UW Huskies Fall Victim to Penalties Once More in Road Defeat Against Rutgers

Washington’s sideline erupted as sophomore Lance Holtzclaw celebrated after blocking Rutgers’ 38-yard field goal attempt, signaling that it was no good while sprinting toward the bench. Junior Maurice Heims, who recovered the ball, tossed it to teammate Jacob Bandes amid the frustrated groans of Rutgers fans.

However, as the referees convened to discuss a late penalty, Washington’s jubilation turned to disbelief while the 54,079 Rutgers fans, gathered for their “Blackout” game, began to roar.

The call? Illegal substitution. Redshirt freshman Vincent Holmes had briefly entered the field to celebrate before Heims recovered the ball, right in front of the referee, who promptly threw his flag. This gave the Scarlet Knights a first down, and they scored a touchdown on the very next play.

“I grabbed Holmes and said, ‘You’re a freshman, and you just had a freshman moment,’” coach Jedd Fisch remarked. “These are things … that just can’t happen.”

Washington fell to Rutgers 21-18 on a misty Friday night at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, N.J., where poor discipline and unforced errors plagued the Huskies. Despite outgaining the Scarlet Knights 521-299, Washington had to watch junior kicker Grady Gross miss a 55-yard field goal attempt to tie the game as time expired, sealing the win for Rutgers.

This season, Washington has outgained its opponents in both losses, including a 452-381 advantage over Washington State in the Apple Cup.

In the locker room, Fisch emphasized, “You can’t play two teams. You can’t play ourselves and our opponent.”

While Holmes’ illegal substitution penalty was particularly costly, it was one of several impactful infractions committed by the Huskies (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten). Washington’s opening drive stalled when senior center D’Angalo Titialii was flagged for a late hit and targeting during a screen play.

The Huskies’ second drive encountered issues as senior tight end Keleki Latu false-started with first-and-10 from the Rutgers 11-yard line. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who completed 26 of 36 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns, failed to connect with sixth-year receiver Giles Jackson in the end zone on third down, forcing a 22-yard field goal by Gross to put Washington ahead 3-0.

Rutgers responded when running back Kyle Monangai, who tallied 132 yards on 25 carries, scored the game’s first touchdown early in the second half. Washington answered with junior running back Jonah Coleman, who finished with 148 yards on 16 carries, including a 39-yard run that put them in Rutgers territory. However, a low block penalty on sixth-year senior running back Cameron Davis led to another missed field goal attempt by Gross from 42 yards.

With 3:25 remaining in the third quarter and the score at 14-10, sophomore right tackle Drew Azzopardi was flagged for a personal foul, pushing the Huskies to second-and-21 on their own 14-yard line. They had to punt, allowing Rutgers to score again on a 37-yard run by Samuel Brown V, which was aided by a facemask penalty on defensive tackle Jayvon Parker.

Despite emphasizing pre-snap violations after their previous loss, Fisch acknowledged the need to shift focus to personal fouls. The Huskies committed six penalties for 69 yards against Rutgers, while the Scarlet Knights had just four penalties for 31 yards, with two false starts occurring on the same play.

“We’re continuing to talk about it,” Fisch said. “Clearly, we’ll keep making it a point of emphasis, just as we did with offsides and false starts. It’s disappointing.”

Even with their penalty-laden drives, Washington still had a chance to win. The defense, led by fifth-year junior Carson Bruener’s nine tackles, limited Rutgers to just seven points in the second half. Sophomore receiver Denzel Boston, who finished with 125 yards and six catches, scored two second-half touchdowns, keeping Washington competitive.

However, missed red-zone opportunities combined with penalties proved too much to overcome. The Huskies failed to score from the Rutgers 2-yard line on their first drive of the second half and settled for a field goal after reaching the Scarlet Knights’ 20-yard line with 7:21 left in the game.