SEATTLE - Washington got the win it needed over Washington State, but Huskies offensive line coach Michael Switzer didn’t spend much time admiring the 24-10 result.
The No. 19 Huskies opened the season 1-0 in the Apple Cup, yet the postgame mood inside the program was far from celebratory. Coaches were frustrated by an offense that left points behind, committed too many penalties and never quite matched the standard they expect.
That feeling showed up most clearly on the final play before halftime. With Washington ahead 10-0, head coach Jedd Fisch kept the offense on the field on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line and sent fourth-year running back Jayden Limar into the line. Washington State stuffed the run and kept the Huskies from turning the lead into a more comfortable margin.
For Switzer, that moment reflected the bigger issue.
"Really disappointed," Switzer said in a weekly news conference Tuesday at Husky Stadium. "As you look back at it, even throughout the game, the way we played physically was not up to our standard.
There were some moving pieces in terms of guys getting their first action. ... But, the expectation is the position.
So to sit there and make excuses for it, we will not. We got to improve greatly and the guys understand that very clearly.
They understood it before the game was over."
Those “moving pieces” were real. Three offensive linemen were either making their first start at the position or their first college start altogether: first-year Kodi Greene at left tackle, fourth-year Sam Houston State transfer Kolt Dieterich at center and second-year Champ Taulealea at right guard.
The production matched the inexperience. Per Pro Football Focus, Greene, Dieterich and Taulealea were the three lowest-graded linemen on the day, all finishing below 60. Greene posted a 50.2 grade, Dieterich checked in at 57.2 and Taulealea at 52.2.
The penalties piled on, too. Washington was flagged 12 times for 130 yards, with Greene and Taulealea both part of the damage. Taulealea was called for two holds, while Greene drew a false start late in the game.
Taulealea also shared right guard duties with seventh-year player Geirean Hatchett, and Hatchett earned the unit’s top PFF grade at 74.4.
That rotation is expected to continue when Washington hosts Utah State at 12:30 p.m. PT on Saturday at Husky Stadium. Fisch said Monday the Huskies plan to keep Taulealea and Hatchett splitting reps, and Switzer said that arrangement was in place “from the start.”
There was at least one encouraging sign: the line settled in as the game moved along. Washington scored 14 points in the final 15 minutes after managing only 10 through the first three quarters.
Still, the challenge now is carrying that stretch over a full game, especially with injuries thinning the backfield. Second-year Quaid Carr and Limar, the team’s top two running backs, are both hurt, making the line’s job even more important.
"No matter who's back in the backfield, we've got to clear the way for him," Switzer said. "We've got to give him rushing lanes, give them good reads. Even more so, I say, 'time to step up offensive line and do everything we can for these halfbacks."
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The Apple Cup brought Washington a rivalry win, but it also left the Huskies sorting through more injury fallout than they would have liked. Running backs Quaid Carr and Jayden Limar are both expected to miss significant time, with Carr headed for surgery, and the offense took another hit when starting wide receiver Christian Moss was forced out early with a soft-tissue injury.
That opened the door for second-year receiver Chris Lawson, who moved into a starting role and quickly became a bigger part of the passing game. Washington already knows it will need more help across the offense in the weeks ahead, and Lawsons ability to handle a larger workload now matters more than it did even a day ago. [Read more 🡒]
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The concern is not just the short-term bump from one rivalry game, but how Washington holds up as the schedule keeps moving. The Huskies already know they may be heading into the next one without key pieces in the backfield, while upcoming opponent Utah State has its own quarterback uncertainty after McCae Hillstead was hurt in a loss to Idaho State. In a game that should offer Washington a chance to build on the Apple Cup, the margin for comfort feels thinner than it looked on Saturday night. [Read more 🡒]