QB Demond Williams Jr.: 72.1% completions, 1,837 pass yards, 137 completions, 190 attempts, 10 pass TD, 4 INT, 79 carries, 363 rush yards, 4 rush TD
RB Jonah Coleman: 112 carries, 568 rush yards, 12 rush TD, 23 catches, 284 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD
QB Luke Altmyer: 72.4% completions, 1,821 pass yards, 139 completions, 192 attempts, 13 pass TD, 1 INT
Through four conference games, UW has already seen three of the top five statistical passers in the Big Ten.
Julian Sayin put up just 208 yards passing for No. 1 Ohio State against UW Sept. 27. Rutgers' Athan Kaliakmanis had a season-high 386 yards passing against UW Oct. 10. Demond Williams Jr., UW's sophomore starter, is fourth in the Big Ten right behind Sayin and Kaliakmanis.
And UW will get a look at the conference's fifth-ranked passer Saturday, when it welcomes Illinois and fifth-year quarterback Luke Altmyer.
A 2024 All-Big Ten honorable mention, Altmyer has been a steady presence under center. He ranks sixth in completion percentage and ninth in passing efficiency and 21st in yards passing nationally. UW coach Jedd Fisch praised Altmyer's experience and athleticism, and called him "one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten."
"We've had to really work very hard mixing coverage, mixing looks, making things more challenging in practice," Fisch said, "to be able to try to prepare for an elite quarterback."
Altmyer has developed a particularly strong rapport with slot receiver Hank Beatty, who is currently second in the Big Ten in yards receiving and tenth nationally. Like the Huskies, the Fighting Illini have six different players with at least 100 yards receiving in 2025.
Tight end Cole Rusk presents a particularly interesting option. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight end made just five catches for 45 yards during his first six games. But against Ohio State during Illinois' most recent game, Rusk made five catches for 68 yards and a touchdown -- his best performance in an Illinois uniform since transferring from Murray State in 2024.
UW has struggled to defend tight ends in the passing game at times. Tight end Zack Marshall led No. 25 Michigan with five catches for 72 yards and a touchdown during its 24-7 win against UW Oct. 18. Maryland tight end Dorian Fleming and Rutgers tight end Colin Weber both registered season highs in receptions versus UW.
Speaking Tuesday, defensive coordinator Ryan Walters admitted UW busted some coverages against tight ends this season, but added the Huskies have emphasized limiting wide receivers versus specific teams like the Wolverines. Fisch noted UW's secondary is healthier than its been since the start of the season -- certainly more than it was against Sayin or Kaliakmanis -- and Walters said he's expecting improvement across the board.
"We've got to do a better job being clued into pass coverage," Walters said Tuesday. "Period."
Illinois entered 2025 with two players on the Big Ten's preseason honors list. One was Altmyer.
The other was Gabe Jacas. The 6-foot-3, 270-pound outside linebacker was a consensus third-team All-Big Ten selection by coaches and media during the 2024 season after making 74 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss and eight sacks as a junior.
Jacas has continued to perform in 2025. His 4.5 sacks rank sixth in the Big Ten, and his two forced fumbles are ninth nationally.
The Fighting Illini have needed his strong performances. Defensive back Xavier Scott, a 2024 first-team All-Big Ten selection by the media, suffered an apparent lower leg injury against Western Michigan Sept. 13, and underwent surgery Sept. 24, potentially ending his season.
So Jacas stepped up to help a defense missing its best player in the secondary. He's made at least 0.5 tackles for a loss in six of seven games this season, with the lone exception coming against No. 2 Indiana.
And UW might be in a rough place with its offensive line. Fifth-year left tackle Maximus McCree suffered a significant foot injury, and Fisch said he'd likely miss time despite avoiding a season-ending designation.
The UW coach was hopeful sixth-year left tackle Carver Willis can return from the knee injury that's held him out of the past three games Monday, but admitted Thursday Willis and freshman left guard John Mills -- who missed two games after suffering an apparent lower leg injury against Maryland -- are game time decisions.
But if Willis and McCree are unavailable, UW may need to start sophomore Soane Faasolo, who allowed three pressures including a quarterback hit during 23 snaps No. 25 Michigan after McCree exited the game at halftime according to Pro Football Focus.
Seven games into the season, Fisch and Walters have been in agreement about one specific topic. UW needs to force more turnovers.
The Huskies have gained eight turnovers, essentially the same pace they achieved during the 2024 season when former defensive coordinator Steve Belichick's unit gained 14 turnovers during 13 games.
Walters' defense has been decent at forcing interceptions. UW has six picks, 38th nationally, and just two fewer than it had during the entire 2024 campaign. But UW has struggled to force and recover fumbles, managing just two.
Those tendencies make the matchup against Illinois intriguing. Altmyer has been incredibly secure with the ball. He's thrown just one interception despite attempting 192 passes. Only Alabama's Ty Simpson, UConn's Joe Fagnano and Georgia's Gunner Stockton have attempted more passes than Altmyer while throwing one or fewer interceptions. But the Fighting Illini have also lost four fumbles this year.
Illinois put its turnover tendencies on display against No. 1 Ohio State Oct. 11. Altmyer threw his only interception of the season and fumbled once after a strip sack -- one of two Fighting Illini fumbles during the game -- as Illinois lost 24-16.
So can the Huskies force the normally stingy Altmyer into making an uncommon error? Or can it take advantage of an Illinois offense with a tendency to put the ball on the ground, despite UW failing to do exactly that for the first seven weeks of the season?
Washington and Illinois kind of feel like reflections of each other entering Saturday.
Both teams have received votes in the AP Top 25 at various points, though the Huskies have yet to be ranked. Both have enjoyed standout quarterback play. Both have been victorious in all the games they were expected to win. Both have endured disappointing performances against the best opponents on their schedules -- Ohio State and Michigan for UW and Indiana and Ohio State for Illinois.
But UW has remained a difficult team to beat at home, even for teams coming off bye weeks like Illinois.