Husky Football: Defenders That Impressed Against Oregon State

If you watched the game, I’m sure most of what I’m bringing up here was plain to see, but I’d just like to point out a couple of players that had huge days in the upset of Oregon State yesterday.

Desmond Trufant

He didn’t get in on the pick party, so his name didn’t come up nearly as much as some of the other players in the secondary, but he managed to pretty much completely blanket whichever receiver he covered throughout the game, and he tackled extremely well in the open field. He also sniffed out a couple screens as they developed, leading to wasted downs for the Beavers. He plays like a savvy veteran because that’s exactly what he is.

Oct 27, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies cornerback Desmond Trufant (6) tackles Oregon State Beavers wide receiver Brandin Cooks (7) during the second quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-US PRESSWIRE

Sean Parker

This one is a bit obvious. Definitely a career night for the junior safety, as he picked off one pass, and laid a hit on Markus Wheaton that dislodged a ball that flew into Justin Glenn’s hands for an interception, knocking Wheaton out of the game in the process. Aside from those two plays, Parker also covered well and tackled superbly. Just a great game from a guy that has occasionally been forgotten in the secondary conversation due to the talents of Desmond Trufant and the hype around Shaq Thompson.

John Timu

Several times in this game, Timu managed to undercut the receiver he was covering in the flat, batting the ball away in the process. It happened at least two or three times that I saw, pretty much in exactly the same way. Clearly Timu’s instincts, and his hard work in the film room, allowed him to see the play developing and disrupt it. Later, late in the game, he took that disruption to a new level by picking of Mannion and racing into the end zone. Too bad the play was called back due to Danny Shelton’s personal foul. Considering he is only a sophomore, I look forward to seeing the plays this guy makes in the years to come.