SEATTLE — Washington is 2–0.
There. That is about the nicest thing I can say about the first two games of the 2026 season.
The No. 19 Huskies somehow escaped Husky Stadium Saturday with a 16–14 victory over Utah State, and calling it a victory almost feels generous.
Washington survived a team that entered the afternoon 0–1 after losing 29–17 at home to FCS Idaho State. The Huskies were favored by roughly four touchdowns. Instead of putting the game away by halftime and letting the backups finish it, Washington needed an interception on a desperation pass into the end zone as time expired just to avoid what would have been one of the most embarrassing losses in recent program history.
This is ridiculous.
And after two weeks of watching essentially the same dysfunctional offense, it is becoming harder to dismiss this as early-season rust.
Washington struggled through much of the Apple Cup before finally pulling away from Washington State, 24–10. At the time, there were excuses available. Rivalry game. First game of the season. New pieces. Injuries. Offensive line still developing.
Fine.
Utah State was supposed to be the response.
Instead, it was worse.
Washington managed one touchdown in 60 minutes Saturday.
One.
The Huskies finished with 356 total yards and only 107 rushing yards. Demond Williams Jr. accounted for 56 of those rushing yards himself, meaning the traditional running game produced almost nothing. Freshman Brian Bonner Jr. and Trey Cooley each finished with just 22 yards rushing.
Williams completed 26 of 41 passes for 249 yards, but Washington never developed anything resembling a consistent offensive rhythm.
There were dropped passes, missed opportunities, questionable play calls and long stretches where an offense loaded with highly recruited players looked painfully ordinary.
This was Utah State.
Not Oregon.
Not Penn State.
Not Michigan.
Utah State.
The Offense Looks Completely Lost
There was a moment late in Saturday’s game that might have summarized the entire afternoon.
Washington needed a first down to effectively finish the game. Jedd Fisch called play action. Williams rolled right and found Dezmen Roebuck wide open in the flat.
Drop.
Utah State got the football back with 47 seconds remaining and eventually reached Washington’s 39-yard line before Rahshawn Clark intercepted the final Hail Mary.
That is how close this came.
Earlier, Washington had another potential walk-in touchdown dropped. Chris Lawson narrowly missed completing another touchdown catch. Trey Cooley dropped a fourth-down pass while uncovered. Brian Bonner fumbled deep in Utah State territory. Tyler Robles missed a 48-yard field goal.
Washington repeatedly had opportunities to bury an inferior opponent and repeatedly found ways not to do it.
That isn’t just bad luck.
Eventually, repeated mistakes become an identity.
And right now Washington’s offensive identity is sloppy, hesitant and strangely unimaginative.
That is particularly troubling because offense is supposed to be Jedd Fisch’s specialty.
He calls the plays.
This is his system.
These are largely his recruits and transfers.
This is Year Three.
At some point, the responsibility has to land on the head coach.
What Happened to Demond Williams?
Demond Williams entered this season with enormous expectations, and understandably so.
He remains one of the most naturally gifted quarterbacks in college football. His ability to escape pressure and turn broken plays into huge gains is extraordinary.
Yet Washington seems determined to turn one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the country into a conventional pocket passer.
Why?
Williams has now carried this offense for significant stretches in both games, but too often it feels as though Washington is fighting against the very things that make him special.
There is certainly a legitimate reason to protect your quarterback. Washington cannot afford to lose Williams.
But there has to be something between recklessly running him 20 times a game and removing one of the most dangerous elements of your offense.
Right now the attack looks restrained rather than creative.
And the Offensive Line?
Perhaps the most alarming development has been the offensive line.
This was supposed to be a strength.
Instead, Washington has struggled to consistently move Washington State and Utah State off the football.
After the Apple Cup, the expectation was that Utah State would provide an opportunity to get things corrected.
It didn’t.
Washington rushed for just 107 yards Saturday.
Injuries to Quaid Carr and Jayden Limar unquestionably matter. Washington is suddenly relying heavily on inexperienced backs.
