The rain was pouring, the wind was whipping, and Washington’s offense still looked the same. Without special teams, this game would’ve looked so much worse for Jimmy Lake’s squad. Yet, by some miracle, even after Oregon went 70 yards in six plays on the ground to open the second half. And what did the offense do about it? Nothing. They gained 166 total yards over the course of the game. Oregon had 427.
Washington’s two best non-defensive players on the day were kick/punt returner Giles Jackson, and punter Race Porter. Both players flipped the field significantly for the Huskies every time their number was called. Yet, the only time they were able to take advantage of the field position was on Oregon’s opening possession, when Carson Bruener returned an Anthony Brown interception to the six-yard line, and Sean McGrew punched in a touchdown two plays later.
After Jackson Sirmon forced a safety to give the Huskies a 9-3 lead, it was all Oregon for the rest of the night. The Oregon rushing attack was unstoppable, and Anthony Brown was only asked to throw the ball five times in the second half, and the quarterback finished with under 100 yards passing, the third time this season Washington’s defense has held an opposing quarterback under that number this year. The team’s record in those games? 0-3
This game was an embarrassment for Jimmy Lake and his coaching staff in so many ways, but there was no decision more baffling than sending out the punt team with 1:57 left on the clock in a one-possession game. Sure, you have two timeouts, but best case scenario… you get a stop and get the ball in a similar spot on the field with 50 seconds or a minute left, and still have to drive the length of the field. Not to mention that Travis Dye ran for 211 yards on the night, and as a team, Oregon rushed for 329 yards.
Calling a punt in that scenario is the definition of rolling over and admitting defeat. This is a rivalry game against the #4 team in the country, and no matter how bad the offense has been in this game, it’s still a one-possession game. This coaching staff has underutilized this incredibly talented team in so many ways, and has not put them in positions to succeed time and time again. Lake preaches how execution starts with the coaching staff, yet with three games left in the regular season, he and his staff have shown no signs of making any kinds of adjustments.
