Revisiting Rally at Maryland; Emerging WR2 at Washington

“Learned a lot about our team this past week,” Jedd Fisch said on Monday after the win at Maryland. “Learned about a team that will fight all 60 minutes.” Washington has outscored its opponents 73-10 in the fourth quarter alone this season. The only team to score on the Huskies in the fourth quarter this season has been Ohio State. “I think that’s a great indication of the way our guys get better as the game goes on,” Fisch said at his weekly press conference. 

Revisiting Washington’s Rally at Maryland

Washington began Big Ten play with Ohio State at home and with a long road trip to play a good Maryland team. After facing adversity in both games, it put together an improbable comeback to defeat the Terrapins after a bad first half. Offensively, Demond Williams showed poise in his ability to elevate his level of play when it was needed the most. 

Raiden Vines-Bright

Up until midway through the third quarter at Maryland, Washington’s offense was just one of six on third down. Trailing 20-0, Williams delivered one of his best throws of the day. “He’s tough as nails,” Fisch said on Monday after the game. “He came out in the second half just ready to roll.” 

On third and nine, Williams found Raiden Vines-Bright for a 13-yard gain on a corner route coming out of the slot. After uncharacteristically missing some throws in the first half, this was Williams’ best throw of the game to that point. And it signaled a shift in the game. 

“I was really proud of Raiden, [he] had a huge third down catch,” Fisch said on Monday. “Kept the drive alive was huge, a huge part of the game.” It was ultimately a 16-play drive that Vines-Bright helped sustain. Washington would go on to convert a field goal for its first points of the game. 

Dezmen Roebuck

Fast forward two touchdowns, and Washington again faced a defining third down. This time, it was third and six on the Maryland 19-yard line with under five minutes to play. Down 20-17, Williams again put the football in the hands of one of his freshman receivers. Dezmen Roebuck caught the four-yard pass after slipping underneath the zone coverage of Maryland’s defense, needing to gain three more yards. With great awareness, Roebuck immediately turned upfield and fought through two defenders to gain four yards and earn the first down. 

Failing to convert presents a difficult decision for Fisch. Do you go for it on fourth and short in an effort to keep a touchdown drive alive and potentially take the lead? Or do you kick a 30-yard field goal to tie it and put your defense back on the field? Roebuck eliminated that decision and gave the Huskies a new set of downs. Two plays later, Jonah Coleman punched in a one-yard score to take the lead. 

Williams’ Response

In the fourth quarter alone, Williams went 10 of 13 for 132 yards and two touchdowns. After starting the game with an interception on the first drive and just 143 passing yards in the first three quarters, everything seemed to shift after that pass completion to Vines-Bright to help set up a field goal.

“We felt like we just played with great momentum and energy,” Fisch said on Monday. “[We] came out in the second half offensively, and Demond led us down there for a field goal. Then we wound up going three touchdowns in a row. Kid’s a really good player.”

Defining Wide Receiver Two

Denzel Boston remains the leading wide receiver for Washington through its first five games. His 25 catches, 346 yards, and four touchdowns are the best on the team in all three categories. Without the presence of Rashid Williams, the receiver room is working to define its clear wide receiver two. At this point in the season, Coleman is actually second on the team in targets and receptions, and he’s tied for second in receiving yards. Coleman has been an excellent threat out of the backfield, particularly as a check-down for Williams when under pressure. He leads the team in yards after the catch with 258, more than double that of any other player.

Roebuck is tied with Coleman for second in receiving yards with 223 on the season. Roebuck’s eight catches in the last two games rank second only to Boston (nine) in terms of wide receivers. Coleman has had the most catches in for the Husky offense in Big Ten play this year (11). But in the early stretch of conference play, Roebuck is beginning to emerge as a reliable wide receiver two. The true freshman has had 11 targets in the last two games, compared to 17 for Boston. Vines-Bright is the next closest receiver in targets, with six in conference play. 

Spreading The Football

In its first two Big Ten games this season, Washington has begun to implement the tight end receiving game more effectively. Decker DeGraaf had seven targets and five catches in the first three games for a total of 26 yards. In conference play, DeGraaf has eight catches on nine targets for 86 yards. He’s caught a 20-plus yard pass in both the Ohio State game and the Maryland game.

“All those guys are continuing to grow,” Fisch said on Monday. “And with Decker having six catches, Jonah having a bunch of catches, it makes it harder and harder to defend.” Against Big Ten defenses, it’s imperative that an offense can rely on multiple targets in its passing game. That was evident in the game against Ohio State, where the Buckeye defense took away Boston’s threat all game. He finished with just three catches for 26 yards. Roebuck and DeGraaf each had big plays against the Buckeyes and accounted for 60-plus receiving yards against Maryland.