Second-Guessing Late Play Call Was 1 Thing, Use of Durfee Was Another

The edge rusher's Apple Cup role was limited by a new Husky scheme.

Zach Durfee (5) shares in a sack with Sebastian Valdez and Alphonzo Tuputala. / Skylar Lin Visuals

After losing the Apple Cup, it's been fair game for fans, media members and even players alike to second-guess Jedd Fisch for the decisions made -- especially one in particular.

After the University of Washington football team fell to Washington State 24-19 on Saturday at Lumen Field, the line of questioning persisted: why, why, why?

On Monday, Fisch was still explaining himself at his weekly press briefing. The ninth-month Husky coach no doubt braced himself for another inquisition once he stepped into the old Don James team meeting room, a place with new-carpet smell yet reeking of past postgame criticism.

Fisch made no apologies for his much-debated, go-for-the-win play call at the goal line, an option pitch from Will Rogers to Jonah Coleman to the short side of the field that had absolutely no chance of succeeding. His answer remained firm: block it properly and everything's good.

However, that's not why everyone showed up for this 20-minute Q and A, with Fisch standing behind a lectern on a raised stage with a dozen or so of us theater critics seated in front of him often talking over each other to get in our questions.

Catching him a little off guard, I wanted to know about the defensive controversy -- where was Zach Durfee much of the day?

In what seemed like a preposterous move, the 6-foot-5, 256-pound Durfee didn't start the game. The junior edge rusher, in fact, didn't step onto the field until the second defensive series, along with fellow edge starter Isaiah Ward, this after the Cougars took the opening kickoff and moved 66 yards without much pushback until running out of downs at the UW 9.

Thereafter Durfee and Ward seemed to alternate series as the UW went from a newly designed three-lineman, three-linebacker, standard secondary scheme to something more traditional.

"The thing about the Patriots system -- our system now -- is you're going to each week come up with a way you believe you can limit a player, limit a group," Fisch said of his defense.

Yeah, but limit Durfee, in order to limit the opposition? That's a genuine head-scratcher.

Zach Durfee has Alphonzo Tuputala jumping on his back after a big play. / Skylar Lin Visuals

The Minnesota native -- who might be the best defensive player on this football team and its top NFL prospect as a J.J. Watt clone in the making -- pulled maybe two dozen snaps against the Cougars.

Now this is a guy who would have played a lot last season if the NCAA didn't get in his way, label him a double transfer and make him sit out all but five plays of the Sugar Bowl against Texas, only to declare that rule outdated and rescind it once the season ended.

Durfee next fractured his elbow and missed half of spring practice after having surgery and sitting off to the side, his face sometimes hidden in a hoodie.

This guy who plays with a Steve Emtman fury has not only had trouble getting on the field at the UW for whatever reason but staying there.

A week after Durfee picked up 2.5 sacks against Eastern Michigan, he went without one against Washington State, really to no fault of his own. He did as much watching as he did breaking down a blocker and reaching for the quarterback. Fisch made no apologies.

"We're not going to get caught up in let's call it who needs to be in the game for a certain play," the coach said. "We're going to decide what's the best way to stop a team."

To be fair, hats off to Fisch and his defensive coordinator Steve Belichick for getting creative in coming up with a totally new look against the Cougars in an effort to contain elusive quarterback John Mateer and slow down what has become a high-powered WSU offense.

Also, Fisch, with his NFL mentality, continues to show that no one man is too big for his football team, which is admirable.

Zach Durfee smothers Eastern Michigan quarterback Cole Snyder on a sack. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Yet in the totality of it all, this just seems ill-advised to sit your best defensive player for long periods of time thinking it will keep WSU guessing. Potential turnovers are lost with Durfee ordering a hot dog or signing autographs for the fans, or whatever he was doing when he wasn't on the field.

That fourth-and-1 play that misfired is old news. The lingering headline is this: Put Zach Durfee on the field as much as you can. Whenever and wherever the defense is huddling. You can't win the Lotto unless you play it.

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