UW HUSKIES

UW defense makes clutch plays late in win over Michigan

Oct 5, 2024, 10:11 PM | Updated: 11:56 pm

UW Huskies defense...

Logan Sagapolu of the UW Huskies celebrates with teammates during a 2024 game. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

SEATTLE – With the game up for grabs in the second half, the UW Huskies’ defense delivered the big plays needed.

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After forcing just four turnovers through their first five games, UW’s defense came away with two critical turnovers in the fourth quarter.

First, it was senior defensive lineman Voi Tunuufi forcing the fumble with the game tied at 17 to set up the go-ahead score. Next, it was senior safety Kamren Fabiculanan coming up with an interception to put his team in position for a game-sealing field goal in the final minutes.

In the end, those were the difference-makers for UW (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) as it knocked off No. 10 Michigan 27-17 on Saturday night in front of a packed house at Husky Stadium, earing first-year head coach Jedd Fisch his first signature win on Montlake.

“(Defensive coordinator Steve) Belichick is a mastermind when it comes to play calling and giving us the responsibility to put our own futures in our own hands, being able to make the plays that he wants us to make and doing the things that we have to do to get ourselves better,” Tunuufi said. “I mean, Belichick has done a really, really nice job giving us the opportunity to just play free, like be able to do what we want.”

With Michigan facing second-and-10 on its own 31-yard line, quarterback Jack Tuttle dropped back to pass and tried to escape the pocket with a run up the middle, but Tunuufi chased him down and punched the ball free for UW junior Logan Sagapolu to fall on at the 32-yard line.

“I was trying to pass rush, trying to get off (the block),” Tunuufi said. “I (saw) him come up climbing through the through the B-gap. I just retraced my steps and tried to put my fist as fast as I can through the ball.”

Tunuufi’s play helped shift the momentum back in UW’s favor after quarterback Will Rogers had just thrown his first interception of the season to give Michigan the ball.

“It was a huge play,” Fisch said. “(The) defense responded and we needed them to respond. … That was an awesome play and really changed the momentum.”

Running back Jonah Coleman ripped off a run down to the Wolverines’ 5-yard on the next play and punched in the go-ahead score from inside the 1 two plays later to go up 24-17 with 6 minutes, 22 seconds left.

“At that time, it was a tight game, so we knew we had to do something with the ball or something on defense in order to give our offense a chance,” Tunuufi said.

On Michigan’s next drive, Fabiculanan dove in front of standout Michigan tight end Colston Loveland to intercept a Tuttle pass at the Michigan 41-yard line.

Huskies kicker Grady Gross sealed the game six plays later with a 32-yard field goal to go up 27-17 with 1:06 left.

Those plays ended what was a standout day overall for UW’s defense.

The Huskies allowed 287 yards of total offense and held the Wolverines to their second-lowest scoring output of the season.

That came with Michigan changing things up on UW by switching quarterbacks on its third drive of the game. After the Huskies bottled up the run game early and made it clear Michigan was going to need to move the ball through the air, the Wolverines switched from starter Alex Orji to Tuttle on the third drive.

However, that was something the Huskies were ready to face.

“I think that we felt that there was always a possibility that, if we were able to stop the run, that there was going to be an opportunity that they might go to the guy that they ran a little more balanced attack (with) and they were more willing to throw (with),” Fisch said. “So when they went to him in the third series, we talked real quickly. I really just kind of clicked over and said to Steve, ‘We’re all good now, we know what we got. We know they’re probably going to second quarterback the rest of the way,’ and Steve felt really good about it.”

Tuttle gave the Huskies a little trouble initially, leading Michigan to scores (two touchdowns, one field goal) on three of its first four drives, including scrambling around and avoid pressure to find  Loveland for an 8-yard TD pass that put the Wolverines up 17-14 at the 8:38 mark of the third quarter. But UW buckled down and only allowed 39 yards the rest of the way.

“For the most part, there’s two different game plans that we have for the two different quarterbacks,” Tunuufi said. “But it was a shock for a little bit knowing that the two quarterbacks that they have … were very different players. It was definitely a shock, but once we got a handle of it, it was easy. It wasn’t nothing that we weren’t prepared for.”

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