Huskies Show Off Rogers, Young Hatchett for the First Time
EAST LANSING, Michigan — Michigan State got a good look at the current state of University of Washington football by serving as a 41-7 punching bag on Saturday night at Spartan Stadium.
The Huskies, however, took the golden opportunity to unveil the future by by using freshman running back Tybo Rogers for the first time and letting him run behind fellow first-year player Landen Hatchett, another getting who made his UW debut.
It was a sight to behold, watching Rogers lean on his shiftiness in concert with his powerful classmate.
Rogers, the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder from Bakersfield, California, played all but the first series of the second half and led the Huskies in rushing with 74 yards on 15 carries, finishing three yards better than starter Dillon Johnson.
The 6-foot-2, 310-pound Hatchett from Ferndale Washington, came into the game on the second play of the second half at left guard. At one point, Hatchett and his his brother were the Husky guards at the same time. Landen also took a turn at center.
"It's fun to see all the work they put in really paying off," UW coach Kalen DeBoer said.
For Rogers, he emerged from spring football as the freshman most likely to play first this season only to run afoul of unspecified team rules and serve a team suspension that set him back slightly. He's been really motivated since getting the all clear to play again.
"You know, I think everyone an see what Tybo is capable of," DeBoer said. "He'a a physical runner but he's got this extra burst of speed. I know we probably haven't see it much, but he can catch the ball out of backfield extremely well."
The coach also touched on his young rusher's newfound commitment to doing things.
"I just love in the last 2-3 weeks how he's been pushing himself," DeBoer said. "He's holding himself accountable at another level."
Hatchett is so physically advanced and driven to succeed for a player so young the Huskies won't be able to just make him sit and watch and wait his turn.
"It's hard for an offensive lineman to step out there and do his thing," DeBoer said. "We could tell, even early in the spring, with how quickly he picked up everything and how confident he was, that he's going to be a really good football player."
Rogers and Hatchett were two of eight freshman who got a chance to play against Michigan State and pull considerable snaps, joined by linebacker Deven Bryant, wide receiver Taeshaun Lyons, edge rusher Jacob Lane, cornerback Leroy Bryant, offensive guard Zach Henning and wide receiver Keith Reynolds.
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