Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel throws out a pass as the Oregon Ducks host the Maryland Terrapins at Autzen Stadium Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024 in Eugene, Ore.

Winless in rivalry, Dan Lanning, No. 1 Oregon determined to tame Huskies

Oregon already secured its spot in the Big Ten championship game, but the top-ranked Ducks have plenty to play for in their regular-season finale.

Revenge may be on Oregon’s mind when the Ducks host longtime rival Washington on Saturday in Eugene, Ore.

Oregon (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) would perhaps be closing in on its second straight College Football Playoff appearance had the Huskies (6-5, 4-4) not dealt the Ducks their only two losses last season.

Washington edged Oregon 36-33 in Seattle last October, then slipped past the Ducks 34-31 in the Pac-12 title game to secure a playoff spot for the second time in school history. Both teams joined the Big Ten in August.

Third-year Oregon head coach Dan Lanning is 33-5 leading the Ducks. But he remains winless against the Huskies (0-3).

Oregon plots to sprint out of its late-season bye after using time to heal injuries, but Lanning doesn’t believe the break should stall the flow of an undefeated season.

“It’s always about what we’re able to do on the field. Motivation is overrated,” Lanning said. “Our guys have to want to go out there and execute at a really high level. Since the beginning of the season we’ve talked about playing our best football at the end of November. We’re there. This is our opportunity to go play our best football against a good team.”

The Ducks could have star wide receiver Tez Johnson back from a shoulder injury this week. Johnson has missed the past two games.

That would be good news for quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who would regain the team’s leader in receptions (64), receiving yards (649) and receiving touchdowns (eight).

Washington, under first-year head coach Jedd Fisch, is 63-48-5 all-time against Oregon but is just 1-12-1 when facing the No. 1-ranked team in the country.

The Huskies are led on offense by running back Jonah Coleman, who has racked up 1,008 yards and nine scores on the ground this season. Coleman averages 5.8 yards per carry and has 36 runs of at least 10 yards.

In the passing game, wide receiver Denzel Boston is tied for the Big Ten lead with nine in touchdown catches and ranks sixth in the conference with 764 receiving yards.

Whom Boston will be catching passes from is not yet known, however.

Washington has not revealed whether Will Rogers or Demond Williams Jr. will start at quarterback. Rogers has started every game for the Huskies but was benched in favor of Williams two weeks ago after throwing a pair of interceptions in a 31-19 win over UCLA.

Fisch said he has a “good idea” of how he will use his quarterbacks on Saturday, and while he wouldn’t go as far as to name a starter, he did say Rogers responded well in practices last week.

“On the same token, Demond’s energy and Demond’s confidence showed up. His ability to jump right in and feel really good about leading the group whenever it was his turn… he did a really nice job there as well,” Fisch told Seattle Sports.

“I think both guys responded well to the week of practice, and now, really, it’s important for us that the guy we believe will start the game gets a significant amount of reps in practice week. But as you know, we’re not afraid to play two quarterbacks.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 29, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (23) on the field against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

CB Marshon Lattimore has first practice with Commanders

Cornerback Marshon Lattimore practiced Wednesday for the first time since joining the Washington Commanders in a Nov. 5 trade with the New Orleans Saints.

Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed the four-time Pro Bowl selection’s return from a hamstring injury that also kept him out of his final game with the Saints in Week 9.

“We’re pumped to get him back on the field,” said Quinn, who stopped short of saying Lattimore would play Sunday against the Tennessee Titans (3-8) in Landover, Md.

The Commanders (7-5) have a bye in Week 14 and will visit Lattimore’s former team in New Orleans in Week 15.

Lattimore, 28, recorded 30 tackles and two passes defensed in seven starts with the Saints this season.

The 2017 Defensive Rookie of the Year tallied 15 interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), five fumble recoveries and 405 tackles in 97 starts over seven-plus seasons with New Orleans. The Saints drafted him with the 11th overall pick in 2017.

