As Huskies Take a Break, DeBoer Allows His Team to Look Ahead

The first-year coach still has high goals for his inherited crew.

One of Kalen DeBoer' coaching edicts is that his University of Washington football players keep their heads about them, that they always stay focused on the present, that they never get too far down the road from the task at hand.

So it was just a little surprising when the first-year coach, well satisfied after securing his first Husky road victory at California and beginning a bye week, on Saturday night allowed himself a moment to consider ultimate possibilities.

"The sky's the limit where you still feel, that you've got to catch some breaks along the way, but you know there's a belief if we take care of business you might find yourself in a Pac-12 championship," DeBoer said following a 28-21 victory over the Golden Bears in Berkeley. "I know there's a lot that's got to go our way, but you know it's the way this team is right now — there's a lot of belief."

He said this after his Huskies captured their sixth victory in eight outings before taking a break, with the two losses each coming by a touchdown.

Asked before the season what were reasonable expectations for the reconfigured Huskies, DeBoer didn't flinch and said his team was pursuing the conference championship. 

While DeBoer pushes forward with a UW secondary that has been a liability much of the time, dealing with rampant injuries, turning to youth and badly in need of some lockdown players, the Huskies have responded well to his guidance, trusting in him and his coaching staff to succeed.

It's a far cry from last season's 4-8, Jimmy Lake-coached UW team that splintered and nosedived when so much more was expected.

"We keep fighting," DeBoer said. "Most importantly, we've got to keep just getting better. When you really try to narrow it down, and don't get overwhelmed by it, the big picture, you just keep getting better."

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