Huskies Fall Hard: Iowa Dominates Washington 40-16 – What Needs Fixing?
Washington Huskies' red zone woes, special teams struggles, and coaching missteps lead to a tough Big Ten road loss against Iowa.
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The Huskies got their first real welcome into Big Ten football on Saturday morning. You can scheme a flashy offense, you can have convincing defensive metrics, but if you can’t win the line of scrimmage, you’ll never beat the class of the Big Ten on the road.
Hats off to Iowa. They smacked Washington. 40-16.
What I Liked:
The Offense Before It Gets Into the Red Zone.
During the Huskies’ first drive, I was thinking, “Oh, this Iowa defense is a little overrated. Washington’s offense is humming.” And then Washington got into Iowa territory and the familiar red zone woes came back. The Huskies got the ball all the way from their 12-yard line to Iowa’s 15-yard line, and all they got was a blocked field goal.
On its final drive of the half, the Huskies started with the ball at their own 25-yard line. They drove all the way to Iowa’s 17-yard line. Three straight incompletions then lead to a Grady Gross field goal that barely made it in.
It’s not just bad luck. It’s bad playcalling. The offense shouldn’t stall in the most important part of the field. The blame for these red zone failures fall squarely on head coach Jedd Fisch’s shoulders.
What Needs Fixing:
Special Teams. Good special teams isn’t noticeable. A team’s kicker makes everything within 40 yards, and has range that extends to 50 yards. On kick and punt returns, a team’s special teams unit, for the most part, shoudl be able to limit 15-plus yard returns.
Grady Gross’ struggles were apparent last week, and this week he had a kick blocked because it was too low. And then he barely made a 35-yarder. Will he ever have another 100 % game?
In the second quarter, the Huskies allowed Iowa’s Kaden Wetjen to return a punt for 37 yards, giving the Hawkeyes’ offense the ball at Washington’s 35-yard line.
Red-zone offense. I’m done blaming execution. The first drive described above resulted in another field goal attempt. You need touchdowns on the road. Even if Gross made the first field goal, it’s simply not enough in a Big Ten road game.
Coaching. Besides Fisch’s gold (mustard?) hoodie, there’s stuff that needs to get better. Why are we still talking about how Jonah Coleman is not getting the ball enough? Why is this team still stalling in the red zone? Why is Grady Gross’ confidence shot? My message is this. The same mistakes and things that stink are happening over and over again. And when players repeat mistakes, the blame has to be on the coaching, right?
Who Impressed:
Denzel Boston. Death, taxes, and an end zone fade touchdown to Denzel Boston. It feels like the only sure thing on this team. If Boston keeps on improving, could this be his last and only season as Washington’s No. 1 wide receiver? He is now a legitimate NFL draft prospect.
Five More Thoughts and a Question:
This loss felt like the end of the season. Though a College Football Playoff berth was not realistic at all at the start of the season, as a fan, I always want and hope for the best. That’s what being a fan is about, right? Even with two losses, I felt that if the Huskies won the rest of their games, they would be in a good position for a playoff berth. Now that they are out of the CFP race, what’s the goal? For me, its a bowl game. I would also like to keep that home winning streak alive. This means wins against USC and UCLA.
Which brings me to my second question. There’s a contingent of the fanbase that wants to start Demond Williams at quarterback the rest of the season to prepare him for 2025. So, should a change at the starting quarterback position happen? I don’t think so. Rogers had a bad game. It happens. There’s nothing wrong with playing for 2024, even if it’s not for a playoff berth. Getting to a bowl game is the floor. If you start Williams, you risk not getting to a bowl game.
What’s wrong with Grady Gross? It’s probably a mental thing. He needs to get his confidence back, but it’s a catch-22 because you get your confidence back by making kicks. He gets two weeks to get this right with Washington on a bye next week.
By the way, 40 points is a lot to give up to Iowa. And by default, you’d think it was because the defense was horrendous. But Iowa started in Washington territory on half of their drives (4/8) and two more drives started at Iowa’s 46 and 39 yard line. In other words, Iowa had excellent field position because of its defense. Washington actually outgained Iowa 398 to 328 yards.
Speaking of byes, based on nothing, I feel like a road game against Indiana is winnable. Indiana is undefeated but has had a considerably softer schedule than the Huskies. Road games are difficult, but I think the Huskies will get their first road win in a few weeks.
What are your expectations for this season’s Washington team after its loss to Iowa?