Here's What Happened at Husky Spring Practice No. 8

Three years ago during the Kalen DeBoer era, University of Washington spring football practice regularly was a hot-tempered exercise, with multiple fights breaking out each week.

As for these current Huskies, they've gone at it hard and physical through eight workouts now but generally kept their anger under control.

Until Thursday afternoon.

Without warning, starting offensive tackle Drew Azzopardi and Ohio State edge rusher transfer Logan George emerged from a running play and began pushing each other before the 6-foot-7, 320-pound Azzopardi -- three inches taller and nearly 60 pounds heavier -- wound up and took a roundhouse swing at the defender who was wearing a helmet.

The amazing thing about this exchange was George, initially a Big Sky player for Idaho State, was the one who had to be pulled away from the skirmish, with Sacramento State defensive tackle transfer DeSean Watts wrapping him up and dragging him off.

Call it a draw.

"Football's a violent game and we compete and that's pretty much it," Azzopardi said after practice.

With starting edge rusher Isaiah Ward in uniform but limited while dealing with some sort of health issue, George got plenty of chances to run with the No. 1 defense at times, as did sophomore Devin Hyde.

Otherwise, the Huskies held a fairly workmanlike hour of scrimmage plays after moving everyone from the East practice field to Husky Stadium -- and the defense seemed to win a few more of those battles than the offense.

This gave he Huskies four different practice venues over their past three spring sessions, counting their use of Dempsey Indoor last Saturday and the trip to the Seahawks' VMAC on Tuesday.

Freshman Ansu Sanoe has had his good and bad moments carrying the football for the Huskies. | Dave Sizer photo

Shortly before the Azzopardi-George main event, freshman running back Ansu Sanoe set off some fireworks. He fumbled a handoff forward and senior linebacker Xe'ree Alexander, a steady and confident playmaker since the LA Bowl in December, picked up the loose football and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown.

Alexander held the ball over his head like a trophy as he neared the goal line, with defensive players getting increasingly excited all around him. He hung on to his prize possession until fellow linebacker Jacob Manu met him for a hand-slap ritual and he finally let the ball drop on to the artificial surface.

Defensive tackle Elinneus Davis shared in the moment, howling at offensive players walking past him until the aforementioned Azzopardi gave him a shove to move him out of the way if not quiet him down a bit.

Meantime, all of the offensive players were penalized and made to run a lap around the field for Sanoe's grievous bobble, which was his second in two practices. At one point, he was seen having a lengthy conversation with a coach.

The rugged 6-foot-2, 241-Sanoe, however, bounced back by breaking a 25-yard touchdown run around the right end and shaking off a face-mask grab that didn't get called on Hyde to reach the end zone.

Drew Azzopardi takes part in a practice jog across the field of Dempsey Indoor. | Dave Sizer photo

Two plays after that, the still energetic Elinneus Davis broke through to drop redshirt freshman running back Quaid Carr for a five-yard loss on a screen pass, touching him down so hard you could year a loud thud echo through the seats.

The longest scrimmage play of the 150-minute session was a Kini McMillan pass to a diving sophomore wide receiver Justice Williams that went for 35 yards.

Earlier, Stanford transfer Elijah Brown connected with both Rashid Williams and Chris Lawson on 25-yard throws.

Everything came to a good-natured end with freshman receiver Mason James catching a 15-yard scoring pass from Brown in the back of the end zone.

Practice and any accompanying theatrics resume with practiee No. 9 on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.

Add us as a preferred source on Google