Washington

Denzel Boston’s big day helps Washington beat No. 23 Illinois and match its 2024 win total – IPM Newsroom

Published

4 months ago

October 25, 2025

Denzel Boston’s big day helps Washington beat No. 23 Illinois and match its 2024 win total – IPM Newsroom

SEATTLE (AP) — Given his youth quarterback experience, Denzel Boston said it almost felt natural to drop back to pass.

Boston, who played quarterback for six years when he was younger, threw and caught a touchdown pass, and finished with career highs of 10 catches and 153 receiving yards to lead Washington to a 42-25 victory over No. 23 Illinois on Saturday.

“That’s who he is,” coach Jedd Fisch said. “I think he’s one of the best receivers in the country. And we’ve continued to find ways to get him the ball, and we’ll always continue to do that.”

Boston, who entered the game 10th in the Big Ten in receiving yards, put the Huskies (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) up for good at 21-17 with a 12-yard TD pass to Jonah Coleman on a trick play with 40 seconds remaining in the first half.

“He’s a baller, everybody knows that,” quarterback Demond Williams Jr. said. “He continues to show that every week.”

Williams, who tossed four touchdown passes, threw a backward pass to Boston. The junior wideout promptly threw the ball across the field to a wide-open Coleman, allowing Washington to head into halftime with a lead it would not relinquish.

“It was certainly nice to see Denzel take that one and run with it and throw the ball there to Jonah,” Fisch said. “All that was really good.”

The Huskies led 14-3 after the first quarter thanks to a pair of 13-yard receiving touchdowns by Dezmen Roebuck. The Fighting Illini (5-3, 2-3) struck twice in the second quarter and took a 17-14 lead on a 5-yard touchdown pass by Luke Altmyer to Tanner Arkin.

After Arkin’s touchdown catch, though, Washington outscored Illinois 28-8. It was the Huskies’ second win against a Top 25 team under Fisch; Washington beat No. 10 Michigan 27-17 at home last season.

The Fighting Illini, meanwhile, lost for the third time in five weeks after a 3-0 start to the year in which they were ranked as high as No. 9 in the nation.

“It was great to get a win against a Top 25 team,” Fisch said. “They’re a very good football team. They won 10 games last year.”

Washington’s sixth victory matched the Huskies’ total number of wins from the 2024 campaign, which was Fisch’s first at Washington.

“It’s great that we got six wins,” Boston said. “We got many more to go.”

3rd down thriving

The Huskies entered the contest 14th in the Big Ten in third-down conversion rate during conference play, having succeeded on just 15 of 43 attempts. But on Saturday, Washington converted nine of 11 third-down opportunities.

Fisch credited Washington’s success to how the offense fared on first and second down.

“I think the biggest thing is we weren’t in a lot of third-and-longs,” Fisch said.

Ballhawk dogs

Seven games into first-year defensive coordinator Ryan Walters’ tenure, Washington ranked 69th nationally in turnovers created with eight. The Huskies generated two of them on Saturday, both coming on interceptions of Altmyer by cornerback Tacario Davis and safety Rahshawn Clark.

A jovial Fisch described that development as “awesome”.

“Takeaways are huge,” Fisch said. “I told them all week long, you get zero takeaways, you’ve got about a 25% chance to win…It was a good day in taking the ball away.”

The takeaway

Illinois: The Fighting Illini defense, which was ranked 73rd in the country in total defense heading into the game, struggled mightily against Washington’s offense. The Huskies scored on all six of their red zone opportunities, and just two of their eight drives did not end in a touchdown.

Washington: Coleman increased his career high for rushing touchdowns in a season with his 13th of the year. The senior running back has 15 total touchdowns this season to lead the Huskies in scoring.

Up next

Illinois: Hosts Rutgers on Nov. 1.

Washington: At Wisconsin on Nov. 8.

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Washington

Utah Starts Road Trip with Win in Washington | Utah Mammoth

Published

11 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Utah Starts Road Trip with Win in Washington | Utah Mammoth

Both of Utah’s power play units scored in the win. Sergachev scored his 10^th goal of the season on the power play 13 and a half minutes into the first period. Peterka scored his 21^st of the season, on the man-advantage, in the final two minutes of the middle frame.

