Let’s assume that Spring Football will proceed without interference from the COVD-19 pandemic hanging over the heads of college football participants and fans, and look ahead at the 2020 Huskies, and look back at the 2019 Huskies.
Here’s a complete statistical rundown of the 2019 season, and we will then look at what to expect come April 1st when the team takes the field for Spring Football.
Review
2019 Offense:
32.0 points per game
1922 Rushing Yards
24 Rushing TDs
3164 Passing Yards
24 Passing TDs
3rd down conversion: 61/171 36%
Red Zone TD Conversion: 33-54 61%
Sacks: 22
2019 Defense:
19.4 Points Per Game Allowed
1643 Rushing Yards Allowed
15 Rushing TDs Allowed
2889 Passing Yards Allowed
13 Passing TDs Allowed
3rd Down Conversion Allowed: 67/180 37%
Red Zone TD Conversion Allowed: 21-43 49%
Sacks: 29
2019 Individual Stats Leaders
Passing:
**Jacob Eason 260-405 64.2% 3132 Yards 23 TD 8 Int
Jacob Sirmon 2-3 19 Yards
Rushing:
**Salvon Ahmed 188 att. 1020 yards 11 TD
Richard Newton 117 att. 498 yards 10 TD
Sean McGrew 55 att. 347 yards 1 TD
Receiving:
**Aaron Fuller: 59 Catches 702 yards 6 TD
**Hunter Bryant: 52 Catches 825 Yards 3 TD
Cade Otton: 32 Catches 344 Yards 2 TD
Terrell Bynum: 31 Catches 368 Yards 2 TD
**Andre Baccellia: 29 Catches 314 yards 4 TD
Offensive Loss of Production:
Passing Yards: 3132/3164= 99%
Passing Touchdowns: 23/24=96%
Rushing Yards: 1082/1922=56%
Rushing Touchdowns: 13/24=54%
Catches: 169/263=64%
Receiving Yards: 64%
Receiving Touchdowns: 58%
Projected 2020 Spring Depth Chart
Offense:
QB: Jacob Sirmon—Dylan Morris
RB: Richard Newton—Cameron Davis—Sean Mcgrew
WR: Terrell Bynum- —Jordan Chin
WR: Puka Nacua—Austin Osborne
WR: Ty Jones—Marquis Spiker—Taj Davis
TE: Cade Otton—Devin Culp—Jacob Kizer —Jack Westover
LT: Nate Kalepo—Julius Buelow
LG: Jackson Kirkland—Myles Murao—Cole Norgaard,
C: Luke Wattenberg— Matteo Mele
RG: Henry Bainivalu— Troy Fautanu —Gaard Memmelaar
RT: Ulumoo Ale— Victor Crune
Three Biggest Questions on Offense
What Offense will they be running?
With John Donovan taking over as Offensive Coordinator everybody is curious what style offense the Huskies will be running in 2020. After being named head coach Jimmy Lake talked about his attacking mentality which could be interpreted as a spread deep passing attack or a Pro Style Power rushing game.
John Donovan has connections to Joe Brady which has people hoping the Huskies will be running and LSU style offense this season but with the personel inherited from Chris Petersen they are more suited for a strong power running game.
Cade Otton is an All Pac 12 caliber tight end and a great run blocker. The offensive lineman they have on the roster are HUGE , and perfectly suited to run the ball all over the Pac 12. However with the wide receivers they have coming up the depth chart it would be nice to see them get more receivers on the field and spread the ball around a little more than in the past few years.
Offensive Line?
The Huskies will be replacing 3 starters on the Offensive Line this year Nick Harris, Trey Adams, and Jared Hilbers. Returning from last year’s team Luke Wattenberg and Jackson Kirkland both started at guard. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some position changes to get the best guys on the field. Henry Bainivalu and Ulumoo Ale look like the mostly likely candidates to step up as starters this year.
The biggest question is who will play center, Matteo Mele played center while Nick Harris was injured last year and Wattenberg is a candidate to move from guard to center. I would have expected Myles Murao to compete at center but he is listed as a guard on the Husky roster.
Quarterback?
Jacob Sirmon, Dylan Morris, and Ethan Garbers were all highly ranked 4 star prospects coming out of high school. But Jacob Sirmon is the only QB on the team with any in game experience.
Sirmon is 6’ 5” 234 lbs, he moves really well for a QB that size and has a huge arm, possibly stronger than Eason’s.
