Husker Film Room

Week 9Halloween Blackout

WashingtonatNebraska

Sat., Oct. 31, 2026 · 7:00 PM CT · BTN · Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Neb.

UW 4-3 (1-3 Big Ten)
NU 5-2 (2-2 Big Ten)
[5][6]

The bottom line

Washington is a shotgun, quick-game team (89% shotgun, 41% of snaps are quick throws) with a bottom-10 run game (rush offense rank 130) and leaky protection (22 sacks allowed, rank 127). Nebraska owns the nation's No. 1 third-down defense (19.3%). Make them live on 3rd & 5+, where they succeed 28% of the time on film. On offense, run it at a defense Iowa ran over for 263 yards, and finish in the red zone, where UW's defense ranks 119th. [1][2][3][4][7]

Open the interactive fieldHow to attack their DRead The Breakdown

The game in six numbers

1 vs 119
3rd-down ranks
NU defense vs UW offense [3]
22
Sacks UW has allowed
rank 127 of 138 [1][3]
28%
UW success on 3rd & 5+
film, 7 games [7]
263
Iowa rush yds vs UW
38 carries [4]
22 of 24
UW opp. red-zone scores
rank 119 [1][3]
0-3
Cunanan from 50+
Robles 9-11, long 48 [4]

The film room

Washington offense, every charted snap (448 in 7 games). Tap a zone on the field, pick a down & distance, and read what they like. Then flip the suggested call. [7][4]

Down & distance
Field zone (or tap the field)
QB on the field
NEBRASKANEBRASKA101020203030404050504040303020201010

Routes drawn for illustration.

Success = 40% of yards needed on 1st down, 60% on 2nd, 100% on 3rd/4th. Explosive = run of 10+ or pass of 20+. Personnel groupings and motion were not readable on the broadcast film, so they are not charted. [7][4]

What they are

448
Snaps charted
7 games
89%
Shotgun
398 of 448
41%
Quick game
182 snaps, 6.0 y/p
41%
Run rate
182 runs
34%
3rd-down success
87 snaps

Top tendencies

  • Shotgun almost always: 398 of 448 snaps, nearly all single offset back.
  • Quick game is the offense: 182 short throws (41% of snaps), 6.0 yds/play.
  • Inside zone is the base run: 67 snaps, 4.0 ypc, 54% success, and the goal-line call (12 of 28 inside the 5).
  • Formation tells: Pistol = run (15 of 16). Under-center I = run (7 of 7). Under-center single back = play-action (8 of 19).
  • 3rd down is the weakness: 34% success; 3rd & 5+ 28%; 11 of 22 film sacks came on 3rd down.
  • Targets: Roebuck 64, Lawson 41, R. Williams 33. Carries: Bonner 64, Williams Jr. 45, Cooley 33.

Sources: [7][4]

Two-QB prep

Fisch will decide by Thursday and won't announce it. Prep for both. [8][9]

Demond Williams Jr.

116-174, 1,396 yds, 8 TD, 3 INT [1]

338
Snaps
65%
Quick game
11%
Deep shots
6.5
YPC (non-sack)

Fractured rib. The run threat: 45 non-sack carries, 10.7 ypc going right. 19 sacks taken on film. [7][8]

Elijah Brown

51-69, 578 yds, 7 TD, 3 INT [1]

110
Snaps
75%
Quick game
8%
Deep shots
2
Carries on film

Won at Purdue (21-27, 302, 3 TD, 3 INT). Throws short even more; not a runner. [7][8]

Attacking the Washington defense

A 4-down front that rushes four and plays coverage behind it. Spread them out, find the 6-man box and run. [11][1][3][4]

96%
4-down front
302 of 314 film-tagged snaps [11]
6.3
Avg. box
6-man box on 62% of snaps [11]
2%
Blitz rate
2 of 122 readable dropbacks [11]
13
Sacks
rank 88 [1][3]
9
Interceptions
rank 10 [1][3]
22/24
Opp. red-zone scores
rank 119 [1][3]
Runs vs. their D by direction (offense's view). Arrow weight = yards per carry. [11]
NEBRASKANEBRASKA1010202030304040505040403030202010105.4 ypcLeft · 51 runs · 37% · 11 expl.4.6 ypcMiddle · 116 runs · 48% · 11 expl.3.2 ypcRight · 57 runs · 32% · 6 expl.

