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Inside The Huskies

Giles Jackson Catches Everything, No Exceptions, That Comes His Way

The Husky pass-catcher stands at 24 targets, 24 receptions, after three games.
Dan Raley|
Giles Jackson jumps up after a late Apple Cup catch.
Giles Jackson jumps up after a late Apple Cup catch. | Skylar Lin Visuals

"Twenty-four and there's so much more. Live alone in a paradise." -- Neil Young, singing "Old Man"

The Washington State football team did everything it could to withstand the receiving heroics of Giles Jackson and win the Apple Cup 24-19. The Cougars survived Jackson's 21-yard touchdown catch in the first half and maintained their collective composure following his 45-yard over-the-shoulder reception that made things interesting late in the second half.

They lucked out when University of Washington coach Jedd Fisch changed his mind on a last-minute end zone pass to Jackson to decide things and ill-advisedly went with an option run that didn't come close to sniffing the goal line.

WSU had to feel extra fortunate knowing Jackson would have caught it -- because this guy hauls in absolutely everything thrown his way this season.

The only way the Cougars had it any easier with Jackson is when he voluntarily sat out the 2023 Apple Cup in order to preserve his eligibility and be able to come back and play this season when he was needed most by the UW.

Entering the Huskies' first Big Ten game as a conference member on Saturday against Northwestern, the 5-foot-9, 187-pound senior stands at 24 -- as in two-dozen targets and two-dozen catches, believed to be an NCAA record, though there is no official listing among the all-time accomplishments online.

Either way, it's nothing short of a Herculean effort for Jackson to snare every last pass directed his way by quarterbacks Will Rogers and Demond Williams Jr.

There's been no drops, overthrows or PBUs anywhere near this accomplished pass-catcher who began his career with two seasons at Michigan and transferred to the UW for four more because he wanted to be known as something more than an extraordinary kick returner, for which he is.

Jackson opened this season with 10 catches for 96 yards against Weber State, followed up with 6 more for 66 yards against Eastern Washington and topped out with 8 receptions for a career-best 162 yards against the Cougars.

"Giles Jackson played fantastic," UW coach Jedd Fisch, naming him among the top three Husky performers in the Apple Cup.

Giles Jackson reaches for a 45-yard catch late in the Apple Cup.
Giles Jackson reaches for a 45-yard catch late in the Apple Cup. | Skylar Lin Visuals

With 24 catches in just three outings, Jackson is four shy of his best college season in 2021, when joined Jimmy Lake's UW team, initially had a prominent role and watched as that staff moved away from him when Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan got healthy and established themselves. He next spent two seasons playing behind those two, plus Ja'Lynn Polk, all currently in the NFL.

Now it's Jackson's turn to try and grab everything that comes in his personal space.

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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