Ohio State head coach Ryan Day was back at the lectern yesterday to chat with the assembled media ahead of Saturday's Big Ten opener in Seattle against the Washington Huskies.
There might be big questions about how good Washington's defense is but on the flip side, it appears the Huskies possess a dangerous offensive attack led by dual-threat quarterback Demond Williams Jr.
Williams Jr.'s athleticism and playmaking ability certainly have the attention of Day and his staff even as Ohio State's defense has been lights out so far this season, despite breaking in eight new starters and a new defensive coordinator in Matt Patricia.
A quarterback who can move with the quickness and the acceleration that he moves with is difficult. ... Not only that, he's very accurate with the football, makes great decisions. ... It's a great challenge for our defense. I think he's an excellent quarterback.– Ryan Day on Demond Williams Jr.
Washington currently boasts a perfect 3-0 mark thanks in large part to Williams Jr. although a weak schedule likely didn't hurt.
The sophomore out of Chandler, Arizona has completed 73.5% of his passes on the young season for 773 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions while adding another 220 yards (6.5 ypc) and two scores on the ground.
While Colorado State, UC-Davis and Washington State aren't exactly elite opponents, the Rams are currently ranked No. 47 in pass defense and the Cougars slot 38th.
Williams Jr. and company figure to be in for a much stiffer test on Saturday. Ohio State's pass defense currently ranks No. 6 in the land giving up just 118.3 pass yards per game although the Buckeyes haven't exactly faced a murderer's row to date either.
Through three games, the strength of Ohio State's defense has been Patricia's schematics along with exceptional play from the back seven. That said, a key to slowing down Williams Jr. may be in how effectively OSU can get pressure without getting too far upfield and/or inadvertently creating scramble/rush lanes when plays break down.
Williams Jr. lost his first two starts in Washington's final two games of 2024 and consistent pocket pressure was a factor. Oregon sacked him 10 times in a lopsided contest while Louisville got him to the ground five times in a one-point win.
This season, Colorado State sacked him three times in the season opener despite currently being ranked No. 122 nationally in sacks per game (1.0). In last weekend's Apple Cup matchup which was close through three quarters, the Cougars also tallied three sacks despite ranking 88th in sacks per game (1.75).
Ohio State obviously brings a much different talent level for Washington's offensive line to contend with. How effectively the Buckeyes can generate pressure to make Williams Jr. uncomfortable, while not letting him scramble into vacated spaces resulting from getting too far upfield or losing contain could go a long way in determining the outcome of Saturday's matchup in Seattle.
