The Huskies now know what it’s like to be the victim of a “White Out’ game in front of 110,000+ rabid fans in Beaver Stadium at University Park, Pennsylvania and are probably very happy that they won’t be going back there for a while. With the Nittany Lions not even on their schedule next year, the next time Washington goes head-to-head with them will be on their home turf in Alaska Airlines Husky Stadium late in 2026. This was a really ugly game for Washington who was completely shut-out on the scoreboard through the first half—going into the locker room down 28-to-zip at the break. They didn’t do much better in the second half either, only able to cobble together a couple of field goals—one each in the third and fourth quarter. The Husky defense tried to keep them in the game by holding the Nittany Lions scoreless in the third but their offense never got anything of substance going on that side of the ball to make any headway. Penn State would score another TD with just under five minutes left in the 4th Qtr to make it a 35-6 game where it would stay.
Once again Husky Junior PK Grady Gross would struggle from distance. On the year anything 30 yards and up has been basically a coin toss. Once he is asked to convert a field goal that’s 40 and beyond, like he was at the end of the 13 play drive of their opening possession, he is closer to 40%. And unfortunately he missed from 45 yards out half-way through the 1st Qtr, turning the ball over to the Nittany Lions who would score a TD nine plays later on an 8 yard TD run by Sophomore QB Beau Primula to go up 7-0 with close to four minutes left in the first. What’s that old saying, “the beatings will continue until morale improves.” Well, they continued with no change in morale. Penn State would pitch a shutout the first half while scoring another 21 points in the 2nd Qtr to make it a 28-0 game. Grady Gross would come through on back-to-back field goals, one in the third quarter and one in the fourth to make it a 28-6 game but that’s as close as they’d get with the Nittany Lions adding seven more before it ended.
For Penn State, Junior QB Drew Allar was 20-of-28 for 220 yards, 1 TD to Senior WR Julian Fleming, and no interceptions while also rushing three times for twelve yards. The seemingly non-existent run defense for Washington allowed Junior RB Kaytron Allen and Freshman Corey Smith to both run for almost 100 yards each with Allen picking up 98 yards and a TD on 20 carries and Smith 95 yards on just five attempts. All toll the Nittany Lions collectively rushed 40 times for 266 yards and 4 TD’s with Senior TE Tyler Warren catching 8 passes for 75 yards and picking up two wildcat TD’s on the ground as well—making it 20 for his career. Normally averaging just over 400 yards of total offense per game Penn State’s defense with five sacks, nine tackles for loss, and two pass disruptions, kept both the passing and running game of Washington in check. The Huskies starting Senior QB Will Rogers connected on 77% of his throws but for only 59 yards, no TD’s and 1 interception. His backup, Freshman Demond Williams Jr. was 6-of-10 for 60 yards—also without scoring. Washington was no better on the ground, collectively rushing 33 times for 74 yards without ever putting any points on the scoreboard.
As Mike Vorel wrote in his column for the Seattle Times regarding the Huskies; “After Will Rogers lofted an ill-advised rainbow that Jaylen Reed intercepted, the rickety press box swayed inside Beaver Stadium. It danced to the tune of 110,233 voices, a chorus of white-clad carolers. They shook their poms for punctuation and shouted the same four words: WE ARE PENN STATE. They were, indeed, Penn State — bestowers of big boy football, a hard-charging reality check, a litmus test providing proof of just how far the mighty have fallen. As the press box swayed, and the Huskies swooned, a larger point could be both seen and felt: This team is ill-equipped. When it comes to competing against the Big Ten’s best, the Huskies are not close. They’re not formidable enough on either line of scrimmage to trade punches and tell the tale. At least, not yet.”