The Washington Huskies football team was able to win its second-straight Big Ten game of the season in a 17-10 result against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb.

With the victory, the Huskies are now 5-3 overall (2-3 in Big Ten competition) and one win away from being bowl game eligible.

Washington's pair of Big Ten wins has UW with some momentum as it will return home after three weeks, including a bye week between the wins against the Purdue Boilermakers on Oct. 16 and Nebraska on Saturday.

Here's three takeaways from the Huskies' win against the Cornhuskers.

The Huskies defense, which was sans true freshman edge rusher and starter Ramzak Fruean, posted what was likely its best performance of the season.

Nebraska's 10 points came via a touchdown in the first quarter and a field goal on its final drive of the game. The Cornhuskers had a 36-yard field goal attempts with just over e10 minutes left in the game, but were unable to convert.

In addition to the Washington surrendering just 10 points, it also recorded three interceptions, four tackles for loss, two sacks and eight passes defended.

The Huskies' third interception of the night was a 48-yard pick-six from fourth-year safety Alex McLaughlin that gave UW its final points of the game.

UW's defense has responded well in its two games since surrendering 42 points to the Iowa Hawkeyes. With just one win left to secure bowl eligibility, the momentum from the last two performances should do the defense well in the final four games of the season.

For the second game in a row, third-year quarterback Elijah Brown started for Washington. Unlike the team's previous game, third-year quarterback Demond Williams Jr. was healthy on the sidelines.

Williams was unable in the team's win against the Purdue Boilermakers with a rib fracture he suffered against Iowa.

Brown played the first three quarters for the Huskies and went 19-for-30 for 136 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions.

Williams entered the game in the fourth quarter. He finished his night 7-for-13 for 99 yards and a touchdown and was the team's leading rusher (four rushes for 28 yards). Among Williams' highlight plays was a 20-plus yard completion to second-year wide receiver Chris Lawson on fourth-and-18, a 17-yard scramble for a first down on third-and-14 and a 25-yard touchdown throw to Lawson on a play where he picked up a cornerback blitz.

Brown was told he would start in the game against the Cornhuskers on Monday, according to a post on "X" from UW sideline reporter Dave Mahler. It's not for sure yet whether Williams or Brown will start against Penn State, but head coach Jedd Fisch said that the starter against Nebraska wouldn't necessarily be the starter for the rest of the season. The spark provided by Williams might have provided him the edge to regain his starting role.

Lawson has emerged as the No. 1 target on the offense this season after back-to-back solid games.

Saturday marked Lawson's second consecutive game with over 100 yards receiving and the second time in three games he's scored a touchdown this season. He has at least 75 yards receiving in five consecutive games, all in Big Ten play, and has crossed that mark in six-of-eight games this season.

Lawson has pulled in 44 catches for 638 yards and three touchdowns this year. He had 12 receptions for 155 yards and the aforementioned touchdown Saturday.

The sophomore wide receiver began the year as the "No. 4" wide receiver on the depth chart behind starters Dezmen Roebuck, Rashid Williams and Christian Moss. And injury to the latter led to more opportunities for Lawson, and he's made the most of them.

Williams and Brown have both developed a rapport with Lawson and he seems to be the most consistent target for both signal-callers, which will likely lead to his continued success, regardless of who the signal-caller is.