Ten Takeaways from Washington Football victory over California

Typically I like to follow up a Washington Football game with five takeaways. But at the halfway point in the season, and following the ESPN cupcake coverage, it’s a time ten as the team turns to the second half of the season

Okay. Let’s get right to it. After a completely dominating win against the California Golden Bears, the Washington Football team sits at six wins. But those are not just any six wins. In fact, those are six wins with a very positive trend.

On one hand, California was no easy matchup. This was the team which had taken USC to a dead head in the third quarter. Big plays by USC, and bad breaks by California, derailed that win. But they have not recovered since.

Purple and Gold outshone California Golden Bears

On the other hand,  there are 50 shades of losing, and the California hue was one of the darker I’d seen in some time. Still, perhaps it was the fact that the Washington Football team simply played that well?

Is there such a thing as liking a team’s chances this early in the season? I continue to see a far better team on the field than the box scores reflect.  Quarterback Jake Browning seems so in control of each game the Huskies play.  His passing game is the most efficient in the Pac-12, and among the nation’s leaders

As a matter of fact,  the defense played with just three down linemen and obliterated California’s front seven. If you are not thanking defensive coach Pete Kwiatkowski, you should soon. He has that Washington defense in a place seldom seen in college football.

So, as the NCAA football scene fades away to the dawning of the NFL football scene, I wanted to capture ten takeaways from the California at Washington game.

Ten Takeaways

And so, as the thrill of defeating another Pac-12 opponent fades away, and the challenge of a new opponent enters our field of vision, it’s time to pause.  Pause and reflect upon what is working so far. More importantly, consider what is not working as well.  Things to maintain. Things to correct. Since it’s now the mid point mark, the version of what we see on the field should be rather close to the end product.

As such, observations are more meaningful. Trends are more indicative.

Take away I. Washington defense is great and improving each week

The Washington football team can play serious defense. And they keep getting better.

Takeaway II. Washington quarterback Jake Browning is field general

Pressured or all day to throw, Browning gets the most out of the Huskies offense.

Takeaway III. Washington three man defensive front appears overpowering.

Three Washington defensive linemen outplayed five to seven California offensive linemen all day.

Takeaway IV. Washington defensive backfield appears right in step

Takeaway V. Myles Gaskin continues rushing effectively

Bonus Takeaways

Takeaway VI: Tight End Hunter Bryant has breakout game

The Washington Football team needed a third offensive weapon to step up. Hunter Bryant did so.

Takeaway VII: Slow start narrative has run it’s course

The Washington Football team only needs to worry about the final score. 

Takeaway VIII: Washington red zone defense bad, but opposing offenses seldom get there

Washington has not stopped any team which has gotten inside the 20 yardline. 

Takeaway IX: Jake Browning continues to toss touchdowns, but he runs for scores too

While Browning knows how to toss touchdowns, his 21 yard TD-run proves he can rush for them too.

Takeaway X: ESPN’s cupcake commentary will only add fuel to this team

The ESPN response to Coach Petersen’s comments about late game will only serve as motivation.

Washington defense is great and improving each week

The Washington Defense has been very impressive.  Well, downright dominating.  Since entering the Pac-12 leg of the schedule, the team has surrendered ten, seven and seven points. In terms of yardage, the team has surrendered 311, 184, and 93 total yards.

Autzen Zoo

And they play one game before the bye. That game is away at the Arizona State University Sun Devils. Now, the Sun Devils always have that one upset game in them. But after seeing the Huskies defense, I cannot see that this week.

But the weakness for the team this season was this defense. Three of four defensive backs gone. Two of the team’s linebackers – Jojo Mathis and Psalm Wooching gone as well. This was supposed to be a defense searching for it’s identity.

The defense has found it.  Or rather, Coach Pete Kwiatkowski has found his defense.  This is not a stock defense built solely on size, strength, speed or skills. It’s a kaleidoscope defense which changes in each game, and sometimes as often as each play. Yes, they will give up some yards. But this defense can tackle for a loss, control the line of scrimmage, sack the quarterback, defend the pass, and cause turnovers.

