Big Ten Honors Boston For His Big Day Against Illinois

Against Illinois, Denzel Boston touched the football many times over, catching it for a score, throwing it for a another touchdown and even fumbling it. Everything he did, good or bad, had a certain element of excitement to it for the University of Washington football team.

Personally, he finished with 10 catches for 153 yards, which were career highs for him as a Husky. That was the local part of it.

His coach, Jedd Fisch, once more made national comparisons of the 6-foo-4, 210-pound junior when he said, "That's who he is. I think he's one of the best receivers in the country."

On Monday, the Big Ten Conference weighed into the Boston discussion by naming him as co-Offensive Player of the Week, having him share the honor with Michigan running back Justice Haynes.

Desmen Roebuck (81) and Denzel Boston (12) made a lot of stuff happen against Illinois. | Dave Sizer photo

For the Huskies overall, it was their fifth different conference offensive player of the week accolade -- and confirmation of the firepower of their big three.

Earlier, senior running back Jonah Coleman twice was recognized as co-offensive player of the week while sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. once was saluted as a co-offensive player recipient before he received the honor all to himself.

The overlap among these three Huskies is uncanny and maddening for any opposing defensive coordinator.

Boston caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Williams and threw a 12-yard scoring pass to Coleman.

On the latter play, everyone among the Husky headliners touched the football -- with Williams throwing back left to Boston, who winged it to the right side of the end zone to a wide-open Coleman.

Boston became the first Husky to toss and catch touchdown passes in the same game since Dante Pettis in 2016.

Denzel Boston and Demond Williams Jr. celebrate a big play against Illinois. | Dave Sizer photo

Boston made all of this high-profile stuff happen while dodging misfortune twice.

On the first drive of the second half, with the UW holding onto a 21-17 lead, Boston settled under an Illini punt in the rainy, windy conditions and muffed it at his 18. Luckily, freshman teammate Dylan Robinson fell on the ball on the 10.

In the fourth quarter, he caught a 24-yard pass from Williams and tiptoed down the sideline to the Illini 11, where he was knocked out of bounds and left prone on the ground, with the first inclination that he possibly was seriously injured.

Denzel Boston momentarily went down, shaken up, against Illinois. | Dave Sizer photo

Not long after limping badly and hobbling off the field, and things not looking good at all, Boston ran. back on the field to help finish off the 42-25 victory over Illinois.

"It was just a tweak," he said.

So the Illinois couldn't keep him down for long with an injury, come up with his fumble in front of his end zone, rush him as a passer or cover him very well as a receiver.

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