The Washington Huskies delivered a dominant performance behind quarterback Will Rogers, wbose two first-half touchdowns helped his team beat the Northwestern Wildcats 24-5 on Sept. 21. It was Washington's first game in the Big Ten Conference. Rogers completed 20-of-28 passes for 223 yards and 2 TD passes. Washington goes to 3-1 overall, 1-0 in the Big Ten. Northwestern falls to 2-2, 0-1 in Big Ten play.
Game Summary
Rogers set the tone early, launching a 46-yard scoring pass to sophomore receiver Denzel Boston to open the scoring. Rogers also connected with Boston for a 13-yard TD in the second quarter. These plays helped the Huskies seize the game and they never looked back. Boston finished with 7 catches for a career-high 121 yards. Northwestern struggled to generate offense. They scored on a safety and a Jack Olsen 18-yard field goal.
Turning Point for Huskies
The turning point came when the Wildcats failed to seize momentum. After scoring a safety, Northwestern had a chance to shift the tide. However, they couldn't capitalize on the following drive. The Wildcats did not have their key running back, Cam Porter, available. He was out with a lower-body injury, The Associated Press reported. Porter also was Northwestern's leading rusher, too. In his absence, the Wildcats had 59 yards rushing against Washington.
This was likely their only real chance to turn the game in their favor. From then on, the Huskies kept control and the Wildcats couldn’t recover.
What it Means
For the Huskies, this win is a much-needed recovery from last week’s tough loss. It allows them to put that setback further behind and focus on the challenges ahead in the new B1G. For the Wildcats, this loss signals the need to figure out how to generate more offense. If they can’t make adjustments, higher-tier B1G opponents may be able to run up the score and blow them out.
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