First-Game Observations As Jedd Fisch Era Begins

The Huskies played a lot of new guys in beatng Weber State.

Husky Stadium at night is quite a spectacle. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Throughout fall camp, Jedd Fisch maintained over and over he didn't know what he had with this University of Washington football team.

After looking at what happened in the Weber State opener, a 35-3 Husky victory, let us break it down for him, using the fine points.

In terms of personnel, the UW coach went with a Saturday night lineup that consisted of just one returning starter, not two, opening with linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala, but using cornerback Elijah Jackson in a reserve role. Jackson started all 15 games for the UW's national championship runner-up team.

Yet with Tuputala, the sixth-year senior not only lined up at linebacker, the Huskies had him in multiple different spots, including coming off the edge on a speed-rushing unit.

In the three Husky secondary battles unsettled when the week began, Arizona transfer Ephesians Prysock started at cornerback instead of Jackson; senior Thaddeus Dixon opened at the other corner rather than junior Darren Barkins, who didn't suit up for the game; and sophomore Makell Esteen took the field first at safety instead of Sacramento State transfer Cameron Broussard, who still play a lot.

Junior defensive tackle Jayvon Parker, pegged as a starter coming into the game, warmed up but didn't play while dealing with a lingering unspecified ailment. Fisch said he needed another week. Parker was replaced in the opening lineup by sixth-year senior Jacob Bandes, who made his fourth career start -- one in each of the past four seasons. Parker and his twin brother Armon held a long embrace on the sideline shortly before kickoff.

Fisch utilized 34 players in the season opener who made their Husky debuts, including nine true freshmen.

Quarterback Will Rogers slaps hands with young fans. / Skylar Lin Visuals

The coach rewarded previously unused but loyal walk-on quarterback Teddy Purcell, a fourth-year junior from Menlo Park, California, with the final snap against the Big Sky visitors. Purcell took a knee to end the game.

Fisch also inserted walk-on tight end Owens Coutts, a senior who hadn't played in a regulation football game since he was a sophomore at Ballard High School in 2017.

Four holdover Huskies made their starting debuts in highly regarded junior edge rusher Zach Durfee, equally touted sophomore wide receiver Denzel Boston, fifth-year junior offensive guard Gaard Memmelaar and redshirt freshman offensive tackle Soane Faasolo.

At one point, Fisch had four freshman on offense on the field at once in quarterback Demond Williams Jr., running back Adam Mohammed, wide receiver Audric Harris and tight end Decker DeGraaf, and later went with offensive guard Paki Finau to close the game. Defensively, the UW staff used linebacker Khmori House, safety Peyton Waters, nickelback Rahim Wright II and safety Rahshawn Clark.

Unscripted, Williams was inserted at the end of the third quarter as a replacement for starter Will Rogers and played most of the fourth. The speedster ran for 9 yards on his first snap and finished with three carries for 17 yards, and completed 3 of 5 passes for 26 yards and a 6-yard TD pass to Boston.

From Kalen DeBoer's last class of Huskies, four players made their Montlake debuts in cornerback Caleb Presley, offensive tackle Kahlee Tafai, defensive tackle Elinneus Davis and Faasolo.

Fisch's staff used nine different offensive linemen, with most of them playing multiple positions throughout the game, including four guys stepping in at left tackle in Drew Azzopardi, Enokk Vimahi, Tafai and Faasolo.

Players who didn't suit up for the Husky opener were sophomore defensive tackle Armon Parker and freshman tight end Charlie Crowell, both out with season-ending injuries; former Maryland offensive tackle Maximus McCree, redshirt freshman offensive tackle Elishah Jackett, Arizona edge rusher transfer Russell Davis II, sophomore tight end Ryan Otton, freshman wide receiver Justice Williams, walk-on running back Ryder Bumgarner, Arizona wide receiver transfer Kevin Green Jr., redshirt freshman Leroy Bryant and the aforementioned Barkins. Green moved up and down the sideline riding on a scooter to keep his leg immobilized.

Coaches Jedd Fisch and Mickey Mental share a postgame handshake. / Skylar Lin Visuals

All of those out of uniform were either injured or in position development. The absence of Clark and Bryant meant the Huskies went without both of their players who wear No. 0.

The Huskies used JC transfer Bryce Butler and the aforementioned Elinneus Davis for significant snaps on the defensive line. Butler, who's put 17 pounds on his 6-foot-5, 312-pound frame, finished with 4 tackles while Davis had a pair of tackles.

Edge rusherJayden Wayne, the Tacoma native, Miami transfer and a 6-foot-6, 262-pound sophomore, made his UW debut on the game's first defensive series, coming out on a kick-block team, resulting in Weber State missing a 48-yard field goal. Wayne finished with a tackle and a pass deflection.

In the it-almost-happened department, redshirt freshman Keith Reynolds, a noted breakaway artist who had five scoring plays for his Southern Calfiornia high school from 77 to 94 yards, returned the second-half kickoff 71 yards only to have it brought back by a penalty.

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