–Field Level Media

Sep 29, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (23) on the field against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

New Commanders CB Marshon Lattimore ruled out again

The Washington Commanders will have to wait at least another week for cornerback Marshon Lattimore.

Acquired in a Nov. 5 trade with New Orleans, he has yet to practice for Washington due to a hamstring injury.

On Friday, the Commanders (7-4) ruled Lattimore out for Sunday’s game against the visiting Dallas Cowboys (3-7).

Lattimore, 28, recorded 30 tackles in seven starts for the Saints this season but has not played since Oct. 27.

The four-time Pro Bowl selection has 15 interceptions, 88 passes defensed and 405 tackles in 97 career games.

–Field Level Media

Nov 15, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Will Rogers (7) passes the ball against the UCLA Bruins during the first half at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Washington uses late-game surge to pull away from UCLA

Jonah Coleman rushed for a game-high 95 yards and two touchdowns, surpassing 1,000 yards for the season, as Washington became bowl eligible with a 31-19 victory against UCLA in a Big Ten Conference game Friday night in Seattle.

Will Rogers and Demond Williams Jr. each threw a touchdown pass for the Huskies (6-5, 4-4). Williams’ 1-yard pass to tight end Decker DeGraaf with 5:44 remaining gave the Huskies a 24-13 lead and Coleman scored on a 2-yard run with 1:54 left.

Quarterback Ethan Garbers, who started his career at Washington, was 27-of-44 for 267 yards and two touchdowns for the Bruins (4-6, 3-5), whose three-game winning streak ended. Garbers threw a 2-yard TD pass to Moliki Matavao with nine seconds remaining to cap the scoring.

Rogers was pulled after throwing interceptions on the Huskies’ first two possessions of the second half.

The Bruins pulled within 14-13 on Mateen Bhaghani’s 40-yard field goal with 11:20 left in the third. The drive was set up by Devin Kirkwood’s interception of a tipped pass.

UCLA’s Kain Medrano picked off a pass at midfield on the Huskies’ next possession and returned it to the 39. On first-and-10 from the UW 27, Garbers hit Jack Pedersen with a pass but he fumbled when hit by Khmori House and UW teammate Kamren Fabiculanan recovered.

Williams drove the Huskies into field-goal range and Grady Gross made a 41-yarder with 3:16 left in the quarter to extend the lead to 17-13.

Williams was 7-of-8 passing for 67 yards and added 31 yards on six rushes.

Coleman opened the scoring on a 15-yard run with 3:51 left in the first quarter. The Bruins answered when Bhaghani made a 28-yarder with 13:38 left in the half to make it 7-3.

Washington extended its lead to 14-3 on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Rogers to tight end Keleki Latu with 3:46 remaining in the second. It appeared the drive had ended when Rogers’ pass was picked off at the goal line by UCLA’s Bryan Addison, but Oluwafemi Oladejo was called for roughing the passer, giving the Huskies a first down.

Garbers drove UCLA down the field and threw a 1-yard TD pass to Kwazi Gilmer with 51 seconds left to cut the Huskies’ lead to 14-10 at the half.

–Field Level Media

Oct 20, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. (8) carries the ball as Carolina Panthers cornerback Michael Jackson (2) and Panthers linebacker DJ Johnson (52) defends during the second half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr. will be active for game vs. Eagles

Washington running back Brian Robinson Jr. will return after a two-game absence, while the Commanders’ recently acquired cornerback Marshon Lattimore will not make his debut when they visit the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night.

Robinson, 25, was a full participant at practice on Wednesday after being limited on Monday and Tuesday because of a hamstring issue that kept him out of a victory over the New York Giants and a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He was off the injury report for the Commanders (7-3) against the NFC East-leading Eagles (7-2).

“I’ve improved tremendously,” Robinson said on Tuesday. “A lot of movements I haven’t been able to make over the last couple weeks I’m starting to build confidence in. The biggest thing with your hamstring is building your confidence back, and I feel I’ve been able to do that.”