But Washington’s offensive line should still be able to create running lanes against Utah State.
Period.
Thank Goodness for the Defense
The maddening part is that Washington might have a genuinely good defense.
The Huskies forced three interceptions Saturday. Alex McLaughlin produced a sack and interception on consecutive plays. Clark ended the game with the final interception. Dylan Robinson also recorded his first career pick.
Take away Utah State’s 78-yard touchdown pass and Washington’s defense was dominant for long stretches.
The Aggies finished with only 271 total yards, including just 75 rushing.
The defense has repeatedly handed the offense opportunities through the first two games.
The offense keeps handing them back.
Washington’s defense looks capable of competing in the Big Ten.
The offense currently looks capable of getting this team beaten by almost anybody on the schedule.
Fisch Knows It Isn’t Good Enough
Even Fisch isn’t pretending everything is fine.
After Saturday’s game he acknowledged that Washington once again had plenty to learn.
Two weeks in a row.
Exactly.
The problem is Washington doesn’t have much more time for lessons.
Eastern Washington comes to Husky Stadium next Saturday. After that comes Minnesota.
Then USC.
Then Iowa.
Then Purdue.
Later come Nebraska, Penn State, Indiana and Oregon.
If Washington plays USC, Penn State or Oregon the way it played Utah State, this isn’t going to be a two-point football game.
It could get ugly very quickly.
This Is Year Three, Jedd
There also comes a point when the rebuilding explanation expires.
Fisch deserves credit for what he inherited. Washington’s roster was gutted following the 2023 national championship run and Kalen DeBoer’s departure.
His first Husky team went 6–7.
Last year Washington improved substantially to 9–4, averaged more than 34 points per game and finished the season by hammering Boise State 38–10 in the LA Bowl.
That looked like legitimate progress.
So entering 2026, expecting Washington to take another step wasn’t unreasonable.
Instead, through two games, it somehow looks like the offense has gone backward.
And that is where the uncomfortable conversation about Fisch begins.
Nobody should be firing a coach who is 2–0 after two games.
That’s absurd.
But it is equally absurd to pretend there shouldn’t be pressure on Fisch if this continues.
Washington isn’t paying for a perpetual rebuilding project.
This is one of the country’s great college football programs. It was playing for a national championship less than three years ago.
Husky Stadium should not be holding its collective breath while Utah State throws into the end zone for a potential game-winning touchdown.
And if Washington goes through 2026 looking like this — if the offense remains dysfunctional, if the play calling remains questionable, and if a talented roster produces another mediocre Big Ten season — then 2027 absolutely becomes a referendum on Jedd Fisch.
At that point, he may very well find himself coaching for his job.
That isn’t an overreaction to one game.
It’s recognizing the standard.
Being 2–0 Doesn’t Make This Acceptable
There will undoubtedly be people saying Washington fans should simply enjoy being undefeated.
I can’t.
Not after watching these first two games.
Washington State exposed problems.
Utah State confirmed them.
The Huskies have scored just 40 points in two games against Washington State and Utah State.
Meanwhile, nationally ranked teams across the country are doing exactly what nationally ranked teams are supposed to do against inferior competition.
Washington scored 16.
Against a team that gave up 29 to Idaho State.
That should bother everybody associated with this program.
There is still plenty of season left. Williams is still tremendously talented. The defense looks legitimately good. Young players such as Ansu Sanoe, Brian Bonner Jr. and Jordan Clay have shown encouraging flashes.
Washington can fix this.
But the days of shrugging our shoulders and saying it’s early are nearly finished.
Eastern Washington comes to Seattle next.
This should not be another “survive and advance” game.
It should be a statement.
Because right now the Huskies may technically be 2–0, but they don’t remotely look like the No. 19 team in America.
And unless Jedd Fisch gets this offense figured out very soon, the conversation surrounding Washington football is going to change from:
“How good can this team be?”
to something much more uncomfortable:
Is Jedd Fisch really the coach who can get Washington back where it belongs?
