Washington Beats Nebraska 17-10 on Late Touchdown and Pick-Six
Washington defeated Nebraska 17-10 on Saturday night in Lincoln, securing a come-from-behind victory on a 25-yard catch-and-run touchdown by Chris Lawson with 1:30 remaining, followed by a 48-yard interception return for a score by Alex McLaughlin.
The Huskies moved to 5-3 overall and 2-3 in Big Ten play after struggling offensively for most of the evening during Nebraska’s annual Blackout Game. Washington punted on eight of its first nine possessions before quarterback Demond Williams Jr. entered the game to replace Elijah Brown early in the fourth quarter, sparking the team’s only touchdown drive of the night.
“What a cool place to get a win,” Washington coach Jedd Fisch said. “I challenged the team all week. I said you’ve got to hold them under 13 points. That’s how you win on the road in the Big Ten. That’s what the stats tell you. That’s what it looks like.”
Williams Connects with Lawson on Fourth Down
Trailing and facing fourth-and-18 near the left sideline, Williams threw under heavy pressure toward Chris Lawson. Lawson secured the 24-yard reception while falling backward under coverage from Victor Evans III to keep the drive alive.
“The goal was to get a one-on-one for Chris,” Fisch said of the crucial play. “Chris had the ability to stutter and go, and you know you’re in a situation where you can’t throw underneath. What separates wideouts is the one-on-one 50-50 ball, and you got to come down with it. And he came down with it. It was pretty awesome.”
Two plays later, Williams connected with Lawson again on a short sideline pass. Lawson eluded defender Dwayne McDougle III and sprinted into the end zone, diving over the goal line ahead of a closing Caleb Benning to give Washington its first lead.
Shortly after, Anthony Colandrea threw a pass over the middle intended for tight end Luke Lindenmeyer. McLaughlin intercepted the ball and returned it untouched 48 yards for a touchdown to extend Washington’s lead.
The interception was the third of the game for Colandrea, who also threw picks on back-to-back possessions to start the contest. Nebraska responded with a 42-yard field goal by John Hohl with 31 seconds left on the clock, but Washington recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal the outcome.
Late-Game Struggles Continue for Nebraska
The loss dropped the Cornhuskers to 5-3 overall and 2-3 in the conference. It marked the third straight game in which Nebraska squandered a fourth-quarter lead, following a 20-17 loss to Indiana after leading 17-6, and a 17-14 loss to Oregon after holding a 14-6 advantage.
“I certainly understand how frustrated everyone is that this has happened three games in a row,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said. “I could just say I feel it, too. I’m responsible for it. It’s my job. All I can do is show up tomorrow and get back to work for Illinois and try to have a great November and a great week.”
Nebraska’s defense controlled the tempo for the majority of the matchup, highlighted by Colandrea’s 24-yard touchdown pass to Carter Nelson late in the first quarter. However, the Cornhuskers committed three turnovers and missed a scoring opportunity when Kyle Cunanan missed a 36-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter that would have given them a 10-3 lead.
“Not a recipe for winning,” Rhule said.
Nebraska center Justin Evans emphasized team unity following the defeat. “My message to the team is to stay together,” Evans said. “End of the day, we’re all we have. We’re the only ones in the locker room. We have to ignore the outside noise no matter what. We have to keep our head coach up; we have to keep him going. Ultimately, the responsibility rests with everyone—not him, not me. It’s all of us. Family goes through adversity. All we can do is uplift each other and keep going.”
Washington Returns Home to Host Penn State
Washington finished the game with a season-low 267 total yards but extended its winning streak to two games. The Huskies return home to host Penn State on Saturday.
Nebraska hits the road to face Illinois on Friday night.
