Demond Williams doubtful for Washington at Purdue

Fisch didn't dress it up on Monday. He doesn't expect his starter to play this week.

Pete Nakos

@PeteNakos

Washington head coach Jedd Fisch says QB Demond Williams is day-to-day with a rib injury and doubtful for Friday at Purdue. Elijah Brown is taking first-team reps. "I’m not under the impression that he’ll be playing this week." t.co/Qg8OBITRZl

"I'm not under the impression that he'll be playing this week" is about as close to ruling a guy out as a coach gets without saying the word "out." The injury goes back to Friday's 41-24 loss to No. 20 Iowa. Demond Williams Jr. took a big hit in the 2nd quarter while lunging for extra yards and didn't come back. He was 6-for-11 for 69 yards when he left, and Fisch is now calling the rib injury "significant."

That's where Elijah Brown comes in. Brown played the rest of that Iowa game and was really good in a blowout. He went 28-of-39 for 251 yards and 3 touchdowns and threw the back-to-back scores that briefly made it a game again. Garbage time or not, that's the best audition a backup could've asked for, and now he gets the first-team reps all week to get ready.

Pete Thamel

@PeteThamel

Fisch told ESPN that Williams will be evaluated again tomorrow before there’s any certainty on the starter for Friday.

There is one small opening left. Fisch told ESPN that Williams gets looked at again tomorrow before Washington commits to a starter, so the door isn't bolted shut yet. But rib injuries don't heal fast, especially not on a short week ending in a Friday road game, and everything Fisch said Monday points one way. Expect Brown.

For anybody betting it, this is the number to watch. Williams is the starter and the engine of this offense, and the Friday line was built on him being under center. If tomorrow's evaluation goes how Fisch sounds like he expects, the market adjusts to Brown making his first Washington start. The flip side is that Brown just completed 72% of his throws against a ranked defense, so it's fair to ask whether the drop-off is as big as the line will say.

Kickoff is Friday at 5 p.m. PT at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette. Washington is coming off a beatdown, its starting QB is banged up, and it's going on the road on a short week. Watch tomorrow's update. If Williams doesn't practice, this is Elijah Brown's team for at least a week.