SEATTLE — Washington made its debut as one of the newest members of the Big Ten with an emphatic victory and the Huskies defense leading the way.
Will Rogers threw a pair of first-half touchdowns to Denzel Boston, Jonah Coleman added a second-half touchdown run and Washington stymied Northwestern in a 24-5 win Saturday night.
The Huskies (3-1, 1-0) rebounded from last week’s stinging Apple Cup loss to rival Washington State by thumping the overmatched Wildcats.
The Huskies held Northwestern to 112 total yards, grabbed two interceptions and had a goal-line stand in the fourth quarter.
“Our defense just played extraordinary. I don’t really know if there’s many other good adjectives to describe (it),” Washington coach Jedd Fisch said.
Rogers was excellent in the first half when he found Boston on touchdowns of 46 yards on Washington’s second possession and a 13-yard strike in the second quarter.
Coleman scored on an 8-yard touchdown run less than a minute into the fourth quarter, capping a drive where he made an excellent catch then cleanly hurdled Northwestern Evan Smith as part of a 16-yard reception.
Rogers finished 20-of-28 passing for 223 yards, while Boston had seven catches for a career-high 121 yards.
“It’s going to go down in the books that we won our first game in the Big Ten,” Boston said. “I think that’s a big thing not only for us but for our alumni to see us continuing what they began years ago. It’s exciting. A great beginning to a new start.”
The Wildcats (2-2, 0-1) played without top running back Cam Porter (lower-body injury). Porter is Northwestern’s leading rusher, and the offense suffered with him unavailable. The Wildcats had just 59 rushing yards, and their inability to get any push against Washington defensive front was most obvious near the goal line.
Washington defensive lineman Isaiah Ward said the Huskies wanted to “show we could stop the run,” this week.
Northwestern received a gift when Rogers fumbled a snap in the third quarter and the Wildcats recovered at the Huskies 33. Northwestern had first-and-goal at the 4 but couldn’t convert on three attempts. On fourth-and-goal from the 1, the Wildcats opted for an 18-yard field goal rather than going for the touchdown.
The kick by Jack Olsen pulled them within 17-5.
Early in the fourth quarter, Northwestern received a 96-yard kickoff return from Joseph Himon II to the Washington 2. A penalty moved the ball to the 1, but the Wildcats failed on four attempts — three of them passes — and turned the ball over on downs.
Quarterback Jack Lausch was 8-of-27 passing for 53 yards and two interceptions.
Numbers game
The last time Washington held an opponent to five points was Oct. 28, 1939, when the Huskies beat Stanford 8-5.
It was also the first time Washington held a conference opponent without a touchdown since Utah in the 2018 Pac-12 title game.
The takeaway
Northwestern: The Wildcats will gladly take the early bye week to get healthy and start to figure out their offensive woes. In its two games against Power Four teams this season (Duke and Washington), Northwestern has been held under 300 yards total offense in both.
Washington: The competition wasn’t the best, but the Huskies continue to be stout defensively. Take away the first half last week against Washington State when the Cougars scored 17 points, the Huskies have allowed just 24 points in the other 14 quarters this season.
Up next
Northwestern: Hosts Indiana on Oct. 5.
Washington: At Rutgers on Friday.
