Demond Williams Jr. Is Sensational, But Huskies Can't Pull It Out

Unfortunately for the Huskies, their defense couldn't keep Louisville (9-4) out of the end zone. This is one reason eight of the coming 13 transfer portal pickups are defensive bodies. These guys finishing up in El Paso did nothing to dissuade Cardinals quarterback Harrison Bailey -- made a starter for the first time in four years -- that he shouldn't have been taking game snaps all during his career down time.

The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Bailey was named Sun Bowl Most Valuable Player after he threw for 3 touchdowns, completing 16 of 25 passes for 164 yards. He wasn't nearly as productive as Williams, but he simply took a dumbed-down Louisville offense, didn't make any mistakes, wasn't sacked and he won.

"When we get back we're going to figure out a way to get good, to get really good," Fisch said.

Before a nearly full Sun Bowl Stadium, the postseason contest began as a tennis match between Williams and Cardinals cornerback Tahveon Nicholson. Each guy delivered a kill shot.

On his third play, Williams, starting just his second game at the college level, made the worst mistake of his young career -- he threw the ball right to Nicholson, who returned the interception 23 yards for an uncontested touchdown with only Williams between him and the end zone. The game wasn't even three minutes old.

A couple of possession changes later, Williams got some personal retribution. On the third play of a new series, he wound up and sent a long looping pass 40 yards to the back of the end zone for a jump ball between Jackson and Nicholson.

In front of the goal posts, Jackson leaped high to come down with the throw while the Cardinals coverage guy crashed hard to the ground, stayed down for a considerable spell and was helped off the field. Nicholson didn't return to the game. Louisville needed him, too.

Yet another special-teams mistake, a season-long malady for the Huskies, enabled Louisville to return a punt to the UW 32 and score five plays later. Bailey lobbed a 9-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Caulin Lacy, who broke a tackle at the 5 and scooted into the end zone for a 14-7 lead with 32 seconds left in the opening quarter.

Two possessions later, Williams went looking for Jackson again. On the first play, the young signal-caller stood calm in the pocket until he saw the senior wide receiver get open without anyone within 10 yards of him. Giles easily caught the ball at the 5, glided into the end zone and the game was tied at 14 with 8:10 left before halftime.

Yet with the Husky defense unable to supply any pressure, the Cardinals came back for another go-ahead score, with Bailey finding wide receiver Antonio Meeks at the goal line with a 28-yard pass and a step on UW corner Ephesians Prysock. With 4:34 left in the half, Louisville led 21-14.

Williams looked totally comfortable now. He moved his team 75 yards in seven plays and personally tied the game at 21 with a 7-yard scoring dash around the right end with 45 seconds remaining.

The combined 42 points in the first half was the second highest in Sun Bowl history, second only to the 51 put up by UCLA and Northwestern in 2005, in a game the Bruins won 50-38.

The Huskies never led in this one, but they had a chance when they took the second-half kickoff and moved the ball to the Louisville 42, only to stall out and punt.

The Cardinals, however, kept the offensive pressure on. They drove 87 yards in 10 plays for their easiest score yet, with back-up tight end Nick Kurisky running uncovered into the end zone and pulling in a 21-yard pass from Bailey, the QB's third TD toss of the day.

After forcing a three-and-out, Louisville used a 54-yard run by back-up running back Duke Watson on their first play to reach the UW 8, and wide receiver Caulin Lacy scored on a fly sweep on the next play. With 2:07 left in the third quarter, Louisville led 35-21 and the Huskies appeared done.

Yet Williams got his team moving midway through the final quarter taking them 97 yards and finding Jackson for his third TD catch, a 31 yarder. Just under four minutes remained.

Getting the ball back with 2:38 on the clock, Williams went to work again. He avoided a pair of rushers and got hit by a third one but got off a pass to Jeremiah Hunter that went for 33 yards and put the Huskies on the 8. Still, this wouldn't be easy.

The Huskies needed fourth-down pass interference call on Rae'mon Mosby in the end zone to keep them alive. From the 2, they still had to use four more downs to get into the end zone, with Williams beating Cardinals safety M.J. Griffin with a dart to Jackson in the corner of the end zone. Nine seconds were left.

Yet the tank was empty when it came to more UW heroics. The encouraging thing for the Huskies was they learned once more anything is possible with Williams running the show. And it is his team now.