The Washington Huskies rolled on Saturday night with a resounding 70-21 victory over FCS UC Davis. The Aggies were immediately overwhelmed by the talent in purple and gold, starting with Jacob Lane opening the game with a sack. Things only got worse from there, as the Huskies scored a touchdown on every single drive.
Defensive Line:
The interior defensive line completely overmatched UC Davis up front. They were consistently pushing the offensive line into the quarterback’s lap, disrupting any rhythm or timing the Aggies tried to establish. The pocket collapsed quickly after the snap, leaving all of UC Davis’s quarterbacks uncomfortable.
The defense allowed just one run over 10 yards and held the Aggies to only 76 rushing yards total.
This was a good “get-right” opportunity for the interior guys to clean up some of the issues from the Rams game, and they should be able to carry that momentum into next week’s matchup with the Cougars.
Grade: A
Edge:
The edge play took a solid step forward in Week 2. The ends were much more disciplined in setting the edge, not allowing UC Davis’s backs to bounce runs outside and get into the secondary.
Both Jacob Lane and Zach Durfee recorded a sack, adding to the unit’s strong showing.
Grade: B+
Linebackers:
The combo of Budda Al-Uqdah and Deven Bryant made the biggest leap of any position group this week. After struggling with missed tackles and poor pursuit angles against the Rams, both looked sharp this time out. The rust came off fast — they were in the right spots all game and finished as the team’s top two tacklers.
Grade: A
Defensive Backs:
UC Davis never had a real chance in the passing game. Tecario Davis flashed his elite range with a diving interception in the second quarter. Ephesians Prysock dropped two more picks himself. The Aggie quarterbacks simply had nowhere to go with the ball.
Grade: A+
Outside of one drive that was extended by penalties, UC Davis couldn’t get anything going. The Huskies were just too fast and too big for the FCS squad. Obviously, it would be silly to expect Washington to post these kinds of defensive numbers every week — but the biggest takeaway here was the discipline. If this defense can stay in its lanes and play under control, they’re going to make life tough for opposing offensive coordinators once conference play begins.
