Huskies Get Evicted From Big House With 24-7 Setback

The University of Washington football team got shown the door at the Big House.

Actually, slammed in its face.

Double-locked.

Just when the Huskies had put their feet up and made themselves comfortable in college football's largest stadium, everything came apart.

Demond Williams Jr. throws a first-half pass against Michigan. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Against a youthful, banged-up and vulnerable Michigan crew, quarterback Demond Williams Jr. threw a pair of costly third-quarter interceptions and the Huskies stumbled out of vaunted 107,601-seat Michigan Stadium on Saturday with a 24-7 loss.

It clearly was a golden opportunity missed. Instead of a second-half comeback like those against Maryland and Rutgers, it was a total meltdown.

"Everyone's down and disappointed," UW coach Jedd Fisch said.

The Huskies (5-2 overall, 2-2 Big Ten) hung in there for just shy of three quarters before the game got away from them. They moved the ball up and down the field, but couldn't finish against the Wolverines (5-2, 3-1), who were coming off an 18-point loss at USC.

Near the end of the third quarter, Williams threw a disastrous interception to Wolverines linebacker Cole Sullivan at his own 14. He never saw him. He'll never forget it.

Michigan scored on the first play following the turnover, with running back Jordan Marshall weaving his way into the end zone with just over a minute left in the quarter. Normally the back-up but pressed into full service by an injury, Marshall led all rushers with 133 yards on 25 carries.

Three plays later, Williams served up another pick to yet another Michigan linebacker, putting the ball in the hands of Jerry Rulder at the Wolverines 38 and behind UW tight end Decker DeGraaf. He had just thrown consecutive 17-yard completions to Dezmen Roebuck and Denzel Boston. Thirty seconds remained in the quarter.

"Very not like us at all to turn it over," Fisch said.

This miscue effectively ended a competitive game and turned it into a rout.

Nine plays later, Michigan scored again, this time on a 10-yard pass from freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood to reserve tight end Zack Marshall and it was 21-7 with 10:05 left in the fourth quarter and no hope.

Williams completed 20 of 32 passes for 209 yards, but he threw 3 interceptions, all over the final 16 minutes of the game. He sat on the bench and looked stunned by what happened.

Underwood finished with 21 completions in 27 attempts for 230 yards and 2 touchdowns -- and no interceptions.

The first half was a defensive struggle that ended with these teams tied at 7, with each scoring following a missed field goal by the other side.

The Huskies crossed midfield on each of their four first-half drives and provided multiple big gainers, demonstrating no stage fright whatsoever.

Denzel Boston (12) gets pulled down on a punt by Michigan. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In the opening half, they came up with a 48-yard pass completion to Boston, a 27-yard dump-off toss to Jonah Coleman and a 31-yard throw over the middle to Raiden Vines-Bright.

Yet for the longet time they had nothing to show for it after Grady Gross missed a 36-yard field goal and multiple guys jumped offsides to kill drives.

Meantime, Michigan took advantage of the bad kick and got on the scoreboard first. With 33 seconds left in the first quarter, Underwood threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Andrew Marsh, who caught the ball over the middle and ran into the end zone untouched.

Michigan finally gave the UW an opening with its own missed field goal, a 48-yard attempt by Dominic Zvada.

Michigan edge Derrick Moore sacks Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. in the first half. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Huskies went 70 yards to score, showing great resiliency along the way. Williams was sacked for a 9-yard loss, but on the very next play threw a dart to Vines-Bright for the 31-yard pick-up to the Michigan 11.

With 40 seconds left in the half, Coleman rammed his way into the end zone for his nation-leading 13th touchdown of the season. That was it for UW points on this day.

"Disappointed in the game," Fisch said. "In how we coached, in how we played."

The Huskies not only lost the game, but as many as three players to serious injuries, including a pair of tight ends.

Blocking on a punt, senior reserve tight end Quentin Moore crumbled to the ground in an unsettling moment in the second quarter after making contact with a Michigan player and he grabbed his helmet.

Moore was strapped to a stretcher, placed on a cart and taken through two lines of teammates and into the locker area. A UW official later said he was responsive and moving all extremities. He was transported to a local hospital.

The Huskies also had starting left tackle Max McCree, who was subbing for Carver Willis, leave with a likely season-ending foot injury, and reserve sophomore tight end Kade Eldridge go out with a foot injury that might end his season, too, according to Fisch afterward.

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