Huskies Ready to Travel, Though Just 28 Have Been on UW Road Trip Before

Jedd Fisck talks about the challenge of getting prepared to play at Rutgers.
Jedd Fisch spoke about the upcoming road trip to the East Coast.
Jedd Fisch spoke about the upcoming road trip to the East Coast. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Four games into this University of Washington football season, it's quite possible these players are still introducing them around.

Hi, I'm Alphonzo Tuputala, I've been here for six years, three as a starter, the only one returning on the defense ..."

On Wednesday, coach Jedd Fisch told how in examining his 74-man travel roster for Friday night's game at Rutgers in Piscataway New Jersey, he noted that just 28 had ever traveled for a Husky road game before.

"It's quite a new experience for our football team," Fisch said at his second media gathering of the week.

This marks this team's first game outside of Seattle following three at home and another at the Seahawks' Lumen Field.

The Huskies leave on a chartered five-hour flight for the East Coast on Thursday, arriving late afternoon. They won't return until Saturday, staying an extra night because the game doesn't kick off until 8 p.m. on Friday while serving as a national telecast for NBC.

Down to the last detail, Fisch can tell you that it will be 80 degrees in New Jersey on Friday and 62 degrees at kickoff, meaning he and his staff have to make sure the players are hydrated and well fed as they travel three time zones to much warmer climate than they're leaving.

"We've got to do a great job of keeping their weight up," the coach said. "We have to do a great job of feeding them. I've always said for these guys, their bodies are their money-makers. You have to invest in them. ... You have to have a good amount of food on the plane, and before and after."

Breakfast, lunch and dinner is on Jedd.

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington


Published
Dan Raley

DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.