The offense will still want to be a run first team. After 14 years of coaching, Chris Petersen is who he is and knows what he likes. “Throw to score, Run to win.” Even with a new big armed QB the huskies came out running the ball on the first drive. Ahmed got the first few carries of the game but there are still questions about him running between the tackles. Sean McGrew was the backup early and he was getting a majority of the runs between the tackles. And Freshman Richard Newton definitely took advantage of the carries he got. He scored the team’s first touchdown of the year on a 23 yard run up the middle from the wildcat formation. He led the team in rushing with 12 carries for 91 yards and a touchdown. The team finished the day with 43 carries for 223 yards. They will use multiple running backs but the agenda is clear run the ball to open the deep play action throws.

Jacob Eason looks like he is the real deal. Throw after throw I found myself shaking my head in disbelief. It all started with the 50 yard touchdown to Andre Baccellia, after that he was just showing us he is capable of making any throw. He makes the screen passes and short out routes look so easy. He gets the ball out to the receiver so quick that it’s hard for the defense to give them any cushion. But when the defense starts to cheat up he has the arm strength to hit anyone who gets passed the defense. He was able to stand tall in a clean pocket and put the ball in perfect position for his receivers. He finished the day 27-36 349 yards and 4 TDs. This was a good first showing but he was playing an inexperience less talented team than he will be facing most the year. His first real test will be next week when he will face one of the best DB groups in the country in Cal.

The Defensive line group is deep. Coach Ikaika Malloe has a group of at least 5 guys that will rotate in at defensive tackle. Levi Onwuzurike and Josiah Bronson started the game but in the first half there were new defensive tackles in on every drive.Sam Taimani and Benning Potoa’e rotated in on the second drive followed by Tuli Letuligasenoa. Jacob Bandes and Faatui Tuitele even got some reps in the fourth quarter. The defensive tackle group is not only deep but talented. They did a great job stopping the run early and were even able to get some pressure on the Qb and make him scramble out of the pocket. Looking forward to this season I could see those first 5 guys all getting a lot of playing time and wrecking havoc in Pac 12 play.

Aaron Fuller and Andre Baccellia really stood out as a deadly combo. Baccellia struck first with his 50 yard TD. He continued to take the top off the defense as a deep threat throughout the game. Eason just missed Fuller on a 65 yard throw that would have been a touchdown early in the second quarter. But Fuller went on to make 2 acrobatic touchdown catches later in the game where he just got his toes down in bounds. The first touchdown was a ten yard corner route that Eason put where only Fuller would have a chance to get it, Fuller reached out of bounds and snatched the ball with one hand while getting just one toe down in bounds. His second touchdown catch was an 18 yard corner route into the end zone that Eason threw to Fuller’s back shoulder, Fuller turned around and leaned out of bounds to catch the ball while  dragging both feet in bounds. They will always be smaller receivers, but as long as they can continue to put pressure on the defense deep they could both have big seasons.

The biggest question of the off-season was the pass rush and so far it looked improved from last season. Similar to defensive tackle they rotated in guys early at outside linebacker and Buck. Joe Tryon and Ryan Bowman started the game while Myles Rice, Ariel Ngata, and Laiatu Latu were rotating in during the first. The fresh legs rushing the passer must have been helpful. They ended up with 4 sacks but they applied pressure throughout the game. EWU QB Eric Barriere who ran for 700 yards last season was able to scramble free of multiple potential sacks but the pressure was there most the game. Benning Potoa’e had 2 sacks from the defensive tackle position in today’s game. If he can continue to apply pressure from inside with Tryon and Bowman outside the pass rush should be much improved this year.