Robinson hasn’t played since the Oct. 27 victory over the Chicago Bears. He has started six of the seven games he has played and has 101 carries for 461 yards — a career-high 4.6 yards per attempt — and six touchdowns. He also has nine receptions for 79 yards.

Washington selected Robinson in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Alabama. He has 1,991 career rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, and 54 receptions for 507 yards and five touchdowns in 34 games (30 starts).

Lattimore, 28, was acquired from the New Orleans Saints for three draft picks at the league trade deadline on Nov. 5. The four-time Pro Bowl selection has yet to practice with the Commanders because of a hamstring injury.

He started all seven games he played this season for the Saints and made 30 tackles before missing a loss on Nov. 3 at the Carolina Panthers. He will have missed three consecutive games.

The Commanders also ruled out kicker Austin Seibert (right hip) and linebacker Nick Bellore (knee) after neither practiced this week.

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch looks on from the sideline during the second quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Washington bids to ride black-out to victory vs. UCLA

From a white-out to a black-out.

After suffering a 35-6 loss to then-No. 6 Penn State last Saturday in the Nittany Lions’ annual white-out game in University Park, Pa., Washington will return home for its own black-out night when they take on UCLA (4-5 overall, 3-4 Big Ten) on Friday in Seattle.

The usually purple-clad Huskies (5-5, 3-4) instead will don black uniforms, and fans are also encouraged to wear black.

“Some great uniforms coming out,” Washington coach Jedd Fisch said. “So excited about that.”

The Huskies this season have played in a black-out at Rutgers (Sept. 27), a stripe-out at Iowa (Oct. 12) and a red-out at Indiana (Oct. 26) before last Saturday’s white-out.

They lost all of those games, although they are 5-0 at Husky Stadium.

Washington likely needs to defeat UCLA to become bowl eligible as its last game of the regular season is Nov. 30 at No. 1 Oregon.

The Huskies have had a short turnaround after not getting back to Seattle until 5 a.m. Sunday following their game at Penn State.

“Short week, a little bit of a cram session,” Fisch said. “But as I told the staff, ‘Sleep Saturday.’”

Quarterback Will Rogers is expected to start against UCLA after getting benched at halftime last weekend for Demond Williams Jr.

“Will was a victim of circumstances, a little bit,” Fisch said. “He was 10-for-13 in the first half, just we weren’t able to get anything going.”

The Bruins have won three in a row, including a 20-17 decision against visiting Iowa last Friday. They have games remaining against rival Southern California and Fresno State as they try to qualify for a bowl game.

The win over the Hawkeyes was UCLA’s first in four tries at the Rose Bowl this season.

“I didn’t want to make too big of a deal about us being back home, but we kind of treated this game like a road game,” Bruins coach Deshaun Foster said. “I just think my guys, they came out and they earned the right to win. Just in how they practiced (last) week and I think as long as we continue to do that, this team can really just take off.”

UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers started his collegiate career at Washington in 2020 — he was named the Huskies’ offensive scout squad MVP — before transferring to Westwood the next year.

–Field Level Media

Oct 17, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA;  New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (23) during the warmups before the game against the Denver Broncos at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Commanders CB Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) out vs. Steelers

The Washington Commanders ruled out newly acquired cornerback Marshon Lattimore for Sunday’s home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers because of a hamstring injury.

Commanders coach Dan Quinn made the announcement Friday after Lattimore — obtained from the New Orleans Saints at the league trade deadline on Tuesday for three draft picks — didn’t practice on Wednesday and Thursday. He was limited by a strained hamstring in recent weeks.

“We’re trying to engage him as quickly as we can, so when it does become ‘go time,’ there’s not a lag there,” Quinn said.

The Commanders (7-2) have a short week with a game at NFC East rival Philadelphia next Thursday.

Washington also worked out kickers with Austin Seibert dealing with a right hip issue and signed veteran Zane Gonzalez to the practice squad.

