Huskies Have Been Sad Sacks In Dropping QBs

The UW collected just one each in losses to Minnesota and USC.

Jacob Lane was hoping to increase his sack total this season. | Dave Sizer photo

The University of Washington football team would never make it as a Safeway or a QFC store.

So far this season, the Huskies have been nearly all out of sacks.

Yet collecting them, not giving them away.

In recent losses to Minnesota and USC, the UW picked up just one in each game while generously permitting a combined 12 of them to those defenses.

Overall, the Huskies have stacked up 10 of these defensive trophies this season, or two per game, while being victimized for 15.

The Husky defense has been stout enough in giving up points and yards, but it hasn't been all that flamboyant in coming up with the cherries on top, such as pulling down all that many opposing quarterbacks behind the line of scrimmage.

"Obviously any time you get a sack, it's an awesome play," UW defensive coordinator Ryan Walters said. "But sometimes, by the nature of how fast they get the ball out or the type of protection the offense is running, sacks can be sort of limited."

Among the UW's starting edge rushers, freshman Ramzak Fruean has just a half sack and veteran Jacob Lane doesn't have any at all.

Last season, the 6-foot-5, 260-pound Lane shared the team lead in sacks with Zach Durfee, now with the Jacksonville Jaguars, with 4 each.

HUSKY SACKS
1. Russell Davis II	Washington State, -4 yards, 1st qt.
2. Jacob Manu	Washington State, -7 yards, 1st qt.
3. DeSean Watts	Washington State, -4 yards, 3rd qt.
4. Alex McLaughlin	Utah State, -9 yards, 3rd qt.
5. Alex McLaughlin	Utah State, -6 yards, 4th qt.
6. Derek Colman-Brusa	Utah State, -2 yards, 3rd qt.
7. Rylon Dillard-Allen	Eastern Washington, -1 yard, 3rd qt.
8. Ramzak Fruean and Manu	Eastern Washington, -13 yards, 4th qt.
9. Isaiah Ward and Manu	Minnesota, -7 yards, 3rd qt.
10. McLaughlin and Manu	USC, -9 yards, 2nd qt.

Lane's plan during spring football was to add to his total, but he's still awaiting his first one as the halfway point of the season approaches.

"I feel I want to maybe get a few more sacks this year and contribute more to the team," he said in April.

Russell Davis II is the only UW edge rusher who has a full sack on his ledger, with the back-up defender chalking up his breakthrough moment on his very first play in two seasons against Washington State in the season opener. His was the Huskies' first of the season, too.

Huskies linebacker Jacob Manu (9) sacks Eastern Washington quarterback Nate Bell (2). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Linebacker Jacob Manu and safety Alex McLaughlin currently rank as the Huskies' co-sack leaders each with 2.5.

McLaughlin is the only player with two full sacks all to himself, both coming against Utah State.

Over the past three games, UW safety Rylon Dillard-Allen has the only sack that wasn't a job share.

Huskies safety Alex McLaughlin (7) sacks Utah State quarterback Grady Brosterhous (9). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Manu picked up one all to himself in the season opener against WSU and in the past three games has shared them with Ramzak, Isaiah Ward and McLaughlin, in that order.

Walters gladly would welcome more sacks because they're good for his players' mindset.

"We're always trying to attack protections and always trying to get to the quarterback," Walters said. "Obviously the more sacks you get, the more successful you'll be on defense."