Dylan Morris has the ability to move outside the pocket and throws a very catchable ball, and he will never be criticized for a lack of touch the way Eason was.
Garbers will not enroll until the fall but don’t be surprised if he follows in the footsteps of Jake Browning and is able to compete as a starter as a true freshman.
Key Returners on Offense
Cade Otton:
Started every game at tight end last season. 32 Catches 344 Yards 2 TD in 2019. Even though the Huskies had Hunter Bryant to play tight end last season they played him a majority of the time in the slot and Otton started at tight end.
Cade is a great run blocker and an above average receiver. At his size (6’ 5” 245 Lbs) he will be a big red zone target. He will enter 2020 with 45 catches 500 yards and 5 TDs over two seasons while splitting time with Hunter Bryant. I expect Cade’s role in the offense to be expanded this season without Hunter in the mix.
Richard Newton/ Cam Davis/ Sean Mcgrew
After losing Salvon Ahmed unexpectantly to the NFL Draft the Huskies will need to find a new lead back. Richard Newton stepped up and had a big season as a redshirt freshman in 2019 running for 498 yards and 10 touchdowns. Even with Ahmed, Newton gave the Huskies an attitude and toughness that was hard to replace while he was injured.
Sean McGrew has run for 627 yards 4 touchdowns in his three years with the Huskies averaging over 5 yards a carry in that time. Sean has a lot of talent and has shown flashes such as the Arizona game last season.
Cam Davis only played in two games last season and only recorded two carries for 7 yards but had two really good touchdown runs that were called back for holding penalties. Cam was a 4 star recruit coming out of highschool and is a very talented big back. Richard, Sean, and Cam will all be given a chance to run the ball next season, it is yet to be seen if any of them will take over as a lead back or if they will go with Rb by committee.
Terrell Bynum/Puka Nacua/Ty Jones/Marquis Spiker
Terrell Bynum played in all 13 games, started the final 8 and was the most explosive and consistent receiver the last few games of the season. He finished the season with 31 catches for 368 yards and 2 TDs. Puka came in with big hype and lived up to it in his short but sweet freshman season. He played here and there in the first the first 8 games but didn’t get many passes thrown his way. He showed his capability to be a deep threat and his exceptional leaping ability going up and attacking the ball. He finished with 7 catches for 168 yards and 2 TD before being injured in the Utah game and missing the rest of the season.
Ty Jones played in 10 games as a freshman in 2017. He had a big sophomore year with 31 catches for 491 yards and 6 TD. Jones was the number 1 receiver on the Huskies entering spring football last year but suffered a broken arm that lasted all the way into the season. He was healthy halfway through the season but didn’t play until the last 4 games so he was able to preserve his redshirt. He will be a redshirt junior in 2020 looking to bounce back and could be poised for a big season.
Marquis Spiker came to UW as the #9 Wr in the country out of HS. He has a ton of upside and after redshirting in 2018 he was expected to make some noise in 2019. He didn’t get much playing time early in the season as the Huskies leaned on the experience of Fuller and Baccellia. Towards the end of the season Spiker got a few more chances, his most promising moment came in the Oregon game final drive game on the line 3rd and 23 Eason hit Spiker for a 20 yard completion. He finished the season with 3 catches for 67 yards.
Bynum and Jones have both had proven success and look to break out for big years, Puka and Spiker were highly rated recruits with tons of potential look for these 4 guys to make up a highly talented receiving core for the Huskies. Jalen McMillan and Rome Odunze are both highly rated recruits who will be enrolling in fall and could also make an impact at WR.
Coaching Changes
On December 2nd Chris Petersen unexpectedly announced he would be retiring after the Las Vegas Bowl vs Boise St. At the same time the University of Washington announced Jimmy Lake would be the next Head Coach of the Huskies.
On Offense John Donovan took over as the new Offensive Coordinator/ Quarterbacks Coach and Derham Cato was hired as the new Tight Ends Coach.
When Jimmy Lake took over as the new Head Coach he said he wanted the team to be aggressive in everything they do. Coach Lake has turned down many opportunities across the country over the years waiting for the right opportunity.
Even though Coach Petersen has one of the best winning percentages in college football history and brought UW football back to the top of the Pac 12 there was a lack of energy and excitement in the program the last couple years. Jimmy Lake will bring back the energy and there fans are excited now but we will have to see if he can take the program to the next level and compete for National Championships.
