The Washington Huskies too care of business Saturday when they blew the doors off of Northwestern 24-5. This win will not go in the “quality win” category at the end of the year, but it was the third game in four tries the Huskies have held a team without a touchdown and was the first hurdle in the Big 10 conference.

Washington defense dominated all game long making Jack Lausch’s second career start a living nightmare. The Wildcats were held to just over 100 total yards and turned the ball over twice.

Not all of the issues rest on the sophomore’s shoulders. The Wildcat receivers played a poorly in all facets of the game. There was rarely any separation from the Husky secondary. When there was some separation the Northwestern receivers struggled to catch the ball. There were multiple drops that could have resulted in first downs; one ended up as Lausch’s second interception when the ball bounced off the chest plate into Khmori House’s arms.

The Huskies dominated the Northwestern offense while missing some key players on the defensive side of the ball. Zach Durfee, Makell Esteen, and Bryce Butler were three of a handful of players who didn’t suit.

Defensive Line: The D-line destroyed the pocket and left no lanes for runners to find an opening. The Wildcat rushing attack was held to just 59 yards on the ground. Very few of those came between the tackles, rather it was Jack Lausch breaking the pocket to scramble for as many yards as possible. Everyone who played seemed to have a major impact on the day but Sebastian Valdez stood out as he accounted for six tackles on the day.

Grade: A

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Edge: Welcome to the Isiah Ward fan club. At points he looked like a young version of Joe Tryon with the speed in which he got to the quarterback. His long stride and athletic build look like the foundation of the next elite pass-rusher on Montlake. Alphonzo Tuputala was a factor on the edge even falling into coverage from the edge spot.

Grade: A

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Linebackers: That was a gutty performance put forth by Carson Breuner.  Early in the game he tried to arm tackle a runner and it was evident it hurt. As he got comfortable in the flow of the game his talent rose to the top. His high point interception is one of the plays of the game.  Many in the media have been talking about Khmori House since fall camp for good reason. He is also playing the Tuputala role as a rush end as well as a linebacker and he is playing them well. He is extremely quick and was better at being in position more consistently.

Grade: A

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Secondary:  The corners and safeties put together another knockout performance. Jordan Shaw had one of the biggest hits of the year. There was very little the Wildcat receivers could do to find any separation and paid the price when making catches. The play of the game was by Elijah Jackson in kick coverage. Jackson refused to give up on a kick return and chased the ball carrier down to stop him four yards short of a touchdown. The defense then forced a turnover on downs to keep the Northwestern offense touchdown free on the day.

Grade: A