Using Freshman QB, Huskies Dig Deep for First Down

The Huskies used newcomer Derek Zammit for a key third-and-1 play in the fourth quarter.

Derek Zammit slaps hands with fellow freshman Brian Bonner Jr. | Dave Sizer photo

In one of the more unusual turns for Saturday's University of Washington-Utah State football game, the Huskies sent freshman quarterback Derek Zammit on the field in the fourth quarter and flanked out No. 1 signal-caller Demond Williams to his left.

Inside nine minutes remained to be played. It was 3-and-1 at the opposing 35. The UW led just 13-7.

In a season in which the Husky offense so far has operated only in mysterious ways -- and not exactly in an opportunistic fashion -- this ranked right up there for unusual.

"I didn't trick him," UW coach Jedd Fisch said. "We definitely practiced it all week and we felt like he was ready."

In what the Husky leader described as a Wildcat formation, the 6-foot -1, 210-pound Zammit -- the heaviest of the five scholarship quarterbacks on the roster -- resembled a running back and took a direct snap.

"It was a play designed for Derek," Fisch said, further explaining the logic here. "And it was a play we felt like was a good opportunity for Derek to get his feet wet."

Demond Williams Jr. got free for a 36-yard run and led the Huskies in rushing with 56 yards. | Dave Sizer photo

With that, Zammit from Lincoln Park, New Jersey, accepted the ball and made his college football debut by running to the right behind offensive tackle Drew Azzopardi, with tight end Baron Naone providing a crossing block, and picked up 2 yards and a first down by falling forward.

Someone could have come away with one of two reactions: it was a clever, unconventional play or it smacked of desperation in an offense-challenged season so far.

The first down led to a 43-yard field goal for Tyler Robles and a 16-7 lead and what turned out to be the game-winning points.

Fisch, as the Husky play-caller, finds himself digging deep to pull his offense out of an opening funk in which not much has worked well over two games.

"We're trying to create some short-yardage offense right now," he said. "It's our responsibility as a coaching staff to use any tool we have and have any player we have to find a way to get a first down."

The scars from sending the now injured Jayden Limar into the line of scrimmage in the Apple Cup on fourth-and-goal from the WSU 1 and watching the play get blown up appear to be telling.

Freshman running back Ansu Sanoe celebrates his 1-yard touchdown run against Utah State. | Dave Sizer photo

Fisch is currently using his third, fourth and fifth running backs after just two weeks of play and the trust levels just aren't there yet as they were with NFL-bound Jonah Coleman handling the rushing duties last season and even the departed Adam Mohammed behind him.

"If we are not capable on a third-and-1 to run the ball with a back in a more traditional set as we have done in the past, we have to find a way to be creative," he said.