For most who watched the Apple Cup last weekend, it felt that the only direction the No. 19 Washington Huskies (2-0) offense could go was up; no one really suspected it could get worse.
But that is exactly what happened against the Utah State Aggies (0-2) on Saturday afternoon. Luckily for Washington, like the Apple Cup, it still was able to pull out the victory on the back of its stellar defense, 16-14.
“As an offense we shot ourselves in the foot a lot and when you do stuff like that you just have to understand the game’s going to be close,” quarterback Demond Williams Jr. said.
A different type of sputtering for the offense
On Sunday it was the penalties: 12 for 130 yards. On Saturday against Utah State it was drops, three crucial ones. The first drop came from running back Trey Cooley on a fourth and two at the Utah State 33 yard-line. Not only would Cooley have gotten the first down, but he would’ve waltzed into the end zone untouched.
The other two drops came from an unlikely source: receiver Dezmen Roebuck. Both drops came in the fourth quarter. The first, like Cooley’s, would’ve seen Roebuck cruise into the end zone untouched from the eight-yard line.
The second came late in the quarter after Washington recovered a Utah State onside kick. With a chance to ice the game for good, Williams Jr. rolled out and found Roebuck wide open, but the pass was dropped.
“I thought the drops were a fluke to be honest,” head coach Jedd Fisch said. “I think Dez Roebuck has the best hands of any player I’ve ever been around, other than [Tetairoa McMillan], and they’re equal., so I’ve never seen that happen, so I think that was just a fluke.”
The drop gave Utah State a last-second chance to win the game, but its Hail Mary attempt was picked off by defensive back Rahshawn Clark.
Three drops that could’ve resulted in 14 points did not make Fisch particularly pleased. And to make matters worse, another starting receiver, Rashid Williams, suffered an injury in the first quarter and did not return.
Injuries proved pivotal in thin running back room
True freshman Brian Bonner Jr. received the start at running back on Saturday and certainly looked the part of a true freshman. Bonner finished with just 22 yards on nine attempts. Cooley did not provide much to spell Bonner either, also finishing with 22 yards on seven carries.
Another true freshman, Ansu Sanoe, would be the only UW player to touch the endzone on Saturday, but even he only had five carries for five yards. Williams Jr. was the leading rusher with 11 carries for 56 yards, and 36 came from one scramble at the end of the third quarter.
107 yards and a 3.2 average barely cut it against Utah State and will certainly not cut it against a Big Ten opponent. For Washington, the problem is two-fold. Yes, the running back room is depleted and inexperienced, but the offensive line that received high praise in the off-season has yet to live up to expectations.
“Very frustrating,” Fisch said regarding his evaluation of the run game. “We [averaged] probably two yards per-carry with the backs, so not good enough, so we have to find a way to make it better.”
Defense shines once again
Where would Washington be without its defense? The unit once again finished with a stellar day, forcing three turnovers and racking up three sacks. Outside of a blown coverage that led to a 78-yard Utah State touchdown, the defense played about as well as defensive coordinator Ryan Walters could’ve asked for.
The star of the day was safety Alex McLaughlin. The senior was everywhere for the Huskies, collecting nine tackles, two sacks, and a phenomenal interception in the fourth quarter to halt an Aggie scoring attempt. Along with Clark and McLaughlin, corner Dylan Robinson collected his first career interception.
“I think we made timely plays when we needed to and I’m proud of how we played situational football at the end [of the game],” McLaughlin said.
Next Up
Washington stays home to take on the Eastern Washington Eagles (1-2) on Saturday, September 19 at 4:15 p.m.
- Washington ekes out ugly victory over Utah State
- Husky Head Coach Jedd Fisch looking for defense to lead the charge against well-coached Aggies team
- Offensive preview for Washington’s matchup against Utah State
- Kolsa family takes the Seahawks reins
- Seahawks will begin title defense with a depleted defensive backfield
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