Williams Gets His Pocket Picked One More Time

For the third time this season, the UW quarterback made a critical mistake while letting go of the football.

Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (1) walks off the field after a 25-21 loss to USC in Los Angeles. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Demond Williams Jr. might be the fastest quarterback in college football. Certainly, he is one of the most well-paid.

However, his field awareness is something less than to be desired, especially in his third season as the University of Washington's No. 1 signal-caller, with 31 games on his ledger, including 20 starting assignments.

On Saturday night at USC -- for the third time in five games this season -- the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Williams made a critical mistake in the pocket, with two of them greatly affecting both Husky defeats.

The great ones are not measured by their passing numbers or their touchdown totals, but by whether they win or not. Stats don't necessarily mean anything. Results are all that matter.

At the pace he's going, Williams is destined to be that extra speedy guy who simply couldn't get it done because he doesn't have enough field awareness.

His third-quarter fumble while getting hit in the pocket led to USC's 6-foot-5, 295-pound defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart getting every big man's dream -- he scooped up the loose football and lumbered 48 yards for a touchdown that decided the Trojans' 25-21 victory on Saturday night in Los Angeles.

"We can't turn the ball over and give them seven points," UW coach Jedd Fisch said.

Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. throws the ball under a heavy rush by USC. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This came just a week after Williams, on his fourth play against Minnesota, got hit as he threw the ball and it ended up the arms of Gophers linebacker Maverick Baranowski at the UW 15.

The visitors scored one play later and never trailed throughout the evening during their 27-24 victory at Husky Stadium, with this particular turnover creating early momentum for their Big Ten visitors to take control of the game.

The week before against Eastern Washington, Williams never saw a defender coming as he let go of a pass, took a hard shot to his elbow and watched the ball deflected into the hands of Eagles safety Marcus Nixon at the goal-line, wiping out what looked like a certain Husky scoring opportunity.

It's field awareness.

The great ones have it, the rest don't.

Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (1) scrambles out of the pocket against USC. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If Williams somehow thinks he's going to be an NFL quarterback someday, especially with his lack of height, he's got to be close to perfect with the ball in his hands.

Trusted to know what's going on all around him.

Ready to take advantage of red-zone scoring opportunities and not provide game-changing turnovers.

“I just can’t do that,” Williams said on Saturday in LA. “I’ve got to find ways to put our team in better position to win, and to turn the ball over in back to back weeks on fundamentally scramble drills. … I have to do better for my team.”

With his pocket protection not always steller, the Husky quarterback has been sacked 12 times in two weeks. Yet lost yards are better than handing the ball over to the other side.

Should Williams continue to get victimized such as he has to open this season, he's destined to become that fast guy who couldn't make it happen otherwise. He doesn't want that. The Huskies want more than that.