The Washington Huskies stumbled into Camp Randall Stadium on a snowy November afternoon as double-digit favorites. But they left Madison with a 13-10 defeat that felt far worse than the final score suggested. Jedd Fisch’s squad, ranked No. 23 at the time, couldn’t muster any offensive rhythm against a Wisconsin team that had lost six straight games and was sitting at 2-6 on the season. But the real fireworks came after the game.

The official account of Wisconsin’s football team threw gasoline on the rivalry by posting a photo with the caption “The REAL UW” on social media. That’s when a former Washington quarterback fired back with a message that was a straight-up ultimatum for head coach Jedd Fisch and his program.​

The ex-Husky QB didn’t mince words in his reply to Wisconsin’s victory lap, shooting back: “This better be in the f–king weight room all offszn.” It was a brutally honest assessment of what everyone saw on that snowy Saturday afternoon. Washington got physically dominated by a Wisconsin team that shouldn’t have stood a chance. 

Washington’s offensive line, which had cycled through eight different players during the game, allowed a season-high 21 pressures and four sacks. It was the most any team had recorded against the Huskies this season, except for Ohio State. Left tackle Carver Willis took responsibility for the performance, admitting, “I know I need to be better,” after allowing five pressures himself. 

Wisconsin’s defensive front, ranked 26th nationally in run defense, held Washington to just 117 rushing yards and made life miserable for sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr., who was under siege all game. This was a physicality problem, exactly what the ex-QB was calling out. 

The Huskies entered the Wisconsin game at 6-2 overall and 3-2 in Big Ten play, having just entered the Top 25 rankings for the first time all season at No. 24. But whatever momentum they had built evaporated in the Wisconsin cold. Washington has averaged 35.5 points per game and 438.6 total yards per game, with quarterback Demond Williams Jr. completing 167 of 230 passes for 2,179 yards and 15 touchdowns against just 4 interceptions. Those are solid numbers that suggest an offense capable of scoring, yet against Wisconsin, everything fell apart. 

Washington managed just 10 points and struggled to move the ball consistently, watching their College Football Playoff dreams vanish in the snow. The loss exposed fundamental problems with the offensive line’s depth after injuries to key players, such as Landen Hatchett and Drew Azzopardi. Plus, star running back Jonah Coleman was limited to just 2 yards on five carries before injuries knocked him out.​​

Meanwhile, Wisconsin came into this game as arguably the most disappointing team in the Big Ten, sitting at 2-6 overall and winless in conference play at 0-5. The Badgers were averaging just 13.3 points per game and had managed only 271.3 total yards per game with an abysmal 161.6 passing yards per game. 

Their offense was so anemic that punter Sean West ended up being their leading passer in the Washington game with 24 yards on a fake punt, which was also good enough to be their longest completion of the day. 

When accountability meets reassurance

Jedd Fisch didn’t sugarcoat what he saw from his sophomore quarterback in the aftermath of the Wisconsin loss. But he also didn’t throw Williams Jr. completely under the bus. “He was under pressure all day,” Jedd Fisch acknowledged in his postgame press conference. He recognized the offensive line’s struggles before pivoting to the quarterback’s own missteps. “I know some guys were hurt. He looked like he was running for his life half the time, and then he was missing some open throws, too.” 

Williams completed just 20 of 32 passes for 134 yards with an interception, getting sacked four times while posting a dismal QBR of 45.2. But Fisch made sure to cite specifics rather than vague criticism. He pointed to a first-and-10 from Washington’s plus-38 when the Huskies were up seven.

He said, “You had Chris Lawson right in front of you.” Still, Fisch framed it more like a teaching film than a public scolding, adding that “those are situations that we learn from,” which feels like leaving the door open for growth rather than slamming it shut.​