Washington vs. Idaho State: Don’t Change The Game Plan For Sportsmanship

Aug 31, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies wide receiver Kasen Williams (2) catches a pass for a touchdown against the Boise State Broncos during the 2nd half at Husky Stadium. Washington defeated Boise State 38-6. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Huskies have ran 170 offensive plays from the line of scrimmage in two games this season. The large majority of them have been run plays – 104 – compared to 66 pass attempts. Those 170 plays have resulted in 1,207 yards and 72 points. The Huskies have nothing less than an explosive offense.

Chances are, Washington will get out to a healthy lead over the Idaho State Bengals on Saturday. If they do, it is imperative that the Huskies don’t slow down their offense in order to not blow the Bengals out. The Huskies offense has been in such a rhythm of late, why risk interrupting it just to look like good guys?

The point of scheduling games against lower-level competition is to have an easy ‘W’ on the schedule and let the reserves see some real game action, while getting the chance to work out any kinks on offense and defense. It’s counterintuitive if, in order to be a good sport, the better team has to change its offense mid-way through.

This isn’t me calling for the Huskies to run up the score on our hated rival Idaho State. It’s a simple hope that a seemingly easy game won’t interfere with what looks to be a promising season.

When things get out of hand, call on the backups – that’s one of the reasons Idaho State is on the schedule. Don’t begin taking a huddle before every play, or run completely different plays altogether. Hopefully after months of practice, the second-stringers have picked up on the fast-paced offense and will be able to run it as successfully as the first-stringers against a team like Idaho State. If not, no biggie – let them learn on the run, you’re already up big.

My (probably irrational) fear is that the second this team tries to run last year’s offense, the entire mentality is going to change. Like a switch in Keith Price’s head being turned on to be lackadaisical in the pocket and throw picks.

This team was built to run, and it does it well. The saying may go, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” but I’m saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t even freaking mess with it.”