3 Keys for Washington's Defense Against Tulsa

Husky defenders have some things to clean up against the Golden Hurricane.

Roman Tomashoff | Sep 9, 2023

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Washington's defense showed some signs of improvement from the year before in the season opener against Boise State, with cornerback Davon Banks recording four pass break-ups while safety Kamren Fabiculanen and linebacker Carson Bruener both came up with an interception.

But there are still things that co-defensive coordinators William Inge and Chuck Morrell need to make happen with the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in town.

Limit Big Plays

Boise State was able to rip off multiple big plays against the Huskies, the biggest one being a 50-yard touchdown on a screen to running back Ashton Jeanty. The defense was caught off guard on multiple occasions by misdirections and can't turn that into a regular occurrence.

Win on 3rd Down

Washington's defense did a great job getting off the field on third down in the season opener, holding the Broncos to six conversions on 17 attempts. Tulsa's game plan will in all likelihood emphasize running the ball and controlling the clock, which makes getting off the field even more important.

Get After the Quarterback

All signs are pointing towards redshirt freshman Cardell Williams making his first career start on Saturday. The Huskies supplied only one sack of Boise State's Taylen Green and need to improve on that in week two.

Led by preseason first-team All-American Bralen Trice, Washington's pass rush needs to make opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable after recording 37 sacks in 2022.

On Monday, Inge said that defensive tackle Faatui Tuitele sustained a minor injury during warm-ups and was held out of the Boise State game and out of uniform early in the week. If he's able to play against the Golden Hurricane, the Husky pass rush would get a .

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Published Sep 9, 2023

ROMAN TOMASHOFF

I've followed the Huskies for my entire life, and to be in a position where I get to cover them full-time is nothing short of an honor. After graduating from Lasell University in 2019, I moved to Seattle to pursue my dream of working in sports media. While writing for the Husky Haul, I also covered local sports for the Everett Daily Herald before the COVID-19 pandemic. After being hired by Realdawg.com in February of 2021, I also transitioned into doing a lot of entertainment writing, as I work on a variety of magazines as a contributing writer for Centennial Media, and have also contributed to Emmy Magazine, as well as Walt Disney Television Studios.