Huard: 3 UW Huskies season storylines coming to fruition Saturday

Aug 27, 2024, 10:33 AM

Will Rogers the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Oct. 8, 2022. (Justin Ford/Getty Images)

(Justin Ford/Getty Images)

BY ZAC HERETH

Seattle Sports

There are plenty of storylines to watch for the UW Huskies football team as they embark on a season full of firsts.

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The Huskies kick off the 2024 campaign this Saturday at home against Weber State, which marks the beginning of their first season in the Big Ten and under new head coach Jedd Fisch.

Former UW Huskies quarterback and current FOX college football analyst Brock Huard shared three storylines we will finally see come to fruition with Saturday’s game during the Blue 88 segment Monday on Brock and Salk.

The difference between Fisch and DeBoer

Fisch takes over the reins on Montlake following former head coach Kalen DeBoer’s departure to Alabama. Fisch complied a 16-21 record in three seasons at Arizona, helping the Wildcats improve from 1-11 in his first season to 10-3 and an Alamo Bowl victory in his final campaign.

The 48-year-old Fisch inherits a program coming off of consecutive seasons of double-digit wins, including a program-record 14 while making a run to the national title game last season.

“I think the biggest one first and foremost is just watching Jedd Fisch operate compared to Kalen DeBoer, kind of like Mike Macdonald (with the Seahawks),” Huard said. “Just watch and obviously Mike commands that sideline and operates it differently than (former Seahawks coach) Pete (Carroll) does, and Jedd Fisch is going to be different than Kalen DeBoer. He’s going to be the play caller. It’s just going to feel and look different, and yet I think in a positive way – super, super organized.”

Jake Browning 2.0

One of the biggest reasons for UW’s success over the past two seasons has been the stellar play of Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback. The since-graduated signal-caller threw for 9,544 yards and 67 touchdowns and 19 interceptions while completing 65.4% of his passes in his two seasons with the Huskies.

Taking over for Penix as the Dawgs’ QB is Mississippi State transfer Will Rogers. The fifth-year senior totaled 12,315 yards, 94 touchdowns and 28 interceptions while competing 69.3% of his passes in four seasons with the Bulldogs, including three in the Air Raid offense of former WSU Cougars coach Mike Leach. But who Huard compares Rogers to is a different former Huskies quarterback.

“I think you’re gonna like their new QB,” Huard said. “… There’s a little Jake Browning 2.0 to him. It’s not Michael Penix. It’s not the arm (talent or electric plays). It’s just a poise. It’s NFL check downs. It is, when the shot is there, we’re going to take it. But Will Rogers threw for (a lot of) yards in Starkville because he got the ball out on time and on target, and Mike Leach trained him up pretty doggone well.

“My hunch is that you’re going to watch Will Rogers and you’re not going to be wowed, you’re not going to be overwhelmed, but you can be like, ‘That’s a pro.’ Not that he’s an NFL quarterback, but he plays a college game like a totally composed pro. So keep an eye on Will Rogers.”

New-look UW Huskies trenches

Another massive factor in the Huskies’ ascent to college football elite under DeBoer was dominant play in the trenches, particularly on the offensive line. UW won the Joe Moore Award last season, which is given to college football’s best offensive line. However, the Huskies aren’t returning a single starter from their O-line, including the departures of standout tackles Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten to the NFL.

The defensive line also has some holes to fill, most notably one left by stalwart defensive end Bralen Trice, who was a third-round NFL Draft pick by Atlanta.

“The line of scrimmage is going to be the challenge,” Huard said. “They’re just going to have a hard time replicating what those two tackles did a year ago, what Bralen Trice did a year ago. It’s going to be a whole lot harder to win 11 games as Kalen did in year one and 14 games as Kalen did in year number two with the personnel on hand for this season, but that doesn’t mean it’s not gonna be fun. They could start 5-0. They’re schedule is very favorable out the gate.”

Listen to the full Blue 88 segment at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.