Beavers Might Pick on UW Secondary in Constant Transition

The Huskies might have just one starter in place from the opener a month ago.

The suddenly fearsome Oregon State football team, fresh from a complete demolition of USC on the road — an impressive feat no matter who's coaching the Trojans — might be expected to use a similar tactic against Washington.

Run the ball down the Huskies' throats. 

After all, the Beavers picked up 355 yards rushing against their hosts in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a place where they hadn't won in 61 years.

Ah, but before the Beavers gather for inspiration at the feet of the Earthquake Enyart statue, the one at Reser Stadium immortalizing the school's most famous and relentless fullback, they might try something else.

The Beavers, coached by former UW offensive coordinator Jonathan Smith, will face a Husky secondary continually in transition with young players trading places. They easily could choose to attack their visitors through the air instead. 

Smith has a dual-threat quarterback in Chance Nolan, similar to California's Chase Garbers, who gave the Huskies fits last weekend at Husky Stadium. Nolan, a sophomore and a Middle Tennessee transfer, earned the job ahead of junior Tristan Gebbia, a Nebraska transfer who started against the Huskies in 2020 but suffered a debilitating hamstring injury and still isn't healed, and senior Sam Noyer, a Colorado transfer and Corvallis native who started the Beavers' first game and struggled, giving up the job.

Talent is not the question with these Husky defensive backs, rather stability and cohesion. Of the original five starters for the Montana opener, just one guy likely will hold down the same spot for an evening in Corvallis.

Kyler Gordon will start at cornerback, as he has for the previous four games. This much is known. The 6-foot, 200-pound sophomore from Mukilteo, Washington, qualifies as the secondary stabilizing force so far. He comes off his finest Husky performance with a game-high 10 tackles and a pair or interceptions in last weekend's 31-24 overtime victory over California.

His fellow corner, Trent McDuffie, remains questionable after missing the Bears game with what looked like an ankle injury suffered against Arkansas State on a punt return. If the 5-foot-11, 195-pound sophomore from Westminster, California, is unable to go, walk-on Mishael Powell will draw another start. Powell received high marks for his Bears showing as a first-time starter, but he's still relatively inexperienced..

At nickelback, Bookie Radley-Hiles, the Oklahoma transfer, is expected to miss this OSU outing with a knee injury suffered against Cal. He'll be replaced by Kamren Fabiculanan, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound redshirt freshman from Camarillo, California, someone who's had his ups and downs.

Fabiculanan, of course, began the season as the starting free safety and lasted one game before he was replaced in the lineup for the Michigan game by Alex Cook, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound junior from Sacramento. Kam Fab now a nickelback.

Cook patiently regained the starting job he held for three of four games in 2020 for one reason.

"Physical play," Husky coach Jimmy Lake said. "Physical play will always be rewarded at any position on our team. He plays physical and he's a sure tackler in special teams and on defense. When you play with that ferocity and toughness, we're going to find a place to put you on the football field. Alex cook is one of the tougher guys on our football field."

At free safety, 6-foot, 200-pound sophomore Cameron Williams likewise has regained a Husky starting job he once held, only it's taken him two years to reclaim it.

He started the first five games and the final two outings of his true freshman season in 2019, beating out Asa Turner, who's now a third-teamer. A sophomore, Turner held down this No. 1 safety spot for all four games last year before tumbling down the depth chart. 

Williams replaced fellow sophomore Julius Irvin after two games this season and he came up with the play of the game against Cal. He ended things in overtime with a goal-line hit that forced a fumble.

"I'm very proud of him for battling through being the starter, not being the starter and being the starter again," Lake said. "I think he's learning now that he keeps the details, that he's crosses the T's and dots the I's, and is on top of everything to make sure he remains in that seat."

Job security, of course, will weigh heavily on how all of these Husky DBs perform against Oregon State. 

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