Washington head coach Jedd Fisch unpacked a lot in a short amount of time following the team’s Mock Game on Saturday night. He dove into strengths and weaknesses, details on game weekend preparation, and thoughts on the scrimmage itself. Saturday night was a glimpse into what Husky football might look like this Fall. We gathered a lot of insight from the head coach following the scrimmage.
Game Weekend Simulation
The purpose of Washington’s Mock Game on Saturday night was to simulate a game weekend. Fisch told us that the team stayed at a hotel the night prior, had a pregame meal, and treated the weekend as if it were a true home game. A “dress rehearsal,” Fisch called it. “Just like in anything, when you’re putting on a show… you gotta do that. This was our opportunity to do that.”
Fisch said that he has used this game weekend script now for four seasons – three at Arizona, and one now at Washington. But this model isn’t anything out of the ordinary in terms of game day preparation. Fisch has coached several years on Sundays and told us that this game weekend script has been used for years in the NFL.
Washington’s “Be A Pro” mantra continues to show its embedment in the fabric of the Washington culture. From the NFL pedigree in the coaching staff to the pro-style offense, and even in the game weekend preparation, this program is modeled based on how it’s done at the professional level. “Be A Pro” is far from just a catchy slogan on Montlake. It’s a mentality that is lived out in every facet of this facility.
Question Marks and Strengths
“How we play as a team,” Fisch described the team’s biggest question mark at this point in the Fall. He continued, “We’re going to be playing young, old, new Washington players, old Washington players.” This team features guys from all different backgrounds and experiences on one roster. It was built in a short time frame from more than a dozen different schools via the transfer portal. “This is a brand new team, a brand new group of guys working together.”
There will be veteran players suiting up with guys who have yet to take a snap at the college level. If you zoom in on the offense, Will Rogers III is a veteran, fifth-year quarterback who holds SEC records in passing. Up front, his offensive line features a variety of experience levels. D’Angalo Titialii has played five years of football at the FCS level, and has probably the most experience. But at left tackle, Soane Faasolo has yet to take a snap in college. Faasolo has been consistently running with the presumed starters, and he has the athleticism to be a steady option at left tackle. But experience-wise, he is a prime example of the discrepancy that exists on this roster.
As far as the team’s strengths, Fisch said, “We’re healthy. So we’re strong there.” There were three injuries on the field during Washington’s Mock Game on Saturday night. But Fisch is optimistic that they weren’t anything more than bumps and bruises. Fisch is also confident in the team’s work ethic. “We’re working really hard as a group to continue to build that unity.” He didn’t single out any specific aspect of the team in terms of a strength. Rather, he focused on the overall comradery of the players on the roster. “They love one another, and they are playing really hard for each other right now.”
Fisch’s Thoughts on the Scrimmage
Calling plays is something that Fisch prides himself on as a head coach. He has discussed how that aspect of the game is important to him, and he’ll continue to do that as Washington’s head coach. But during Washington’s Mock Game, Fisch did not call plays. Instead, he took the role of an observer of the several components that go into a football game at Washington.
The head coach was watching the in-game film and working to figure out all the other parts of how a game will flow here at Washington. Instead of calling plays, Fisch said, “There were a lot of different situations I wanted to see. How we were subbing, how the coaches were doing in those cases.” All together, Fisch said the game was, “Pretty good.”
During the scrimmage, passing game coordinator Jimmie Dougherty and offensive analyst Michael Switzer were in the press box. Fisch noted that graduate offensive assistant Jacob Smith was in the box as well. Defensively, most of the graduate assistants and analysts were also in the press box instead of on the sideline. For game days this Fall, Fisch said that most position coaches will be on the field. But Dougherty is going to coach from the press box.
Next Steps This Fall
Game planning for Weber State will begin on Monday, according to Fisch. But a two-deep depth chart is not something that will be set in stone. “There will always be competition, there will never be a set lineup,” he said.
Week-to-week, Fisch is promoting internal competition. “We’re always trying to compete to see our best 11 on offense, our best 11 on defense, and our best 11 on special teams.” By this Tuesday morning, Fisch hopes to introduce a game plan into practice. At that point, the goal will be to see how well the team starts to digest the plan as sights point toward Weber State on Big Ten Network in two weeks.
Photo from Nick Lemkau
