Nebraska is in an interesting position as it heads into its final five games of the season. Who will start at quarterback for the Huskers’ opponents in any of their remaining games is still up for debate. That includes this week’s game against Washington.
The mystery around who the Huskies will start is being fed by their head coach. Jedd Fisch met with the media on Monday and said he wouldn’t announce the starter until kickoff. Some of what Fisch is doing is gamesmanship, and some is almost certainly that he doesn’t know who he will have under center for his first offensive snaps.
No matter who starts for Washington, Nebraska will have its hands full. Demond Washington returned to the Huskies this season after initially trying to enter the transfer portal. He got off to a very rough start and was then injured.
That’s why part of the decision may come down to Williams' health after Fisch confirmed that he suffered a fractured rib in the second quarter of Washington's 41-24 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Nebraska football prepares for Demond Williams and Elijah Brown as Washington hides starter
Fisch said last week that the Huskies season hasn’t gone as well as they’d hoped, and he used the bye week to hit the reset button. He talked about starting a mini-training camp from scratch, including staging a showdown between Williams and the man who replaced him, Elijah Brown.
"I think both guys have been exceptional teammates," Fisch said of the quarterback competition that began during the bye week. "I thought that, throughout the week, any reps that Demond had, Elijah was a great teammate for Demond, so they're continuing to build that bond and putting themselves in a position where both of those guys are making each other better. Rising tides lift all ships."
In Brown's only start of the year, he threw for 302 yards and 3 touchdowns with 3 interceptions in his team’s road win against Purdue. After Williams struggled through the first half of the year, Fisch said he didn't want to base his decision on the past, but on what the two show in practice this week.
"It goes into who gives us the best opportunity this week to win this football game," Fisch added. "It goes into all parts of it: health of the player; it goes into where the player's best traits are, and does that give us a different advantage? It goes into what gives us the best chance to move the football and score? We take all of those different thoughts and processes into the equation, and then when we decide what we think is best to do, we do that."
This season, Brown has over 500 yards passing and 7 TDs with 3 interceptions. On the one hand, Brown moved the offense well last weekend. On the other hand, 3 INTs against the Boilermakers’ porous defense should concern anyone.
The good news is Nebraska’s defense has been very solid no matter who has been at quarterback. It’s also been quite the ballhawk. The Huskers will face a talented signal caller regardless of who starts, but that QB will have his hands full with the Blackshirts.
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