Washington heads into its Big Ten opener with a safety who has quietly become one of the most important pieces on the defense.
Fourth-year safety Alex McLaughlin has been everywhere for the Huskies through three games, and that kind of production may matter even more Saturday night when Washington hosts Minnesota at 8 p.m. PT at Husky Stadium.
The Huskies are 3-0, but they still have something to prove after an uneven start to nonconference play that knocked them out of the Associated Press Top 25. They were the top vote-getter outside the poll, and a convincing win over the Golden Gophers would help their case to get back in.
The challenge is shaped by what Minnesota brings to the table. The Gophers are 2-1 and will start third-year quarterback Drake Lindsey, a more traditional pocket passer than the mobile quarterbacks Washington has seen the past three weeks. That shift puts more stress on a UW secondary that could be missing two starters.
Fourth-year cornerback Emmanuel Karnley and third-year nickelback Rahshawn Clark are both game-time decisions. If neither can go, Washington’s starting corners would be true freshman Jeron Jones, second-year Dylan Robinson and either second-year Ramonz Adams Jr. or third-year Elias Johnson. Adams and Johnson have combined for just seven games of experience.
That kind of setup would leave even more on McLaughlin’s plate. He’s been one of the Huskies’ best players early, piling up 22 tackles, including 18 solo stops, three tackles for loss and two sacks. He also has two interceptions, a forced fumble and five passes defended.
Washington has also used him in a variety of ways. In some packages, Clark has moved to free safety, which has let McLaughlin and second-year safety Rylon Dillard-Allen work closer to the line of scrimmage. That has boosted McLaughlin’s role in run support and in blitz looks.
If Clark can’t play, McLaughlin could be asked to spend more time at free safety Saturday to help keep Minnesota in front of the defense and limit the Gophers to shorter throws. However the staff chooses to deploy him, his presence will be central to Washington’s effort to keep Lindsey and Minnesota’s passing game under control.
In Other News...
USC Heads To Washington With One Huge Concern After Oregon Loss
USC left Eugene with a 41-27 loss to Oregon in a top-20 matchup, but the Trojans still got a few useful offensive signs heading into their trip to Washington. Kayden Dixon-Wyatt was the most productive pass catcher, finishing with seven catches for 114 yards and a touchdown, while King Miller chipped in 74 rushing yards to help keep the offense moving at times.
The bigger issue came on the other side of the ball, where Jahkeem Stewart returned to the lineup but the Trojans also lost Desman Stephens II after he was ejected for targeting on a hit to Oregon quarterback Dante Moore. With Washington next on the schedule, USC will have to sort through both the emotional and competitive fallout from a physical game that ended with Moore injured and taken to the hospital. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Just Exposed A Bigger Problem Than One Bad Loss
Washingtons loss to Minnesota landed as more than a bad night in September. The Huskies went in as double-digit favorites and came out with a 27-24 defeat that raised real questions about where this offense is headed, especially with Demond Williams still trying to settle in and Jedd Fischs playcalling suddenly under the microscope.
The deeper concern is how many pieces were already working against Washington before the result ever became a headline. Injuries have thinned the backfield, the run game has not offered much help, and the protection problems have left the offense too vulnerable when drives stall. For a team with bigger goals, the issue now is not just one upset, but whether this version of the Huskies has enough answers to keep winning the games left on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Jedd Fisch Just Put Washingtons Biggest USC Concern Into Focus
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For a Washington team heading into a tougher stretch, the bigger concern may be what the roster looks like when the Huskies try to clean it up. Fisch also updated several injury and eligibility situations, including Landen Hatchett, Christian Moss, Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei and Rahshawn Clark, leaving a few key pieces in varying states of limbo. Those answers matter even more with the line and skill positions already under scrutiny, and theyll be worth watching closely as the USC week conversation starts to sharpen. [Read more 🡒]