Previewing Utah State football’s 2026 schedule: Washington Huskies

LOGAN, Utah – The Pac-12 era is officially here for the Utah State Aggies, and the first real measuring stick isn’t far behind.

The new-look Aggies, built in the image of head coach Bronco Mendenhall, open road play in the 2026 season Sept. 12 against the Washington Huskies — a program steeped in Pac-12 tradition before it bolted for the Big Ten in 2024.

The Huskies are the first of back-to-back road matchups against Power Four programs, with a trip to Utah following on Sept. 19.

Welcome to Merlin Olsen Field @pac12! 🤝

🎟️➡️ https://t.co/ogxb0J9CUS pic.twitter.com/Ja0TnJ6HsF

— USU Football (@USUFootball) July 21, 2026

For a rebuilt roster featuring more than 40 new players and junior quarterback McCae Hillstead back under center as the starter, the early-season gauntlet could go a long way toward deciding the team’s ultimate fate. ESPN’s Football Power Index ranks Utah State No. 92 nationally and sixth in the Pac-12, projecting just 4.7 wins.

A competitive showing at Husky Stadium could go a long way toward proving those projections wrong — and signaling that the Aggies belong in their new conference.

Previewing the Washington Huskies

Washington head coach Jedd Fisch enters his third season after taking over in 2024. He is 15-11 across his first two years, rebounding from a sub-.500 debut to guide the Huskies to a 9-4 finish and an LA Bowl blowout win over Boise State last season.

🔟 Huskies selected to @ShrinersBowl 2027 Shriners Children’s East-West Bowl 1000 watchlist. pic.twitter.com/C5y3EfpMMV

— Washington Football (@UW_Football) July 23, 2026

ESPN ranks Washington 26th in the FPI but a mere eighth in the power-packed Big Ten.

The Huskies’ over/under win total sits at 7.5, and early projections peg them at 9-3 — meaning Utah State will be catching a confident team early in its schedule.

Washington Offense

The Huskies return junior quarterback Demond Williams Jr. from a high-powered attack that averaged 34.1 points per game a year ago.

Williams earned Big Ten honorable mention as a dual-threat option in the backfield. He threw for 3,065 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 69.5% of his passes. He added 611 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns for 31 total TDs.

NFL pedigree, relentless passion and constant innovation. UW offensive improvement led by @CoachJeddFisch

Red zone offense: 104th ➡️ 7th
3rd down conversions: 101st ➡️ 10th pic.twitter.com/5dDgpZLKkF

— Washington Football (@UW_Football) July 19, 2026

Following the departure of 2025 leading rusher Jonah Coleman to the Denver Broncos as a fourth-round draft pick, the Huskies figure to lean on Trey Cooley, a transfer from Troy, and Jayden Limar, a transfer from Oregon.

Limar ran for 442 yards across 33 games in three seasons (2023-25) with the Ducks, including 262 rushing yards and three touchdowns in 2025. Cooley is a graduate senior who did not play last year after suffering a season-ending injury before the 2025 campaign began.

Breakout freshman wide receiver Dezmen Roebuck returns and is joined by former four-star recruit Rashid Williams to form what Fisch hopes will be a dynamic receiving corps.

Roebuck, who is moving into the slot this season, played in all 13 games as a true freshman and made 10 starts. He caught 42 passes for 560 yards and a freshman program-record seven touchdowns. Williams was limited to two games in 2025 because of collarbone and hand injuries.

🏠🙌 @DeckerDegraaf pic.twitter.com/q6A9eNIyTV

— Washington Football (@UW_Football) July 15, 2026

Junior tight end Decker DeGraaf is the leading returning pass catcher behind Roebuck. He caught 32 passes for 360 yards and two touchdowns last season while flashing big-play ability over the middle of the field.

The offensive line returns four starters from a unit that paved the way for 30 rushing touchdowns last year. The group added five-star freshman tackle Kodi Greene to round out the starting five.

Washington Defense

While the other side of the ball doesn’t return the same level of experience, Washington’s defense took a massive leap in 2025, and there is no reason to think the progress won’t continue.

Linebacker Xe’ree Alexander, the team’s second-leading tackler in 2025, returns to anchor the unit. The Huskies also expect Jacob Manu to be at full strength after injuries limited him to five games last year. Manu made 116 tackles and recorded 6.5 sacks in his sophomore season at Arizona.

Safety Alex McLaughlin is back after leading the program with 93 tackles and two interceptions in 2025. He will have heavy lifting to do after Washington lost two defensive backs to the NFL.

Altogether, Washington presents the kind of challenge Mendenhall has spent the past year preparing his roster to face.

It is a balanced, confident team with a dual-threat quarterback, a proven coaching staff and enough returning talent on both sides of the ball to justify a top-30 FPI ranking. For Hillstead and the Aggies, the margin for error at Husky Stadium will be razor thin.

Their response will say more about the state of the program than any preseason projection.

Week 2 | Utah State Aggies @ Washington Huskies

Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026

Venue: Husky Stadium

Location: Seattle, Washington

Kickoff: 1:30 p.m. MT

Utah State will be looking to snap a three-game all-time losing streak against Washington dating to a 45-0 loss in 1904. The series was rekindled in 1998 with a 53-12 Husky rout. Most recently, Chuckie Keeton completed 17 of 33 passes for 171 yards and two interceptions in a 31-17 road loss in 2015.

What channel is Utah State football on?

The USU football game against Washington is available on the Big 10 Network.

Listen to the Utah State Aggies on KSL Sports Zone

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Find Utah State football’s entire 2026 schedule here.

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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.

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