SEATTLE — They began the season with a rivalry game before a sold-out home crowd, and with aspirations to win the nation’s top honor for their position.
And so Michael Switzer, Washington’s offensive line coach, would never have guessed he would be surmising of his group on the Tuesday after the Apple Cup: “The way we played physically was not up to our standard.”
If the foremost concern for the Huskies after their 24-10 victory is dwindling depth at running back, the subpar performance by their offensive line at least makes the list.
Switzer does acknowledge mitigating circumstances.
True freshman Kodi Greene made his first career start at left tackle. Second-year right guard Champ Taulealea made his first career start, too. And Kolt Dieterich, playing every snap at center for Landen Hatchett, had never played the position in a game before. So perhaps some early dysfunction was to be expected.
“But the expectation is the position,” Switzer said, “so to sit there and make excuses for it, we will not. We’ve got to improve greatly, and the guys understand that very clearly, and they understood it before that game was over.”