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WSU Had Apple Cup QB To Fear -- Now It's The Huskies

Originally posted on Washington Huskies on SI
By Dan Raley  |  Last updated Sep 19, 2025 3:44 PM ET

When trying to defend against the dual-threat quarterback in the 2024 Apple Cup, Washington State got off easy and the University of Washington didn't.

The Huskies had to deal with John Mateer, possibly the next Heisman Trophy winner who now plays for Oklahoma.

Against the UW, the heady and speedy 6-foot-1, 225-pound Mateer rushed 16 times -- two more than anyone else in the game -- for 62 yards and a pair of touchdowns and completed 17 of 34 passes for 245 yards and another score in the Cougars' 24-19 victory.

He was every bit as good as advertised. He stepped up in a big moment in a rivalry game and delivered.

On the other side, Demond Williams Jr. was a freshman in his third college outing who was eased into the action and drew just six game snaps for the Huskies at Lumen Field.

He led one four-play series to close out the first half. Took three other game snaps. Ran three times. Threw four passes. Mostly he watched everything unfold.

The 5-foot-11, 198-pound Williams was on the sideline when the Huskies went for the win on fourth-and-1 from the WSU 1-yard line with1:07 remaining -- on a quarterback option play that didn't have a chance of working without him running it.

Twelve months later, Mateer is playing at a high level in the SEC and drawing all sorts of Heisman and NFL draft attention while the Cougars have real quarterback problems, using three different guys in last week's 59-10 loss to North Texas.

Meantime, the Huskies' Williams is clearly the signal-caller in the spotlight entering Saturday's 117th Apple Cup.

You might say that on-field play sheet is on the other wrist, per se.

"I feel like I've played OK," Williams said this week. "I've been able to put the ball in play and lead some touchdown drives."

Chances are the Huskies will give their elusive quarterback every opportunity to get out and run in a final tune-up before taking on No. 1-ranked and defending national champion Ohio State the following weekend in Seattle.

Whenever talking about what he does with the media, Williams is extremely serious-minded. He's not one to joke around. He offers only short and direct answers.

His Husky teammates, however, see him in a slightly different light, as this confident player who's not afraid to show it, to expand a little on his football persona.

"Demond's a baller and he knows it," senior tight end Quentin Moore said. "He plays with a swagger that's needed at this level."

As he approaches his second Apple Cup, Williams says he could stand to be better in getting the ball out quick and not holding on to it too long.

With his 4.3-second 40-yard speed, Williams comes with the reputation of being the fastest FBS quarterback out there.

"I'm not sure," he said, when asked if that was true. "There's a ton of really good quarterbacks out there and a ton of really good dual threats."

Note that Williams didn't definitively say he wasn't the swiftest college QB in the nation.

He just needs a little more exposure in what he does for others to realize that. Pullman is as good of a place to start.

The UW quarterback says he's prepared for an intense Apple Cup game that probably will be close because of the rivalry emotions involved.

"They beat us and our main goal this year is to come out and play our brand of football and correct our mistakes from last year," he said.

The biggest miscue from 2024 was not having Williams and his fast feet running that option play with the game on the line at the end.

This article first appeared on Washington Huskies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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