Peterka has three power play goals in the 2025-26 campaign while Sergachev has matched a career-high with five power play goals this season. Overall, Utah’s power play has scored six goals in the last six games. That output matches the Mammoth’s total from their previous 18 games (per Mammoth PR). Tourigny discussed what’s changed with the team’s performance in recent games.

“(The) puck gets in,” Tourigny laughed. “But, no, I think there’s a number of things. The most important thing is we’re aggressive. We’re attacking.

“…If you look at our goal, the first one, it’s a direct play to the net and then on the loose puck recovery we take a shot with traffic and we score,” Tourigny continued. “On the second one, it’s a slot pass, a great shot by (Peterka). I think we had that attack mindset.”

Guenther, who is on the Mammoth’s top power play unit, agreed with Tourigny’s assessment of attacking more.

“I think just attacking, less predictable,” Guenther explained. “Shooting it more, I think (it is) just work really. Trying to play like a 5-on-5 mindset but on the (power play).”

The Mammoth made several line changes for tonight’s game and the new lines started to find chemistry, despite it being the first game with these changes.

“I like them,” Tourigny said of the changes. “Obviously (Guenther) got a goal, but Cooley’s line was really good. I was looking at the expected goals at the end, I think they were above 90%. So that’s pretty, pretty awesome. Then I think (Barrett Hayton’s) line worked really hard. They’re heavy on pucks and they play well defensively. I did like (Michael Carcone’s) line in (the) previous three games, and I did like them again tonight.”

When Washington pushed back with a power play goal and multiple close chances in the third period, Utah fought hard against the momentum swing to secure the win.

“I thought we did a pretty good job,” Keller explained. “Weathering the storm as much as we could. They’re a great veteran team. They made it hard on us. They pressured us all over the ice, but I was proud of the way we fought there towards the end.”

Utah’s bench was positive and calm throughout the game, especially late in the third. This helped the Mammoth through the momentum swings. Keller, who had two assists in the win, was one of the key voices for the Mammoth.

“He’s one of the guys who was really positive on the bench,” Tourigny explained. “(All the players) were but (Keller) was really vocal. He was really good energy on the bench. So that was really good.”

Additional Notes from Tonight (per Mammoth PR)

Guenther had two points in the win (1G, 1A) and the forward has earned a team-high nine points (5G, 4A) through six road games in 2026. He has become the third Mammoth skater to reach the 50-point mark this season (28G, 23A) and established a new career-high in goals.

Sergachev has 18 power play points this season (5G, 13A) and is tied with Keller for the team lead this season.

Keller has recorded multiple primary assists in a game for the seventh time this season and the 27^th time in his NHL career. He has now tallied multiple points in four of his last six contests (2G, 8A), with three multi-assist outings over that span.

The Mammoth continue their five-game road trip in Philadelphia on Thursday night. Game time is 5 p.m. MT and available to watch on Mammoth+ and Utah16.

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Washington

Commanders 2026 Mock Draft Madness 5.0

Published

23 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

The views and opinions expressed in this article do not reflect the opinion of the team.

In anticipation of the 2026 NFL Draft, which will be held April 23 – 25 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, here’s a compilation of various league experts’ predictions about what the Washington Commanders will do with the No. 7 overall pick. Check back weekly until the draft for more updates.

Expert: Nate Davis, USA Today

Selection: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State (March 2)

Analysis: Is he the best defender in this draft? Arguably. Can he play exceptionally in the slot, box or center field? Yep. And Washington could need a leader who can make plays behind the line given the potential departure of LB Bobby Wagner, who will be 36 next season, in free agency.

Expert: Brent Sobleski, Bleacher Report

Selection: Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami (March 2)

Analysis: At Miami last season, he was easily one of the top two or three players in all of college football. He has explosive power and quickness to work up and down the line of scrimmage. His play is everything a team wants in a high first-round selection.

