UCLA football (3-7, 3-4 Big Ten) will take on Washington (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten) in its final home contest of the 2025 campaign and potential final home game at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins have lost their last three contests – which eliminated them from bowl game contention – by a combined 95 points and will look to get back into the win column before their final game of the season against USC.
Washington’s offense:
Offensive scheme: Pro style
Run-pass percentage: 53% run, 47% pass
Strength: Versatility
Weakness: Inconsistency
X-factor: QB Demond Williams Jr.
When Washington’s offense is working, it is a potent unit capable of scoring on nearly every drive.
But sometimes it simply fails to show up.
This season, the Huskies have scored 35-plus points six times under first-year offensive coordinator Jimmie Dougherty.
But they have also failed to eclipse 10 points three times – including a 13-10 loss to Wisconsin on Nov. 8, giving the Badgers their first Big Ten win where their leading passer was place kicker Sean West.
Washington’s offensive success has been aided by the emergence of Demond Williams Jr., who has taken on a major role in his first full season as the team’s quarterback.
The sophomore has posted the sixth-best completion percentage among all FBS quarterbacks while throwing for 2,508 yards and 17 touchdowns.
He is also a threat in the ground game, running for 512 yards – second on the Huskies – and four touchdowns while averaging over 11 carries per game in a mix of scrambling opportunities and designed runs.
Though he only started two games last season, Williams already has experience against the Bruins.
When Washington took on UCLA last season, he came off the bench and orchestrated three second-half scoring drives that secured the game for the Huskies and gave him the starting job for the remainder of the season.
Nevertheless, Williams has been far from perfect.
In Washington’s three losses, he averaged just 176 combined yards through the air and on the ground while throwing four of his five total interceptions – including three in one game against Michigan.
He was also sacked 13 times in those three games, thanks in part to a battered Husky offensive line. He has been sacked a total of 23 times this season in the FBS.
Though he sat out of Washington’s most recent contest against Purdue because of an injury, star running back Jonah Coleman has a good chance of playing against UCLA. Coleman has accumulated 980 all-purpose yards this season while racking up 15 total touchdowns.
Coleman – who is projected to be a mid-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft – is a powerful compact runner who has showcased skill as a receiver, currently ranking third on the Huskies with 29 receptions. Last season, he ran for 95 yards and two touchdowns against the Bruins.
Washington’s primary wide receiver Denzel Boston, who was also out against Purdue, is questionable to return in time for the UCLA game, leaving true freshman wideout Dezmen Roebuck and Coleman as the top two receivers for Williams to target.
UCLA has struggled immensely with bringing pressure this season – accumulating just seven sacks this season – making the squad the only FBS program with single-digit sacks.
With Coleman returning, UCLA will face a future NFL running back one week after being torched by Ohio State’s running back room for 222 yards on 6.7 yards per rush.
To combat this, the Bruins will need to hold their own in the trenches, limit scrambling opportunities and force short passes from Williams.
Just two weeks ago, Wisconsin’s defense did exactly that, holding Washington to just 3.2 yards per carry and limiting Williams to just 134 passing yards on 32 attempts.
If the Bruins are able to do something similar, they may be able to limit Washington’s offense enough to emerge victorious.
Washington’s defense:
Defensive scheme: 4-2-5
Strength: Consistency
Weakness: Generating pressure
X-factor: CB Tacario Davis, S Alex McLaughlin
Under first-year defensive coordinator Ryan Walters, Washington’s defensive unit ranks among the country’s best.
The Huskies are currently ranked 20th in scoring defense, allowing just 19.3 points per game – more than a four-point decrease from last season.
Furthermore, the Huskies have yet to allow an opponent to score more than 25 points in a game – an improvement from last year when opponents eclipsed that number on five occasions.
The defense doesn’t stand out in any statistical categories but is instead a well-rounded unit without any major flaws. It ranks No. 21 in the nation in yards allowed per game, No. 51 in passing yards allowed and is No. 20 in rushing yards allowed.
Washington also doesn’t generate many turnovers or get many tackles for loss, ranking No. 85 and No. 119 in the FBS, respectively.
The Husky defense is led by a duo of defensive back transfers, Tacario Davis and Alex McLaughlin.
Davis, a 6-foot-4 cornerback, has contributed two interceptions and four passes defended despite missing three games because of a rib injury. Davis was voted to the All-Big 12 second team last season for Arizona.
McLaughlin, a safety transfer from Northern Arizona, was voted to the All-Big Sky first team last season and has racked up 73 tackles – 17 more than any other player – along with two interceptions and five defended passes.
Washington’s inability to consistently get into the backfield could give either quarterback opportunities to find holes in the defense.
Despite not being on the same level as Ohio State’s elite defense, the Washington defense is a unit that could give the UCLA offense – which has averaged less than 15 points per game in its last four games – problems.
UCLA will once again face a major challenge on Senior Night at the Rose Bowl, where it will be tasked to defeat a Washington squad that was ranked at one point this season.
While the Huskies are a step below the Buckeyes and the Hoosiers, they are talented on both sides of the ball and will be difficult to stop if their offense gets going.
If UCLA is able to contain Williams and Washington, the squad may be able to create some momentum going into next week’s contest against USC at the Coliseum.
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