It was a solid win for the Dawgs on Saturday as they dismantled Purdue 49-13 at home. Let’s hand out some grades!
Pass Offense-8/10
Quarterbacks-9/10
Pass Block-8.5/10
Receivers-8/10
Demond had a sensational bounce-back game, looking more like his old self, as he went 16/19
for 257 yards and 2 touchdowns, tying his season best PFF passing grade with a 91.5. The line as a whole also excelled by PFF metrics, posting a 89.3 grade, and only allowing 3 pressures all game. The receivers were also very solid, with Decker Degraaf hauling in 5 passes for 91 yards, and Audric Harris and Dezmen Roebuck both catching touchdowns. Overall, it was the kind of solid statistical performance indicative of a bounce back for the pass game, and once again a steady passing line for Demond Williams!
Rush Offense-8.5/10
Running Backs-9/10
Run Blocking-8/10
PFF didn’t really like the run blocking, but I did because it showed how solid the pieces are around our running backs, namely John Mills’ versatility and Quentin Moore’s power. Strangely, they weren’t kind to Mills (he posted only a 55.9 PFF grade). In terms of actually toting the rock, Jordan Washington (108 rushing yards, touchdown), graded out the highest at 88.2. His home run speed will no doubt be fun to watch in the coming years, provided that he sticks with the program. Adam Mohammed also posted a solid 74.7 grade, with 48 of his 59 yards coming after contact, and 3 touchdowns! He continues to show flashes of his RB1 potential, and I for one, am excited to watch his continuing development!
Pass Defense-7.5/10
Pass Rush-6/10
Secondary-7.5/10
A solid game from Zach Durfee keeps this grade from being lower, but that’s expected from our pass defense at this point in time. Both Durfee and Bryce Butler got 4 pressures, with Durfee recording the game’s only sack. In the secondary, Ephesians Prysock got a pass breakup, and Purdue’s QBs were 1/4 on passes thrown his way, with Zaydrius Rainey-Sale recording an interception where he extended in the air for the ball! The one knock I could get on this secondary was the senior Prysock getting an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, but other than that, there were no glaring issues with coverage from what I could see!
Rush Defense-9/10
The numbers tell a good story for Husky fans: 100 total yards on 30 carries, with the leading rusher (Antonio Harris) only averaging 2.3 yards per carry. That’s a good number, you’ll take that every week! That averaged out to a team grade of 91.4 according to PFF, the Huskies’ high watermark on the season. The defense as a unit only missed 1 tackle, successfully making 26 total on run plays. Linebacker Xe’ree Alexander graded out the highest, according to PFF, posting a 90.4, thanks to his 4 tackles on the day. Overall it was a very good day from a unit that has shown steady improvement, apart from a few bumps here and there.
Special Teams-8/10
Punter Luke Dunne punted twice for 88 yards, both times going over 40 yards with a long of 45 with no punts inside the 20, for a PFF grade of 61. Grady Gross made all 7 of his extra points, continuing to be almost automatic in that regard, and kickoff specialist Ethan Moczulski had only 3 of his 8 total kickoffs returned, continuing to be a revelation at the position. Overall, solid execution made this a special teams game to be ignored, and that’s a good thing!
Coaching-9/10
I’m going to be honest with you guys, this was a very well coached game. Jedd called a good game, the team stayed focused and composed for the most part, and the Huskies did what they needed to do to secure a victory, even if it was against a now 2-9 Purdue squad. But the penalties continued to be a nagging, if relatively minor issue. The Huskies had 4 penalties for 50 yards and a lost fumble, though the lost fumble was probably more down to the o-line shuffling, and it didn’t hurt them in the long run. Regardless, it was our only blemish, and one of the reasons why this is only a 9 and not a 10.
