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It Was Homecoming for Demond Williams Jr.

The UW quarterback came up with a late win at his father's alma mater and his birthplace.
 Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (1) hands off the ball to  running back Jayden Limar (17) at Michigan State.
Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (1) hands off the ball to running back Jayden Limar (17) at Michigan State. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Demond Williams was everywhere at Spartans Stadium on Saturday night in East Lansing, Michigan.

In the huddle. In the stands. On the winning side. Side by side.

The University of Washington quarterback turned in one of his better performances in what's been a challenging season at times while guiding the Huskies to a hard-earned 21-14 victory over Michigan State, his father's alma mater.

"Demond was born here," UW coach Jedd Fisch said. "I told him it was a homecoming."

Williams' father Demond Sr. was a cornerback for the Spartans in 2005 and 2006, joining the Big Ten school after playing for Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona, and similarly offering up electric and speed-motivated plays same as his son.

Dad provided a 98-yard kickoff for a touchdown against Indiana in 2005 and a 62-yard interception return for a score against Illinois in 2006.

Saturday's game made for interesting conversation in the Williams family, with the quarterback's parents making the long trip back to Michigan State to watch him play his dad's school.

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Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (1) stares down the Michigan State defense.
Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (1) stares down the Michigan State defense. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"It feels good because I know he's got my back," Demond Jr. said. "I know there weren't any spies around here."

The younger Williams saved one of his more efficient performances of the season for the Spartans by completing 22 of 33 passes for 288 yards and 2 touchdowns to Chris Lawson, as the Huskies (6-4 overall, 3-4 Big Ten) became bowl eligible.

He was sacked just once and rushed eight times for 19 yards as he tried to keep Michigan State off balance with his feet as well as his arm.

He guided the UW to a 14-14 halftime tie before he and his teammates embarked on an eight-play, 78-yard drive to win the game with 2:24 left to play on Jayden Limar's deciding 1-yard touchdown run.

Husky quarterback Demond Williams Jr. feels defensive pressure from Kenny Soares Jr. (1) at Michigan State.
Husky quarterback Demond Williams Jr. feels defensive pressure from Kenny Soares Jr. (1) at Michigan State. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Looking back at his own recruitment, the younger Williams recalled how the Spartans waited until the end before offering him a scholarship. By that time, he had initially committed to Arizona and Fisch before following the coach to Washington.

On Saturday, he was able to do his father proud by overcoming a lot of negative energy directed his way to have a memorable performance in the middle of the Michigan countryside.

"I love my family and appreciate them coming to the game," Demond Jr. said.

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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.