Why UW fans should be particularly disappointed in Huskies’ loss to Wisconsin
Demond Williams Jr. is dropped well short of the first down marker, effectively ending any chance of coming back against Wisconsin on Saturday. (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)
By Mike Vorel Seattle Times columnist
MADISON, Wis. — Prior to the fourth quarter Saturday, House of Pain’s “Jump Around” rang out of Camp Randall Stadium’s speakers. Same as they have countless Saturdays since 1998, Wisconsin’s students obediently bounced, as rapper Everlast laid out instructions.
Get up, stand up, c’mon, throw your hands up
If ya got the feelin’, jump up towards the ceilin’
An undaunted student section followed orders — despite a 2-6 record and six consecutive defeats, despite a carousel of unproductive quarterbacks, despite a merciless mix of rain and snow drenching their pinstripe pants. An announced attendance of 71,217 got the feelin’ and jumped up towards the ceilin’, while the stadium was shaded in a dim red light.
Meanwhile, how did Husky fans feel?
That, I imagine, is not appropriate for print.
read more wisconsin 13, washington 10
In a 13-10 loss to Wisconsin, the Huskies’ playoff hopes sank in the storm. After making a supposed statement in their home win over Illinois, UW was presented a navigable November — with winnable games against Wisconsin (3-6), Purdue (2-8) and UCLA (3-5) preceding a potential playoff eliminator against No. 9 Oregon (8-1). There looked like no better time to play the Badgers, who had been beaten in six straight games and managed seven total points in their last three losses.
Instead, this was UW’s most disappointing loss since … when, exactly?
It’s disappointing because Jedd Fisch’s team didn’t appear prepared to overcome adversity, whether that’s injuries or precipitation. Because, with injuries to his supporting cast, standout quarterback Demond Williams Jr. blinked against the Badgers. Because those Badgers — whose coach, Luke Fickell, has been sitting on a sweltering seat — were so unabashedly beatable.
Because Husky fans know this feeling. The list of UW losses to lacking opponents is extensive, and extending. See: the 2024 flops against Washington State (24-19) and Rutgers (21-18). Or the 2022 letdown against an Arizona State squad with an interim coach that finished 3-9. Or the lifeless 20-14 loss at Colorado in 2019. Or the 12-10 stinker at Cal in 2018. Or the 7-6 ASU upset in 2017.
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Great teams win winnable games. (Particularly when your opponent completes 6 of 18 passes for 48 total yards.)
These Huskies are good, not great.
“Shoot, every loss in football is pretty disappointing,” said senior edge Zach Durfee, who finished with five tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. “You pour so much into it each week game planning, lifting, practicing, eating. So much goes into every football game. I want to say they all hurt the same. This one hurts a lot, with what we wanted to accomplish.”
It’s disappointing because the College Football Playoff won’t include Washington.
And because this was a nightmare of their own making.
As left tackle Carver Willis said Saturday: “There’s an old quote; one of my old coaches used to say it. ‘More teams lose on Saturday than get beat.’ Although they [Wisconsin] are a great defense, I think really the mistakes we made on offense hurt us more.”
Whether they lost, got beat or both, the Huskies found ways to flounder. Williams did complete 20 of 32 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown, and added 61 more yards on the ground. But his game was marred by a pair of punishing mistakes.
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After scoring on two straight second-quarter possessions to take a 10-3 lead, Williams took a snap on first-and-10 from Wisconsin’s 36-yard line. The 190-pound quarterback lofted a prayer toward freshman wide receiver Dezmen Roebuck in the end zone, but it was intercepted by cornerback Ricardo Hallman instead.
In the third quarter, it got worse for Williams — who backpedaled in the pocket to escape pressure, but was stripped by inside linebacker Mason Posa at his own 7-yard line instead. The Badgers, who could barely move the ball, scored the go-ahead touchdown just two plays later.
Williams, we know, is talented enough to take over games. Or the opposite.
“We’ve got to continue to help him and give him different ball plays that maybe he can execute differently or better,” UW coach Jedd Fisch said Saturday. “I thought protection wasn’t as good as we wanted it to be today. They certainly challenged us in a lot of manners. I think there’s some things we missed at quarterback that we need to make sure we don’t miss again.”
The Huskies missed a lot. They missed the services of standout running back Jonah Coleman, center Landen Hatchett and right tackle Drew Azzopardi, each of whom left with injuries. They missed on 11 of 16 third downs, while rushing for just 117 yards and 3.3 yards per carry. They missed on a potentially game-tying 50-yard field goal that should not have been attempted in the first place.
Trailing 13-10 with 10:57 left, Fisch opted for a field-goal attempt, rather than allowing Williams and Co. to go for it on fourth-and-five from Wisconsin’s 32. With snowflakes falling, a 10-mph wind whipping and Wisconsin’s students jumping, Grady Gross’ kick was blocked before it ever had a chance.
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“We felt like the wind was in our favor there. We felt like we had a chance,” Fisch said, explaining the decision. “Grady felt really good about the distance. We felt like at that time, we tie the game up, and if we don’t make it they get the ball on the [32-yard line]. We were playing very good on defense. There was plenty of time in the game.”
After time ran out, Wisconsin students stormed the field, and “Jump Around” played again as flurries fell and playoff dreams disintegrated.
Get up, stand up, c’mon, throw your hands up
If ya got the feelin’, jump up towards the ceilin’
Turns out, the Huskies’ ceiling is not as high as fans had hoped.
Mike Vorel: mvorel@seattletimes .com. Mike Vorel is a sports columnist at The Seattle Times.
Comments
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Thanks Taft!
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Eating is hard POTD.
