Chris Lawson’s late surge and Alex McLaughlin’s interception return flipped Saturday night in Lincoln, and Washington walked out with a 17-10 comeback win over Nebraska after a fourth quarter that belonged entirely to the Huskies.
Lawson delivered the go-ahead touchdown with 1:30 remaining, turning a 25-yard catch-and-run into the decisive score. Then McLaughlin slammed the door by taking Anthony Colandrea’s third interception of the game 48 yards for a touchdown to seal it for Washington.
The Huskies were stuck in neutral for much of Nebraska’s annual Blackout Game, but everything changed once Demond Williams Jr. replaced Elijah Brown early in the fourth quarter. Washington, which improved to 5-3 overall and 2-3 in the Big Ten, had managed very little on offense until that switch.
“What a cool place to get a win,” Washington coach Jedd Fisch said. “I challenged the team all week.
I said you've got to hold them under 13 points. That’s how you win on the road in the Big Ten.
That’s what the stats tell you. That’s what it looks like.”
Williams and Lawson teamed up on the key sequence that set up Washington’s first lead. Facing fourth and 18 and heavy pressure, Williams fired toward the left sideline, where Lawson fought through tight coverage from Victor Evans III to haul in a 24-yard gain while falling backward and staying in bounds.
“The goal was to get a one-on-one for Chris,” Fisch said. “Chris had the ability to stutter and go, and you know you’re in a situation where you can’t throw underneath.
What separates wideouts is the one-on-one 50-50 ball, and you got to come down with it. And he came down with it.
It was pretty awesome.”
Two snaps later, Williams got the ball back to Lawson on a short sideline throw. Lawson shook Dwayne McDougle III, raced toward the end zone and dove across the goal line before Caleb Benning could bring him down.
“Demond and Chris were just on the same page,” Fisch said, “and it was like clockwork how they connected. And then Chris made one guy miss and scored.”
Nebraska had looked in control for much of the night and appeared ready to ride its defense after Colandrea’s 24-yard touchdown pass to Carter Nelson late in the first quarter. But the Huskers, now 5-3 and 2-3, couldn’t finish the job.
Colandrea’s third interception came on a throw over the middle intended for tight end Luke Lindenmeyer. McLaughlin jumped the route and went untouched to the end zone.
Nebraska still had one last push. John Hohl drilled a 42-yard field goal with 31 seconds left, and the Huskers got the ball back one more time before Washington recovered the onside kick to end it.
The loss marked the third straight game Nebraska has let a fourth-quarter lead slip away. The Huskers led Indiana 17-6 and lost 20-17, then led Oregon 14-6 and fell 17-14.
“I certainly understand how frustrated everyone is that this has happened three games in a row,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said. “I could just say I feel it, too.
I’m responsible for it. It’s my job.
All I can do is show up tomorrow and get back to work for Illinois and try to have a great November and a great week."
Washington’s offense was held down for most of the night, with the Huskies punting on eight of their first nine possessions. Still, they found enough late to win despite finishing with a season-low 267 total yards.
“We have to keep our head coach up; we have to keep him going,” Nebraska center Justin Evans said. “It’s on all of us at the end of the day - not him, not me.
It’s all of us. Family goes through adversity.
All we can do is uplift each other and keep going.”
Nebraska also hurt itself with three turnovers, and Kyle Cunanan missed a 36-yard field goal that would have given the Huskers a 10-3 lead early in the fourth quarter. “Not a recipe for winning,” Rhule said.
Washington, which has won two straight after dropping three in a row, hosts Penn State on Saturday.
In Other News...
Washington Found A New Difference Maker In Gritty Win At Nebraska
A road win in Lincoln can say a lot about a team, and Washingtons 17-10 victory over Nebraska offered a clear reminder that the Huskies still have ways to win when the offense has to grind. At 5-3, they got enough from a defense that kept making Nebraska uncomfortable and enough timely production from Chris Lawson, who came through with the kind of catches that can swing a tight game away from home.
Lawsons role keeps growing in a passing game that needed someone to steady it, and his performance gave Washington a reliable target in the moments that mattered most. The other side of the story was just as important, with the Huskies defense creating takeaways and turning one of them into a back-breaking score, a momentum shift that helped close out a win they badly needed. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Is Tweaking Its Offense Right Before Illinois
Nebraska is making a few sideline adjustments as it heads into its matchup with Illinois, but Matt Rhule made clear the bigger picture is staying the same. The head coach said the staff will remain intact despite the recent losses, even as he acknowledged the offense has sputtered and needs to be simplified. Rhule also took responsibility for the way things have gone, a sign that the pressure around the unit is being felt well beyond the play sheet.
The wrinkle now is how the Huskers will handle game-day communication and responsibilities from the coaching box. Dana Holgorsen and offensive line coach Geep Wade are shifting upstairs for play-calling duties, while run game coordinator Lonnie Teasley will see his role adjusted as Nebraska tries to clean up its offensive operation. For a team looking to steady itself quickly, the changes are less about a reset than a recalibration, and the next step will be whether that is enough to get the offense moving in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]