The Washington Huskies’ 40-16 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes was eye-opening for plenty of reasons. They were beaten in every sense of the word by a stronger, more physical, better-coached team, and even though the Huskies have plenty of talent, the reality of a possible 6-6 team coming off a run to the national championship in 2023 set in.
After not just appearing in the national championship but going 25-3 over the last two seasons, the bar at Washington has been raised, and especially now that the Huskies are members of the Big Ten, that no longer feels acceptable.
That has put Jedd Fisch in a tough position.
With nearly 50 new players on the roster from last year’s team, he’s been asked to have immediate success, and now at the bye week, where the head coach can look back and assess his first seven games at the helm of his new program, there’s a lot to discuss.
He should be looking at a 6-1 team that, as he said before the Huskies beat Michigan, is “one of the best stories in college football” that ground out gritty victories against tough, well-coached Washington State and Rutgers teams before running into Iowa. But, due to self-inflicted wounds like penalties, special teams woes, and poor execution in the red zone, the Huskies are 4-3.
“I think I know what our team is, I think I know who our team is, but our team is a work in progress, and everything we’re trying to do is to set ourselves up for our future and create our identity now that will enable to continue on, recruit players through this identity, bring players in from the transfer portal through this identity, and have players that are playing on the 2024 team be proud of what they established,” Fisch said after the Iowa loss.
And as cloudy as that identity may be, Fisch’s plans remain clear. On offense, the head coach and playcaller wants a balanced, explosive unit that can make plays both on the ground and in the air. He’s established that.
The Huskies have outgained their opponents in every single game this season and rank No. 27 in the nation, averaging 452.7 yards per contest. Yet, due to Washington’s inability to score touchdowns in the red zone, with 14 scores in 28 trips inside the opposing 20-yard line, they’re averaging 24.1 points per game, which has them sitting at No. 99 in the country.
With some better play calling and execution, that number could shoot up in the future.
Defensively, coordinator Steve Belichick has installed an elite scheme that was simply overpowered by arguably the second-best running back in the nation at Iowa. Despite that 40-point stinker, the Huskies still hold the nation’s No. 9 defense in terms of yards allowed (266.3) and No. 18 in points allowed (17).
Washington’s defense has established it can be one of the best in the Big Ten.
On both sides of the ball, those numbers represent very solid building blocks, at the very least. When adding in exciting young players like quarterback Demond Williams Jr., running back Adam Mohammed, and wide receiver Denzel Boston on offense, along with linebacker Khmori House, edge rusher Isaiah Ward, and others on defense, there are some great pieces to work with on the roster too.
Combined with the upside on the roster, Fisch’s coaching staff has plenty of players both in the trenches and at skill positions waiting in the wings in its No. 19 ranked 2025 recruiting class, some of whom look like they could contribute right away. That includes four-star prospects like linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, cornerback Dylan Robinson, wide receivers Chris Lawson and Raiden Vines-Bright, and tight ends Vander Ploog and Baron Naone.
The pieces in 2024 and beyond are there for Fisch, and his vision is clear, even though there have been plenty of growing pains. Now, it will be on the head coach to look inward and make the necessary adjustments for the Huskies to reach their potential.