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After 2024 loss vs. Rutgers, UW Huskies have opportunity to show growth

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Rutgers receiver Ian Strong pulls in a 15-yard touchdown catch beating Washington cornerback Elijah Jackson on the play, Sept. 27, 2024 in Piscataway, N.J. (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)

Rutgers receiver Ian Strong pulls in a 15-yard touchdown catch beating Washington cornerback Elijah Jackson on the play, Sept. 27, 2024 in Piscataway, N.J. (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)

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Andy Yamashita

By Andy Yamashita Seattle Times staff reporter

Jedd Fisch isn’t dwelling on the most recent meeting between Washington and Rutgers. 

The Huskies were left to rue a litany of self-inflicted wounds when these two teams played a little more than 12 months ago. Penalties, missed opportunities in the red zone and a series of special teams gaffes resulted in a 21-18 loss on a rainy Friday night in Piscataway, N.J. 

Despite outgaining the Scarlet Knights by 222 yards. 

“It was a disappointing loss,” Fisch said, “but it’s a completely different team.”

Related

UW Huskies vs. Rutgers: Keys to the game, how to watch and prediction

The Huskies have a chance to avenge the loss Friday when they welcome Rutgers to Husky Stadium for a 6 p.m. kickoff. The Huskies also have a chance to string together consecutive Big Ten wins for the first time since joining the conference. 

“We have to play better than we’ve played the last five games to get a victory Friday night,” Fisch said. “And we’ll do everything we can to do that.”

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UW’s defeat against Rutgers a season ago set the tone for the rest of the conference season. UW entered the game with a 3-1 record. It had rebounded from a disillusioning defeat against Washington State during the 116th Apple Cup to breeze past Northwestern 24-5 for its first Big Ten win. 

Traveling across the country for a Friday night kickoff against Rutgers was an opportunity to prove the Apple Cup was a simple hiccup, not a trend. 

But UW’s struggles started immediately. A personal foul against center D’Angalo Titialii stalled out its first drive, and it failed to convert on fourth-and-nine from the Rutgers 37-yard line. 

The mistakes piled up quickly. A false start by tight end Keleki Latu during UW’s next drive forced it to settle for a field goal despite reaching the Rutgers 4-yard line. A personal foul on running back Cameron Davis with Washington on the Rutgers 20-yard line resulted in a 42-yard field goal attempt that kicker Grady Gross missed wide left. 

UW’s special teams unit almost made up for the miss when it blocked a Rutgers field goal with 36 seconds remaining in the first half, but Washington was called for an illegal substitution after safety Vincent Holmes entered the field of play while celebrating before the ball had been recovered to extend the drive. On the very next play, Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis threw a 15-yard touchdown to wide receiver Ian Strong to give the Scarlet Knights a 14-3 lead entering halftime. 

UW’s second half consisted of more missed chances. After forcing a three-and-out on Rutgers’ first possession, UW marched down to the 2-yard line but turned the ball over on downs after quarterback Will Rogers missed a wide-open Giles Jackson on fourth-and-goal. 

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A fumbled snap by Rogers in the fourth quarter set up Gross’ second miss of the game, wide left again from 37 yards, before his final miss — a game-tying attempt from 55 yards with three seconds remaining. It remains the only time Gross, who’s made 77% of his field goal attempts during his career, has ever missed three kicks in a single game. 

“We thought that was one that got away from us,” said sophomore tight end Decker DeGraaf, who had one catch for 21 yards against Rutgers in 2024. 

The loss against Rutgers was the beginning of UW’s road troubles. The Huskies failed to win a road game for the rest of the season, and especially struggled in the Eastern Time Zone where they later suffered blowout losses against ranked Penn State and Indiana teams. 

Rutgers, which was undefeated following its win against UW, immediately lost four consecutive games. It rebounded to finish the season 7-6, losing the Rate Bowl 44-41 against Kansas State. 

“Things didn’t go our way that game,” Fisch said. “But it’s also because they’re a good team. They were a bowl team. Think they had seven or eight wins last season. Coach (Greg) Schiano does a great job.” 

But, as Fisch said, this 2025 team is in a different place. The Huskies (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) won the 117th Apple Cup by a convincing margin. Washington already has a road win in the Eastern Time Zone under its belt after an improbable fourth-quarter comeback against Maryland a week ago. 

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Additionally, UW has been called for just 29 penalties through five games, ranking 46th nationally, an improvement after being 68th in penalties in 2024. Gross has made his past 10 field goals dating back to last season, including all five of his attempts in 2025.

So this Rutgers test comes at an interesting time. The Scarlet Knights (3-2, 0-2) have similarly never won in the Pacific Time Zone since the West Coast schools joined the Big Ten. They lost to USC 42-21 and dropped the Rate Bowl, played in Phoenix, during their lone trips past the Rockies in 2024. 

Perhaps most important, the Huskies have been significantly improved in the red zone this season. They’ve scored during 21 of their 22 trips inside an opponent’s red zone, turning the ball over on downs once against the Buckeyes. UW has scored 17 touchdowns inside the red zone, meaning 77.2% of their red zone trips are finishing in the end zone. During the 2024 season, Washington only converted 55.3% of their red zone attempts into touchdowns. 

UW offensive coordinator Jimmie Dougherty said the team’s win against Maryland was proof of how far their red zone efficiency has progressed. The Huskies scored during all three of their red zone trips against the Terrapins — two touchdowns and a field goal — and Dougherty said missing just one of those opportunities likely might’ve cost UW the game after their first-half struggles. It was a far cry from going 2 for 5 in red zone situations against Rutgers in 2024. 

“Coming away from last year, I know that was a big part of it,” Dougherty said. “We didn’t capitalize when we got the ball in scoring position down there. Did some good things, of course, when you have that many yards, but all that matters is did you score? So we’ve got to get that done.”

Extra points: 

  • Game 5 of the American League Divisional Series between the Mariners and the Detroit Tigers will be shown on the video board during pregame, Washington spokesperson Jeff Bechthold confirmed to The Seattle Times. Updates will also be provided to fans at the UW game. First pitch is scheduled for 5:08 p.m., an hour before UW and Rutgers kick off.

Andy Yamashita: ayamashita@seattletimes .com. Andy Yamashita is a sports reporter at The Seattle Times, primarily covering Washington Huskies football.

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