SEATTLE, WA — Washington showed resilience after losing starting quarterback Demond Williams Jr. to an injury, but the Huskies could not overcome a disastrous first half against No. 20 Iowa, falling 41-24 on Friday night at Husky Stadium.
Trailing 27-3 at halftime, Washington found life behind backup quarterback Elijah Brown, who threw three touchdown passes and helped the Huskies pull within two scores in the third quarter. The comeback effort, however, could not make up for Iowa’s early dominance on both sides of the ball.
Williams left the game late in the first half with a left shoulder injury and did not return. He completed six of 11 passes for 69 yards before his departure, leaving Brown to take over in a difficult situation.
Iowa wasted little time taking control. The Hawkeyes opened with two Caden Buhr field goals before Kamari Moulton broke loose for a 56-yard touchdown run, giving Iowa a 13-0 first-quarter lead. Quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski, making his first collegiate start, added two touchdown passes to tight end DJ Vonnahme in the second quarter as the visitors built a commanding advantage.
Washington managed just a 30-yard field goal by Tyler Robles before the break, struggling to establish its offense against Iowa’s physical defense.
Brown gave the Huskies a much-needed spark to open the second half, directing a 75-yard drive that ended with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Chris Lawson. After Iowa answered with another touchdown, Brown led Washington on another extended scoring drive, connecting with Dezmen Roebuck for a 2-yard touchdown and a successful two-point conversion to make it 34-18.
The response showed Washington’s ability to adjust, but the Huskies still had too much ground to make up. Moulton scored again on a 3-yard run in the fourth quarter, restoring Iowa’s 23-point cushion.
Brown continued to compete, finishing 28 of 39 for 251 yards and three touchdowns. Lawson caught eight passes for 86 yards and a score, while Roebuck’s touchdown helped fuel Washington’s strongest stretch of the night.
“We did not erase a 27-3 halftime deficit,” Washington coach Jedd Fisch said, reflecting the challenge the Huskies faced after their slow start.
Iowa finished with 465 total yards, including 263 on the ground. Moulton rushed for a career-high 208 yards on 26 carries, repeatedly finding room against a Washington defense that struggled to contain the run. The Huskies finished with minus-3 rushing yards.
Washington added a late touchdown pass from Brown to Mason James, but the rally came too late to change the outcome.
The loss dropped Washington to 3-3 overall and 0-3 in Big Ten play, while Iowa improved to 5-1 and 2-1 in conference action. The Huskies will look to regroup next week when they travel to Purdue.