Washington’s struggles continue in road loss to No. 13 Indiana
For more than three quarters, Washington put together a solid performance on special teams.
True, there were limited opportunities for junior kicker Grady Gross. But UW’s coverage units, which have also struggled this season, performed well enough to inspire confidence. So with Washington trailing No. 13 Indiana by two possessions and facing fourth-and-3 from its own 27-yard line, UW coach Jedd Fisch decided to punt and trust his defense to get the ball back.
Junior punter Jack McCallister launched his punt down to the IU 21-yard line. Indiana returner Myles Price fielded the kick, found a crease up the middle of the field, and ran it 65 yards back to UW’s 14-yard line.
Four plays later, Indiana’s sophomore quarterback Tayven Jackson was celebrating a two-yard touchdown run in the end zone.
Washington’s first-half mistakes and offensive struggles cost UW, as the Huskies lost to the Hoosiers 31-17 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. UW hasn’t won an away game this season, and still has road trips against No. 1 Oregon and No. 3 Penn State remaining.
Fifth-year quarterback Will Rogers was 19-for-26 passing for 202 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. Junior running back Jonah Coleman rushed for 104 yards on 19 carries, while senior receiver Jeremiah Hunter had four catches for 60 yards.
Washington got off to a brutal start to the game. Its first drive consisted of a sack, a false start on center D’Angalo Titialii and an intentional grounding after Rogers was pressured almost immediately after the snap, leading to a UW punt.
Somehow, its second drive was even worse. After reaching the Hoosiers’ 31-yard line, the Huskies (4-4, 2-3 Big Ten) tried to throw the ball backward to sophomore receiver Denzel Boston. But Rogers was hit as he released the ball, which floated into the arms of sophomore defensive back D’Angelo Ponds. He returned the interception 65 yards to open the scoring and give IU a 7-0 lead.
Indiana doubled its advantage early in the second quarter, as Jackson connected with sophomore receiver Omar Cooper Jr. for a 42-yard touchdown. Junior cornerback Elijah Jackson, who was in single coverage against Cooper, fell down shortly after the catch which allowed the IU receiver to jog to the end zone uncontested.
Washington responded with its first touchdown of the game. Rogers completed two passes to Hunter, and Coleman broke off a 46-yard run to set up a 6-yard rushing touchdown by sixth-year receiver Giles Jackson, halving the deficit 14-7.
The Husky defense kept it in the game. Outside of the long touchdown to Cooper, UW forced Jackson and the IU offense — which entered Saturday as the No. 1 scoring offense in the country — into three punts and a turnover on downs.
Defensive coordinator Steve Belichick’s most important stand, however, came at the end of the first half. A 19-play, 7-minute drive got the Hoosiers (8-0, 5-0) inside the Husky red zone, but the UW defense held IU to a chip-shot field goal despite Indiana running six plays inside the UW 6-yard line.
That stand became even more important after IU’s first play of the second half. Jackson’s pass was deflected by senior cornerback Thaddeus Dixon, and sixth-year defensive tackle Jacob Bandes came up with the interception. The Huskies took advantage of the short field, and four plays later freshman Demond Williams Jr. took a quarterback keeper eight yards to the end zone to make it 17-14.
Washington’s defense finally folded on Indiana’s next drive, as Jackson, filling in for IU Heisman-candidate quarterback Kurtis Rourke who missed the game with a thumb injury, led the Hoosiers on another long drive. The Hoosiers took 14 plays to march 75 yards in more than seven minutes, punctuated by a five-yard touchdown run by IU’s Justice Ellison.
It was Ellison’s ninth rushing touchdown of the season, and IU’s 29th overall. Ellison’s score was just the fifth rushing touchdown UW has surrendered under Belichick. Jackson’s touchdown in the fourth quarter closed the door on any potential UW comeback.