Lattimore, 28, started all seven games he played this season for the Saints before missing their game Sunday, a 23-22 loss at the Carolina Panthers. He has 30 tackles.

New Orleans selected him 11th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. A four-time Pro Bowl selection (2017, 2019, 2020, 2021) has 405 tackles, 15 interceptions — two returned for touchdowns — five forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries and 88 pass breakups in 97 games (all starts).

Seibert, 27, has made 25 of 27 field-goal attempts — a long of 55 yards — and all 22 extra-point attempts in eight games in his first season with Washington. He missed practice on Wednesday and was limited on Thursday.

He has played 39 career games and is 70 of 83 on field goals and 78 of 84 on extra points for the Cleveland Browns (2019-20), Cincinnati Bengals (2020), Detroit Lions (2021-22), New York Jets (2023) and Commanders. The Browns picked him in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma.

Gonzalez, 29, has not played in an NFL game since 2021. He is 91 of 113 on field-goal attempts — a long of 57 yards — and 127 of 134 on extra points in 63 games for the Browns (2017-18), Arizona Cardinals (2018-20) and Panthers (2021). The Browns selected Gonzalez in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Arizona State.

–Field Level Media

Penn State fans cheer on the Nittany Lions before playing Iowa in a White Out football game at Beaver Stadium Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in State College, Pa.

Washington braces for tough foe, conditions at No. 6 Penn State

When white-out conditions are discussed around the University of Washington campus in Seattle, the phrase refers to difficulty driving in the snow.

The Huskies will face another type of white-out on Saturday in State College, Pa., when they take on No. 6 Penn State.

For the past 20-plus years, fans have been encouraged to wear white to one Nittany Lions home game per season. It seems to work, as Penn State (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) has won its past five white-out contests and seven of the past eight.

Penn State coach James Franklin has talked about “white-out energy,” and his team could use the boost after taking its first loss of the season last week, 20-13 to visiting Ohio State.

“Overall, obviously, got some things we’ve got to continue to work on, but most importantly, we’re on to Washington,” said Franklin, who got into a confrontation with a fan after the loss. “We’ve got to find a way to get a win this week. I thought the staff and the players did a good job of making the corrections and then moving on to Washington.”

Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar, who threw an interception into the end zone and misfired on fourth-and-goal from the Ohio State 1-yard line in the fourth quarter, agreed.

“The thing we talked about is we can’t let one (loss) turn into two, turn into three,” Allar said. “We have to right the wrongs that we made (against the Buckeyes). Offensively, we’re not going to point any fingers. It’s not one person that blew the game for us.”

Allar has completed 70.1 percent of his passes for 1,786 yards and 12 touchdowns with five interceptions. His favorite target, Tyler Warren, was named a semifinalist Tuesday for the John Mackey Award that goes to the nation’s top tight end. Kaytron Allen has 536 rushing yards on the season, and Nicholas Singleton had 498.

The Huskies (5-4, 3-3) are coming off a 26-21 victory against visiting Southern California in which Jonah Coleman rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Linebacker Carson Bruener was named Big Ten defensive player of the week after making 12 tackles and intercepting two passes.

Washington quarterback Will Rogers, a transfer from Mississippi State, has completed 71.1 percent of his passes for 2,284 yards and 13 TDs with four interceptions. Coleman has rushed for 889 yards and seven touchdowns and wide receiver Denzel Boston leads the conference with nine scoring receptions.

Huskies coach Jedd Fisch, who experienced a white-out while an assistant at Michigan, is looking forward to it.

“It’s going to be a fantastic experience,” he said. “… It’s Saturday night and white-out and it’s going to be 110, 111,000 (fans) … It’s going to be an amazing atmosphere, there’s no question about it. I think that it’s going to be a blast for our guys.”

Fisch said he showed his players some film from previous white-out games.

