Huskies Warned Again They Need To Be On Best Behavior

They have become the Bad Boys of Montlake, playing with a noticeable swagger and unafraid to lay a little extra hat on someone.

Yet these University of Washington defensive players have let their aggressive, tough-guy approach somewhat spiral out of control in two of their three outings, ringing up a collective nine penalties that fit in the 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct category and have led to three ejections -- two on the same play.

With the Huskies (3-0) set to begin Big Ten competition against Minnesota (2-1) on Saturday evening in Husky Stadium, Jedd Fisch's coaching staff is working overtime to tone these guys down before one of their misguided actions costs them a game.

"The penalties are something that is very frustrating," UW defensive coordinator Ryan Walters said earlier this week. "I told the defense on Sunday, undisciplined is a characteristic or trait you don't want to be associated with, and right now we reek of it."

Jacob Manu (9) and Xe'ree Alexander (10) each have drawn 15-yard penalties for a personal foul and targeting. | Dave Sizer photo

Among the acts of UW misconduct sending yellow flags continuously flying, there have been two targeting calls, three late hits out of bounds, a taunting misstep, and a punch thrown.

Against Eastern alone, the Huskies were penalized eight times for 101 yards, this after getting flagged on a dozen occasions for 130 yards against Washington State in the season opener.

“I’m very disappointed in the penalties,” coach Jedd Fisch said on Saturday night. “That is not OK to have 100 yards in penalties and multiple drives were kept alive because of the penalties. We’re too talented on defense to let our emotions get the best of us.”

The Huskies' unrestrained actions have come at a cost of significant manpower and previously had the coaching staff suggesting that players would be benched if this sort of stuff continued unabated.

Another warning has been sounded by the UW defensive leader.

"That is something we need to correct and we've got to correct it ASAP," Walters said. "You know, I sat up here after the first game and said it was going to be fixed because it had to, and we were cleaner the second week, and then it creeped its head back up this third week. You can't treat it like a one-off because it's not a one-off anymore."

BAD BOYS OF MONTLAKE	INFRACTIONS
Rylon Dillard-Allen, S	WSU, personal foul (late hit OB)
Ramzak Fruean, ER	WSU, personal foul (late hit OB)
Rylon Dillard-Allen, S	WSU, targeting (ejected)
Rylon Dillard-Allen, S	WSU, fair-catch interference
Jacob Manu, LB	WSU, unsportsmanlike conduct (taunting)
Alex McLaughlin, S	USU, personal foul (late hit OB)
Xe'ree Alexander, LB	EWU, targeting (ejected)
Jacob Lane, ER	EWU, unnecessary roughness (ejected)
Devin Hyde, ER	EWU, unnecessary roughness

No UW defensive moment has been more unusual in recent times than that of an expressionless linebacker Xe'ree Alexander and edge rusher Jacob Lane one after the other slowly walking out of Husky Stadium to the locker room after getting ejected on the samem play in the middle of the third quarter.

Alexander was flagged for the fierce but illegal hit he put on Eastern Washington tight end Kayden Stuit after it was determined he had used the crown of his helmet to make the tackle.

On the other side of the field, Lane simultaneously got entangled with an opposing player while trying to get to his feet and was accused of throwing a punch.

"We've just got to stay poised," UW edge rusher Isaiah Ward said. "We've got great character. We just get out of hand sometimes."

Jacob Lane got ejected in the Eastern Washington game for throwing a punch. | Dave Sizer photo

Linebacker Jacob Manu, a team captain and a recipient of one of the earlier major infractions, said he and his defensive teammates met on Sunday and vowed to work on their game-day conduct and eliminate those crippling penalties.

"We brought the defense up and we talked about it," the fifth-year linebacker said.

Ward was even more emphatic about addressing this issue at hand and having everyone respond in a positive manner.

"It's staying disciplined in the heat of the moment," he said. "Yes, it was a surprise because it was our top guys, and guys with the highest character. It won't happen again."

These Bad Boys of Montlake need to turn into honorable Huskies under control once again.

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