While the start to the season certainly hasn’t lived up to the expectations that the Washington Huskies had in mind, it hasn’t been all bad. While being sluggish on offense, most notably up front and in the run game, the offensive line is only going to get healthier and more experienced, as center Landen Hatchett is set to return soon and freshman left tackle Kodi Greene continues to get comfortable at left tackle.
The same message goes for the running back room, as transfer Trey Cooley and freshmen Brian Bonner Jr. and Ansu Sanoe began practicing with the first team for the first time since arriving on Montlake.
On Thursday, Jedd Fisch pointed out some of the positives that he’s noticed through the first couple of weeks of the season. One of the talking points was a sense of composure in the fourth quarter, especially on the offensive side of the ball. In both the Apple Cup and against Utah State, the Huskies found themselves in one-possession games during the fourth quarter.
Although that’s not a situation that the team, nor its fans, prefer to be in, Fisch praised his squad’s ability to perform under pressure.
“We weren’t very good last year in close games,” Fisch said. “When you look at the four games that we didn’t win, it was 7-6 at halftime against Ohio State, 7-7 against Michigan, 7-3 or 10-3 against Wisconsin, and then 14-7 against Oregon. In both of these games, while they were closer than we would’ve wanted them to be, it showed our staff that we had some resilience and that we didn’t panic; we went down, we didn’t panic, and when we had the lead, we didn’t panic. And those are things we want to build off. We also know that we’re one of seven teams in college football that played two bowl teams back-to-back to start the season off from last year, and we’re glad that we’re 2-0 right now.”
The Huskies are heavy favorites for the third consecutive week, as they prepare to take on FCS opponent Eastern Washington at 4:15 p.m. PT this Saturday. While being 40-plus point favorites speaks to the talent and potential of the roster, the offense has struggled to live up to its full potential, averaging just 20 points a game and an average margin of victory of seven. Fisch and company are looking to change that narrative this weekend.
Defensively, Ryan Walters’ scheme couldn’t be much more productive. Washington currently ranks No. 4 in the nation in havoc rate while boasting the third-highest turnover margin in the FBS. While the defense has certainly been stout, it has allowed some late scores that have flipped the pressure back to the offense. The Huskies have allowed just seven points combined in the first three quarters of their first two games, as opposed to the 17 combined points allowed in fourth quarters.
Not only will the Huskies have to showcase the ability to win big when it’s expected of them, but they will have to prove their ability to perform in crunch time against much tougher opponents. With four ranked opponents still on the schedule, and three of them being played at home, Fisch and his team will look to shift the narrative when it comes to closing out games against top-tier Big Ten competition.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Jedd Fisch Points to Late Game Composure As Area of Improvement
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