Who do you stop on Washington Football’s offense?
By Bret Stuter
NCAA football strategy is straightforward: Stop the opponent’s best weapon. But the Washington Football team is a team filled with weapons.
The Washington Football team is not one to tout their stars. And so far, the national media is content to focus on the stars of other Pac-12 teams. As long as the Washington Huskies continue to win, it makes little difference to the coaches or players. But the problem of lack-of-recognition may not be as simple as all that. Let’s sit in on the planning session of an opposing defensive coaches meeting and see what could be the problem.
The first order of business is who to neutralize. Which player on the Washington Football team is integral to the success of the team. And there’s the rub…
The season is only four games old. But the Washington football team already has six players who are heavily involved in their offensive output.
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On one hand, there are running backs Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed, who have each rushed for at least two touchdowns. There is wide receiver Dante Pettis, who is a dangerous weapon in the receiving game. But Pettis the punt returner is just as dangerous. There is Myles Gaskin, a surprisingly effective receiver. There is Will Dissly, who can suddenly appear as an unstoppable juggernaut. And of course, there is quarterback Jake Browning, whose only claim to fame is the fact that he just throws touchdowns.
So, who do you stop?
Some games have found the Huskies as a running team. Other games revealed a crisp efficient passing game. But the tighter the grip, the more points seem to sneak through.
The armory is loaded too
And some weapons are just getting started. We haven’t mention tight end Hunter Bryant‘s name. Although he has yet to step foot in the end zone, he is rapidly growing his pass reception yards, and will likely emerge as the number two weapon in the Huskies passing game.
And while we have mentioned running back Salvon Ahmed, his role will likely increase significantly as well. Fans have been waiting to see him on the field, as his speed is a solid compliment to the downhill running of Myles Gaskin.
As the Washington Football team prepares to face the Oregon State Beavers, they have yet to explode on offense in both running and passing. But facing a team which has allowed 58, 32, 48 and 52 points, this could be the week. I’ve already talked about this weekend risking the appearance of a trap game. But the more I think about it, the less likely a Coach Petersen team will be caught unprepared.
Next: Washington Football coach Jimmy Lake turns prospects into defensive backs
October will be a very tough month for the Huskies. But the month of September has been rather kind. I expect it will end on a very positive note. Which brings me back to the original topic. Who do you stop on the Washington Football team’s offense?
Well, it’s a tall order, but start with the player carrying the ball.