Expert: Jordan Reid, ESPN

Selection: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State (March 3)

Analysis: Downs is one of the smartest football players I’ve ever studied. His football IQ, versatility on the back end and sure tackling ability make him a worthy selection at this spot even though a safety hasn’t been drafted in the top 10 since 2017 (Jamal Adams). Washington gave up a lot of explosive passing plays last season, with opponents averaging 8.1 yards per attempt (third worst in the NFL). The Commanders also had a mere eight interceptions in 2025, which was the fourth worst in the league. Downs could help them improve in both areas.

Expert: Lance Zierlein, NFL.com

Selection: Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami (March 2)

Analysis: This pick would fade the historical norm for edge defenders with shorter arms, but Bain can rush the passer and is a block destructor against the run. Just a damn-good football player.

Expert: Jaime Eisner, The Draft Network

Selection: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State (March 2)

Analysis: Sonny Styles is the kind of dynamic player the Commanders desperately need on the second level. He offers a rare combination of energy, versatility, and pass-rush ability. The fact that he’s already excelled as the green dot for Ohio State proves he has the leadership and high football IQ to be an instant starter and the commander of the Washington defense. Styles wowed with his measurables and athleticism at the NFL Combine.

Expert: Nate Tice and Charles McDonald

Selection: David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech (March 2)

Analysis: As tempting as it will be to add an offensive player of some kind here, with tasty options at offensive line, wide receiver, tight end and running back, the Commanders instead add firepower to a defense that has to get faster, younger and just straight up better. Bailey is an explosive pass rusher who is constantly attacking offensive tackles. He will never be a strong run defender, but he has long arms (measured at 33 ¾ inches at the combine) and has improved in that area. Bailey is the exact type of talent injection this defense needs.

Expert: Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports

Selection: Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State (March 2)

Analysis: Could Reese fall to No. 7? It seems like a long shot, but if the Bills trade up for a WR, things can get interesting quickly. This is a best-case scenario for the Commanders, who have to upgrade their pass rush.

Expert: Trevor Sikkema, Pro Football Focus

Selection: Rueben Bain, EDGE, Miami (March 2)

Analysis: Bain measured in with short arms (sub-31 inches), but we already knew that would happen. That doesn’t change his tape or the fact that he is one of the top three-down defensive linemen in the class. He would immediately be the biggest difference maker on the Commanders’ defensive line after racking up the most pressures (83) in college football this past season.

Expert: Henry McKenna, FOX Sports

Selection: Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State (Feb. 26)

Analysis: Dan Quinn was in Dallas when the Cowboys had the inspired idea to convert Micah Parsons into a pass-rusher. Can Quinn do it again with Reese?

Expert: Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News

Selection: David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech (March 2)

Analysis: The Commanders should be prepared to jump on Bailey should he fall here after his freakish athletic profile was on display at the Combine. Dan Quinn needs this level of dynamic pass rusher who also has rare dropback coverage skills outside.

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Washington

Tulip Day Washington draws buzz as sign-up site goes down

Published

2 days ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

WASHINGTON – Coming up this month, spring’s most colorful new event: Tulip Day Washington.

What we know:

On March 15, 2026, Tulip Day Washington will transform DC’s National Mall into a vibrant tulip-picking garden beautiful views of U.S. Capitol

This one-day event will take place from 11:15 AM – 4:15 PM, offering a floral showcase of approximately 150,000 tulips; visitors are invited to pick their choice of 10 tulips for free upon arrival.

Dig deeper:

The registration site for Tulip Day is currently down, showing users “This site is currently unavailable. If you’re the owner of this website, please contact your hosting provider to get this resolved.”

Users on social media say the event may be sold out.

Check tulipday.eu for updates.

The backstory:

The event is organized by the Embassy of the Netherlands and Royal Anthos, a Dutch trade association, in honor of America’s 250th birthday. The display of tulips will be in the shape of the number 250.

The bulbs come from the Netherlands, but are being grown in Virginia and New Jersey.

These won’t be the first tulips on the National Mall, however. The Floral Library, also known as the Tulip Library, features 93 beds of flowers near the Tidal Basin. The Floral Library was established in 1969, and is maintained by the National Park Services. These flowers, though, are to be enjoyed only – not to be picked.

Things To Do in the DMVNewsWashington, D.C.

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