UW Has Piled Up Lots of Stats -- Just Not Many Turnovers

Not to get too terribly greedy, considering all of the touchdowns and yards piled high in Montlake over the past two weekends, but the University of Washington football team still finds itself lacking in a crucial stat column.

Going on six seasons now.

Through three coaches.

Good times. Bad times. A pandemic.

Here's the gist: the Huskies still generate barely enough turnovers -- practically one per game in all of that time -- to put any real fear in the other side for any lengthy amount of time.

It's not for lack of defensive talent, with a host of high-quality defensive backs in Trent McDuffie, Kyler Gordon, Elijah Molden and Myles Bryant roaming the UW secondary in recent seasons.

The Huskies have just been too polite, apparently too content with just the tackle or the pass break-up, to strike any real fear in the other side.

Even in 17- and 60-point victories, they've emerged with just a pair of stray defensive turnovers. one in each game.

"We talked about that earlier today," said UW coach Jedd Fisch while doing his one bye week media briefing on Monday. "We've only taken the ball away twice. That's not who we are and not who we want to be as a program."

Through thick and thin, through DeBoer and Lake, through 14 wins in a season and just 4, it's been an ongoing and aggravating problem.

Anterio Thompson (54) acknowledges Makell Esteen's season-opening interception against Colorado State. | Dave Sizer photo

To date, the Huskies have interceptions from Makell Esteen in the opener and Tacario Davis in game two, and nothing more to share.

UW cornerback Ephesians Prysock dropped a pair of would-be pass thefts this past Saturday, confirming why he plays defense rather than tries to catch balls as a wide receiver.

Last year, the Huskies came up with 8 interceptions and 6 fumble recoveries in 13 outings, a smidge over one per game.

In 2023, on the way to the CFP national championship game, Kalen DeBoer's defense collected 20 turnovers, including 16 interceptions, which may sound like a lot -- except that UW team played in 15 games.

That's 1.3 turnovers an outing for what was the nation's second-best outfit overall. A meager four fumble recoveries kept the ball from changing hands like it should have.

Typical of those Huskies not cashing in completely was this lapse: they had a pair of interceptions go for touchdowns in 2023 from linebacker Eddie Ulofoshio and nickelback Mishael Powell covering 45 and 89 yards, respectively.

Yet it should have been three go the distance, but linebacker Alphonzo Tuputalo ruined a perfectly good 77-yard pick-six by inexplicably dropping the ball on the 1, thinking he'd scored. It was just symbolic of the Huskies not being able to go for the throat.

In 2022, DeBoer's 11-2 UW team totaled just 12 takeaways, or fewer than one per game.

During the lost season of 2021, Jimmy Lake's defenders came up with 10 interception and 5 fumble recoveries while finishing with a morbid 4-8 record, or just over one turnover per outing.

During the 2020 pandemic-shortened season, the Huskies picked up 3 interceptions and 5 fumble recoveries, The star-studded McDuffie and Molden each was responsible for a pass theft. At two per game, it was their highest rate over the past five seasons.

"Turnovers come in bunches," Fisch said. "Takeaways come in bunches. You've got to get some momentum to get 'em, but you also have to attack the ball. You also have to have that philosophy it's not just about a tackle, but it's about a strip. It's not about a sack, it's about a strip sack. It's not just about getting a guy down, it's about punching it out."

Redshirt freshman DB Rahshawn Clark had at least 7 interceptions during spring football. | Dave Sizer photo

Certainly this UW team has plenty of players capable of making things happen while on defense.

Freshman safety Rylon "Batman" Dillard-Allen had a pick-6 in both the Spring Game and fall mock game.

Redshirt freshman nickelback Rahshawn Clark had no fewer than 7 interceptions during spring practice.

Junior transfer safety Alex McLaughlin had an 80-yard interception return in the Spring Game.

Now it's time to transfer everything they're capable of doing to real time.

The Huskies have yet another new defensive coordinator in Ryan Walters, who has a resume filled with defensive players under his direction coming up with an abundance of interceptions and fumbles. It's a trademark for him.

With two weeks to get ready for the Apple Cup at Washington State, Fisch said he and his coaches would devote significant time during each practice to focusing on ways to come up with the ball on defense.

"Two of those periods every day," Fisch said, "will be based on how to attack the football."

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