Penn State and Washington are meeting for the second time and for the second time, we had the pleasure of getting great answers from Mark Schafer over at UW Dawg Pound. Go check out their site – I sent over some answers myself previewing this weekend’s game. Read all the way to the end, too. Mark made a prediction!
- I have to start with Demond Williams since he made an appearance against Penn State two years ago and there were so many good vibes about him. Then, there was the portal debate of this offseason and then an injury. He came back on Saturday night in the fourth quarter to help the Huskies steal the game against Nebraska. What are those vibes like now amongst Washington fans and their mercurial quarterback and what do you expect from him this weekend?
You’re right, the vibes were good two years ago. The portal fiasco of this offseason soured those vibes, but great, dynamic QB play would’ve made it easier to swallow. Unfortunately, that
did not transpire, as Williams has looked off for basically the entire season. He’s seemed more hesitant, as if he’s consistently looking for a big play. Then the rib injury happened, Elijah Brown came in and looked okay in his stead through 2 games (good against Purdue, even with 3 picks, not good against Nebraska) but it was clear that this offense needed an injection of electricity. Demond provided that, even while exhibiting some of the same flaws that have plagued him this season. I’d say that the vibes are better among fans after stealing one on the road, but I don’t know what we’re going to get out of him this weekend. I hope that his time on the bench, watching Brown be an experienced, steady presence has helped him (especially in getting the ball out quicker), but I don’t know what to expect. I hope it’s better than what we’ve seen, because if he’s on, his dynamic ability puts the Huskies in the best position to win.
- Staying with the offense, I know I’ve read on your site that there have been some injuries that have impacted this offense. What will Washington try to do to attack a Penn State defense that has been weak against the run and doesn’t have much of a pass rush?
The injuries have been particularly brutal on the running backs and centers. To start, Quaid Carr suffered an injury that necessitated season ending surgery, and RB2 Jayden Limar missed 7 games with a shoulder injury suffered in that same Apple Cup, only coming back this past Saturday against Nebraska. To fill in, UW has had to rely on true Freshman Brian Bonner (who looks better and better every game, but still lacks the vision of a true RB1) and Trey Cooley (the transfer who didn’t play last year at Troy due to injury, but was pretty productive at Louisville and Georgia Tech). Cooley hasn’t been particularly productive this year, with only 170 yards and 1 touchdown on the year. That could also be due to the absence of Landen Hatchett, who was out for much of the year, dealing with a broken wrist. He played one game against Purdue, before announcing that he had a head, neck and spine injury that will cause him to miss the rest of the year. That leaves Kolt Dietrich to play center in his place. Dietrich is not a natural center and was recruited to play tackle. But he has played center in every game this season and the lack of experience has kind of reared its head. Let’s hope that these setbacks don’t show up too much in Saturday’s game.
As for how they’ll try to attack, I would expect to see a heavy diet of passing to Chris Lawson, Dezmen Roebuck and Baron Naone, who have been the best pass catchers so far this year. This is a pro style offense, and as such, a lot of the passes are short and allow the pass catchers to make plays after the catch, something Chris Lawson did to win the game last week in Lincoln! As far as the run game, I’d expect more of a balanced attack, with Demond Williams, Bonner, and Cooley all getting carries. However, an interesting wrinkle that I am a fan of is when the offense puts wide receivers, like Lawson and Dezmen Roebuck in the backfield. This is due to the aforementioned injuries, but it’s a way to keep the defense off balance nevertheless.
- Let’s shift over to the defense. How have they played and what will they try to do to slow Penn State’s offense – which typically slows itself.
The defense has so far played fairly well. But “fairly well” is a slight disappointment, considering that this was supposed to be a top ten defense, according to preseason hype. They didn’t play great against Iowa or Minnesota and seemingly got pushed around in both games. They also commit way too many penalties and sometimes can’t get out of their own way, giving up the big play. With a man-heavy scheme, expect a lot of cover one and physical pass coverage from the back end, which is where the best players on this defense are. Safety Alex McLaughlin is the leading tackler, and the hero last week, getting a clutch pick six in the final minute to make it a 2-possession game. He’s seemingly in on every play, and has been for the two years he’s been at UW. Emmanuel Karnley is a good corner, who brings experience to a position that needs it, he had an athletic interception last week after missing a few games. Jeron Jones and Rylon Dillard Allen are young but already show a lot of potential. Dylan Robinson is a promising young nickel, who has accrued 35 tackles, 4 pass breakups and an interception. Outside of the secondary, the linebackers, especially Jacob Manu, rack up a lot of tackles and really fly around the field, and the D-line gets their fair share of pass breakups and does a good job in stuffing the run.
- Speaking from the outside here, but it seems that Washington has had a disappointing season – just like we’ve had here in Happy Valley. What has gone wrong this season and what do the Huskies need to do to salvage the season? Similarly, what are the long term prospects for Jedd Fisch’s team bouncing back next year?
It has been a disappointing season, especially in the context of preseason hype. This was supposed to be the year in which the Huskies take the next big stride in getting to the CFP. Instead, they’ve been banged up and not playing like you’d expect a team with a 3rd year head coach to play. I think we can pin a lot of it on injury (the Huskies’ RB1 Jordan Washington was ruled out for the year with a neck injury in the spring, so we’ve been working with backups for a lot of the year), but that’s no excuse, considering that the O-Line was supposed to be a strength. With the exception of center, they’ve been fairly healthy, and still unable to generate any kind of push up front. Lawson is the only receiver that’s been able to get any separation, and Demond Williams, for all his athleticism, has regressed from last year in his ability as a quarterback. Still, the season is salvageable, and that starts with a win at home on Saturday to get to 6 wins. I see one more win, maybe, and that’s at Michigan State. Regardless, this season has been regarded as a disappointment and that will remain the case unless they win out. Next year, I think some staffing adjustments need to be made, namely hiring an offensive coordinator to help with game planning, and maybe getting a different offensive line coach. Aside from that, keeping the young wide receivers needs to be priority number one, and then upgrading the running back position with a true RB1 needs to be next on the list. But I think the most important priority is upgrading at quarterback. There’s a pervasive sense among fans that this is Demond’s last year at UW before he departs for extra money. If and when that happens, there needs to be a concerted effort to get a pro style quarterback who can get the ball out quicker. With all those in place, this could be a team that’s ready to compete, but those are tough to achieve, so I don’t know what this team will look like next year.
- Washington has never beaten Penn State. The two teams haven’t played in Seattle in more than 100 years. What do you think happens on Saturday?
I think a game at the friendly confines of Husky Stadium will really help these Dawgs get back on track, at least from a confidence standpoint. Offensively, I do think that Demond Williams’ dual threat ability should keep them in this game, but there’s always a chance that his ugly tendencies come out and he makes mistakes. Look for Chris Lawson to have another big game, and don’t be surprised if the defense forces Penn State into a couple of mistakes. If they can do that, then the Huskies should win this one.
Washington-24, Penn State-10
