Two is better than one, and Penn State football has a chance to double its Big Ten win total this weekend as the Nittany Lions make the cross-country trip to take on Washington.

The blue and white seemed to figure something out last week when they beat Purdue 31-17 at Beaver Stadium. Running back Cam Wallace exploded for 135 rushing yards and a touchdown, and Carson Hansen nearly eclipsed 100 yards as well.

Despite wide receiver Chase Sowell’s absence, the Nittany Lions made up for it on the ground and hope to build on that momentum this weekend, with Sowell likely back in the lineup. 

Washington should prove to be a great matchup for Penn State. The Huskies are 5-3 and are coming off back-to-back wins against the Boilermakers and Nebraska.

These two teams have some recent history together, most notably in the 2017 Fiesta Bowl.

In Saquon Barkley’s final collegiate game, he chose not to opt out and put up 137 rushing yards on 18 carries and two touchdowns against a defense led by standout nose tackle and first-round NFL draft pick Vita Vea. Barkley’s efforts helped Penn State cruise to a 35-28 win. 

The Huskies made the trip to Happy Valley in 2024 for an abnormally late 8 p.m. November White Out, where the Nittany Lions dominated 35-6.

Penn State is 4-0 all time against Washington. The last time these two teams met in Seattle was December 2, 1921, when the Nittany Lions won 21-7.

The blue and white are 2.5-point underdogs, per FanDuel.

The Team

Washington has had a disappointing year, but the season hasn’t been a throwaway.

The Huskies started 2026 ranked No. 17 in the AP poll, before quickly falling out of the rankings after three consecutive losses to Minnesota, USC, and Iowa.

It’s been that kind of story for Washington ever since it moved to the Big Ten in 2024. 

The Huskies finished the 2023 season 14-1, winning the Pac-12 Championship game. They entered the College Football Playoff undefeated, took down Texas in a Sugar Bowl thriller, and ultimately lost to Michigan in the national championship game.

The very next season, Washington went 6-7, and in 2025, had a 5-4 record in conference play.

Jedd Fisch is in his third season as the head coach of the purple and gold. He previously served in the same role at Arizona, where he raised the Wildcat program’s standard and led it to a 10-3 season in 2023.

Fisch also serves as the team’s offensive coordinator and playcaller after Jimmie Dougherty left the program in February to pursue an offensive analyst position with the Seattle Seahawks.

Ryan Walters is the defensive coordinator. He was hired in 2025 after Steve Belichick left Seattle to coach with his father, Bill Belichick, at UNC.

The Offense

Washington took a big step back in its offensive output from the 2025 season. After averaging nearly 410 yards per game last year, good for fifth-best in the Big Ten, the Huskies now hover around 372, the sixth-worst in the conference. 

Demond Williams Jr. is the team’s starting signal caller, but his wavering accuracy and lack of improvement in his second year as a full-time starter have sparked a quarterback controversy. 

Williams fractured a rib in Washington’s Week 6 loss to Iowa. Before that, he averaged 265 through the air per game with a 67.2% completion percentage.

Elijah Brown, a Stanford transfer and the other quarterback in the room, averaged 229 and 70.9% in Williams’ absence.

Williams is healthy and expected to start this weekend.

On the ground, the Huskies have really struggled. Brian Bonner Jr. and Williams each have exactly 68 carries this season. Bonner has mustered just 309 yards, while Williams has picked up 211 yards with his legs.

Washington has found more success with its receiving corps over the past four weeks, particularly with sophomore wideout Chris Lawson. 

Since Week 5, Lawson averages nearly 110 yards per game and 14 yards per catch. Dezmenn Roebuck leads the team in receptions with 53 and has 509 yards on the year.

At tight end, the Huskies boast a reliable 1-2 punch in Baron Naone and Decker DeGraff. DeGraff became a consensus freshman All-American two seasons ago, and Naone is in the midst of his first season receiving playing time. The duo has a combined 425 receiving yards on 34 catches.

The offensive line has been brutal in pass protection this year, surrendering a whopping 26 sacks, including seven in a game against Minnesota.

Injuries have plagued that unit all season and continue to do so. Center Kolt Dieterich and right guard Champ Taulealea are both starters who are listed as questionable.

The Defense

On defense, the Huskies have been middle of the pack, with opponents averaging 342.5 yards per contest.

There’s no question who the best player on defense has been for Washington this year: safety Alex McLaughlin, by nearly every metric.

McLaughlin has 56 total tackles, 30 solo, four pass deflections, three interceptions, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and a defensive touchdown.

He was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week in Week 9, but is listed as questionable for Saturday with a shoulder problem. If McLaughlin is unable to go, Penn State lucks out big time.

Linebackers Jacob Manu and Zaydrius Rainey-Sale have also made an impact. Manu has 45 total tackles, 28 solo, and Rainey-Sale has 40 solo and 27 assisted. Manu is a senior and has been one of the leaders of this Husky team.

Cornerback Emmanuel Karnley leads the team in pass deflections with eight. He also has one interception.

Dylan Robinson and Rylon Dillard-Allen are other names to watch in the defensive secondary this weekend, with both able to be difference-makers at corner and safety, respectively.

The Washington defensive line has had a rough stretch but is improving as of late. Defensive tackle Derek Colman-Brusa is a big reason for that.

The midseason freshman All-American on multiple sites had four pressures and one sack in last week’s 17-10 victory over the Cornhuskers.

Freshman Ramzak Fruean has the potential to be a rising star at edge for Washington, but returning impact player Jacob Lane leads the group. He has two sacks this season.

Special Teams

The Huskies are one of the worst teams in the Big Ten at returning kicks.

On kickoffs, they average just 17.5 yards per return, third worst in the conference. On punts, that number drops to 5.9 yards per return, just beating out Northwestern for dead last.

Texas State transfer Tyler Robles is the team’s placekicker. He has drilled 83.3% of his field goals this season and is perfect on extra-point attempts. His longest kick this year was from 50 yards out last week.

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