It didn’t take long to notice the Kalen DeBoer effect. The Huskies went 5-5 in the first half on scoring drives, and took a 31-13 lead into the locker room. While the star of the day on the field was Michael Penix Jr., who threw for 345 yards and four touchdowns in his Husky debut, a lot of credit needs to be given to DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, and Penix’s offensive line.

“I didn’t hit the ground once,” he said. “Those guys up front deserve a lot of credit and I’m going to make sure they get it.”

One of the most frustrating things about watching the 2021 Huskies under Jimmy Lake was the obvious wasting of talent on the offensive side. That wasn’t the case on Saturday, as it took two drives for fans to see what life will be like during DeBoer’s tenure. The first half featured everything from a double reverse, to orbit motions, and two fourth-down conversions halfway through the first quarter.

When asked why he decided to go for it twice in the first quarter, DeBoer said, “I just felt like we could get it… I knew in my heart that this was a good way to set the tone, and I’m proud of the guys for going out there and executing.”

While the offense is going to spread the ball around a decent amount, it looks like Rome Odunze is going to be the focal point. Odunze was targeted the most of any receiver in the game, finishing with 10 targets. He ended up recording seven catches for a career high 84 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, all the pieces look like they’re coming together, but there’s still a long way to go. Kent State did some impressive things offensively, but Washington didn’t do the best job of executing. There were too many plays where the defensive ends got into the backfield but couldn’t bring down the quarterback. The Golden Flashes’ running game had its way with the Huskies at times, breaking contain all over the place and allowing multiple big plays.

Game notes

The rotation along the defensive line was very interesting to watch. Jacob Bandes got a lot of reps after barely seeing the field in 2021, and Sav’ell Smalls has also made a huge improvement from last season.

While the pass rush only accounted for one sack, a lot of credit needs to be given to Kent State quarterback Collin Schlee, who was impressively shifty in his ability to avoid the rush. DeBoer said after the game that the coaching staff was “incredibly nervous” about what he can do with his feet, and wrapping up the quarterback will certainly be something to keep an eye on against Portland State in week two.

The receiving corps is going to be a problem for opponents this year, ten different players received a target and recorded a catch. Wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard has preached that the ball is going to be spread around a lot, and that was certainly true in the season opener.

Keep an eye on the wide back role in the offense. It doesn’t matter if Giles Jackson or Will Nixon is on the field, the coaching staff clearly has a creative plan to utilize their unique skillsets. Nixon finished the game with 12 touches for 51 yards, and was taking snaps all over the formation.

Washington’s defense won the turnover battle 3-1, getting two interceptions from Asa Turner and one from Makell Esteen, but the road to get there was a slippery one to say the least. The offense fumbled four times, and there are clearly a lot of things to work on in the area of ball security.