The Washington Huskies have had problems dealing with mobile quarterbacks who can scramble outside of the pocket and make plays with their legs when they don’t have any options downfield. Washington State has a great example of one of those players in quarterback John Mateer, who rushed for 197 yards in the Cougars’ Week Two win over Texas Tech.
But under Jedd Fisch, the Huskies have a new defensive coordinator in Steve Belichick, who has prepared for some of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the history of the sport during his days with the New England Patriots, like Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills and Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens.
Linebacker Carson Bruener said he could see some of that NFL influence as the Huskies prepare to take on the Cougars in the Apple Cup.
“I got a chance to see that a little bit while I was watching film with him,” Bruener said. “But I feel like the biggest thing with him is he’s been around the game for a while, and he’s called plays for a while. I’ve put my full trust in him, in his play-calling and ability, and the schemes he’s been able to implement into our defense.”
“I know I can go into this week, and really, whatever he wants to throw out there for this week, there might be something where I’ll be like, ‘Huh, why are we doing this?’ But at the end of the day, I put that aside because he’s a good ass coach, to be honest, and I have full trust in him.”
Through two weeks, Belichick’s defense has earned the trust of everyone on Washington’s roster, as the Huskies are one of six groups in the country that haven’t allowed a touchdown.