Big Washington Husky comeback fuels improbable road win vs. Maryland

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – For 45 minutes, UW’s offense sputtered helplessly.

The Huskies struggled situationally. Failed to impose themselves with the run or the pass. Were uninspiring across the board.

Then, the fourth quarter began and the UW offense came alive. After trailing by 20 points in the third quarter, the Huskies rallied for 24 unanswered points, punctuated by senior running back Jonah Coleman’s 1-yard touchdown plunge with 3:21 remaining.

A fourth-quarter comeback by a suddenly resurgent offense propelled UW to an 24-20 comeback win against Maryland on Saturday in front of an announced crowd of 46,185 fans at SECU Stadium. It’s UW’s first Big Ten road win since joining the conference before the 2024 season, and its first conference win of the season while handing Maryland its first defeat.

Williams finished 28-for-41 passing for 275 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Coleman had 135 yards total, while junior safety Alex McLaughlin led the team with nine tackles.

UW was forced into some lineup changes before the game even started. Fifth-year edge rusher Zach Durfee (elbow) and sixth-year left tackle Carver Willis (knee) were ruled out hours before the game, and senior cornerback Tacario Davis (ribs) missed his third consecutive game after initially being listed questionable.

While a majority of UW’s injuries were to defensive players, The Huskies (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) struggled mightily on offense. Sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. ended UW’s first drive by throwing his first interception of the season after an apparent miscommunication with junior wide receiver Denzel Boston.

Williams’ throw sailed behind Boston and straight to Maryland safety Jalen Husky, who returned the pick 32 yards to the UW 28-yard line. A personal foul against Williams tacked on 14 yards to give the Terrapins (4-1, 1-1) their first possession deep in UW territory.

But the Husky defense stood tall in the shadow of its own goal line. The Terps gained just five yards before settling for a 26-yard field goal by Maryland kicker Sean O’Haire to open the scoring.

The UW offense continued to flounder. Its second drive of the game stalled out after a holding call against fifth-year left tackle Maximus McCree, playing for Willis, while its third was unable to overcome an illegal snap penalty against junior center Landen Hatchett.

Maryland took advantage of UW’s self-inflicted injuries. Freshman quarterback Malik Washington trotted untouched into the end zone on a read-option play from four yards out, capping a 16-play, 71-yard drive to give the Terrapins a 10-0 lead.

They tacked on another field goal shortly before halftime after another 16-play, 8-minute drive to make it 13-0 after the Husky defense made another red-zone stand with four minutes remaining in the second quarter.

The Husky defense’s performance hardly mattered. The offense remained stagnant throughout the first half. UW totaled 103 yards, averaging 3.2 yards per play. A week after going 1 for 11 on third down against No. 1 Ohio State, UW was 1 for 6 on third down during the first half against Maryland.

Coleman finished the first half with just six carries for 17 yards. Junior wide receiver Denzel Boston had one catch for six yards. The Huskies never got closer to the Terps’ red zone than the 32-yard line.

The third quarter half was more of the same. Washington allowed another long drive – this time nine plays and 75 yards – before tossing a 2-yard touchdown to Maryland tight end AJ Szymanski to make it 20-0 before UW finally got on the board courtesy of a 36-yard field goal by senior kicker Grady Gross.

UW finally gained some traction during the fourth quarter. After an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Maryland defensive back Dontay Joyner gave UW its first goal-to-go situation of the game, Williams found Boston for a 3-yard touchdown pass with 14:26 remaining. It was UW’s first touchdown since the Apple Cup against Washington State on Sept. 20, a drought spanning more than seven quarters.

The Husky defense responded, forcing the Terps into a three-and-out drive. Four plays after Maryland’s punt, Williams connected with freshman wide receiver Dezmen Roebuck for a 34-yard touchdown to pull UW within a field goal, 20-17.

Coleman’s touchdown with less than four minutes remaining grabbed UW its first lead of the game. A fourth-down stop effectively sealed the result.

Top 25 scores

(1) Ohio State 42, Minnesota 3

(3) Miami 28, (18) Florida State 22

(5) Oklahoma 44, Kent State 0

(6) Texas A&M 31, Mississippi State 9

UCLA 42, (7) Penn State 37

Florida 29, (9) Texas 21

(10) Alabama 30, (16) Vanderbilt 14

(11) Texas Tech 35, Houston 11

(12) Georgia 35, Kentucky 14

Cincinnati 38, (14) Iowa State 30

(20) Michigan 24, Wisconsin 10

(21) Notre Dame 28, Boise State 7

(22) Illinois 43, Purdue 27

(24) Virginia 30, Louisville 27 (OT)