UW Practice No. 4 Was All About Defense, Recruiting and Ice Baths
The morning began with William Inge playing switchboard operator and ended with a bunch of hyperactive college males enjoying their own customized spring break ... in August.
Of the latter, think Lake Havasu, only Lake Washington.
This was the fourth University of Washington fall football practice and it fell short of the offensive theatrics of previous days but seemed productive just the same as Kalen DeBoer's staff continued to put its Husky football team together.
Certainly there were snapshot moments that proved highly entertaining.
As UW players spread out and began stretching, Inge was handed a cell phone and launched into an animated recruiting pitch on a Facetime call that could be heard in the stands.
"Get up here, man, let's go!" the co-offensive coordinator shouted into the phone.
As soon as Inge was done with that call, recruiting director Courtney Morgan handed him another phone and the coach started his routine all over again.
"Headhunter!" the defensive coach yelled into the phone.
Inge next took the recruit on a walking tour of UW stretching exercises, stopping and and pushing on one player's leg while chatting away, and then showing off the practice scene to whoever he was speaking with on the other end.
The Huskies hit the ice baths following practice.
Dan Raley
Then it was on to football for the next two hours, though Husky Stadium almost resembled an airport at times with helicopters, small aircraft and a huge military transport plane flying low overhead on Seafair Sunday.
The Huskies will take Monday off after practicing four consecutive days, which was a change-up compared to spring ball, where the workouts were never back to back.
"Right now, we're just trying to install the offense," DeBoer said. "I'm very confident we stacked a strong three [days]. Today was a really solid practice. The thing I'm challenging the guys is to have that killer instinct, to challenge them when they're tired and see how they responded [with] the execution, the toughness. We're not there yet, but that's what practice is for."
While long touchdown passes were commonplace in the earlier fall workouts, Sunday's session provided just one — Sam Huard connected with Taj Davis, who beat safety Cam Williams in the flat and then ran away from him for a 48-yard touchdown.
Huard, however, had a challenging day. He earlier threw a ball up for grabs and was intercepted by redshirt freshman Vince Nunley. He also went down in alarming fashion when Bralen Trice and an unidentified blitzing defensive back buried him more than was advisable, but he came out of the pile-up OK.
Linebacker Cam Bright enjoys a post-practice refreshment while cooling off in an ice bath.
UW
Redshirt freshman cornerback Davon Banks continued to turn up around the ball at all times. He stepped in front of a Dylan Morris delivery meant for wide receiver Giles Jackson and intercepted the pass while having his helmet ripped off his head. Banks then leaped to his feet with a deft spinning motion to celebrate.
Banks also stole a second Huard pass near the end of practice that deflected off Taj Davis' hands and was impressive enough, yet the play was nullified by a teammate's unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the backfield.
Secondary members seemed to have the upper hand all morning after getting scorched over the top numerous times during the earlier Husky practices. Jordan Perryman, the cornerback transfer from UC Davis and the Big Sky, was particularly impressive.
With play beginning on the opposing 37, Perryman showed off his tight coverage skills by running step for step with wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk and authoritatively swatting away a Michael Penix Jr. pass in the end zone.
A few plays later, Perryman did this again by shadowing Rome Odunze into the end zone and forcing another incompletion.
None of the Husky QBs were particularly sharp as the coaching staff had them facing blitz packages most of the practice and their receivers dropped a lot of balls. Edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui was a nonstop disruptor in hurrying things along and getting in everyone's face.
Finally once practice ended, several Huskies headed for ice baths set up on the south sideline beneath purple tent-like covers erected to shade them from the sun.
It was an overly raucous scene with players removing their helmets, shoulder pads, jerseys and football shoes, cramming into the tubs, loudly chattering and clearly enjoying themselves.
Daytona Beach or Fort Lauderdale in March was never this much fun.
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