Observations and Notes as Huskies Hold Spirited Monday Workout

Mondays are supposed to be low-energy, foot-dragging, back-to-work days that you just want to get through.

The University of Washington football team, however, used this moment to have a surprisingly high-energy workout that involved a lot of hitting, yelling and, except for one minor skirmish, no fighting.

For not quite two hours, the Husky offense and defense took turns beating up on each other during a fast-paced physical practice — No. 10 in the order of things — coming off the weekend.

There was inside linebacker M.J. Tafisi taking running back Richard Newton head on with a crack of their helmets and dropping him behind the line of scrimmage.

This came in a 9-on-7 drill in which the ball was handed off 12 consecutive times to a back going straight up the middle and seemed to have everyone's attention.

Freshman wide receiver Jabez Tinae let people see a little more what he could do when he took a Patrick O'Brien pass and raced 75 yards for a score.

The contact was so fierce at times that inside linebacker Daniel Heimuli and defensive tackle Noah Ngalu each went down before limping off the field.

Practice actually closed out 10 minutes early after Terrell Bynum caught a short fade pass from Dylan Morris for a score in the far corner of the end zone, capping an 80-yard drive down the field.

"How about that end?" wide-receivers coach Junior Adams asked. "That's a good way to end practice."

As fall camp zeroes in on the halfway point and the Montana season opener at home draws closer, the following are a few observations on the way things are shaking out:

Back to Back

Running backs Richard Newton and Cam Davis appear to be separating themselves from the rest of this well-stocked UW position group, which includes former starters Sean McGrew and Kamari Pleasant, plus promising redshirt freshman Jay'Veon Sunday, who is pushing hard to play.

"I feel that Richard is a lot of power and I have a lot of speed," said Davis, a redshirt freshman meeting with the Husky media for the first time. "I feel we both have big playmaking ability, but Richard has a lot of power at the goal line. I feel I do have a lot of speed."

Stops Signs

After giving up an un-Husky-like high number of rushing yards in 2020, the Huskies seem more committed to using an old-school 5-2 defense at times, starting three down linemen in Tuli Letuligasenoa, Taki Taimani and Faatui Tuitele, all sophomores or younger.

True freshman Kuao Peihopa was not with them on Monday. He was injured and watched practice while wearing a boot on his right foot. Insiders have noted that the first-year player from Hawaii is so good already that he has the ability to take someone's starting job away before the season ends, much like former Huskies Scott Garnett and Danny Shelton did up front as freshmen. Garnett was a fairly immediate starter in 1980 while Shelton waited to make his first-team breakthrough in the Apple Cup of his first year in 2011.

Otton Out Route

All-America tight end candidate Cade Otton, back for his fourth season as a Husky starter, has become such a reliable first receiving option for quarterback Dylan Morris that knowledgeable observers expect him to catch in excess of 60 passes this fall. In his three previous seasons, he's finished with 12, 32 and 18 catches.

Fast Eddie

The leadership on this team is so pronounced that sophomore inside linebacker and Husky defensive leader Edefuan Ulofoshio could be heard walking to practice and telling walk-on linebacker Styles Siva-Tu'u, a 5-foot-9, 215-pound freshman from O'Dea High School, what he needed to do to make a breakthrough as Ulofoshio had as a walk-on, and that it could happen fast.

This Little Piggy

UW players often are photographed or filmed coming to practice by athletic-department types, causing them to break into creative poses or do something original. Freshman wide receive Rome Odunze and freshman center Geirean Hatchett arrived at this checkpoint and Hatchett immediately gave Odunze a piggy-back ride into practice, all for camera purposes.

Absentee Ballots

Safety Asa Turner and wide receiver Sawyer Racanelli each have had prolonged absences from fall practice with no explanation given, other than they're still part of the team. Last season, UW coaches and officials took this stance when individuals ran into pandemic issues, which they couldn't address.

Sound of Silence

Every Husky practice is like a rock concert, with coach Jimmy Lake picking out music that blares nonstop to inspire his troops. Guns 'N Roses was in the middle of Sweet Child O' Mine when there was a crackle and the sideline music player went quiet. Placekicker Tim Horn accidentally separated two extension cords near the kicking net that were hooked up to the machine and knocked out the power. The music, however, was back in no time.

Guard Shack

Redshirt freshmen Julius Buelow and Nate Kalepo alternated at No. 1 left guard again while the returning starter and sophomore Ulumoo Ale ran with the second unit in what is becoming a very competitive position battle. Buelow, who stands 6-foot-8 and weighs 330 pounds, has made a big move.

"Julius took a huge step from the spring ... he's just putting it together," said Jaxson Kirkland, the UW's starting left tackle and O-line leader.

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