What did nonconference play tell us about the Washington Huskies?

What we learned from the first three games of the Jedd Fisch era.

Photo courtesy of UW Football.

The Washington Huskies entered this season — and the Jedd Fisch era — as such a mystery that it seemed every snap of nonconference play might teach us something about what kind of team this is going to be.

Then again, games against Weber State and Eastern Michigan might not be the very best barometer, and Washington’s deflating, 24-19 loss to Washington State sent mixed signals.

So Washington brings a 2-1 record into Saturday’s Big Ten opener against Northwestern. 

What did we learn about the Huskies from nonconference play? 

Jonah Coleman is good

Not exactly breaking news — in fact, we included the talent of the running backs on our short list of things we actually did know before this season started. Coleman’s performance has been eye-opening, regardless. He’s one of four Big Ten players averaging 100-plus yards rushing per game (at 102), and is averaging nearly 7.5 yards per carry. He’s shifty and quick, and a whopping 250 of his 306 yards have come after contact — with 23 missed tackles forced, per Pro Football Focus, a figure that ranks third in FBS.

As running backs coach Scottie Graham said of the 5-foot-9, 229-pound tailback last month: “Lot of ice cream on that cone.”

Will Rogers is steady

Don’t tell me you wouldn’t have taken this nonconference stat line from Washington’s starting quarterback: 64-for-83 (77.1 percent) for 825 yards (9.9 per attempt) with six touchdowns and no interceptions. The Mississippi State transfer ranks third nationally in completion percentage and 10th in passing efficiency. Rogers’ average depth of target is 8.1 yards, per PFF, comparable to the 7.8 averaged by quarterback Noah Fifita at Arizona last season (Michael Penix Jr. finished the 2023 season with an ADOT of 10.7).

Rogers hasn’t been perfect — against both Weber State and Eastern Michigan, it seemed he needed a quarter or so to settle in — and nobody was going to replicate Penix’s playmaking ability. Still, Rogers has mostly been exactly what UW hoped he would be — an efficient, accurate passer who makes good decisions and doesn’t hurt the offense with critical errors. The next step for Rogers will be making those quick decisions and distributing — and avoiding sacks — against Big Ten defenses more likely to apply consistent pressure.

Giles Jackson fits the offense

The next time Rogers throws an incompletion intended for Jackson will be the first. Yes, the sixth-year senior has caught each of his first 24 targets this season, yielding 326 yards, good for ninth nationally. That’s two yards shy of his single-season high of 328 on 28 catches in 2022. Injuries limited the former Michigan transfer to four games last season, and he’s taking advantage of that redshirt year as a featured target for the first time in his career.

His eight-catch, 162-yard performance against WSU established a career high for single-game yardage, and it’s encouraging that Jackson has shown he can be both a deep threat and a productive option in the screen game. He’s averaging 8.0 yards after catch per reception, per PFF.

Penalties have been an issue

As Fisch noted during his Thursday remarks to reporters, the Huskies so far have had two touchdowns wiped out by penalties. They’ve also granted their opponents 12 first downs via penalty. Of course, six of those came against Washington State, a game in which UW committed 16 penalties for 135 yards.

Combine that staggering number with the eight penalties for 100 yards assessed against UW in its win over Eastern Michigan (they committed only six against Weber State), and the Huskies are among the nation’s most penalized teams, ranking 131st  in FBS (out of 134) in penalties and 132nd in penalty yards per game.

Washington finished the 2023 season with more penalties than all but one other FBS program, and things turned out pretty OK for those Huskies. In a vacuum, high penalty numbers don’t have to be a sign of a bad team. But a handful of UW’s Apple Cup infractions impacted the scoreboard, and Fisch surely wants to correct those fouls going forward.

The offensive line is still a question mark

O-line coach Brennan Carroll has started the same five players in each of UW’s first three games, but has rotated plenty in each game. Maximus McCree has stepped in some for Soane Faasolo at left tackle. Landen Hatchett has seen time at guard and center. Starting right tackle Drew Azzopardi has played some on the left side, and starting right guard Enokk Vimahi has played some right tackle.

