Wednesday Dots: Big Uglies

Our hearts were ringin’
In the key that our souls were singin’
As we danced in the night, remember
How the Dots stole the night away

• It’s probably fair to say that the two biggest questions on the UW roster headed into this year were along the two lines. The offensive line performed poorly in ‘24 and was one of the big limiting factors for the team stepping up to a higher level of competition. The defensive line was a bit better, but had to replace several important contributors. Both units had lots of new faces through the transfer portal and even new HS recruits trying to earn playing time. So far, the offensive line has been a very pleasant surprise and the defensive line still has plenty of room for growth. Jedd Fisch said he is encouraged by the development for each unit. His assessment might be a little more optimistic than mine, but with better health from Jayvon Parker and Ellineus Davis, perhaps the rest of the year can be better defensively than what we’ve seen so far.

• Christian Caple posted another behind the scenes video from the road trip to Maryland. The proximity to DC allowed Caple to share some videos of the night tour of the monuments. He also found himself well-placed on the field for some cool moments before and during the game.

• Ryan Walters spoke to the media about the Maryland game and his thoughts about Rutgers coming up in a few short days. The Huskies struggled mightily with the physical Rutgers attack last year. Walters pointed out that they have shown an improved ability to get explosive plays this year. It will be a big game for the aforementioned defensive line to show it can hold up against a team that wants to grind out the game.

• It was a good weekend for both Huskies Soccer teams. The Men’s team has posted three consecutive shutouts, which earned them a National Player of the Week honor as well as Conference Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week. The Women’s team also took home three of the four major conference awards for the week.