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Jedd Fisch, Washington Huskies flatten Northwestern in UW’s 1st Big Ten opener

For the first time in the Big Ten, the Washington Huskies got a conference win. All things considered, Washington looked decent against Northwestern.

By Ethan Lee

Sep 21, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies linebacker Khmori House (28) returns an interception against the Northwestern Wildcats during the fourth quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Sep 21, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies linebacker Khmori House (28) returns an interception against the Northwestern Wildcats during the fourth quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
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The first conference game as a member of the Big Ten went pretty well for Jedd Fisch and the Washington Huskies. It wasn’t perfect, but the Washington Huskies got a convincing 24-5 win over the Northwestern Wildcats on Saturday afternoon. 

Obviously there are things that Washington can improve on, but it’s never a bad thing to start off life in a new conference by getting a 19-point win against a team that has been holding its opponents to 12 points per game.

The Huskies were able to get the win thanks in large part to the way quarterback Will Rogers and wide receiver Denzel Boston effortlessly connected on multiple occasions. In total, Boston grabbed seven receptions and racked up 121 receiving yards and two touchdown catches. Rogers, meanwhile, completed 20 of 28 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns. No interceptions for UW’s quarterback.

All things considered, that’s a pretty decent performance. 

Jonah Coleman was also solid in Washington’s passing attack, but on the ground he added an additional 67 yards and a touchdown (that put the game more than out of reach in the fourth quarter) on 15 carries. As for what he brought in the passing game, Coleman had three receptions for 36 yards. In total, that’s 18 touches for 103 combined yards of offense.

Washington Huskies take care of business in Big Ten conference opener vs. Northwestern Wildcats in Husky Stadium

Special teams happened to be an issue, and I really don’t want to dwell too much on that, but it’s something the Huskies have to address if they want to get some notable wins in Big Ten play down the line this season. 

Northwestern’s Joseph Himon II broke through the Huskies’ kick return coverage and enabled Northwestern to get a 96-yard return (that they ultimately didn’t really do much with, but still, it’s worrisome).

Plus there was a missed field goal. It was admittedly a long field goal attempt, but it’s still disappointing to see it missed. 

On the defensive side of things, Washington was spectacular. Northwestern’s offense typically isn’t much to brag about, but the Huskies held the Wildcats to just 112 total yards of offense. For some additional context, Northwestern entered into this contest by averaging 355.3 total yards of offense per game. 

The Huskies definitely made it clear that they want to compete in the Big Ten. Outgaining Northwestern 391-112 will certainly make a statement. Now the Huskies need to do a better job of limiting mistakes (special teams issues, fumbled snaps, odd play call choices, penalties), but they looked decent in this one.

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