Excluding the end of the first half, Washington had ten drives yesterday. Those ten drives provide a case study in how to lose.
1) Driving downfield, they commit a dead ball personal foul creating a 2nd and 23. They cannot recover from this and turn it over on downs.
2) In the red zone at the RU 11, they false start, creating 1st and 15 (essentially 1st and Goal) from the 16. That's a tough nut for any offense and they settle for a short FG.
3) Another red zone opportunity and another personal foul, turning 1st and 10 into 3rd and 17. FG missed.
4) Three and out. RU's only "solid" stop of the night.
5) Coleman is gashing RU right down the field, resulting in 3rd and Goal at the 2. Two incomplete passes, the last one barely tipped away by Powell, and they turn it over on downs. Kudos to RU for the stop, but some questionable play calling.
6) TD, 6 plays, 94 yards.
7) Another dead ball personal foul! This on the first play of the drive, resulting in 2nd and 21 from which they cannot recover. Three and out.
8) UW on the march again, with a first down at the RU 25. Then they botch the snap, resulting in a four yard loss. Now it's 2nd and 14. They cannot recover from this unforced error, and miss another FG.
9) TD, 12 plays, 75 yards,
10) They get the ball with 35 seconds left. They have one final chance at a long FG, which is missed.
And we haven't even mentioned UW's most egregious error of the night, when the player on the sideline decided to celebrate their blocked kick a tad prematurely.
THE LESSON FOR RU IS: During the course of a season, maybe a team will win one game like this. MAYBE. Accept the gifts gratefully, and be proud that you took advantage of them. But do not expect to receive such beneficence again.
1) Driving downfield, they commit a dead ball personal foul creating a 2nd and 23. They cannot recover from this and turn it over on downs.
2) In the red zone at the RU 11, they false start, creating 1st and 15 (essentially 1st and Goal) from the 16. That's a tough nut for any offense and they settle for a short FG.
3) Another red zone opportunity and another personal foul, turning 1st and 10 into 3rd and 17. FG missed.
4) Three and out. RU's only "solid" stop of the night.
5) Coleman is gashing RU right down the field, resulting in 3rd and Goal at the 2. Two incomplete passes, the last one barely tipped away by Powell, and they turn it over on downs. Kudos to RU for the stop, but some questionable play calling.
6) TD, 6 plays, 94 yards.
7) Another dead ball personal foul! This on the first play of the drive, resulting in 2nd and 21 from which they cannot recover. Three and out.
8) UW on the march again, with a first down at the RU 25. Then they botch the snap, resulting in a four yard loss. Now it's 2nd and 14. They cannot recover from this unforced error, and miss another FG.
9) TD, 12 plays, 75 yards,
10) They get the ball with 35 seconds left. They have one final chance at a long FG, which is missed.
And we haven't even mentioned UW's most egregious error of the night, when the player on the sideline decided to celebrate their blocked kick a tad prematurely.
THE LESSON FOR RU IS: During the course of a season, maybe a team will win one game like this. MAYBE. Accept the gifts gratefully, and be proud that you took advantage of them. But do not expect to receive such beneficence again.
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