Penn State Strikes Early, Washington Bares Its Teeth Too Late at Husky Stadium
Overwhelmed in a lopsided first half, the Washington Huskies were a different team after the break against Penn State. Down 28-6 at halftime, they shut out the Nittany Lions 19-0 in the second half but could not complete the comeback, falling 28-25 in front of 67,879 fans at Husky Stadium. The sixth win that would make them bowl eligible will have to wait.
Penn State had not played in Seattle since 1921, and Homecoming had the feel of a reunion: former Huskies offensive lineman Olin Kreutz, a College Football Hall of Fame inductee, was honored before kickoff, and Nittany Lions great LaVar Arrington was in attendance. Above all, Washington had a chance to beat Penn State for the first time, the only Big Ten team the Huskies had never defeated.
Penn State Takes Over in the First Half
Washington actually struck first. On a 14-play drive, Demond Williams Jr. moved the offense into range for a 29-yard Tyler Robles field goal (3-0). Penn State answered right away: Rocco Becht completed all four of his passes for 50 yards on the next drive, and Carson Hansen finished it by slipping through a hole up the middle for a 12-yard touchdown run (7-3).
Then the Nittany Lions pulled away. Three plays into the second quarter, Zay Robinson caught a 24-yard touchdown pass on third-and-10 (14-3). Next, Chase Sowell, back after missing the Purdue game with an injury, won a battle with several defenders for a 45-yard touchdown (21-3). After a second Robles field goal, this one from 31 yards, Cam Wallace broke free for a 46-yard touchdown run with under three minutes left in the half (28-6).
Becht did his damage on third down: in the first half, Penn State averaged 17 yards on its six third-down plays. At the break, the quarterback was 11 of 17 for 193 yards and two touchdowns, and his team had piled up 303 yards of offense to Washington's 123.
The Huskies reached Penn State territory twice without finding the end zone. Williams Jr. had completed only six of 15 passes for 36 yards, and a Ty Blanding sack on third down left Washington settling for three points. A few boos followed Jedd Fisch's team to the locker room.
Washington Fights Back
The Huskies looked different from the opening possession of the second half. Penn State went three-and-out, and Williams Jr., getting the ball out much faster, drove the offense with short passes to set up a 47-yard Robles field goal (28-9).
The turning point came on Penn State's next drive. Despite a one-handed catch by Sowell, the Nittany Lions tried a hook-and-ladder on fourth-and-7. Washington's defense stayed disciplined and took over on downs.
The Huskies made it count. Chris Lawson turned a short pass into a 39-yard gain to the Penn State 8, and three plays later Williams Jr. found tight end Baron Naone, left uncovered, for a 2-yard touchdown. A two-point conversion to Rashid Williams cut the deficit to 11 (28-17). Jacob Lane followed with an 11-yard sack of Becht, and Washington won the third quarter 11-0.
A Tense Fourth Quarter
The momentum nearly stalled there. After a holding penalty left Washington facing third-and-14, Williams Jr.'s deep throw for Rashid Williams was intercepted by Ibn McDaniels at the Penn State 25, the only turnover of the game. Moments later, the Huskies thought they had recovered a Hansen fumble, but officials ruled the play dead before the ball came out. Washington used a timeout to challenge, without success.
The defense held firm. A third-down sack by Alex McLaughlin and Jacob Manu forced Penn State's third punt of the second half. Williams Jr. then completed four of five passes for 46 yards, including a 21-yarder to Lawson, before hitting Dezmen Roebuck with a 6-yard touchdown, caught with a slide in the end zone. Another two-point conversion made it 28-25 with 7:40 to play.
Washington never got the ball back. Becht converted a third down with a 9-yard run, and Hansen found a crease for a 36-yard gain to the Washington 22. On third-and-5, a 12-men-on-the-field penalty gave the Nittany Lions a fresh set of downs. Facing fourth-and-1 at the 3, Becht pushed forward for the first down. After Washington's final timeout, he took three knees to end it. Hansen ran for 51 yards on that final drive alone.
A Loss Full of Regrets
The irony was hard to miss: Penn State did not score after halftime and reached Washington territory only twice in the second half, but the first-half hole was too deep. For the game, the Nittany Lions outgained Washington 414 yards to 306, went 7 of 14 on third down and 2 of 3 on fourth down, and held the ball for 31:14 to Washington's 28:46.
Becht finished 16 of 27 for 247 yards and two touchdowns. Hansen posted his first 100-yard game at Penn State with 119 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, and Wallace added 55 yards. Sowell was the most dangerous target, with four catches for 125 yards. For the Huskies, Williams Jr. went 19 of 33 for 172 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, Lawson caught five passes for 89 yards, and Robles made all three of his field goals (29, 31 and 47 yards).
Jedd Fisch summed it up simply after the game. "The game was a tale of two halves. In a lot of ways, we did not play good football in the first half. We played much better football in the second half," the Huskies coach said. "It's unique to have a 28-6 halftime deficit and then a 19-0 second half."
Fisch believed until the end. "I thought we had opportunity there in the second half. I was convinced after we got the two-point play and it was 28-25 that we were going to get a stop and get a score and win that football game and have a pretty remarkable comeback."
The stop never came. The Huskies have found ways to win on the road, but Husky Stadium, long a fortress, no longer feels like one. After Minnesota and Iowa, Penn State became the latest visitor to leave Seattle with a win, and Demond Williams Jr. did not hide his frustration.
"It's upsetting for sure. I mean, my first two years here, we lost one game at home," the quarterback said. "So just the string that we've been on this year as far as at home and not playing as well as we want to, especially out the gate. We have to figure out how to get right."
Washington falls to 5-4 (2-4 Big Ten) and is still waiting to secure a bowl trip, a goal Jedd Fisch called essential "a thousand percent." Penn State is now 5-4 as well, has won two straight after four consecutive losses, and improved to 5-0 all-time against the Huskies. Washington still has a trip to Michigan State, a home game against Indiana and a visit to Oregon: three more chances to earn the sixth win that slipped away so narrowly.
The schedule offers no breather. "Our next home game is against a really, really good Indiana team," Williams said. "So at the end of the day, we gotta focus on Michigan State next and find ways to get better going into there."
