Washington Football Season Summary: Where are we week 3?

After two victories, the Washington Football is moving up the national rankings. But is this team on track, or are there things to fix?

The Washington Football team has successfully navigated through two games so far this season, and has been improving so far. While that is certainly how virtually everyone on the planet expected the journey to be going so far, there is plenty to discuss as we check the maps, the compass, the gauges, and report back.

How are the Huskies doing?

Well, it’s a mixed bag so far.  Huh?  Yes, that’s right. Even if you factor in the “rust” of playing in the new season, and the new faces.  Much of where the team expected to be as a whole is on track.  Much of how the team expected to get here is…. not.

Judge the results? Only if they are sustainable

Well, that’s okay right? Perhaps.  It’s a long season, and the team certainly will have ebbs and flows to their performances throughout the season.  But so far, there is good news, bad news, concerning news, and silver lining news.  How do you take your poison?

Now, the bad news is not a “Sky is Falling!” category. More along the lines of things which need immediate coaching attention. The concerning news is akin to areas falling below expectations, but may be okay if sustainable.  The good news is… good news.

Now, let’s flesh out what is happening so far with the team.

Bad News

Well, the rule of thumb is to end on a high note, so lets start off with some bad news. To do so, we need to turn back to the season opener. While the first half struggle was not unexpected, it did highlight some bad trends for the team so far in the early stage of the new season.

The Washington Football team did not run the ball well on that day.  In fact, the team rushed for just 84 yards on a day where many expected the team to emphasize the ground game. Both starting running backs, Myles Gaskin and Lavon Coleman, have yet to accumulate 100 yards rushing for the season.

Who will lead the Huskies pack?

And that is a mystery behind that offensive line.

How can the team get the running game on track? Well, the team did in game two. But that happened with a “running back by committee” effort.  Rookie rusher Salvon Ahmed is a solid ground gainer, and he is averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Myles Gaskin averages 6.1 yards per carry, and Lavon Coleman averages 4.3 yards.

But no single running back has 20 carries yet.  Is this an effort to save the runners for the more challenging games?  I can’t be certain

The news is not the worst. But some things are not in sync yet.  Until some single running back unloads a century mark in a single game, this worries me. A lot.

Concerning News

Let’s get right to it. Quarterback Jake Browning should never be the team’s leading rusher. And the team already has an injury to a starter, as tight end Drew Sample injured his leg in the first half against the Montana Grizzlies on September 9, 2017 and did not return to the game.

We have not yet confirmed the nature of that injury, but it prevented him from returning.

Next man up

While the Washington Football team remains relatively healthy, the team has already demonstrated the incredible depth at one position: tight end.  Tight end Drew Sample was one of the stars of game one, pulling in three passes for 63 yards, good enough for third best for the game, and a very promising start to a season where the team is seeking to distribute the load of now-NFL-wide-receiver John Ross amidst the active receivers.

But when he went down to injury, that has shifted the burden of receiving to the remaining players.  Fortunately, that creates a perfect segue to the next page of the this analysis – the incredible off-the-bench debut of tight end Will Dissly.

Silver lining news

So far, the team has found scoring from as many as eight different players.  Do I want to see one running back step forth?  Yes, but maybe that is not the plan?  So far, the team seems to set the stage for the rushing game early with returning veterans Gaskin and Coleman. But sure enough, that rookie gazelle Salvon Ahmed enters and gets his carries in as well.

The early segment of the season is relatively easy compared to further along. Perhaps this is the coaches way of getting all the runners tuned up, so that when the team needs to gear down and rely upon the running game, everyone is ready? It’s purely speculation on my part for now, but it does seem to be the course chosen in the early going.

Tight end Will Dissly, take a bow

Where does Coach Petersen hide these guys? Also encouraging is the fact that backup tight end

Dissly looked like a Pac-12 superstar in his debut. Known for his ability to block, Dissly looked every bit the part of New England Patriot’s Rob Gronkowski‘s understudy.  His five catch two touchdown performance led the team in scoring on a day when seven different Huskies found that end zone.

Not only did he outperform expectations, he appeared to be unstoppable when doing so. And now, for the good news…. (drum roll please?!)

Good News

There is plenty of positives so far. That makes sense, since the team has been getting so much production from the pass defense, and so many offensive players are contributing to the scoreboard.  It’s also a natural high emerging from a lopsided victory.

But there are some good trends so far worth discussing.

Pass defense may be better than the brochure

When the Washington football team propelled three defensive backs into the NFL, the nation devalued the team’s chances for success this year.  After all, how can a team replace three starting defensive backs who are NFL starting material simultaneously?

Somehow Washington defensive backs coach Jimmy Lake has found a way. Already in two games, the team has yet to surrender 200 yards passing. Meanwhile, averaging two interceptions per game is enough to make most quarterbacks second guess themselves.

Hey Dante breaks a Pac-12 record

Dante Pettis broke the Pac-12 record for punt return for touchdowns this past weekend, setting the new record at seven.  The NCAA record is currently set at eight, which gives plenty of room to speculate if Pettis can match or best that record this season.

Next: Washington Football focus now on Fresno State

Pettis is surprisingly effective in the punt return category. A natural at following blockers, he has amazing burst speed and a wide array of unconventional moves which will continue to befuddle the defense.

There is plenty of positives on this team, and we’ll discuss those throughout the season. For now, the team is undefeated. But they are far from perfect, and that is okay.