“I feel like we’re very healthy at this point going into this [Oregon] game,” Jedd Fisch said on Monday of Oregon week. Injuries have hindered the Washington roster throughout this season. It lost all three of its original starting wide receivers in at least some capacity in Rashid Williams, Denzel Boston, and Raiden Vines-Bright. Along the offensive front, injuries to Drew Azzopardi, John Mills, Carver Willis, and Landen Hatchett have shuffled the orientation of the line at different points in the season. Saturday, Fisch expects several of these players back in heightened roles.
Husky Injury Updates & Oregon Prep
Coleman & Boston
Husky running back Jonah Coleman and Boston at wide receiver were each limited against the Bruins. Coleman played 11 snaps on offense with four attempts, six yards, and a touchdown. Fisch brought Coleman into the game while leading 34-7 in the fourth quarter in a goal-line situation. “It was about getting Jonah a touchdown,” Fisch said. “Jonah’s given everything to this program; touchdowns are cool.” The head coach said he’d rather try for more points than kick a field goal from the one-yard line. Coleman now has 16 total touchdowns on the season, with 14 rushing. Out wide, Boston logged just three snaps at receiver in the game at UCLA.
For Saturday, however, Fisch expressed confidence that each player will return with a higher capacity. “I would expect them both to be back in a much more significant manner than they were last week,” Fisch said. “I don’t know how many reps that is, but a substantial amount.”
Other Offensive Injuries
Looking at the rest of the offense, Fisch noted that Azzopardi is taking strides during rehab. He expects the right tackle to practice on Tuesday and return to team reps on Wednesday. “Right now, he’s trending in a positive direction. He’s done a great job in rehab,” Fisch explained. “Our goal is to be able to get him into the game in some capacity.” The Husky head coach added that Vines-Bright has been cleared to return to action against the Ducks.
Growing From Wisconsin
“I think that we learned a lot from the Wisconsin game.” Fisch discussed the shortcomings of the Huskies’ 13-10 loss in Madison during his Monday press conference. “From that game, I thought Demond [Williams] took over, and he really grew up. He went from being a sophomore to being a veteran quarterback.” After his 134-yard passing performance that included an interception and a touchdown, Williams bounced back. Against Purdue and at UCLA, Williams combined for 470 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, two rushing scores, and just one pick.
In addition to Williams, Decker DeGraaf, Dezmen Roebuck, and Adam Mohammed each had their best two games of the season after the loss inside Camp Randall. In the last two games, DeGraaf has had eight catches for 137 yards and a touchdown. Roebuck’s totals include ten catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns. Mohammed has carried the football 38 times for 167 yards with three touchdowns in the last two games. Based on how the depth of the roster has performed since the Wisconsin loss, Fisch feels confident. “I’m not as worried this week as I would have probably been three weeks ago in terms of how are we’re going to handle the electricity of this atmosphere and the size of the game.”
Rivalry in the Pacific Northwest
The atmosphere of Saturday’s game will be electric. In one of college football’s most underrated rivalries, the Huskies have a chance to potentially eliminate their rival from College Football Playoff contention. “Beating Oregon does a lot for me,” Fisch said on Monday. “Knocking them out [of the College Football Playoff] is just another part of it.” The Ducks would finish 10-2 in that scenario, likely eliminating them from an at-large bid.
“We want to do everything we possibly can to get a win on Saturday,” Fisch continued. “We will work exceptionally hard knowing that we have a really, really good opponent coming into town.” Oregon quarterback Dante Moore is one of 20 quarterbacks named a Davey O’Brien Award Semifinalist. Moore ranks fourth in completion percentage at 72.9%, just 0.9% better than Washington’s Williams, who ranks 6th. “The quarterback’s different [from last year], but the quality of the quarterback is the same,” Fisch said of Moore. “They’re both NFL quarterbacks that are exceptional.”
Said Fisch, “They have a ton of depth. Where I see that Oregon has separated themselves in a lot of ways in comparison to a lot of teams is their depth. Their roster is national.” Oregon will enter Husky Stadium as the No. 5 team in the nation according to the AP Poll. With a 10-win season still within reach for Washington, this team is going to leave everything out on the field in its final regular-season contest of the year.
Main Photo: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
