, in which he lined up as a fullback to give Washington an 11-point lead.
Coleman finished with 14 carries for 75 yards and a rushing touchdown, as well as four receptions for 32 yards and a receiving touchdown. That gives him 15 all-purpose touchdowns on the season, tops in the FBS.
Tacario Davis then finally got his interception, after a pass interference call negated one in the first half, picking off Luke Altmyer on a 3rd-and-20, returning it 33 yards to set up Washington with excellent field position.
The Huskies delivered with another touchdown drive, but it didn’t come easy. A holding penalty backed Washington up to a 3rd-and-18 and out of field-goal range. Against all odds, Demond Williams Jr. scrambled for 25 yards and a first down to keep the drive alive, trucking an Illinois defender in the progress.
A few plays later, Williams connected with Denzel Boston for a 6-yard touchdown strike, Boston’s seventh of the season, to put the Huskies in command 35-17 early into the fourth quarter. Boston had a career day, finishing with 10 receptions for 153 yards and a touchdown. Fellow wide receiver Dezmen Roebuck added three receptions for 36 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.
Meanwhile, Williams continued to shine as the Huskies' offensive anchor, finishing an efficient 26-of-33 passing with 280 yards and four passing touchdowns to zero interceptions. On the ground, he carried the ball 10 times for 66 yards.
Washington intercepted Altmyer again, but two Huskies penalties instead gave Illinois 30 yards. The game could’ve been secured right then and there, but the Illini survived and subsequently punched in a rushing touchdown plus two-point conversion to make it 35-25.
But the Huskies would put the game away on their following offensive drive. A gutsy 75-yard drive, in which Boston appeared to be injured twice but returned to the game, was capped off with a two-yard Williams passing touchdown to tight end Decker DeGraaf.
A Rahshawn Clark interception of Altmyer would rub salt in the wound, and the Huskies would drain precious time off the clock, ultimately leading to 42-25 final score. The victory becomes Washington's best win on its 2025 resume, beating a ranked opponent for the first time this season.
The Huskies improve to 6-2 (3-2 Big Ten), and are in prime position to win their next four games before a showdown with Oregon in the last game of the regular season at Husky Stadium. A spot in the AP Top 25 may also be in the horizon for the first time this season.