Commentary: If UW played ‘worst game’ against Weber State, it’s on the right path

SEATTLE – At 5:29 p.m., a trio of buses tore down Montlake Boulevard, escorted by siren-sounding police motorcycles on either side. They parked beside the marching band stationed outside Hec Edmundson Pavilion, as fans and family members formed a makeshift path.

A minute later, the marching band belted out “Bow Down to Washington” – while a parade of players, mascots, cheerleaders and helmet cars followed the roughly 400-foot trail to Husky Stadium. They walked past the bronze busts of national championship coaches Don James and Jim Owens; past former teammates Mark Bruener and Lawyer Milloy, who stopped to hug and say hello; past iconic quarterback Sonny Sixkiller, 72 years young.

Past their predecessors, pillars along the path.

This is the “Dawg Walk,” which has followed a different route depending on the regime. Under Jimmy Lake, players entered from the east side of the stadium. Under Kalen DeBoer, the Dawgs pulled up to the front door – the west entrance – and rolled right through.

For better or worse, Jedd Fisch and Co. will walk their own path.

It started Saturday.

It started, specifically, with a 35-3 Washington win over Weber State – a routine ransacking of an overmatched opponent. It started with a nightcap debut on the Big Ten Network that Comcast subscribers didn’t see. It started with Washington’s worst game of the season.

At least, that’s the goal.

In the aftermath, Fisch, running back Jonah Coleman and linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala repeated the same refrain. Coleman said: “We’ve got a lot to learn. We’re going to make this our worst game. So I’m looking forward to getting in the meeting rooms and film room and correcting a couple things.”

That echoed the sentiment of Big Ten Network analyst Yogi Roth, who told The Times last month: “The No. 1 goal for a team in this environment is to have continuous improvement.”

Granted, that isn’t an overwhelmingly garish goal. It would be more fun to demand double-digit wins or a debuting Big Ten title. Heck, the 2023 team publicly, repeatedly pined for a national championship.

But this “environment” – new conference logo patched onto the turf, new staff, new players, new opponents, etc. – necessitates shooting for simpler stars.

Get better, step by step.

And, if Saturday was Washington at its worst? That’s an increasingly pretty picture. Take the 5-foot-9, 229-pound Coleman – a bowling ball gleefully pummeling pins. In his first game as a Husky, the junior Arizona transfer didn’t disappoint, sledgehammering and stiff-arming for 127 rushing yards, 7.9 yards per carry and three touchdowns.

(That didn’t even count Coleman’s 44-yard touchdown trot that was nullified by a holding penalty on UW’s opening drive.)

“It seemed that we had some pretty gaping holes there at times that Jonah was able to run through untouched for the first few yards,” Fisch said. “And then when you give Jonah the head of steam, he’s a very hard guy to tackle with just one guy.”

Speaking of which: wide receivers Giles Jackson (10 catches for 98 yards, five rushing yards) and Denzel Boston (six catches, 76 yards, 1 TD) also impressed, while true freshman tight end Decker DeGraaf hauled in a 33-yard touchdown in his UW debut.

Speaking of which, times two: DeGraaf was not the only true freshman who provided an impact. Former four-star quarterback Demond Williams II completed 3 of 5 passes for 28 yards in relief of starter Will Rogers, while running back Adam Mohammed ripped off a 32-yard run to the 1-yard line (despite losing a shoe to a tackle attempt).

Fisch has often insisted that his program is not afraid to play freshmen, provided they earn their opportunities.

So far, so true.

“Our program’s built on competition,” Coleman said. “So if you come in and compete, you’re going to play. If you know what you’re doing, you’re making plays, you’re producing, that’s how you get in the game. Those guys make plays in practice, and they came out here and made plays in the game.”

The same can be said of UW’s entire secondary, which corralled Weber State quarterback Richie Munoz to the tune of 34.3% completions (11-32) and 98 passing yards. Considering Washington’s wealth of defensive back depth – Ephesians Prysock, Thaddeus Dixon, Elijah Jackson, Kamren Fabiculanan, Cameron Broussard, Jordan Shaw, etc. – the Big Ten’s inconsistent crew of quarterbacks might similarly suffer.

But the Huskies hunt improvement … because there are areas to improve. Against an FCS opponent, UW’s defense surrendered 155 rushing yards and 4.2 yards per carry Saturday, concerningly inflated figures. Rogers – who completed 20 of 26 passes for 250 yards and one touchdown – was also sacked twice, while Washington managed just a single sack of its own.

From an arm strength or playmaking perspective, Rogers will not hearken comparisons to Heisman Trophy runner-up Michael Penix Jr. Still, UW’s ceiling will ultimately be affixed to its line play – its ability to run the ball, stop the run and reliably protect Rogers.

Right now, this is not a 10-win team, a College Football Playoff contender. It’s a talented outfit trying to fix its fatal flaws.

But the point isn’t what Washington was during its worst game.

It’s how much better these Huskies can be.

It’s where the path leads next.