Opponent offense's view. Big Ten games: left 6.2 ypc (7 explosives), middle 5.8 (8), right 1.7 (0). [11]

Box count vs. the run [11]

5 or fewer11 snaps
10.2 ypc on runs
3rd & long, 2-minute
6-man box194 snaps
5.9 ypc on runs
15 explosive runs
7-man box96 snaps
2.4 ypc on runs
but dropbacks 9.6 y/p
8+12 snaps
0.7 ypc on runs
short yardage, goal line

45 explosives allowed: 28 runs of 10+ and 17 passes of 20+. (An earlier call sheet listed 29 runs; one was a phantom ESPN entry not on film or in the official box, so the corrected count is 28.) [11][4]

Suggested calls vs. their defense [11]

  1. 01

    Suggested call

    Make them declare and run at a 6-man box.

    Runs vs 6 in the box: 5.9 ypc, 15 explosives. Vs 7: 2.4 ypc. 17 of 21 box-tagged explosive runs came vs 6 or fewer. Spread them out, then run inside zone and duo.

  2. 02

    Suggested call

    Be aggressive on 1st & 10.

    6.75 y/p, 49% success (Big Ten 7.5 y/p). They sit in base 4-down, 6-man box, 2-high. Run it and take 1st-down play-action shots.

  3. 03

    Suggested call

    Safety drops into a 7-man box? Play-action over the top.

    Dropbacks vs a 7-man box: 9.6 y/p. Deep right (offense's view): 8 of 14 for 222 yds.

  4. 04

    Suggested call

    Beat four with seven in coverage.

    Blitz rate is about 2% (2 of 122 dropbacks). Chip their 4-man rush on 3rd down; 6 of 13 sacks came on 3rd down.

  5. 05

    Suggested call

    Have a QB run tag on 3rd & long.

    On 3rd & 7+ they play 2-high with a 5-6 man box and rush four. QB draws and scrambles beat it repeatedly (USU +17, +13, +12; WSU +7 on 3rd & 13; EWU +8 on 3rd & 15).

  6. 06

    Suggested call

    Stay out of 2nd & long; run left and middle.

    Offenses succeed only 28% of the time on 2nd & 10-14 against them. Big Ten: left 6.2 ypc, middle 5.8, right 1.7.

  7. 07

    Suggested call

    Red zone: run first.

    They sit 2-high on 88% of readable red-zone snaps. RZ runs: 3.2 ypc, 50% success. The box goes to 8 at the goal line.

  8. 08

    Suggested call

    Protect the ball vs McLaughlin, Dillard-Allen and J. Jones.

    6 of their 9 INTs. Most came with a hurry from the 4-man rush.

Fronts, boxes and shells charted from broadcast-angle film: 314 of 442 snaps tagged, all medium or low confidence. Coverage calls (Cover 1/2/3/4) could not be read reliably, so they are not charted. The 2% blitz rate is a floor.

Special teams: the hidden yards

Every 2026 field-goal try, plotted at the spot of the kick. [4][1]

NEBRASKANEBRASKA101020203030404050504040303020201010Robles (UW) · 9-11, long 483-420-29 yds4-430-39 yds2-340-49 yds50+: no triesCunanan (NU) · 4-8, long 401-120-29 yds2-230-39 yds1-240-49 yds0-350+ yds

Green (UW)

47.9
Gross avg
43.3
Net
10
Inside 20

33 punts. Rank 8 in gross punting. 11 fair caught, 2 touchbacks.

Wilson (NU)

44.2
Gross avg
42.2
Net
10
Inside 20

26 punts. Long 68.

