The Washington Huskies pulled off a gritty 17-10 victory over Nebraska last night, but honestly, Emerald City, this one felt less like a dominant performance and more like watching the Huskers hit the self-destruct button for a full 55 minutes and 31 seconds. What we witnessed was a total collapse, a replay of the same old, painful story for Nebraska, ending with another agonizing fourth-quarter meltdown for the third week in a row.
Colandrea’s Picks and Cunanan’s Kicks: The Husker Heartbreak Tour
It was a mild and dry night, but you wouldn’t know it from the offensive slog. For most of the game, our Huskies were getting absolutely smothered by Nebraska’s “Blackshirts” defense. Seriously, for nearly an hour of play, the score was a measly 7-3, with Washington barely clinging to the lead. But here’s the kicker: Nebraska kept shooting themselves in the foot, making it impossible for them to capitalize.
First up, quarterback Anthony Colandrea. Fresh off announcing his deal to return for 2027, he celebrated by tossing three , count ’em, three , interceptions. It should’ve been four, but Washington bailed him out with an offsides flag. Unbelievable. Then there’s kicker Kyle Cunanan. Fans have been done with this guy for weeks, but the coaches kept him out there. He missed a 40-yarder in a 20-17 loss to Indiana. He missed another in a 17-14 loss to Oregon. Tonight? He shanked a 36-yarder after a 14-play, 68-yard drive that would have given Nebraska a 10-3 lead. Let that sink in. A 36-yard chip shot, after all that work, and he missed it.
Demond Williams Delivers and the Blackshirts Crack
That missed field goal changed everything. Up until that point, the Blackshirts had only given up a measly 186 yards. They were stifling our Dawgs! But with the opportunity for a lead gone, Washington’s Jedd Fisch decided it was time for a change. He pulled backup Elijah Brown and brought in regular starter Demond Williams, and let me tell you, Williams delivered. He threw, he scrambled, and he led an 81-yard touchdown drive that completely broke Nebraska’s “suddenly porous” defense. Just like that, it was 10-7 Washington.
The pain didn’t stop there for Nebraska. Colandrea, clearly still reeling, fired his final interception, and it was a pick-six. That pushed the score to 17-7. John Hohl finally came in to kick a 42-yarder for Nebraska’s last points, making it 17-10, and it felt like the entire “Cunanan Era” finally came to a merciful end. A former Husker watching with me could only say, “I have no words.” You know what? Neither do I. This was wild.
What’s Next for the Dawgs?
The Huskies walked away with a huge W, thanks in large part to Nebraska’s incredible ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. As for what’s ahead, opponents are probably already planning to start their backups for the rest of 2027 against the Huskers, a telling sign of how much their confidence has been shattered. For our Dawgs, though, it’s a win, even if it was a weird one. We’ll take it and look forward to the next game, building on this momentum, however it came!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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