Washington's frantic comeback falls short in loss to Penn State

SEATTLE — The penalty was almost as inconceivable as Washington’s attempted comeback against Penn State. With fewer than four minutes remaining and Washington trailing by three points despite a 22-point halftime deficit, coach Jedd Fisch called a timeout to set up his defense on third-and-5 and save some valuable seconds for his offense. Washington got the stop. Then the penalty flags flew. Illegal substitution. Twelve players on the field. On the defense. The penalty kept Penn State’s drive alive. A converted fourth-and-1 four plays later effectively sealed the result. UW’s comeback attempt, its second in as many weeks, came up short as Washington lost 28-25 in front of an announced crowd of 67,879 fans at Husky Stadium on an overcast Saturday afternoon. The loss ends Washington’s two-game win streak and keeps them a win away from bowl eligibility. Quarterback Demond Williams Jr., making his first start since Oct. 9, was 19-for-33 passing for 172 yards and two touchdowns against an interception. Wide receiver Chris Lawson had five catches for 89 yards, while running back Jayden Limar added 66 yards rushing on nine carries. Washington opened the game with a promising offensive drive. Limar rushed for 36 of UW’s 65 total yards, setting up a 29-yard field goal by kicker Tyler Robles to give the Huskies (5-4, 2-4 Big Ten) a 3-0 lead. Penn State’s offense responded in quick fashion. The Nittany Lions (5-4, 2-4), who fumbled a snap on their first play of the drive which set them back to their own 18-yard line, marched 82 yards in fewer than four minutes before punctuating the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run by running back Carson Hansen. Penn State never faced a third down and, outside of the fumbled snap, gained at least 12 yards on every play. The Nittany Lions’s strong offensive start continued during their next drive. Penn State marched 68 yards on 10 plays, aided largely by a 32-yard reception by wide receiver Chase Sowell, before quarterback Rocco Becht connected with wideout Zay Robinson for a 24-yard touchdown along the left seam, beating nickel Rahshawn Clark in coverage, for a 14-3 lead. Penn State added another touchdown two drives later, as Becht found Sowell deep over the middle from 45 yards out to make it 21-3. It’s the first time Becht has thrown multiple touchdowns in the same game since Big Ten play started. Washington’s offense, meanwhile, failed to make much of an impact. The Huskies followed up their opening drive with two consecutive three-and-out possessions. Williams started the game 2-for-10 passing for 12 yards, including a run of eight consecutive incompletions. More than 19 game minutes elapsed between Williams’ second completion and his third. Limar was the lone bright spot for Washington’s offense. He added 30 more yards rushing — including a 27-yard carry — picked up a first down with an 11-yard reception and drew a facemask penalty during UW’s fourth drive of the game to once again drag the Huskies to the red zone. But the drive stalled out on Penn State’s 5-yard line after Williams was sacked on third down, and UW settled for another Robles field goal, this time from 31 yards, to make it 21-6. Not that it mattered to Penn State’s offense, as running back Cam Wallace broke loose for a 46-yard touchdown run with 2:44 remaining to make it 28-6 entering halftime. Washington and defensive coordinator Ryan Walters never conceded more than 26 points in a game during the 2025 season. PSU averaged 9.8 yards per play during the first half and 7.9 yards per rush. Becht’s 193 yards passing more than quintupled Williams’ 36 yards passing. The Nittany Lions also converted four of their six third downs and gained an average of 17 yards per third-down play. Washington got off to a better start to open the second half. The Husky defense forced a three-and-out, and the offense tacked on three points thanks to a 47-yard field goal by Robles to make it 28-9. Williams was 4-for-6 passing for 27 yards. UW continued to play complimentary football as the third quarter unfolded. Cornerback Dylan Robinson made a big open-field tackle to stop a Penn State trick play on fourth-and-7 from the Washington 35-yard line. The offense responded with its first touchdown drive, as Williams found tight end Baron Naone wide open in the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown. A two-point conversion from Williams to Rashid Williams cut the deficit to 28-17. But after another stop by Washington’s defense, Demond Williams Jr.’s third-down heave toward Rashid Williams was intercepted by Penn State cornerback Ibn McDaniels, briefly halting the Huskies’ momentum. Demond Williams Jr., however, showed some resilience. A third-down sack by safety Alex McLaughlin and linebacker Jacob Manu forced another Penn State punt — the Nittany Lions’ third of the second half — and Williams completed four of his five passes for 46 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown pass to Roebuck. He then performed a Houdini act in the backfield to escape multiple waves of pressure before flipping the ball to Naone to complete a two-point conversion and pulling UW within three points, 28-25, with 7:46 remaining. The UW defense, however, was unable to get the ball back to the offense one final time. A 36-yard carry by Hansen got Penn State into Washington territory for just the second time during the second half, and an illegal substitution penalty on third down after a UW timeout with 3:43 remaining kept the drive alive, draining valuable seconds off the clock. ____