Passing Offense: 5.5/10
Quarterbacks: 5/10
Pass Protection: 6/10
Receivers: 5.5/10
We start with the pass game. While the numbers were there, Demond struggled to execute on pass plays, though I guess that can be chalked up to scheme instead of a lack of ability. He was great when they were rolling him out and (as I said in an article earlier) I think that’s where he excels. Dezmen Roebuck had about 3 dropped passes which should be something to get cleaned up in practice this week. I also don’t think having Kolt Dietrich start at center
is a good thing, as Landen Hatchett’s experience is proving to be more valuable than first thought. There was some good as Trez Davis and Jordan Clay both caught 4 passes, and should see their roles increase as a result of injuries to Rashid Williams. But overall, I wasn’t impressed enough to give the pass offense anything other than a 5.5. It was just a flat performance all around.
Rushing Offense: 3.5/10
Running Backs: 3/10
Run Blocking: 2.5/10
The Huskies managed 107 yards on 33 carries, good for 3.5 yards per carry. Demond Williams once again led all rushers with 56 yards on 11 carries, but a huge share of that was on scrambles, with a long of 36. The injury situation in the running back room definitely has something to do with the grade, but it seemed once again that there was no push up front, which is where it got very frustrating. With respect to Utah State, they shouldn’t have the front to push around the Huskies, and yet they did. What saves this marginally for me is the touchdown by Ansu Sanoe, the 6 foot, 240 pound Freshman who looks to be a great power back. He looks like a great situational asset who should continue to get better. Maybe even move him to fullback? But the unit as a whole has a long way to go before I even have a modicum of confidence in them. And in the Big Ten, physicality is the whole game. They just looked flat, which was a common theme for the offense!
Pass Defense: 8.75/10
Pass Rush: 8.5/10
Pass Coverage: 8/10
3 sacks (including 2 from Alex McLaughlin, a safety) and 3 interceptions solidified a very good day for the defense. The offense did get a big-hitter touchdown in the form of a 78 yarder off of an RPO, but a 64.1 QBR from Brosterhous is a good barometer of how good this unit is. Granted, it was against Utah State and these performances might not be sustainable against the better offenses in the conference but I was very encouraged by what I saw from the secondary and pass rush!
Run Defense: 9.5/10
The run defense held the Aggies to 75 yards on 29 carries, despite 81 yards from Grady Brosterhous. Most of those came on scrambles, however. When they actually sent him on designed runs (they ran a lot of read options and QB power), the front 7 was able to hold Brosterhous in check, hence the 3.9 yards per carry average. Outside of the Aggie quarterback, both running backs were held to negative yardage. I’d say that’s a job well done!
Special Teams: 6.5/10
Tyler Robles was responsible for 10 of UW’s 16 points, making 3 field goals and 1 extra point, with his longest field goal being 43 yards. You’d like for him to make that kick, especially considering his efficiency at Texas State, but he did just enough to get a good grade from me. Hunter Green was streaky, shanking a couple punts, but also blasting a couple too. He had a long of 59, but finished with an average that was 10 yards lower than last week (40.3). This gave Utah State favorable field position, but the defense was so good that it hardly mattered.
Rahshawn Clark made a few questionable punt return decisions and put the offense in a hole that they couldn’t really get out of, and only managed 1 yard on 2 returns. Overall, I’d rate this better than okay, but not by much!
Coaching: 4.5/10
The Huskies cut their penalties in half from last week, turning in a much cleaner performance on that front, but that meant that Coach Fisch’s play calling was in full focus, and I will tell you, I’ve seen better from him. Something that I’ve had a problem with these past few years whenever he struggles is the thought that he forces players to adapt to his system, rather than adapt the system to fit his players. And when one unit struggles (the offensive line) that magnifies everything. With the injuries too, it’s becoming apparent that we need an adjustment in playcalling somewhere, I just don’t know where it comes from. Offensively, it seems like they’re not executing like they should be able to, and that is making it frustrating.
On the defense, Coach Walters did a good job getting pressure from all over the field, resulting in 3 picks (and 1 fumble recovery that wasn’t). He continues to show that the talent is there, both veteran and otherwise, and it will be interesting to see their growth this season. But there will be times where scoring points will be needed to keep pace and right now, I don’t have the confidence that this offense can do that. There’s plenty of room for improvement, and as such, the next 2 games will be vitally important in assessing where exactly this team is headed!
