UW Spring Practice No. 5 Ended Up As A Defensive Day

For the last segment of spring practice No. 5 on Thursday, they sounded a siren throughout Husky Stadium to let everyone know serious stuff was coming.

In this case, it would be 10 plays of red-zone offense for the University of Washington football team to close. No more aid cars, just tight battles up against the goal line.

It was raucous. It was entertainining. It seemed to favor the defense, but just barely.

On the first play from the 16, freshman wide receiver Jordan Clay ran an extra smooth route into the end zone and caught the ball from Demond Williams Jr. right at the sideline, with sophomore cornerback Dylan Robinson all over him.

Considering the players involved -- a touted first-year player from Texas being given every opportunity to become a starter and a DB the coaches lately have been casually calling a first-round NFL draft pick -- it was a classic battle.

Offensive players came onto the field to loudly celebrate a supposed touchdown. Defensive coaches signaled the catch was out of bounds.

The officiating crew concurred with the latter and Robinson and the defense won that one.

Yet the 6-foot-3, 207-pound Clay looked every bit the 4-star receiver, big and physical, he was coming out of San Antonio.

On the very next play from the 11, Williams took the snap and faked senior edge rusher Isaiah Ward off his feet as he went around the left end and scored easily. Score one for the offense.

There was no shame in that considering how fast and shifty Williams is.

Yet sophomore offensive guard John Mills took it upon himself to loudly bark at everyone in a white defensive jersey as he made his way through the end zone in reminding them what just happened. It would be short-lived noise.

Two plays later, Williams rolled to his left looking to throw or maybe run again and he was met squarely by junior defensive tackle Elinneus Davis, who made sure there was nowhere for the quarterback to go.

Davis got there exceedingly quick and was credited with a sack by simply nodding his head at the hands-off player as he ran past him and the coaches whistled the play dead.

Elinneus Davis meets with the media after practice. | Dan Raley

Finally, a pass was thrown into the end zone for sophomore wide receiver Justice Williams, who got his hands on it, but it was ripped away by sophomore corner Elias Johnson for an impressive pass break-up.

The significance of this outcome was Johnson came up with third PBU in scrimmage settings over the past two practices, making him one of the unsung standouts of spring ball who is making a move for game time down the line.

Afterward, defensive players met with the media for a previously scheduled interview session, not necessarily because they finished up strong.

Senior edge rusher Jacob Lane made the observation to the attending journalists that this UW team was more physical during the spring compared to the previous two,

"This is probably the most physical group I've been a part of to start off," Lane said. "One thing coach Fisch has been harping on in team meetings is to learn how to practice like pros."

Just as those words came out of his mouth, Ward jumped on top of a prone Davis and began pummeling him for fun as both waited for their turns to answer questions in a most creative manner.

It seemed most apropos. This defense is only going to keep throwing more punches.

Asked about the player coming out of a stance next to him, freshman defensive tackle Derek Colman-Brusa, Davis said, "Obviously it's what you all see. He's very explosive. Very pop. I mean he's a freshman but he's way ahead of what a typical freshman should be."

Add to that senior safety CJ Christian, who was in uniform for the first time since missing all of last season with turf toe except for a handful of plays in the opener against Colorado State.

Christian, a 20-game starter at Florida International, was a starting safety for the UW all last spring. He's still waiting to show what he can do for real in Montlake.

For the Husky defense, it just keeps getting better.