3 takeaways from UW Huskies’ loss to No. 1 Ohio State
Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. hits Omari Evans for a first down during the second quarter Saturday against Ohio State at Husky Stadium. (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)
By Andy Yamashita Seattle Times staff reporter
For nearly three quarters Saturday, Washington stayed close enough to No. 1 Ohio State to keep the hopes of an upset alive.
But the pace of the game, uncharacteristic struggles playing situational football, and some costly negative plays proved too much for the Huskies to overcome.
“When you play the No. 1 team in the country,” UW coach Jedd Fisch said, “they know how to win. They’ve won a lot. They win every year. And if you’re going to be able to finish the game, and be able to win those games, those penalties can’t happen. Those sacks can’t happen. The mistakes that were made can’t happen.”
Washington lost its first game of the season Saturday, falling against Ohio State 24-6 at Husky Stadium, halting UW’s home-winning streak at 22 games. Here are three more takeaways from the game:
1. Incompletions vs. sacks
Through four games this season, sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. has been the model of passing accuracy for the Huskies (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten). He’s completed 75.6% — 68-for-90 passing — of his attempts. He’s on pace to shatter UW’s program record for highest completion percentage in a single season set by former Husky Will Rogers a season ago (70.7%).
But Fisch said he might’ve preferred his young quarterback, who was 18-for-22 passing against Ohio State and completed 14 consecutive passes at one point, to be slightly less accurate against the Buckeyes (4-0, 1-0).
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“I’ve got to help Demond understand that an incompletion is OK sometimes,” Fisch said. “He doesn’t throw many incompletions at all. Sometimes — sometimes — that leads to holding the ball a little bit longer and unfortunately, at times, it can turn into a sack.”
Williams was sacked six times by the Buckeyes, costing the Huskies 46 yards. He’d been sacked six times in the previous three games. Only two of Ohio State’s sacks were credited to offensive players blocking for him, according to Pro Football Focus. Fisch said more of the sacks resulted from coverage than linemen losing one-on-one matchups.
The worst sack occurred with 4:35 remaining in the third quarter. Washington trailed 14-3, and faced third-and-three from Ohio State’s 3-yard line. Williams was pressured almost immediately after receiving the snap. He tried to step up in the pocket to extend the play, but was swallowed up by Buckeye defensive lineman Kayden McDonald for a 7-yard loss.
Fisch said the Huskies were going to go for it on fourth-and-three, but the sack took them out of a range where they felt comfortable, so they settled for a field goal.
Accuracy has always been a major part of Williams’ game. He completed 71.4% of his 903 passing attempts during four years at Basha High, including a 76.8% completion percentage during his senior season. Fisch and offensive coordinator Jimmie Dougherty have consistently cited his accuracy and ball protection — Williams still has zero turnover-worthy plays, according to PFF — as the reason they felt comfortable turning the team over to him.
“Demond is exceptionally accurate,” Fisch said. “He’s really good with the ball. He makes extremely good decisions. He protects the ball at all costs.”
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Throwing the ball away goes against Williams’ instincts. Especially for a quarterback who can generally escape pressure and extend plays. Williams has two thrown-away passes this season, according to PFF. For comparison, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin has tallied six thrown-away passes, including three against Washington.
So Fisch and the Huskies will have to walk a fine line between trusting Williams’ natural accuracy and instincts to run, the abilities which make him such an exciting talent, while teaching him to understand the situations where he needs to simply throw the ball away.
2. Boston’s quiet day
Junior wide receiver Denzel Boston made his first catch of the game with 3:58 remaining in the first quarter, a 17-yard gain to put Washington on the brink of Ohio State’s red zone. Boston, coming off a 100-yard, two-touchdown performance during the 117th Apple Cup, didn’t get his next target until early during the fourth quarter.
Boston finished the game with three catches for 26 yards receiving. He was targeted five times, tied for the most on the team with freshman Dezmen Roebuck. Four were during the fourth quarter. Two were not catchable. The Huskies did not throw Boston a single pass inside the red zone.
Ohio State implemented a different plan to get its top receiver more involved. Sophomore wideout Jeremiah Smith had just one catch for 9 yards through the first 27 minutes of the game. However, after Smith caught two passes during OSU’s final drive of the first half — including the 18-yard go-ahead touchdown — Ohio State forced the ball to him to start the second half. Smith got five targets during the Buckeyes’ next possession, catching four for 29 yards.
Fisch said he was happy with how the other receivers played, and added he’s confident Washington will be able to punish other teams if they make Boston the focal point of the defensive scheme.
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“I thought when they rolled the coverage we were able to hit a lot of plays to guys,” Fisch said.
The UW coach had particularly high praise for Roebuck, who was the team’s leading receiver with four catches for 58 yards. Fisch also gave plaudits to senior wide receiver Omari Evans and tight end Decker DeGraaf, who had two catches each. It was the inverse of UW’s Apple Cup win, when Boston had four more targets than the rest of UW’s wide receivers combined.
“If they want to limit or take a guy away — or try to — we’ve got a lot of skill out there,” Fisch said.
3. Evaluating the offensive line
Washington’s rebuilt offensive line faced its most daunting challenge of the young season against an Ohio State defensive front that anchors the country’s No. 1 scoring defense.
So how’d the Huskies perform in the trenches? Fisch said he was generally happy with how the group played, especially after sixth-year left tackle Carver Willis exited late in the first half with a knee injury. UW surrendered six sacks, but PFF credited only one to an offensive lineman — sixth-year right guard Geirean Hatchett.
Willis, who played 28 snaps, was the only lineman who didn’t allow a pressure against the Buckeyes. Hatchett and freshman left guard John Mills, who played every offensive snap for the first time in his career, each gave up two pressures. Junior right tackle Drew Azzopardi and junior center Landen Hatchett each conceded one.
Fifth-year offensive lineman Maximus McCree replaced Willis. He gave up two pressures, including a quarterback hit, during 24 snaps.
“If you’re a backup and you prepare for your moment, then there’s no issue,” senior running back Jonah Coleman said. “Max got in there and did the best he could, you know?”
Protecting the quarterback is only part of the job. Washington rushed for 107 yards if Williams’ sack yardage isn’t included. Coleman averaged 5.4 yards per carry — more than Texas running back Quintrevion Wisner managed against Ohio State.
However, situational play is also important. Coleman’s only negative carries were both inside OSU’s 5-yard line. Additionally, Willis and Geirean Hatchett false started inside Ohio State territory. Landen Hatchett was also flagged for an illegal snap penalty.
“For the most part,” Fisch said. “I thought our line did well.”
Andy Yamashita: ayamashita@seattletimes .com. Andy Yamashita is a sports reporter at The Seattle Times, primarily covering Washington Huskies football.