“We’ve just gotta go play ball and try to see if we can play the best game we’ve played all year,” said Fisch, whose team is one victory away from bowl eligibility with a game at No. 1 Oregon remaining as well as a home date with UCLA.

–Field Level Media

Nov 2, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies running back Jonah Coleman (1) rushes for a touchdown against the USC Trojans during the second quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Washington’s D stiffens late as Huskies hold off USC

Jonah Coleman rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns and Washington made a pair of late defensive stands to defeat USC 26-21 in a Big Ten Conference game Saturday in Seattle.

The Trojans had a first-and-goal at the Huskies’ 4-yard line with 6:41 remaining but was unable to score. On fourth down from the 1, running back Woody Marks was stopped for a 3-yard loss by Washington linebacker Khmori House.

USC got the ball back on its own 34 with 1:36 left and drove to the Huskies’ 14 before Miller Moss’ fourth-down pass under heavy pressure fell incomplete with 11 seconds to go.

Will Rogers was 25-of-39 passing for 262 yards for Washington (5-4, 3-3), which snapped a two-game skid and boosted its bowl hopes. Denzel Boston made nine receptions for 99 yards.

Marks rushed for a game-high 123 yards and a touchdown for the Trojans (4-5, 2-5), who lost for the fourth time in their past five games. Moss was 30-of-50 passing for 293 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted three times.

After trailing 20-7 at the half, the Trojans scored touchdowns on their opening two possessions of the third quarter to surge in front.

Makai Lemon scored on a 37-yard pass from Moss on a fourth-and-9 play on the opening drive of the half, and Moss hit Kyle Ford with a 9-yard scoring strike to put USC ahead 21-20.

An interception by linebacker Carson Bruener late in the quarter gave the Huskies the ball back at the USC 39, and eight plays later, wide receiver Keith Reynolds scored on a 4-yard jet sweep with 13:48 remaining to restore Washington’s lead. A two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving the score 26-21.

The Huskies took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter as Grady Gross kicked a 39-yard field goal and Coleman scored on a 19-yard run around the right end with 21 seconds left.

The Trojans drove 76 yards in 12 plays on the ensuing drive, capped by Marks’ 1-yard run over left guard, to get on the board.

The Huskies responded, with Reynolds returning the kickoff 50 yards to USC’s 41-yard line. On third-and-1 from the 15, Coleman burst around the left end to score untouched and make it 17-7.

Gross added a 45-yard field goal with 40 seconds left in the half to give the Huskies a 20-7 lead.

–Field Level Media

Oct 20, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Injured Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels  looks on from the sidelines against the Carolina Panthers during the third quarter at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels (rib) absent again from practice

Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who is recovering from a rib injury, was not spotted at practice on Thursday in the portion open to media.

Daniels and rookie offensive tackle Brandon Coleman (concussion) did not participate in the first practice of the week on Wednesday.

Head coach Dan Quinn said Wednesday that he would update Daniels’ situation after practice on Friday.

Daniels, 23, was hurt on the Commanders’ first offensive play, his 46-yard run, in a 40-7 win over the visiting Carolina Panthers on Sunday. He stayed in the game and the drive ended in a field goal before veteran Marcus Mariota relieved him as Washington improved to 5-2.

Mariota is expected to start if Daniels cannot play on Sunday against the visiting Chicago Bears (4-2) and 2024 No. 1 draft pick Caleb Williams.

Daniels, who was selected second overall out of LSU, has six touchdown passes and four rushing TDs this season, leading the league with a 75.6 completion percentage and is sixth in the NFL in passer rating at 107.0. He has thrown for 1,410 yards and rushed for 372 in starting all seven games.

Mariota, 30, was 18-of-23 passing (78.3 percent) for 205 yards and two touchdowns after replacing Daniels against the Panthers.

Coleman, 24, also was injured that game. A third-round pick from TCU in the 2024 NFL Draft, Coleman has played on 39 percent of the offensive snaps (178) in seven games (three starts).

–Field Level Media