I wrote in my prediction for the UW-Maryland game that the match-up reminded me of last year’s game at Rutgers. The long trip, the quality (but not name-brand) opponent, and the opportunity to differentiate from the middle of the B1G pack all felt familiar. Indeed, for 2.5 quarters, the game looked familiar, too. Once again, the Huskies made too many unforced errors to get a lead against a team that looked fairly beatable.
And then, like the flip of a light switch, the game changed. I will admit that I had given up on the game, both emotionally and physically. Halftime came just short of midnight in my time zone. A week after the Ohio State game destroyed my sleep for no payoff, I was not up for a repeat performance. I opted to save the second half for Sunday morning, to be watched for academic purposes. Instead, I woke up to several texts describing a shocking comeback.
I’m writing this post to help process my own confusion after a game that did not at all develop in a foreseeable way. I don’t have any groundbreaking statistical analysis that will explain what caused the sudden and profound shift. In fact, the plays that led to inaccurate, incomplete passes looked a lot like the plays that were better executed down the stretch and fueled the comeback. Obviously, the teams went on opposite directions with third down success, but it looked more like the same group of players doing a better job later in the game. I’m looking forward to reading Coach B’s Film Study this week to see if there were more obvious tactical adjustments that led to the turnaround.
The game’s final result is not so surprising. Washington was favored by 5.5 and won by 4. I picked the game to end 27-20, so I was a FG away from nailing the result. But I certainly didn’t expect it to unfold the way it did. With the team missing its best DB, LB, OT, DE, and losing a LG along the way, it seemed like the lack of depth and road environment were just going to be too much to overcome. Instead, Demond Williams gritted his teeth, sped up his decision-making, and added to his burgeoning resume as a star playmaker. Somehow, both fan bases probably leave this game feeling frustration and disappointment. Fortunately, the Husky fans also get a dose of relief to chase it down.
The game probably won’t register on a national level. Three top-15 teams lost to unranked opponents. Penn State’s implosion against UCLA is one of the most shocking results of the year. A road favorite shaking off a slow start doesn’t measure up to that narrative. But for some reason, it feels quite meaningful to me. It’s arguably the first time a Fisch UW team overcame a huge obstacle and won a game that looked like a sure loss.
Appropriately, the Dawgs will head straight into another measuring-stick game, once again against Rutgers. This time, the Scarlet Knights will be the ones traveling cross-country. If the Huskies can win that game and continue to recover something resembling full health, eight+ wins becomes a strong likelihood. If you asked if we could get to eight wins at halftime, I would have laughed.