Well, that was quite a way to welcome fans back to Husky Stadium. The first half was… not what Husky fans, or the coaching staff, expected to see against Montana. Washington gained 179 yards of total offense in the first half, and put up just seven points. The team was without starting wide receivers Terrell Bynum, Jalen McMillan, and Rome Odunze to start the night. Halfway through the first quarter, receiver Ja’Lynn Polk also left the game and didn’t return. Elise Woodward reported after halftime that he injured his right arm.
It was very obvious to everyone watching that Morris missed his top four receivers. He looked slower in his decision-making, and his timing with the second-team receivers was just a tick off. Things didn’t get much better as the third quarter started either. Morris threw his second interception of the day to stall the Huskies’ longest drive of the quarter.
As the second half wore on, the offense continued to stall, while Montana’s got stronger. Washington’s only score of the game came with 10:05 to play in the first quarter, and that was all. The Huskies also outgained the Grizzlies 291-232, yet they could barely even break into opposing territory outside of a Peyton Henry missed field goal.
To sum up the offensive performance in one sentence outside of Morris’ three interceptions, Washington started possessions in Montana’s territory twice, and came away with zero points. Cade Otton finished as the leading receiver for the Huskies, with eight catches for 82 yards. Early on, Dylan Morris seemed to have a lot of trouble getting the ball to his All-American tight end. The interior offensive line allowed a lot of pressure, and Dylan Morris was sacked three times on the night.
Defensively, the group looked solid. They allowed 3.7 yards per carry, and only allowed 105 yards through the air. Improvements need to be made, especially in the pass rush and containing mobile quarterbacks.
“We didn’t run the ball well enough, we didn’t throw the ball well enough, we didn’t protect well enough,” Jimmy Lake said after the game. That should say it all.
