Ahead of Rutgers’ road test with Washington, we caught up with Mark Schafer of SBNation’s UW Dawg Pound to ask some questions about their team.
1. This is the second year with Jedd Fisch at the helm after
going to the national championship with Kalen Deboer, who is now at Alabama. What direction do you see his program going in, and do you think you can reach a similar height with him as HC?
I see a program on the upswing, after a true rebuild last year (the first one that I can
remember since Steve Sarkisian took over the program in 2009). I give Coach Fisch a lot
of credit for the job he did. He took a roster with 1 returning starter on defense and
guided it to a bowl berth and a perfect 6-0 record at home. As for reaching the heights
that Deboer did, that I don’t know. He’s an elite recruiter, but some of the things that he
didn’t do well in the first year (penalties, red zone playcalling) have carried over into year
two, which is frustrating. I think the Huskies are a year away, provided they can get edge
help and an elite receiver in the transfer portal. If they can do that then they can vault into
the upper echelon of the conference. Whether or not that translates into national
championships, I don’t know but I know that the Huskies are a program that should be a
contender.
2. The Washington offense is led by freshman Demond Williams in the passing game and Jonah Coleman in the running game. Do you think that this game will be more of a mix offensively, or will Washington lean heavily on one option?
I think Coach Fisch takes care to have a more multiple approach on offense. I think he’ll
lean on what’s working and stick with it, something that we’ve done multiple times
throughout the year. This is a pro style attack with a lot of different formations and
concepts to keep the defense off balance, and we’ve got a lot of weapons to use in a
variety of situations. Aside from Williams and Coleman, we also have Denzel Boston, a
true possession receiver, who is tall and agile and a great route runner, with some of the
best hands in college football. Dezmen Roebuck is also a great WR2 and only a
Freshman at that. His agility and speed mean that he’s very good at getting separation
from opposing defenses. Decker Degraaf is an awesome safety valve at tight end, one
who’s been under-utilized to this point, but hopefully his usage picks up because he’s
incredibly athletic for his size.
3. The Huskie defense was able to hold Ohio State’s offense in check for most of the game and had another strong outing against Maryland the week after. What are you seeing that is allowing this defense to perform at a high level?
The secret to this defense is keeping contain and not allowing the offense to get the big
play. Some offenses were able to exploit holes in DC Ryan Walters’ scheme and hit those
backbreakers, but the defense has stood tall and met the moment in spite of injuries to
key position (cornerback and edge rusher). I have been critical of the defense at times,
but down the stretch, it’s rounding into form. The linebackers have been who I’m most
impressed with, as their ability to fly to the guy with the ball and get stops are the reason
why the Huskies won their game against Maryland last week. We’ll see if that continues
this week, or if they get their starting corner back, but I have been pleasantly surprised,
considering how banged up this defensive unit is.
4. What tier of bowl game do you see Washington land in at the end of the season, assuming they make one?
I think the Huskies will make a bowl game, and it’ll be a post-Christmas Bowl.
Something like the Alamo Bowl, which would be in line with my prediction of an 8-4
record. I’ve seen projections of the LA Bowl, which would also be fun, but I think the
Alamo would be a better projection for where the program is headed right now.
5. What is your score prediction for this game?
The home crowd, the night environment, all tilt toward the Huskies. The players who
were there last year no doubt remember what it was like to lose to Rutgers, after
outgaining them in terms of yardage. This is not the same Scarlet Knights team, but they
are not one to be underestimated. I think it’ll be close, but a couple scores from the
Huskies late means they’ll have avenged their loss from last year. UW-28, Rutgers-21.