Net punting: UW 43.3 per UW game notes (the NU notes list 42.6). [5][6]

Special-teams keys

  • Pressure every UW kick. NU has blocked 3 kicks (rank 4).
  • Know Cunanan's range: 3-3 inside 40, 0-3 from 50+.
  • Make Clark catch it: 2 muffs in 2026; UW returns rank 110 (KR) and 112 (PR).
  • Flip the field: Wilson net 42.2 vs Green 43.3. Don't lose more than a yard a punt.

From the charting

  • Kickoffs: 39 total, 24 touchbacks, 5 out of bounds. Green handled all 7 at Purdue, all touchbacks.
  • Returns: Clark had 19 of 20 named UW returns. UW ranks 110th in kick returns and 112th in punt returns.
  • Muffs at Purdue: a punt at the UW 10 (Purdue recovered) and a kickoff (UW kept it).
  • Blocks: none by or against UW in 2026. Nebraska has blocked 3 kicks (rank 4).
  • Fakes: none on film or in the play-by-play.

Sources: [1][3][4][5][6][14]

Keys to victory

Defense: stop Washington

  1. Rush four, sit two-high. UW: 5.4 yds/att with 13 sacks vs 2-high; 8.3 vs 1-high.
  2. Win 1st down, own 3rd & 5+. 2nd & 10-14 = 20% success; 3rd & 5+ = 28%.
  3. Rally to the quick game. 182 quick throws at 6.0 y/p; Roebuck (64 targets) and Lawson (41).
  4. Fit the QB run if Williams Jr. plays: 6.5 ypc, 10.7 going right.
  5. Squeeze inside zone in the red zone: 3.6 y/p, 37% success.

Offense: attack their D

  1. Commit to the run. Iowa ran 38 times for 263 vs UW; NU averages 5.04 ypc (rank 29).
  2. Play-action off the run. Iowa went 11 of 12 on play-action for 166 yds, 2 TD.
  3. Touchdowns, not field goals. UW red-zone D ranks 119 (22 of 24).
  4. Protect the football. UW has 9 INTs (rank 10).

Sources: [1][2][3][4][7][12]

Unit vs. unit

National rank of 138 (cfbstats, games through 10/24). Lower is better. Longer bar = better rank. [3]

NU offense vs. UW defense

NU OUW D
Scoring
2956
Rushing
2954
Passing
6260
3rd down
1522
Red zone
20119
Sacks allowed / made
6888

UW offense vs. NU defense

UW ONU D
Scoring
7614
Rushing
13019
Passing
2017
3rd down
1191
4th down
22126
Sacks allowed / made
12725

Sources

Stats through 2026-10-24 (both teams were idle Oct. 24-25). Every number on this page ties to one of these. Film charting is our own work from broadcast-angle cut-ups; no film or broadcast images are published here.

  1. [1] cfbstats.com: Washington team page and splits (through 10/24)
  2. [2] cfbstats.com: Nebraska team page and splits (through 10/24)
  3. [3] cfbstats.com: national team leaders, ranks of 138
  4. [4] ESPN box scores and play-by-play (game summaries by event id)
  5. [5] Washington game notes vs. Nebraska (Oct. 26)
  6. [6] Nebraska game notes vs. Washington (Oct. 26)
  7. [7] Husker Film Room charting: Washington offense, 7 games, 448 scrimmage snaps, reconciled to official box scores
  8. [8] Seattle Times: Fisch won't name starting QB vs. Nebraska (Oct. 26)
  9. [9] SI / Husky Maven: Fisch QB decision (Oct. 26)
  10. [11] Husker Film Room charting: Washington defense, 7 games, 442 scrimmage snaps (ESPN play-by-play) with 314 film-tagged
  11. [12] Seattle Times: UW defense vs. Iowa (Oct. 14), including the PFF play-action figure
  12. [14] Husker Film Room charting: Washington special teams, 7 games (play-by-play + box)