Coach Dub and the Washington Huskies sit at a 4-2 record at the midpoint of their season. The season has been marked by ups and downs, with quite a few surprises. In the games they've one, the games have all be close affairs. The losses have come when the spotlight was on, with the Huskies looking completely outclassed and out coached both times.
The Huskies opened up with a win at home over the Duke Blue Devils. This win continues to look more impressive as the Blue Devils have since won 3 straight, including 2 wins over Oklahoma and Ole Miss. The Huskies then faced a former Pac-12 conference-mate in Stanford on the road and were narrowly able to stop a late comeback from the Cardinal.
Onto Pullman, the Huskies were surprised to learn the Cougs had been picked to host NDL game day. The crowd was loud and Coach Matt was out for revenge after an overtime loss the previous season to Coach Dub. The Huskies looked lost, with QB Will Rodgers throwing 4 interceptions. The next week, the Huskies were able to bounce back in a road win against Northwestern.
Block 3 was the start of the toughest slate of the Huskies schedule. The Huskies had to face coach Geauxcapper the the Rutgers Scarlet Knights who had played in the Big10 championship the previous season. Down 21-3 in the second, the Huskies looked to have another blowout loss on their hands. In the best game of this season Will Rodgers was able to throw 4 TD passes to get the Huskies a much needed win at home. Then more calamity ensued. The Huskies headed to the Big House for a match up with Michigan in the snow. The Huskies passing attack that has been so relied upon this season was ineffective, with Rodgers throwing 4 ints once again.
The story of the season has been the offense. With talented junior RB Jonah Coleman, you would expect this team to be run first. However, Will Rodgers currently leads the NDL in pass attempts with 183 attempts in 6 games. Some of this can be explained by trying to play catch up in blowout losses, but some of it points to Coach Dub's inability to scheme a run game. This is surprising coming off last year where coach Dub was able to feature Purdue RB Devin Mockobee as one of the best in the Big 10.
"We're going to take a look at how we approach the offense and make changes as needed. Will (Rodgers) is a talented QB, but we don't want him to have to be superman out there for us to be able to move the ball."
While praised for his offense, Coach Dub was not looked at favorably for his defense at Purdue last season. The same trend appears to be continuing the Husky defense this season, who rank second to last in the Big 10 in total defense. While they've been able to create turnovers, they haven't been effective in forcing an opposing offense to get off the field.
"We're working to put of guys in the best position possible. We're making plays and have the ability to do it at a higher rate on this side of the ball."
The schedule for the Huskies here on out is a gauntlet. In Week 7 the huskies take on a stout Iowa Hawkeyes team lead by returning coach wildes. Week 9 they get a home game against a talented Indiana team, then head to LA to face the USC Trojans. A short trip back home ensues to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions, then the Huskies head back to LA to face the UCLA Bruins. The Huskies then end the season with a home game against the highly touted Oregon Ducks.
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