So facing this defense requires just one thing. Lots of luck.

Washington quarterback Jake Browning is a field general

Jake Browning is a cool presence under center. Cool, in that he is already up to 20 consecutive games with a TD pass. In just six games, he has thrown a touchdown pass to seven different players.

Stripe Hype

So it’s not exactly a connection of one quarterback to one or two wide receivers. The team lost wide receiver Chico McClatcher in the Colorado game, so the team has leaned somewhat more heavily upon the other wide receiver Dante Pettis. So far, Pettis is up to six touchdown receptions.

But Browning is not about padding numbers, but rather in winning games. He has his pass completion rating over 70 percent now. And his TD (14) to INT (3) ratio is incredibly productive. He won’t throw for the most yards per game, but he leads the Pac-12 with passing efficiency for active quarterbacks. Only the injured Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert comes in better.

It’s hard to rattle Browning. If you rush him, he will find the uncovered man for a big gain. If you give him time, he will pick you apart. The Washington Football team boasts one of the most effective offenses in the NCAA.  Jake Browning is a big reason for that.

Washington three man defensive front appears overpowering

The game against California revealed something new about the Washington defense.  The team does not need to blitz repeated to pressure the opponent’s quarterback.

That is huge going forward.  With an effective pass rush out of three down lineman, that gives defensive coach K plenty of options of where to add pressure. Send it up the A gap from a line backer?  Send a cornerback from the edge? Or add one of the edge rushes to really spice things up?

If the team can pressure with just three, or even four, that gives the team seven or eight defenders to us in pass coverage.   That’s a good place to be at midpoint in the season.

Washington defensive backfield appears on track

We’ve talked about defensive coach Jimmy Lake and how he seems to find the right players for his system? Well, the Washington Football team boasts the conference’s best total defense, best rushing defense, and is second in pass defense (in total yards).

As a matter of fact, that same defense allows the fewest points in the conference, is the third stingiest in allowing pass efficiency, and is tied with Washington State with eight interceptions (one behind a three-way tie for lead at nine).

The best of the bunch per Pac-12 statistics is Jordan Miller, whose six passes defended and two interceptions come in eighth and sixth respectively.  But the team is not built on individual play, but rather by working together.  Rotations are frequent. And virtually each player on the field is capable of turning the game around with an interception or by breaking up a pas play.

Myles Gaskin continues rushing effectively

Is Myles Gaskin more effective the more he runs? It certainly seems that way doesn’t it? Once he got going, he seems to be in a much better rhythm now. He broke open the gates against Colorado, and has been incredibly effective in each game since.

Lavon Coleman was out for one game. Rather than infuse more rushes from freshman running back Salvon Ahmed, the team simply ran Gaskin more. Now that Coleman is back, the team once again has the options to feature the elusive Gaskin, or run a power game on the back of Coleman. Oftentimes, the Huskies opt for both in the same game.

Gaskin has even discovered a niche of sorts in the passing game, as he has been surgically effective in catching passes at crucial moments in a game as well. Gaskin is one more weapon for QB Browning in the passing game. But in the running game, he can be a one man show.

Tight End Hunter Bryant has breakout game

The freshman tight end Hunter Bryant showed a great deal of promise in training camp.  He had the gift of showing up in a big body at 239 pounds, but in running routes and catching the ball like a wide receiver.  Thanks to his 6-foot-2 height, he provides Browning plenty of target as a receiver.

In the eyes of many, it was only a matter of time before Bryant caught on. Now he has done just that.

And the season is still relatively young. He is already up to 19 receptions and 303 yards. That is good for second behind the stellar Dante Pettis.  But  there is more to it. As a viable threat in the passing game, he forces defenses to choose whether to emphasize covering Pettis or himself.

And Browning will make them pay for choosing the wrong one.

Slow start narrative has run it’s course

In their games so far, the Washington Football team reminds me of the final scene in an early 80’s movie “Flashdance”. The star, Jennifer Beals, enters an audition for a dance scholarship and hesitates as she sees the cast of evaluators lined up to grade her. That leads to a slow start to her dance routine which she apologizes for and asks to start again. Then, she blows the lid off the room and wins her scholarship with flying colors.

