Will Rogers passes for 4 TDs, Washington routs Eastern Michigan 30-9
SEATTLE (AP) — Will Rogers passed for 261 yards and four touchdowns and rebuilt Washington overcame another slow start to beat Eastern Michigan 30-9 on Saturday.
The Huskies (2-0) failed to score in the first quarter for the second straight week to open the season under new head coach Jedd Fisch. But Rogers threw three touchdowns in the second quarter, including two to Denzel Boston, to help rev up the Washington offense.
“There’s things I have to clean up,” Rogers said. “… This is not a finished product by any means, but we just try and get better each week and see where we can take this thing.”
Rogers completed 10-of-13 passes in the second quarter for 154 yards after his team fell behind 3-0 against the Mid-American Conference foe. He finished 21 of 26 and has completed 78% of his passes for 511 yards in his first two Washington games with five TD passes and no interceptions.
Jonah Coleman rushed 11 times for 104 yards to help Washington win its 16th straight home game, the second longest streak in the nation after Michigan’s loss. It was his second straight 100-yard game to start his Washington career.
Eastern Michigan (1-1) blocked a Washington punt and later took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter on Jesus Gomez’s 57-yard field goal, the second longest field goal in Husky Stadium history.
It would take a defensive highlight to get the Washington offense rolling. Cameron Broussard’s recovery of Cole Snyder’s fumble following a 25-yard run early in the second quarter set up the Huskies’ first score.
“I’m excited about the way our defense played again,” Fisch said. “That’s two games in a row without letting up a touchdown. That’s impressive.”
The offense overcame two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and converted a fourth-and-1 on the ensuing drive to take a 7-3 lead on Rogers’ 41-yard pass to Decker DeGraaf. DeGraaf caught the pass at the 5, then tip-toed down the line for the score.
“We were out there after practice on Tuesday working that one specific play for about 30 minutes,” Rogers said. “… So it’s pretty cool to see that come to fruition after all the work we put in this past week on that specific play.”
Gomez added another field goal to make it 7-6, but Coleman opened Washington’s next drive with a 64-yard run. Then Rogers found Boston on a 13-yard slant a few plays later for a 14-6 lead with 3:07 left in the half.
Rogers completed passes of 20, 15 and 11 yards on the Huskies’ final drive of the second quarter before connecting with Boston again on a 1-yard corner route to make it 21-6 at halftime.
“The best thing about Denzel is he’s always hungry for the next one,” Rogers said.
The senior found Jeremiah Hunter for a 24-yard score to cap Washington’s first drive of the second half to make it 27-6 and put the game out of reach.
Washington’s defense had seven sacks, led by Zach Durfee’s 2 1/2.
GOMEZ FROM DEEP
Gomez added field goals of 29 and 50 to his first quarter 57-yarder, giving him an EMU school record for most FGs of 50-plus yards in a game.
“Honestly, I’m not surprised,” EMU coach Chris Creighton said. “He’s super talented. He’s made of all the right stuff, and he got his opportunities today and nailed them.”
THE TAKEAWAY
Eastern Michigan: The Eagles had hoped to grab their fifth win over a power conference team under Creighton, a former Seattle high school star. But after opening the season at UMass, then flying to the opposite coast for this week’s matchup, EMU didn’t have much left when the Huskies’ speed kicked in.
“Didn’t go the way we wanted to, but I think we’re going to learn a lot from this,” Creighton said. “I still really like and believe in our team and what we’re capable of. So this is a huge test that we’re going to get better from.”
Washington: They got the season rolling with wins against Eastern Michigan and FCS Weber State, but the stakes begin to rise next week with the Apple Cup and their Big Ten debut up next. No one expects them to match the offensive fireworks of last season’s national championship runners up, but they’ll need a little more smoke soon.
UP NEXT
Eastern Michigan: Hosts Jacksonville State on Saturday.
Washington: Hosts Washington State at the Seattle Seahawks’ Lumen Field on Saturday.
QB John Mateer runs wild as Washington State overwhelms Texas Tech in 37-16 rout
PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Quarterback John Mateer rushed for 197 yards and one touchdown, Wayshawn Parker burst 43 yards for a TD as part of a 14-point blitz in 16 seconds in the second quarter, and Washington State raced past Texas Tech 37-16 on Saturday night.
Djouvensky Schlenbaker added a pair of short TD runs as the Cougars (2-0) dominated their highest-profile opponent to visit Pullman during this season of transition for Washington State. Texas Tech (1-1) was one of two Power Four opponents on the Cougars schedule.
“We’re our own worst enemy right now,” Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said. “You don’t have a chance to win a game when you’re doing the things we’re doing, playing the way we’re playing.”
Mateer added one TD pass, but it was his legs that made the difference and he set a school record for yards rushing by a quarterback. Washington State finished with 301 yards rushing as a team, just the sixth time since 2000 the Cougars topped 300 yards on the ground and first since 2022.
“They kept dropping eight on us so we just ran the ball and it was working,” Mateer said. “The (offensive) line was getting after it. They’re good. Like, straight up, the line’s very good.”
The matchup of the two schools that were once coached by the late Mike Leach came on the weekend Leach was inducted into Washington State’s Athletics Hall of Fame. The schools each wore pirate themed stickers on the back of their helmets and Leach was recognized at halftime with the rest of the inductees.
Leach would have loved the points on the board, although it wasn’t exactly a game of offensive efficiency. The first half alone featured interceptions thrown by quarterbacks for both teams, and Texas Tech turned the ball over on downs twice in its own territory and had a critical fumble.
“I do know this, coach Leach would be really disappointed: ‘Why the hell are you running your starting quarterback?’” Washington State coach Jake Dickert joked. “I think a lot of things are possible for John.”
Texas Tech QB Behren Morton threw for 323 yards and one TD on 58 attempts, but was intercepted twice. Texas Tech played without star running back Tahj Brooks a week after he rushed for 153 yards and a touchdown in the Red Raiders’ opening victory over Abilene Christian.
The Red Raiders had a 20-yard double pass TD from Coy Eakin to Cam’Ron Valdez in the second quarter.
Washington State took a 14-3 lead midway through the second quarter when Parker darted down the sideline for his long TD run. It came one play after Tech’s Jalin Conyers was stopped on fourth-and-1.
On Tech’s next offensive play, Josh Kelly — who played last year for Washington State — was stripped by Buddah Al-Uqdah and returned the fumble to the 2. Schlenbaker immediately scored and Washington State’s lead was 21-3.
“I told him before that we were going to get after him. I was going to get after him,” Al-Uqdah said. “And a few plays later I had my chance and I took full advantage of it.”
The Cougars extended the lead in the final seconds of the first half after Morton was intercepted. Kyle Williams caught a deflected pass in the corner of the end zone to give Washington State a 27-10 lead at the break.
The Takeaway
Texas Tech: The Red Raiders were too sloppy for the caliber of opponent. It started on the opening kickoff, which the Cougars chipped short in a modified onside attempt and recovered. Throw in the two turnovers on downs and the Red Raiders gave the ball away five times in the first half.
“I didn’t do a good enough job to win the game,” McGuire said.
Washington State: Mateer was terrific on the ground but the pass game must improve to have a chance next week. Mateer was 9-of-19 passing for 115 yards.
Up Next
Texas Tech: Host North Texas next Saturday.
Washington State: Apple Cup against rival Washington next Saturday at Seattle’s Lumen Field.
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