The Huskies nearly pulled off another wild escape, but the hole they dug in the first half proved too deep in a 28-25 loss to Penn State.
For long stretches, Washington looked out of sync on both sides of the ball. The offense managed one solid march early - a 14-play, 65-yard drive that featured 29 rushing yards from Jayden Limar and ended in a field goal - but that was about the only clean stretch before halftime. Demond Williams struggled to find his rhythm, missing high and finishing the opening half 6-for-14 for 36 yards with eight straight incompletions.
Penn State took control quickly. Carson Hansen punched in an easy 12-yard touchdown run, Rocco Becht kept the pressure on with a 45-yard strike to Chase Sowell, and Cam Wallace added a 44-yard touchdown run with 2:44 left in the half. By then, the Huskies were staring at a 28-6 deficit.
Washington did show some life before the break. After a Penn State punt, Williams settled in for a drive that included a 9-yard run and 27 passing yards, and Tyler Robles finished it with a 47-yard field goal to cut the margin to 19.
The second half brought a much different version of the Huskies. After giving up another 36-yard pass to Sowell, the defense finally got a stop on a Penn State fourth-down hook-and-lateral attempt, giving Washington the ball at its own 40. Six plays later, Williams found Baron Naone open for a 5-yard touchdown, then hit Rashid Williams on the two-point conversion to make it 28-17.
The defense came through again soon after, forcing a punt after Williams threw an interception to Ibn McDaniels. Jacob Manu and Alex McLaughlin then combined for a sack of Becht, and Washington got the ball back with a chance to keep climbing.
That’s when the comeback started to feel real. Williams leaned on Dezmen Roebuck, Chris Lawson and his own legs to drive the Huskies downfield, then dropped a low touchdown pass to Roebuck to make it 28-23 with 7:40 left in the fourth quarter. On the next two-point try, Williams scrambled away from pressure and found Baron Naone for a toe-tap catch, turning it into a one-score game.
Washington’s defense had one more chance to force the issue, and for a moment it looked like it had done enough. On a crucial third down with 3:51 to play, Rylon Dillard Allen stopped Hansen for a 3-yard gain, short of the sticks.
But the play was wiped out when officials found 12 Huskies on the field. That illegal procedure penalty, along with the targeting call on Jacob Manu, proved costly.
Penn State then ran out the clock without scoring again.
The Nittany Lions did not score in the second half, but it was enough to hold on.
At 5-4, the season has been a frustrating one for Washington, and this game fit that pattern. There have been flashes - Williams can be electric, the run game can work, and the line can create openings - but the Huskies still haven’t put together a full game this year.
With three conference games left, the path to a bowl now comes down to whether they can finally put it all together. Against Penn State, they got halfway there.
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The quarterback situation adds another layer to watch, especially after the way Washington handled its last outing and the way the offense has been managed around it. Penn State arrives with a defense that has been difficult to move, which means the Huskies will need clean decisions, steady protection and a little home-field edge to keep the night from turning into a long one. [Read more 🡒]