Denzel Boston’s big day helps Washington beat No. 23 Illinois and match its 2024 win total

By Canadian Press on October 25, 2025.

SEATTLE (AP) — Denzel Boston threw and caught a touchdown pass, and finished with career highs of 10 catches and 153 receiving yards to lead Washington to a 42-25 victory over No. 23 Illinois on Saturday.

Boston, who entered the game 10th in the Big Ten in receiving yards, put the Huskies (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) up for good at 21-17 with a 12-yard TD pass to Jonah Coleman on a trick play with 40 seconds remaining in the first half.

Demond Williams Jr., who tossed four touchdown passes, threw a backward pass to Boston. The junior wideout promptly threw the ball across the field to a wide-open Coleman, allowing Washington to head into halftime with a lead it would not relinquish.

The Huskies led 14-3 after the first quarter thanks to a pair of 13-yard receiving touchdowns by Dezmen Roebuck. The Fighting Illini (5-3, 2-3) struck twice in the second quarter, though, and took a 17-14 lead on a 5-yard touchdown pass by Luke Altmyer to Tanner Arkin.

After Arkin’s touchdown catch, though, Washington outscored Illinois 28-10. Its sixth victory matched the Huskies’ total number of wins from the 2024 campaign, which was coach Jedd Fisch’s first at Washington.

It was also the Huskies’ second win against a Top 25 team under Fisch’s reign; Washington beat No. 10 Michigan 27-17 at home last season. The Fighting Illini, meanwhile, lost for the third time in five weeks after a 3-0 start to the year in which they were ranked as high as No. 9 in the nation.

The takeaway

Illinois: The Fighting Illini defense, which was ranked 73rd in the country in total defense heading into the game, struggled mightily against Washington’s offense. The Huskies scored on all six of their red zone opportunities, and just two of their eight drives did not end in a touchdown.

Washington: The Huskies entered the contest 14th in the Big Ten in third-down conversion rate, having succeeded on just 15 of 43 attempts. But on Saturday, Washington converted nine of 11 third-down opportunities.

Up next

Illinois: Hosts Rutgers on Nov. 1.

Washington: At Wisconsin on Nov. 8.

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Andrew Destin, The Associated Press