Demond Williams Jr.'s QB Coronation: USC Was His Last Warm-Up Drill

They didn't know it at the time, but the quarterbacks who participated in the Washington-USC football game, won by the Huskies 26-21 in Montlake, would have their careers change dramatically once this match-up was over.

Trojans quarterback Miller Moss lost his starting job for good because of this setback and ultimately left for the transfer portal and Louisville.

The Huskies' Will Rogers, even after leading his teammates past USC to a stirring victory, would watch his role steadily decrease thereafter to the point he would play a little more than a half, a half and then not at all in the last two outings.

Demond Williams Jr., Rogers' understudy, would barely get on the field against the Trojans, but that would be the last time he got stranded on the sideline on game day.

Demond Williams Jr. heads for open spaces at Husky Stadium. | Skylar Lin Visuals

With all of the growing interest currently surrounding Williams following his two late-season starts and a sensational Sun Bowl performance, we're taking a look back at each of his 13 freshman appearances and what happened. This is the ninth installment.

Jedd Fisch, after previously relying more on quarterbacks that better matched Rogers' 6-foot-2 stature, suddenly became a big a believer in players who better resembled the 5-foot-11 Williams and could run and pass with equal effectiveness.

"As the evolution of quarterbacks started in the NFL, you're seeing more quarterbacks that have many more measurables and skills over the last five years," Fisch said. "With the defensive lines and the athleticism that the defenses are showing, the more dual-threat quarterbacks you can find, the better you can do."

Williams heard his name called out just a handful of times against USC, yet with his speed and athleticism he still managed to do something unique.

During the Huskies' third possession in the opening quarter, Williams came in and lined up as a receiver, something he had done before. Whereas he took what amounted to a lateral against Michigan and completed a 37-yard pass to Cam Davis, the freshman ran a route and caught a 3-yard pass from Rogers.

Three plays later, Williams came back on to the field for a fourth-and-1 play at the USC 38 and handed off to fellow freshman Adam Mohammed going up the middle for 2 yards and a first down on the way to Jonah Coleman's 19-yard TD run and a 10-0 lead. His presence alone was used to unnerve the Trojans.

Williams didn't return until the fourth quarter, when he pitched the ball to Coleman for a 5-yard gain to the USC 9, setting up a winning touchdown run on a fly sweep by wide receiver Keith Reynolds, and he later threw an incomplete pass, and that was it.

One could have counted his plays that game on one hand. Yet it probably was smart he didn't play more against USC. Williams needed to rest up -- the Husky starting quarterback job soon would become his and demand everything he's got.

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