Monday Dots: Episode 06 – A New Hope
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Happy Monday Dawg fans, and welcome to today’s Dots.
I’m not here to talk about the defense getting run over by Iowa (repeatedly), the defense having no idea where receivers were on TD throws (frequently), or the defense guilty of poor tackling (often enough to look bad).
I’m not here to talk about the image of Jedd Fisch looking nothing like a head coach — standing alone at the 50 yard line, staring at his playcard while the Husky defense and everyone on the sideline crowded toward the closed end of Husky stadium, trying in vain to keep the Hawkeyes out of the endzone.
And I’m also not here to utter the word “embarassment”, though I spoke it several times at Friday’s game. As did those around me, along with much gnashing of teeth and occasional Boos..
I’m here to talk about Elijah Brown showing what this team could be with a competent quarterback.
On the Huskies’ first five drives of Friday’s game (four 3-and-out/s), Demond Williams was 2 of 3 passing for 15 yds and zero points. Demond kept the ball 7 times for positive yardage (28 yds) and was sacked 4 times (negative 36 yds). Net yardage minus-8.
Elijah Brown came in for the injured Williams and went 19/24 for 170 yds, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, and 1 sack on his first three drives. The last play of the game was a 3-yd TD pass from Brown to Mason James as time expired, to put a positive last swipe at the lopsided 41-24 score line.
Brown looked the part in every way that Demond has not this season: composed, measured, accurate, and capable of moving through his progressions. Receivers were making catches all over the field with someone who could finally deliver them the ball.
The Brown-led offense scored more points in the second half (21) than any other team Iowa has played this year, and totaled more than every other team except Ohio State (34). Sure, talk about the game was out of hand – Iowa had second-stringers in (did they?)… fine. But Elijah Brown looked great.
Demond Williams Jr. isn’t just a bad quarterback this year, he’s been inept. People may have worried that his play would dip this year after the transfer drama in the off-season – that his heart wouldn’t be all in at a place he was 100% ready to leave behind.
I think the opposite. I think Demond Williams cares a helluva lot about performing at his best and leading this team to wins. But I think the off-season tumult has affected his mindset in a way he hasn’t been able to find a way back from.
I’ve never met Demond, but he seems a good guy who is prone to poor decision-making in regards to football – both on and off the field. I don’t resent him for trying to leave. Such is the world of college football we live in now. It’s a shame to see him fall so hard.
- “Washington Football’s Defense Exposed by Hard-Nosed Iowa Attack” (Carter Stedman, Huskies Wire)
- Christian Caple has this Jedd quote from his “Iowa 41, Washington 24: Three takeaways” that caught my attention:
“Fisch said Brown “did an outstanding job of managing the game, managing the offense, making really good decisions. … He only had two reps with the ones this week (in practice) and to be able to go in there and manage the plays that he managed, I thought was outstanding.”
I count the word “manage” four times — is Jedd trying to convince us that Elijah Brown is no more than a “game manager”? …..
- “Elijah Brown Makes Himself Ready Husky QB Option” (Dan Raley)
- Women’s soccer: “No. 13 UW Keeps Up Winning Ways With 1-0 Victory Over Penn State” (GoHuskies.com)
- Men’s soccer: “Dawgs Score Twice In 36 Seconds, Turn Defeat Into Victory Over Northwestern” (GoHuskies.com)
- Man, Friday’s loss was driving everybody crazy..
Go Dawgs!!
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