After a thrilling 20-point come-from-behind win over Maryland on Saturday, Jedd Fisch gave his weekly press conference on Monday. The Huskies’ head coach was in a jovial mood when he spoke about how his team fought through adversity to beat the Terrapins. The last time UW overcame a 20-point deficit to earn a victory on the road was in 1993 against Cal. Here is what Fisch had to say about his team’s win and the challenge ahead against Rutgers.

Huskies’ QB Demond Williams settles in after tough first half

In the game’s first series, QB Demond Williams threw his first interception of the season against Maryland. Williams’ interception was not the result of a miscommunication with receiver Denzel Boston. Rather, the ball slipped out of Williams’ hand, and the throw went behind Boston, according to Jedd Fisch. The first half was tough for Williams and UW’s offense, as they were one of six on third down. The Huskies’ head coach spoke Monday about how Williams’ toughness and resolve in the second half:

“Yeah, I think he’s tough as nails, and we probably didn’t do a good job of getting him going early and needed to find him in a better rhythm. And then when we got going a little bit, you know I think we had a 10 or 12 play drive, that third drive of the game he felt a little bit more comfortable, little bit more rhythm, and even then, you know, that fourth or fifth drive, we wound up having to get a takeaway and then not converting on a third or fourth down and he came out in the second half, just ready to roll. And you know, if you look at the first half or the first drive of the second half against Ohio State, we drove right back down, we drove down there in six plays, and got to the three-yard line, and kicked a field goal there and the same thing we felt like we just played with great momentum and energy, and came out in the second half offensively, and Demond led us down there for a field goal. And then we wound up going three touchdowns in a row, and the kid’s a really good player.”

The Huskies’ QB did not let his early game struggles get the better of him. Demond Williams showed a steely resolve as he led the Huskies on a 16-play, 55-yard field goal drive before he really heated up.

_{Williams found multiple receivers in the second half}

His ability to distribute the football to multiple receivers was also impressive. Williams completed passes to Denzel Boston, Adam Mohammed, Decker Degraaf, and Jonah Coleman on the next drive. He then hit Boston for the touchdown from three yards out. Williams later found Dezmen Roebuck when the Huskies got the ball back on a beautiful 34-yard touchdown pass. Evenly distributing the ball in the second half was a nice adjustment for the Husky QB. Maryland had been double-teaming Boston, Williams’ favorite target, with a corner and a safety, so he went elsewhere to find open receivers. The decisions he made while throwing the football were crucial as he led the Huskies to a comeback win.

Husky Defense adjusted to Maryland’s offense

While Demond Williams’ play at quarterback was impressive, the Huskies’ defense was what kept them in the game. UW’s defense came up with four big stops in the second half, including two huge three-and-outs. Providing the Huskies’ offense plenty of time to mount a comeback against the Terrapins. This is what Jedd Fisch said about how his defense was ready to handle Maryland’s offense in the second half:

“That’s you know, the beautiful part of playing younger players, that every time that they go play, they get a little better. They get a little more experience. They’ve maybe seen something for the second time, not the first time. And Coach Walters, you know, really put us in a great, great position to be successful in that third and fourth quarter, and are team was able to capitalize from it.”

The Huskies’ defensive coordinator found ways to stop the Terrapins’ offense. UW’s defense was able to execute Ryan Walters’ game plan to stop Maryland’s offense and its QB Malik Washington. After giving up a touchdown on the Terrapins’ first drive of the second half, the Huskies’ defense shut them down. Maryland’s offense only gained 52 yards the rest of the game, punted three times, and was stopped on its final drive.

The team has now turned its focus towards Rutgers

Rutgers has had an extra week to prepare for UW, as they come off their bye week. Last season, the Huskies fell to the Scarlet Knights 21-18 in Piscataway, New Jersey. They are hoping for a better result on Friday night at Husky Stadium. This is what Jedd Fisch had to say about his team’s preparation for Rutgers and how they looked compared to last year:

“Yeah, I think that will be up to coach Walters and the defensive staff as they go through all the plays that Rutgers runs. They’ve got a really good receiving core. They’re throwing the ball very well this year. You know, they’ve clearly put a focus on their passing game, just watching a couple of their games. You know, watching their two Big Ten games, you see their focusing in on really being able to work into their receivers and give them those jump balls and finding one-on-one match-ups. That’s what they look to have been doing…There giving some RPO game, that’s also a big part of his program and his system. You know, I think that our guys will obviously watch last year’s game different than our situation on the offensive side. It’s two new defensive coordinators. On the defensive side, it’s the same offensive coordinator from last year.”

The Huskies are facing the same offensive schemes and quarterback as they did last year. Which is why they are watching last year’s film to help prepare their defense for the Scarlet Knights’ offense. Rutger’s senior QB Athan Kaliakmanis is completing 67.3% of his passes and has 1,399 passing yards this season. He also has nine touchdowns and two interceptions. K.J. Duff leads Rutgers receivers with 30 catches for 420 yards and three touchdowns. To win on Friday, the Huskies will need to stop the Scarlet Knights’ passing attack.

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