If you’re into PFF grades, the Huskies’ primary o-linemen have so far graded better at pass blocking than run blocking, with Memmelaar leading in both categories (among regular players). They’ve allowed four sacks in three games, which is fine but not great, and are blocking for a rushing attack averaging 5.5 yards per attempt (though only 4.1 against WSU).

Snaps from center have been an issue at times, and UW’s o-line accounted for three of the team’s four false-start penalties against WSU. A holding penalty on a receiver screen also took a touchdown off the board against Eastern Michigan. You saw WSU’s defensive front generate good push on that fateful fourth-down play. This is going to be a work in progress.

The future is now

This is no surprise, considering Fisch’s established history of playing true freshmen — combined with his repeated, stated desire to do so — but the Huskies are already making use of their 2024 signing class. On offense, quarterback Demond Williams Jr., tight end Decker DeGraaf, running back Adam Mohammed and receiver Audric Harris have appeared in each game, and offensive lineman Paki Finau has appeared in all three games on either offense or special teams. Linebacker Khmori House has played in every game on defense, including his first career start in the Apple Cup, and safety Peyton Waters has appeared in every game on special teams.

Assuming all involved parties remain at Washington, it’s not hard to envision Williams, Mohammed, DeGraaf, Harris and Finau as the core of UW’s offensive future. But they’re already getting chances to impact the 2024 season. DeGraaf has caught two touchdown passes and is third on the team with 104 receiving yards. Mohammed has eight carries for 81 yards. Williams is 9-of-12 for 95 yards passing with one touchdown, has taken eight carries for 69 yards, and has entered each of the last two games for a couple plays in the first half.

Where have you gone, Jeremiah Hunter?

On the one hand, there’s nothing wrong with Giles Jackson (24) and Denzel Boston (23) leading the team in targets.

On the other hand, you can count Hunter’s targets on two hands.

The senior California transfer totaled more than 2,000 receiving yards the past three seasons, but has caught only seven passes on 10 targets through three games at UW. Five of those catches — and six of the targets — came in the Huskies’ 30-9 victory over Eastern Michigan. Otherwise, Rogers has looked Hunter’s way only four times.

Fisch has said the Huskies’ offense isn’t intended to force the ball to any particular receiver, and that Hunter’s time will come. Said Rogers after the Apple Cup: “Obviously, we’re trying to get everybody the ball, and distribute everybody the ball. But there’s little things. We had several busts today.”

The defense looks mostly fine

It didn’t look it in the first half of last week’s loss, as John Mateer ripped off two touchdown runs — including a back-breaking 25-yarder on third-and-20 late in the second quarter — and the Cougars piled up 257 yards of total offense. But the Huskies adjusted, limiting WSU to 124 yards and 5.2 yards per play in the second half, and holding the Cougars to a single touchdown over the final two quarters.

Steve Belichick’s group finished nonconference play tied for seventh in FBS in completion percentage allowed; Mateer is the best quarterback they’ve faced so far, and he completed only 50 percent of his throws. You’ve seen Belichick’s willingness to deploy personnel based on the opposing offense, with House starting last week and playing more than either Zach Durfee or Isaiah Ward, the typical starting edge rushers. 

Run defense is TBD; Weber State and EMU moved the chains with the run early in those games, and WSU hit UW for a few killer chunk plays on the ground, though the Huskies allow only 3.52 yards per carry. The defensive front will have its hands full against bigger, more talented Big Ten opponents who are more insistent on bashing the ball between the tackles, but on the whole, UW’s defense appears relatively sound.

Fun fact

Through three games, Washington is one of three FBS teams to have a qualifying player averaging 100-plus yards rushing and a player averaging 100-plus yards receiving. Mississippi and UCF are the others (Arkansas would make the list, too, but receiver Andrew Armstrong has only played two games).

— Christian Caple, On Montlake