Washington opens up Bowl Season with a 38-10 win over Boise State in the LA Bowl. This game was tied 3-3 at the end of the first quarter. But Washington went on to score touchdowns on four consecutive possessions en route to 38 unanswered points and a commanding victory. Quarterback Demond Williams highlighted the stats column with four touchdown passes. But in the second quarter, it was the Husky defense that set up the offense to create separation on the scoreboard.
Washington Defeats Boise State in LA Bowl
Bowl Game Williams
Williams and bowl games are a recipe for touchdowns. A year ago in the Sun Bowl, he tossed four touchdowns and rushed for another in the one-point loss. This year in the LA Bowl, Williams threw three first-half touchdowns before ending the day with four total passing scores. He tied the Washington bowl game record with four passing scores for the second-straight season. In doing so, Williams connected with eight different pass catchers to pick apart Boise State’s 12th-ranked pass defense. Against that group, Williams finished 15 of 24 with 214 passing yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Across two bowl games, Williams has accounted for nine total touchdowns and 652 total yards.
Defense Creates Opportunity
With under five minutes to play in the first half, the Washington defense made significant plays on back-to-back drives to help stretch the Huskies’ lead. Trailing 10-3 late in the second, Boise State entered Washington territory for just the third time of the game. It faced a third and one and sent the running back on a flat route to the near sideline. Maddux Madsen bootlegged that direction, but Deshawn Lynch stayed home on the near side. He got in the throwing window of Madsen to force an incomplete pass on what would have been an easy first-down completion for several extra yards. That created fourth and one, and Xe’ree Alexander got the ensuing stop to give the Huskies the football near midfield. Washington would score seven plays later to take a two-score lead.
On the very next Boise State possession, the Husky defensive front flushed Madsen from the pocket on second and long. Isaiah Ward, playing in his first game since the Michigan game, pressured Madsen. The quarterback threw it off his back foot, across his body, into a mess of receivers and defensive backs. Rahshawn Clark leapt the highest and came down with the pick. It was Washington’s second of the game, and the Huskies had the ball in plus territory just 17 seconds after its previous touchdown. This time, Washington needed just three plays to reach the end zone and take a 24-3 lead.
The Huskies’ three-score lead at the half was significant. Boise State would not overcome it for the remainder of the game. The explosiveness of Washington’s offense allowed it to score quickly after the turnovers. But it was the defense that gave it that opportunity with late-down stops and pressure by the front seven.
All Over The Field
Alexander stood out all evening in Los Angeles with his performance on defense. In addition to the fourth down stop described above, Alexander also had an interception in the first quarter. He dropped into zone coverage after showing blitz, kept eyes on the quarterback, and made a great hands pick. It didn’t result in points, but it was one of the several bullet points in a full stats column for the junior.
The linebacker also recorded a pass breakup, a sack, a tackle for loss, and led the team with seven total tackles. He even added some return yards to his resume with a 22-yard kickoff return to open the second half. After a slow start to the season in a full linebacker room, Alexander filled in for injuries and other player limitations exceptionally well throughout the season. He finishes 2025 with 70 total tackles (second most on the team) and five tackles for loss.
Husky Offense Standouts
Denzel Boston had 112 receiving yards in the first half against Boise State. He finished with his second-most yards in a single game this season with 125. In doing so, Boston recorded the longest play from scrimmage this year for Washington. He caught a 78-yard touchdown pass from Williams in the first half. Boise State brought a double cornerback blitz, and Boston split the two safeties in coverage to get wide open at the second level. In the backfield, Adam Mohammed reacted quickly to pick up the late corner blitz on the near side. It allowed Williams to step up in the pocket, set his feet, and hit Boston in stride. The receiver jogged into the end zone for the first touchdown of the game.
Dezmen Roebuck caught his seventh touchdown of the season in the first half of the LA Bowl. It was a diving effort in the front corner of the end zone on a laser of a pass by Williams. Roebuck helped set up the six-yard touchdown on the play before. He held an outside block on a cornerback to create a clean lane for Jordan Washington’s 13-yard rush inside the Bronco 10-yard line.
Also in the receiving category, tight end Quentin Moore caught his first touchdown of the season. It was a 32-yard touchdown on a wheel route on a great touch pass from Williams. That was Moore’s first touchdown reception since the Pac-12 Championship Game in 2023. Raiden Vines-Bright also hauled in his first career touchdown in the LA Bowl. At the end of the second quarter, the true freshman caught a three-yard pass for six points in the waning seconds of the half.
Jonah Coleman tallied 86 yards on 12 carries (7.2 per attempt) in his final game as a Husky. That included a six-yard touchdown run, which was his 15th of the season. Coleman had 17 total touchdowns in his final year of college.
Defensive Standouts
The Husky defense had five total interceptions in the game. In addition to Clark and Alexander, Leroy Bryant had his first and second career picks in the win over Boise State. Both of them were highly impressive high-point hands catches near the sideline. In the fourth quarter, Lynch also had an interception. Lynch had seven pass breakups on the defensive line this season, and he finally turned one of those into an interception in the final game of the season.
Looking Ahead
Washington’s 2025 season finishes with nine wins and four losses. In two seasons at Washington, Jedd Fisch has put together a 15-11 record after completely rebuilding the roster in the 2024 offseason. He has constructed the 12th-ranked recruiting class of 2026, which currently ranks fifth in the Big Ten. This year was a three-win improvement from the year prior. Things are trending upward for the young Washington roster as the page turns to 2026.
Main Image: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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