The Challenge of Keeping the Husky Offense Intact

The UW has had nearly two starters at each position this season.

The Huskies huddle up, with freshmen John Mills (72) and Champ Taulealea (73) among those awaiting the next play. | Dave Sizer photo

Since the schedule unfolded, the University of Washington football team has swapped out four of the starting offensive-line positions. All three season-opening wide receivers. The No. 1 running back in Jonah Coleman.

It's like trying to plug holes in a leaky roof, where a new puncture wound lets water squirt through as soon as another is patched.

This season so far, 20 different UW players have pulled starting assignments on offfense -- nearly two for every position. Only sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. and senior right guard Gerirean Hatchett have opened all 11 games.

"I has been a carousel on the offensive line," Huskies coach Jedd Fisch said.

Amid all of this turnover, the UW still has managed to average 35.5 points and 426 yards of total offense per game while winning eight out of 11 outings, five of eight in Big Ten play, heading into Saturday's rivalry showdown with fifth-ranked Oregon (10-1, 7-1) at Husky Stadium.

The Husky offense gathers for a play call against Purdue. | Dave Sizer photo

Fisch credits his coaching staff, one that includes people with deep-rooted connections to him that go back a couple of decades, for getting all of these back-up players, extra young reserves for sure in many cases, ready to step in and compete in the Big Ten.

"We've had a lot of changes due to injuries and circumstances," Fisch said. "I feel like our whole offensive staff had done a great job in responding to those. ... I believe we've done a really good job of developing these young players."

UW OFFENSIVE STARTERS	Starts (0)
TE -- Decker DeGraaf (9)	Quentin Moore (2)
LT -- Carver Willis (8)	Max McCree (3)
LG -- John Mills (7)	Paki Finau (4)
C -- Landen Hatchett (9)	Zach Henning (2)
RG -- Geirean Hatchett (11)
RT -- Drew Azzopardi (9)	John Mills (2)
WR -- Denzel Boston (9)	Omari Evans (2)
WR -- Raiden Vines-Bright (7)	Audric Harris (1), Kade Eldridge (1), Quentin Moore (2)
WR -- Rashid Williams (2)	Dezmen Roebuck (9)
QB -- Demond Williams Jr. (11)
RB -- Jonah Coleman (9)	Adam Mohammed (2)

Some of the difficulty has come in not having certain players healthy in order to utilize the entire playbook at times, rather the Huskies have had to simplify things on occasion, or simply dumb it down.

"I think because of how well they've trained those guys, they've all been able to step in," Fisch said.

What's made it work is long-time Fisch assistants such as Kevin Cummings and Scottie Graham have been able to get receivers and rushers ready to fill in right away, respectively.

Offensive analysts Kekoa Crawford and Caleb Wilson played for Fisch at Michigan in 2016 and at UCLA in 2017, respectively, when he was there, so long-time relationships are in place.

On the offensive line, the Husky coach has watched as Michael Switzer and Michael Brewster have mixed and matched personnel like mad scientists to make things work. They've all known each other for quite some time, too.

Fisch met Switzer at Michigan in 2015 when he was the quarterback coach and Switzer was a graduate assistant. Brewster played for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2013 when Fisch was a coach there.

"I've known these guys a long time," Fisch said, "and have nothing but total trust in what they can do."

The reclamation job done on an often beat-up Husky offense would seem to indicate that.

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