Williams Jr. likely to be Washington’s QB vs. Penn State
College Football
Demond Williams Jr.’s time away from being Washington’s starting quarterback did not last long.
Washington head coach Jedd Fisch said that, barring any lingering injury issues, the junior out of Chandler, Arizona, would start the Huskies’ home game against Penn State on Saturday.
The move follows Washington’s 17-10 win at Nebraska last weekend when Williams came off the bench in the fourth quarter and led the Huskies – who had managed just three points in the first three quarters – to an improbable comeback victory.
Williams finished 7 for 13 passing for 99 yards. No play was bigger than a 24-yard completion to Chris Lawson on a fourth-and-18 play with 1:42 remaining. That set up a 25-yard touchdown pass to Lawson on a catch-and-run two plays later.
“If Demond is feeling good, I don’t see why he wouldn’t play and start,” Fisch said. “… He took some hits in that game, so we’ve got to make sure that he’s good to go and that he feels right. If he feels right, hopefully we can play off the momentum of the fourth quarter.”
Williams had been out since halftime of Washington’s 41-24 loss to Iowa on Oct. 9, when he suffered a fractured rib on the Huskies’ final drive of a first half. He had thrown for 69 yards and was sacked four times.
Transfer Elijah Brown replaced Williams and threw for 251 yards and three touchdowns, and then went 21 for 27 for 302 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions in the Huskies’ 38-26 win at Purdue on Oct. 16 while Williams continued to recover.
When he was injured, Williams had a 145.7 quarterback rating to begin the year, which ranked 10th in the Big Ten.
Fisch didn’t name a starter coming out of Washington’s bye week, saying only that both quarterbacks would be available.
Brown ended up getting his second straight start, but the UW offense struggled against Nebraska’s defense. Brown went 19 for 30 for 136 yards in the first quarters.
Fisch put Williams in to provide a spark, and that’s just what happened. Now, the Huskies will see if he can continue to do so.
CFP expansion
Talks between ESPN and College Football Playoff are in the final stages of review in their bid to expand the postseason to 24 teams next year, the CFP announced in a two-sentence statement on Friday.
Though no timeline was provided, a formal decision on the agreement will come following the review, the CFP said. The media rights deal would cover the nine-figure sums the major conferences would lose by eliminating their respective title games.
ESPN previously reported offering an additional annual payment of $345 million to the CFP to double the playoff field from 12 to 24 teams. The current six-year deal which begins this year is worth $7.8 billion.
The parties have been discussing a format in which the Power Four conference champs and the highest-ranked team from the Group of Six earn automatic bids, with the other 19 teams being chosen by a selection committee.
The first two rounds of the expanded playoff would be held on college campuses, with the top eight teams getting a first-round bye and hosting games the following week.
The major bowls would continue to host the quarterfinals and semifinals, with the championship game behind held in late January.
Florida QB
Tramell Jones Jr. will make his second career start for Florida when the 25th-ranked Gators host Oklahoma on Saturday night, a person familiar with the decision confirmed to the Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Gators have not announced a starter.
Jones got the majority of first-team repetitions during the week, the person said. Coach Jon Sumrall declined to name a starter Monday but tweaked his depth chart to add “or” between his QBs and said he had “a plan that is already kind of in motion and in place.”
Sumrall benched Philo following two interceptions in a 27-8 loss to Georgia in Atlanta last Saturday. Jones replaced him in the second quarter, committed two more turnovers and had a third one negated by a penalty.
Sumrall said the toughest part of his QB evaluation is that Florida’s offensive line has been so porous that it’s difficult to tell which guy really gives the Gators (5-3, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) a better chance against the Sooners (4-4, 2-3) in the Swamp.
“I don’t know if Tom Brady was our quarterback on Saturday if it would have helped us,” Sumrall said. “And I’m not trying to be a smart aleck. He would have been under too much duress and pressure to operate.”
Jones has completed 70.8% of his passes for 579 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions. He also has rushed for 77 yards and a score. He won his previous start, at Texas last month, while filling in for Philo (shoulder).