The Washington team resembles that type of opening, and that type of finish. But this is not the Olympics, is it? It’s not the style, or the artistic expression. It’s not even the drama of struggling all game with turnovers only to pull out the game by last minute heroics.

This team simply keeps coming. Somewhere near halftime, the opponent collapses.  Then, the Washington Football team takes over. No, it may not be overly dramatic for television melodrama. But it wins games in a convincing way.  It’s the final score, and not the halftime score, which decides the winner.

Washington red zone defense bad, but opposing offenses seldom get there

On one hand, seven of eight teams who had gotten within the 20 yard line on the Washington Huskies have walked away with points. That means opponents are almost certain to score from the red zone. So how does Washington win so many games?

Cat Crave

On the other hand, this Washington defense only allowed eight occasions for an opponent to enter their red zone after six games.

Let’s place this into perspective. The next best “frugal” defense is Utah, which allowed 14 such red zone events.  Oregon State, a recent opponent, has had 35 such encounters.  Now, that does not include plays which score outside of the 20 yard line either.

The only other undefeated team in the Pac-12, Washington State, has allowed 29 appearances in their red zone, and 26 times the opponent walked away with points.

The efficiency of the Washington defense so far this season has not been stopping opponents within their 20. But rather, from denying opponents from ever getting there. Those points will not be made on a telecast. But they are most certainly worth noting. Ultimately, the difference maker is denying offense points. Washington most definitely does that better than any other Pac-12 team.

Jake Browning continues to toss touchdowns, but he runs for scores too

Like so many of the weapons on the Washington Football team, quarterback Jake Browning is completely unpredictable as well.  He is thought of as a pass-only quarterback. And if the receiver is open, or if protection holds up, he is content to sit in that pocket all day and wait.

But he can run. And he can score with his rushes too. In fact, he has already rushed for three touchdowns this season.  That places him second on the team run scoring list behind Myles Gaskin.

On one hand, his two-year total for rushing touchdowns is five. On the other hand, three so far this season is already 60 percent of the way there.

The difference appears to be the offensive line. Even as protection breaks down in one area, the wall holds for the quarterback to find a nice escape. Even factoring in sacks, Browning is averaging 3.1 yards per carry.

In a close game, that can be the difference between winning and losing.

ESPN’s cupcake commentary will only add fuel to this team

Not many undefeated teams find their schedule, their head coach, and their “toughness” ridiculed during a nationally televised game as they are stomping a mudhole in their opposition. But that is the price of servitude to the folks at ESPN if you dare to question their scheduling decisions.

The Pac-12, due to the contract with broadcasting rights, understands that may games will likely slot at the 3:00 p.m. or 4:00 p.m. time slot. After all, the west coast is three hours behind the east. East games at 1:00 p.m start at 10:00 a.m. on the west coast. and end 3 hours later. Then the next round of games (usually Central time zone) begin. Then the first wave of west coast games.

But the Washington Huskies have found their games slotted after 5:00 p.m. to make room for other Pac-12 teams.  By week six, Coach Petersen had had enough and apologized to the fans for the repeated scheduling at the last possible televised programming slot.

ESPN P stands for petty

And so, it seems that ESPN took offense to the comments of the head coach, and made it very clear that they were not happy with the coach during the telecast. On the other hand, the broadcast booth used cupcake props to send the message nationally that the Washington non-conference schedule, and the team itself, were soft.

Even so, I don’t see that type of broadcast being taken lightly by this team.  In retrospect, this feud, real or perceived, had numerous avenues of resolution. But ESPN chose the national stage to air their pettiness. And that was during a game where the Huskies trounced the same California team which played USC to a dead heat through three quarters.

Next: A dangerous ASU visit lay ahead for Washington

Washington has already been playing very well. Now, this team has even more incentive. And with another ESPN televised game, this could be one helluva send off to the sports network before the bye week.

Right now, Washington looks every bit the defending Pac-12 champion.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to fit the network narrative.