If you're a fan of vintage Big Ten football, then Washington's win over Nebraska was a thing of beauty. As has been the case for most of the season, the Huskies' defense kept the game tight, as Jedd Fisch's team had just three points up until the 1:30 mark in the fourth quarter. While Ryan Walters' entire unit deserves kudos, one group in particular stepped up in a major way.
Entering Saturday, Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea had thrown just 4 interceptions on the year, and he left Memorial Stadium Halloween night with 7. The Huskies' secondary put on one of its best performances of the year, hauling in a trio of picks. Safety Rylon Dillard-Allen and cornerback Emmanuel Karnley got the party started, picking off Colandrea on the Huskers'
first two drives of the game.
Then, after gaining their first lead of the night with just 90 seconds to play, star safety Alex McLaughlin called game with a 48-yard pick-six.
As extraordinary as the performance was, it was almost necessary. Because the Husky offense lacked firepower, forced turnovers paved the way for UW's late-game heroics. Both Dillard-Allen and Karnley's interceptions came inside Washington territory, with one of them being inside the Washington 30-yard line.
Coming into the season, the Huskies' aggressive-minded defensive coordinator challenged his players to shift their mindset from a "bend don't break" defense to one that controls outcomes. They've done just that, ranking No. 2 in the Big Ten in interceptions with 12, trailing only UCLA. The dynamic duo at safety of McLaughlin and Dillard-Allen has led the charge, both with three picks on the season.
As the offense continues to find its stride with what appears to be the return of Demond Williams Jr. as the starting quarterback, one thing is for certain. If the Huskies can put up a respectable amount of points, the defense is more than capable of being able to make winning plays, regardless of the talent of the opposing offense.
With a pair of upcoming matchups against vulnerable offenses in Penn State and Michigan State, the stout group will look to build on one of, if not its best, showings of the year as the Huskies look to gain a bit of steam coming off their biggest win of the season.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Trio of Interceptions Fuel Washington Football to 17-10 Over Nebraska
