Sep. 3—The first weekend of college football is in the books. Fans were treated to highly competitive matchups like Ohio State versus Texas, Miami versus Notre Dame or LSU versus Clemson. While each of those top matchups delivered on their hype, I was also paying attention to another situation.
In addition to the primetime games, one of my favorite things to do is look at what teams might climb the ranks this season and make a push for a playoff spot. A team that starts unranked and not many are considering when making their predictions. That led me to the Washington Huskies.
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In their week one game against Colorado State, they dominated the Rams offensively 38-21. The Huskies were well-rounded on that side of the ball. Whether it was run or pass, they dissected CSU’s defense with ease.
Three players stood out to me for obvious reasons.
Demond Williams, Jr., is the starting quarterback for the Huskies. He completed 18 out of 24 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown. Additionally, he had 68 rush yards on 13 attempts. Accuracy is the name of his game. Even as he led the offense at the end of last season, he completed more than 70% of his passes. He was efficient in the pass game Saturday, which made his runs a fine cherry on top.
Williams impressively made several completions under pressure or placed the ball excellently in one-on-one situations for his receivers. His ability to get the ball out fast, even when under pressure by the pass rush, is strong. Williams will be a star this season and will be in the running for individual accolades by the end of the season.
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Wide receiver Denzel Boston also shone against the Rams on Saturday. With five receptions, he totaled 93 yards and an impressive, contested touchdown catch. He also put his route running on display, running through a defensive back to get wide open for a 30-yard reception that put the Huskies in scoring position.
Boston had a breakout season last year with 834 yards receiving and nine touchdowns. He and Williams seem to have formed a connection through the air and will continue to be a problem for any secondary. Boston is doing everything right to build his draft stock and will be a key fixture in the Huskies’ offense throughout the season.
Lastly, running back Jonah Coleman was a monster on the field. He finished the game with 177 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. He was stellar at finding the gaps and running through them for significant gains. He averaged seven yards per carry, for any running back that is an elite output.
It remains to be seen if he can do that consistently against tougher defenses throughout the season. That sentiment also applies to Williams and Boston. I have full confidence they can, but it has to be acknowledged that CSU is not a powerhouse program like the teams I mentioned previously.
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What will make the biggest difference this season is if the defense can correct some of its errors from Saturday. Mostly in the first half, the Huskies’ defense struggled against Colorado. The Rams kept tying the game throughout the first half but were able to widen the gap on the scoreboard in the second half.
Some of the Huskies’ biggest tests this season will be Ohio State, Maryland, Michigan, Illinois and Oregon to close the season. The Buckeye defense was elite against a top-ranked Texas; it remains to be seen what the Huskies bring to the table against that level of defense.
Teams like the Terps and Fighting Illini are rising brands in the Big Ten and will be a challenge for any team this year. Lastly, the Wolverines and the Ducks are perennial playoff contenders that are never easy to beat. Not to mention, they will play Michigan on the road.
Concerns aside, how the Huskies finished the game against CSU was undeniably impressive. They holster several weapons on offense that any defense will need to prepare for. Anyone could take over the game and that’s a scary thought for any program playing a team that most may be overlooking.
Bottom line: watch out for the Huskies this year.
