Fisch Doesn't Do Any Scoreboard Watching in Indy

The Husky football coach has an interesting answer for his team expectations.

Jedd Fisch speaks to the media during the Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium on Thursday in Indianapolis. / Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

At Big Ten Media Days, first-year University of Washington football coach Jedd Fisch looked resplendent in his gray suit and a pale purple tie. His razor sharp-edged voice made people sit up and listen to him.

However, his message in Indianapolis on Thursday regarding his initial Husky football team was more slick in presentation than heavy on substance, which is one way you deal with a rebuild.

"Our expectation is we're going to be the toughest team they play every week and we'll let the score take care of itself," Fisch said. "We're not going to count wins and losses right now and figure out what that looks like -- we tell our team there is no scoreboard. We just need to play our best game and see what that looks like."

Translated, that sounds a lot like he might be bracing for a four- or five-loss season in the Huskies' Big Ten debut with nearly an all-new lineup after the UW celebrated a 14-1 season, which the coach duly noted to his media audience at Lucas Oil Stadium.

"We have to build that success with a brand-new team, something that's never been done before in college football," Fisch said.

People at Marshall and a few other college football programs that dealt with past tragedy might disagree with that statement, but his point was taken.

Fisch rattled off how he has 36 UW scholarship players returning meshed with 35 transfers from 12 different schools -- and 46 scholarship newcomers in all.

"It's a true reboot," he said, "but so is all of college football."

Fisch traveled to the Big Ten event with senior linebacker Carson Bruener, senior safety Kamren Fabiculanan and junior running back Jonah Coleman. They're a week away from opening fall football camp.

Softening the coming challenge of the rebuild, Fisch noted how the UW has beaten Oregon in its past three meetings and Texas and USC in each of the past two matchups with them.

"We respect our past, but we're excited about the future," the coach said.

Interestingly, the Huskies traveled to Indiana without their starting quarterback, Mississippi State transfer Will Rogers, yet Fisch was asked about him nonetheless.

"He has 40 starts and he's the son of a coach," the UW coach said. "He has an incredible football mind, football acumen. He played in Coach [Mike] Leach's system for three years and last year played in more of a pro system, playing more under center and with more tight ends. ... He'll be asked to control the line of scrimmage and he'll be really good at that, too."

Fisch initially was not pressed about his offensive line, which appears to be his biggest unknown, with five new starters coming. However, he spoke about overall physicality, which he expects to emerge from the Huskies.

"I want our team to be the hardest opponent that anybody plays," Fisch said. "We want our opponents to feel they left that game and played two games in a row."

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