Winning big games takes executing down the stretch in crucial moments, limit mistakes, and making smart plays. Simply put, Washington failed in all three categories against USC on Saturday.
This is what Washington (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten) head coach Jedd Fisch preached during his Monday press conference after a gut-wrenching loss to No. 19 USC (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) on Saturday, 25-21.
Penalties prove crucial once again
To preface, USC committed nine infractions for 94 yards in its own right on Saturday, allowing UW multiple chances to keep drives alive and stunt its own offensive possessions as well. However, Washington miscues gave yards right back to USC: 10 penalties for 74 yards.
Two of the most crucial penalties in the game came from the Washington defensive line. First it was edge Isaiah Ward who jumped offsides on a third down and six in the third quarter that allowed USC to continue its drive and score a touchdown that cut the UW lead to five after bleeding seven minutes off the clock.
“Hard-count right, there’s no secrets there. Every team tries a hard-count when you’re on the minus one yard-line, there’s no benefit if [they] false start and it’s bad if the defense jumps offsides, you can’t jump offsides,” Fisch said. “We have a call for it, we made the call, and yet we had, I could argue, three guys jump offsides, not just one, in that situation.”
The second came later in the third quarter when Ramzak Fruean jumped across the line of scrimmage and made a USC second down and 10 a second down and five. The Trojans once again took seven minutes off the clock and kicked a field goal to increase their lead to four.
Two minor penalties turned into two major blows for Washington. Before the two infractions, it had a 21-10 lead and all the momentum, and after, it was left with one last drive to try and win the game down four.
Demond dealing with the pressure
Even before the season began, Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. was placed under heavy scrutiny by Washington fans. The junior was one foot out the door over the offseason and rumors speculated he might’ve been on his way to LSU.
Since the beginning of the season, every Williams mistake has been amplified. Every incompletion, fumble, and interception are all more costly than the last it seems. Although much of the online criticism is overblown, there is some truth with the criticism.
Williams committed another costly turnover on Saturday: a strip-sack fumble recovery for a touchdown in the third quarter that gave USC the lead, and later he took a momentum-crushing sack in UW’s final drive of the game.
“I don’t know how many times that Demond has been in a situation where: game’s on the line, third and six, at the Coliseum, you have a cover zero blitz, and in two seconds that decision has to be made,” Fisch said.
“Find my one-on-one, give the tight end a chance or throw it away to the X [receiver] … unfortunately it was one of those moments where the sack happened, and we go from what would’ve been a fourth and four to a fourth and 10, things change a lot in that scenario.”
Unfortunately for Williams, all fans will remember are the mistakes and the scoreboard. On Monday, Fisch addressed the barrage of criticism of his quarterback’s play and made sure to remind folks that UW would not have been in the redzone on its final possession if it were not for Williams’ heroics.
“More people talk negative than positive, it’s more inspiring at the water cooler, but the bottom line is, if on a third down and 11 from the minus six, have a seven-step drop, have elite pass protection, have a great route by Chris Lawson, and complete a 13-yard ball on our sideline, then we don’t even have a chance to win the game,” Fisch said.
Quick positives
Freshman running back Brian Bonner had his best game of his young career on Saturday: totaling 19 carries for 89 yards.
“The fact the Brian is taking on more and more carries every week, the assumption is he’s going to get better every single week,” Fisch said. “Brian trusted his reads just a little bit better than he did the week before.”
All three of Washington’s touchdowns came from its tight ends: Baron Naone, Kade Eldridge, and finally an impressive 42-yard score from Decker DeGraaf.
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