The Washington offense ran about 112 plays on Saturday evening inside Husky Stadium. Quarterbacks Demond Williams Jr. and Kai Horton each attempted more than 20 passes, and numerous wide receivers were involved in the action. Up front, the Washington offensive line was forced to shift around due to injury. But Jedd Fisch is optimistic about the health of the team as a whole. 

Evaluating Washington’s Scrimmage
Pocket-Passing Williams

At quarterback, Williams unofficially completed 17 passes for about 190 yards and four touchdowns. Williams and the first team offense marched down the field on the opening drive of the scrimmage, lasting 11 plays. He capped it off with a five-yard touchdown delivery to Omari Evans. Later in the evening, Williams connected again with Evans. This time, it was a 20-yard touchdown reception. His other two touchdowns went to Audric Harris for 13 yards and Jonah Coleman for 11 yards. 

One of the points of emphasis for Williams with the coaching staff has been to keep developing as a pass-first quarterback. “It’s really not fair to the defense, he’s wearing a gold jersey,” Fisch said after the scrimmage. “When you start running him around, how do you get a feel for practice?” Williams only scrambled less than a handful of times on Saturday evening. And when he did, Fisch said he blew the play dead quickly. Williams’s poise in the pocket is noticeable, and he’s using these practice opportunities to strengthen his pocket-passing abilities. 

“In practice, this is your opportunity to get good at your skillset,” Fisch said, referencing his conversations with the starting quarterback. “This is your opportunity to sit back there for a little bit longer and be able to see everything. And then you know your skills, when you need to take off and go, you go.” Williams looked confident in his throws and maintained a pocket presence as a pass-first quarterback throughout all practice. “He’s a dangerous weapon, and he’s throwing the ball really well too.”

Wide Receiver Depth

Twelve different Husky wide receivers caught at least one pass during Washington’s scrimmage. Rashid Williams and Dezmen Roebuck had the most receptions, with five each unofficially. Williams had 44 receiving yards, and Roebuck had 27 yards. Not shown in his numbers was Roebuck’s reception, which didn’t count. It was a 25-yard catch that came down out of bounds, but he displayed a great adjustment to the football and made a contested catch. But the pass was just slightly too wide. 

“Yeah, he’s making plays, and making plays, and making plays,” Fisch said of his freshman receiver. “Even when they’re out of bounds, he’s making ‘em.” Roebuck enrolled at Washington in June this Summer, a late enrollee compared to many of the freshmen who were on campus for Spring. “He’s had to catch up a lot, and as he’s trying to catch up, he’s continuing to get better and better.”

“I think we’re in a good spot right now,” Fisch said of his receivers as a whole. “Rashid [Williams] is playing well, KG [Kevin Green] is playing well, the young guys are playing well.” Fisch also pointed to the Penn State transfer after his performance on Saturday. “Omari had probably his best night tonight. Omari made a lot of plays tonight.” Freshman Chris Lawson had about 37 receiving yards on four catches, and Fisch took note. “Chris had a big night tonight. Chris made a lot of plays yesterday and today.”

As Fisch went on to list the number of guys who can make an impact this season, the list was long. He said Denzel Boston is nearing full health and expected to be back at full capacity “soon.” Fisch concluded, “I’m excited about where they are, and we’ll continue to get better.”

Shifting The Offensive Line

Play came to a sudden halt as offensive lineman Geirean Hatchett went down holding his right knee after a play. As pressure built up in the pocket, it appeared like players fell on top of each other, and Hatchett came away injured. After a minute or so on the turf, the senior offensive lineman was helped off the field, favoring his right leg. The training staff placed an ice pack on his knee, but as the scrimmage continued, he began to walk the sideline and stand with his team.

His presence on the sideline throughout the evening seemed as though he may have avoided a more serious injury. And after practice, Fisch offered a promising comment on the health of the team. “We stayed healthy. From what I understand, I think we’re good all the way around tonight.” Hatchett had been a mainstay at the right guard spot in the starting group of linemen all offseason. In his absence, the Washington offensive line shifted around.

Immediately after Hatchett left the game, the offense tried freshman Champ Taulealea at right guard, keeping Paki Finau at left guard. But as the evening continued on, Finau moved from left guard to right guard, and freshman John Mills slotted in at left guard, a spot he has been playing frequently with the first and second team offense all offseason. From left to right, Carver Willis, Mills, Landen Hatchett, Finau, and Drew Azzopardi were the consistent first-team offensive line for the rest of Washington’s scrimmage.

Main Image: Nick Lemkau