Tag: washington huskies football

There isn’t a single fan who will look back on John Donovan’s brief tenure as the Washington Huskies‘ offensive coordinator fondly. With several future NFL players throughout his group, Washington’s offense averaged just 21.5 points per game, and through 10 games in 2024, the Huskies are mustering 21.8 under coach Jedd Fisch.

After piecing together a largely inexperienced offensive line through the spring transfer window, some growing pains were to be expected in Fisch’s first season. Those growing pains have been more severe than most have expected, as the Huskies have been overpowered up front on several occasions, leading to their 5-5 record.

The biggest difference between the two play callers is that Fisch’s offense has been more effective, averaging 405.5 yards per game compared to 323.4 under Donovan, making the lack of effectiveness in the red zone frustrating.

“We were able to quantify and look at some of the series that kept us from scoring in certain spots down in the red area or getting close to there, some of the penalties that occurred or some of the missed assignments or some of the things we would call differently,” Fisch said after Washington’s bye week. “We looked at the end of the half stuff on defense and looked at some of the run game over the last couple of games. We really almost looked at everything. I watched all of our games; our staff looked at all the games.”

But in the Huskies’ three games since the break, they’ve totaled 17, 26, and 6 points in their three games and haven’t surpassed 30 points in a game since September 7 against Eastern Michigan. Fisch’s offense has a chance to take advantage of a poor UCLA secondary on Friday night but will need to execute on the offensive line in order to keep out of Donovan territory in the scoring column.

Moving forward, the Huskies should show much-needed improvements in the scoring column thanks to a revamped offensive line.

Denzel Boston has burst onto the scene for the Washington Huskies in 2024.

After spending two seasons behind Rome Odunze, the sophomore asserted himself as a star during spring and fall camp, making spectacular catches during seemingly every practice. That has carried over to Washington’s first season in the Big Ten, where Boston has hauled in 55 receptions for 717 yards and 9 touchdowns.

Those numbers are good enough to place him among Big Ten’s elite in every category. He’s tied with Ohio State super freshman Jeremiah Smith for the conference lead in touchdowns while ranking No. 3 in yards and No. 6 in receptions.

An impressive feat for any sophomore in their first year starting, Boston’s numbers are even more jaw-dropping when factoring in the fact that he’s accrued just 126 yards and a single score in Washington’s last three road games combined.

In fact, he hasn’t found the end zone since the Huskies’ 40-16 loss at Iowa, which is also the last time Washington recorded a passing touchdown. Boston has developed into an elite red zone threat thanks to his athleticism, route running, and chemistry with Will Rogers, but due to some struggles along the offensive line, he hasn’t seen a lot of action close to the goal line in recent weeks.

If coach Jedd Fisch wants to find a way to lead Washington to bowl eligibility, he’ll need to find a way to get Boston going against UCLA’s defense, which ranks No. 17 in the Big Ten, allowing 252.8 yards per game.

The Bruins’ run defense has also been excellent, as coach DeShaun Foster’s team ranks No. 3 in the Big Ten, allowing 98.1 yards per game, which should emphasize Boston’s importance on Friday if UCLA sells out to stop running back Jonah Coleman.

When the Washington Huskies take the field on Friday for their matchup with the UCLA Bruins, they’ll be led by offensive linemen like Landen Hatchett and Gaard Memmelaar, who are usually the first players out of the tunnel, alongside…World of Warcraft characters?

On Tuesday morning, Washington, or the “University of Warcraft,” as it will be rebranded for the week, announced a partnership with Blizzard for Friday’s game against UCLA to celebrate the 20th anniversary of World of Warcraft.

“We are thrilled to unite interactive entertainment with the sports industry to celebrate 20 incredible years of World of Warcraft delighting millions of players worldwide,” said Monica Austin, Blizzard Entertainment’s head of marketing. “Our teams have been working together to create incredible in-person and broadcast experiences for fans, and we hope Husky Nation and World of Warcraft players alike are excited to WoW down to Washington.”

Blizzard has collaborated with the university on a special logo, shirts for the student section, and a graphics package for the jumbotron that will be displayed throughout the game.

The sponsorship also includes NIL deals for LB Carson Bruener, WR Denzel Boston, RBs Adam Mohammed, Camden Sirmon, and Jonah Coleman, DBs Kamren Fabiculanan and Cameron Broussard, OL D’Angalo Titialli, DL Jacob Lane, and QBs Demond Williams Jr. and Will Rogers.

“We’re excited to partner with Blizzard Entertainment in a groundbreaking collaboration that brings together the worlds of sports and gaming, highlighting our shared commitment to innovation and creativity,” said deputy athletic director Kurt Svoboda. “Our football players have had the unique chance to contribute to Blizzard’s 20th anniversary celebration, gaining valuable insights into the creative production process behind an iconic brand. We look forward to Friday’s World of Warcraft takeover at Husky Stadium, where two powerhouse brands will come together for an unforgettable experience.”

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Following a 35-6 loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions, Washington Huskies fans were clamoring to see more of the future of coach Jedd Fisch’s program, freshman quarterback Demond Williams Jr.

But after the game, Fisch said that he was going to stick with fifth-year senior Will Rogers when the Huskies take the field on Friday night against UCLA. During his Monday press conference, he doubled down on that sentiment.

“Will will start Friday,” he said

Williams saw a career-high 32 snaps in the loss to Penn State, as Fisch let the first-year play the entire second half, but it doesn’t appear the coaching staff is in any rush to change its plans for the former four-star recruit.

“I would say our plan would be similar to the USC plan or Michigan plan, I think about 15 plays, 20 plays, but, that’s certainly up for grabs. There’s probably some game plan advantage if I don’t answer that more.” Fisch continued.

He also went on to offer back his starting quarterback, who ranks inside the top five in the Big Ten in completion percentage, passing yards, and yards per attempt.

“Will has led us all season long, he’s 5-0 at home. He’s done a fantastic job against Michigan, USC, and Northwestern in our home games here. He’s been a fantastic leader since arriving here. There wasn’t anything that I would say that occurred on Saturday night that I would hold him solely responsible for that would’ve caused us to say, ‘Hey, there’s just no way we’re going to win this game otherwise.’ I have total faith we’re going to win the game with Will as the starting quarterback and I think the team feels the same way.”

The Washington Huskies were dismantled by the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday night 35-6, and it was reflected in the Week 12 edition of the US LBM Coaches Poll. Coach James Franklin’s team moved up to No. 5, placing three Big Ten teams in the top five, alongside No. 1 Oregon and No. 2 Ohio State.

Washington dropped to 0-5 away from Husky Stadium after the loss in the White Out and only has two more opportunities to become bowl-eligible, and both will be difficult. The first will come against the upstart UCLA Bruins, who have made massive strides under coach DeShaun Foster and have won three straight games.

The Bruins will travel to Montlake on Friday for Washington’s senior night before Jedd Fisch’s team faces their arch-rivals, the top-ranked Ducks, on Nov. 30.

Fisch has emphasized the importance of the Huskies finding a way to becoming bowl-eligible, repeatedly stating that the 15 extra practices his team would receive would go a long way toward building the future of his program.

Here’s the full top 25 in the coaches poll after Week 11.

US LBM Coaches Poll: