The Husky Haul
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Grading the Washington Huskies after road test failure vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

By Ethan Lee

Sep 27, 2024; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights running back Kyle Monangai (5) carries the ball as Washington Huskies linebacker Carson Bruener (42) pursues during the first half at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Sep 27, 2024; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights running back Kyle Monangai (5) carries the ball as Washington Huskies linebacker Carson Bruener (42) pursues during the first half at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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Washington’s special teams gets an F

Okay look, I hate this and I really want Grady Gross to thrive moving forward. He deserves that. He’s a team captain and has been with the Huskies since 2022. 

But we can’t not acknowledge how the Washington Huskies had an abysmal night on special teams against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. And while I want to avoid piling on Huskies Kicker Grady Gross (especially because he shouldn’t have been in the position to try a potential game-tying 55-yard field goal at the end of the game), unfortunately, most of what went wrong on special teams happened in the kicking game.

Gross was able to make his first field goal attempt and everything seemed fine and dandy in the first quarter of the game. Unfortunately for Gross and the Huskies, he whiffed on his next three field goal attempts.

While the last field goal was a situation he never should have been placed in, he missed a 42-yard field goal from the Rutgers 32 yard line in the second quarter (that’s certainly one that should have been made) and then completely missed on a 37-yard field goal from the Rutgers 27 yard line about halfway through the fourth quarter.

And then, after both of those misses, the decision to try to kick a 55-yard field goal? That’s just a bit mind boggling to me. 

Punting worked out just fine for the Huskies. The return game really wasn’t all that special. But special teams had too many issues, specifically in the kicking game, to really grade this in a much different way.

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