Washington Football survives Rutgers to win 30-14

Season openers surprise many. In spite of close calls and a tougher matchup than many hoped to face, the Washington Football team endured to win 30-14

If you were only looking for a win, you have to be impressed with the Washington Football team victory over Rutgers in their house in the September 1, 2017 season opener.  But if you wagered on a Washington Huskies blowout, you are lighter in the pursestrings, and heavier in the heart.

That’s NCAA football.

Everyone takes away something different. Much of that depends upon what you expected to see in this game.  If you expected a blowout, a huge dominating offense and defense, you are likely concerned tonight.

Emotional opener for Rutgers

But if you have read the narrative heading into this game, you knew this was more than a trap game.  Rutgers hosted a west coast team infamous for struggling on the east coast.  And to that, the Washington Huskies lived up to that.

But this was not the cakewalk padded schedule many thought. The Rutgers Scarlett Knights have a new attitude, and the players are working hard for second year head coach Chris Ash.

Expectations were predictable

The Washington Huskies traveled a long way for this win. And that means three time zones, unfamiliar lodgings, and huge unrealistic beliefs the team could operate where they left off last season.

But if you were wise, you knew this game would start close. Check out the stories leading up to this game:

Fri., Sept. 1: Washington at Rutgers
2017 Washington Football opener Huskies at Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Washington Football hopes to get into a winning rut.
Scouting Washington Football opponent: Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Washington Football opener, the Azeem Victor suspense is killing me

Test of resilience

The home opener was not a test of dominance, but resilience. This was not about the beating the Huskies would unload on the Scarlett Knights. If you focused on that, you missed the value of this game.

This was a game about leadership. This is a new team, with a vacuum of confidence. This was a test of heart, of perseverance. This was a game which, in my mind, defines whether the Huskies can take a body blow and keep on fighting.

Many believe this lowers the potential of the Washington Huskies. In my mind, this game performance raises my opinion of the team.

What went wrong

The Washington Football team had great rushing and passing last season. In fact, the team seemed to dominate the line of scrimmage in each game.

In this game, the Huskies did not dominate the line of scrimmage. The team returned players in the line on both offense and defense.  But the Rutgers Scarlet Knights seemed to control the line of scrimmage.

The game ended with Rutgers controlling the clock.  In fact, their 38:09 time of possession dwarfed that of the Washington Huskies.   If not for Rutgers quarterback Kyle Brolin throwing two interceptions, this game would have been much closer.  Toss in the special teams punt returned for a touchdown, and the final score comes in much closer.

Browning played well, but below expectations.

Many expected Washington quarterback to have a career day. While he played well enough to win the game, he was not happy with the team’s performance.

He is likely accurate. This will be a tough week of practice. But better to uncover weaknesses now than at mid season. The team has plenty of time to prepare for the second game of the season.

What went right

The Washington football team pass defense came in far stronger than expected.  Led by cornerback Byron Murphy’s two pass interceptions, the team held the Rutgers offense to just 178 yards via the air.

But the team did have some bright spots on offense as well. Tight end Drew Sample is emerging as a integral part of the team’s passing attack. He hauled in three passes for 63 yards, which was good enough for third best receiver on the team.  Of course, wide receiver Dante Pettis pulled in three passes for 85 yards.  Even running back Myles Gaskin, whose previous career pass receptions account for just 156 yards in two seasons pulled in five passes for 79 yards.

Proud of this win

Washington played in a hostile stadium. They faced an emotionally charged opponent. The Huskies fell behind. Quarterback Jake Browning was taken to the  ground hard on several plays.

Through it all, this Washington Huskies team could have panicked or surrendered. They did neither. In fact, they grew better and stronger as the game wore on.

Who showed up big in this game

I have a few players who, in my mind, showed up huge in this game. So let’s start off on the offensive side of the ball.

Running back Myles Gaskin is a running back in hot pursuit of recognition and accolades this season. Not to bolster his ego, but rather to recognize the efforts of his selfless teammates who work hard to give him holes to run through.

Are you receiving this?

But tonight, when those holes were not opening, he turned into a deadly receiver.  In fact, he scored a beautiful touchdown on a pass from quarterback Jake Browning which will end up in the highlight reels.

Another big player was wide receiver Dante Pettis.  He was not only the team’s leading receiver, but he ran a punt return in for the team’s first touchdown of the game to give the Huskies a lead they would never lose.

Pick apart that Huskies offense

Byron Murphy intercepted two passes. While that is plenty, it played a pivotal role in the game as Rutgers seemed to abandon the pass at key stretches of this game.  It was not until Murphy sat out a defensive series that Rutgers revisited the passing offense, leading to the team’s second and final score with 10:41 remaining.

Who didn’t show up enough in this game

I didn’t see much in the trenches worth boasting about tonight. This was a game for the Washington Huskies to chew up a huge running offense.  It simply never happened on either side of the ball for the Washington Huskies.

The Huskies could only generate 84 total rushing yards for the entire game.  Meanwhile, they surrendered 131 rushing yards to the Scarlet Knights’ running attack.  Rutgers controlled the time of possession.  Tonight, it didn’t impact the game’s outcome. But It  most certainly will in future games.

Next: Washington Football halftime recap: Washington 10 Rutgers 7

Looking forward

A win is a win. And the Huskies escaped with no major injuries.

So who do these teams face next? The Rutgers Scarlet Knights (0-1) will host the Eastern Michigan Eagles on Saturday, September 9, 2017. Meanwhile, the Washington Huskies return home to host the Montanna Grizzlies.