Fisch Didn't Sound Totally Convincing on His QB Choice for UCLA

Will it be Will Rogers or Demond Williams Jr. Opening against the Bruins?

Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr (2) runs the ball against Penn State during the third quarter at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Down a wieldy 28-0 at halftime and looking absolutely miserable on offense, the University of Washington football team made a quarterback change -- replacing senior Will Rogers with freshman Demond Williams Jr. -- to open the third quarter following a Penn State fumble.

This was different.

While Williams had appeared in every previous game in situational moments, the first-year player from Chandler, Arizona hadn't opened a half before.

The big question that emerged was all this: will Williams stay behind center for the rest of the season, against UCLA, Oregon and possibly a bowl-game opponent, as the Huskies try to get an early start on next season with its youth movement for an offense built around the 5-foot-11, 187-pound speedster?

Or will Rogers, who has played in 53 college football games and started 50 at the UW and Mississippi state, finish out as QB 1?

"Yes, at this point in time, I'm going into the week thinking he's will be our starter for Friday's night," UW coach Jedd Fisch said of using Rogers against visiting UCLA.

Still, that didn't sound real convincing in regards to the veteran signal-caller, who had his worst passing day as a Husky with a scant 59 yards.

Plus, Fisch hasn't been shy about telling everyone that Williams is his Husky quarterback of the future and he's eager to cut him loose.

"It was an opportunity to give Demond a chance to play a full half of football," Frisch said of using Williams for all 31 offensive plays over the final two quarters. "He hadn't had that opportunity yet. I thought that was important for him."

Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (2) gets tackled by Penn State safety Jaylen Reed (1) during the third quarter. / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Williams was able to snap off a scintillating 43-yard on the UW's final series of the game, which surpassed his personal best by 23 yards, though he and the Huskies ran out of downs at the Penn State 11. He directed the offense to three red-zone trips, but he and his team had to settle for a pair of Grady Gross field goals.

On his first play of the half, a double handoff that ended back in Williams' hands, the freshman quarterback just missed hitting a wide-open and fellow freshman in tight end Decker DeGraaf in the flat for a 34-yard touchdown pass, overthrowing it under a heavy rush.

Fisch also conceded that when his patchwork offensive line breaks down, which it did against Penn State repeatedly, Williams' scrambling ability often enables the Huskies to still have a chance to move the ball. The quarterback actually led the UW in rushing with 38 yards on 10 carries, but he drew three of his team's five sacks.

"I thought he did really good," Fisch said. "Obviously, I would have liked him to hit the first pass to Decker. That would have been a nice little touchdown to start the second."

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