Q&A with UW Dawg Pound

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Q&A with UW Dawg Pound

Mark, part of our counterparts at UW Dawg Pound was kind enough to reach out to me earlier this week for a Q&A exchange. You can find my questions, and his answers, here.

Q1: Jedd Fisch is in his second year in Seattle. He took over needing to rebuild the roster
after one of the most successful seasons in school history. He made a bowl in year one
and the record has improved. What do you think of the job he has done to this point?

    A1: I think Jedd did a good job of rebuilding the team, considering that the cupboard was left a
    little bare, so to speak. A bowl in year one was just about the best we could’ve hoped for, and
    this year was a step up. However, the little coaching annoyances from year 1 (baffling
    playcalling, the seeming inability to win in the Eastern Standard Time Zone), have shown up
    again in year 2, and it’s clear that this team is maybe a year away from Coach Fisch’s ideal
    vision. It remains to be seen what his ceiling is as a coach, particularly here at Washington,
    given that he has a tendency to get happy feet and move spots. Still though, he has done
    about as good a job as can be expected, considering the situation he walked into.

    Q2: After starting a few games last year, in 2025 this has been Demond Williams team.
    How do you think he has managed the offense this year, and who are some play
    makers he has relied on?

    A2: Demond is a very efficient quarterback, on top of being a dual threat and has taken the exact
    leap that we all expected in year 2. He has a very deep stable of weapons that he goes to,
    and some of them have an opportunity to grow. Of course, there’s the unquestioned WR1,
    Denzel Boston who is NFL ready right now, but he has been sidelined for a few weeks, since
    the Wisconsin game. Freshman Dezmen Roebuck has stepped up and looks to be the WR1
    of the future provided he stays with the program. Decker Degraaf is surehanded and agile
    and is a great safety valve for Williams if nothing else is open. And of course, the running
    back duo of Jonah Coleman and Adam Mohammad can hurt you on the ground with their
    power and agility, but also in the open field on screens and swing passes. Jordan
    Washington’s track star speed may make him a threat depending on how much the Huskies
    use him.

    Q3: DC Ryan Walters is in his first season with the team. His past defenses have had some
    very high highs, but also some very low lows. How has he adapted to the talent on this
    team, and who are a couple of players Oregon fans should look for on that side of the
    ball?

    It was definitely a rough start for Walters’ unit, as they had the propensity to give up the big
    play, which was an annoying thing to watch, especially on third and long. But they have
    pleasantly surprised the past few weeks. They tackled very well against UCLA and forced 3
    fumbles, recovering 1, and only allowing 207 total yards. The secondary contains the Huskies’
    leading tackler, safety Alex McLaughlin, who shows great instinct and the willingness to get
    stops and fly to the ball. He has 2 touchdowns on the year, and has been a great help in the
    back end. The line has the talents of Jacob Lane (who leads the team in sacks with 3.5), Zach
    Durfee (who is an absolute terror), and Anterio Thompson (who leads the nation in defensive
    line passes batted down, with 7). This is an athletic unit that is rounding into form at just the
    right time and if Walters stays, should get better continually.

    Q4: To address the elephant in the room, the University of Florida head coaching job is
    open and Jedd Fisch has a history there. Does the fan base feel any uncertainly as the
    carousel continues to spin?

    A4: After Deboer left, there’s always uncertainty, and I think fans are very wary of that, especially
    considering Florida’s overtures and the way that Deboer left for Alabama. At this point, it is
    what it is in my opinion. I’ve lived through so much bad football in my life that nothing can kill
    me. It would suck to rebuild, but it’s been done before.

    Q5: Score time! How do you think this game will play out?

    A5: This is a tough game for me. On one hand, I always, without fail, pick the Dawgs, no matter
    what. On the other hand, though the Huskies are at home, they’re facing a tough task.
    Oregon’s offense is electric, their defense is stout, and the Dawgs are likely to still be
    shorthanded, with Hatchett and Azzopardi likely to be out still, and Denzel Boston and Jonah
    Coleman still likely not at 100 percent. Demond will have to shoulder much of the
    responsibility and play out of his mind. Speaking of playing out of their minds, the offensive
    line will likely have to do the same against a fearsome front 7 featuring leading tackler Bryce
    Boettcher. Defensively, the most likely key to victory will be like last week: fly to the ball, force
    turnovers, and play within themselves to slow Oregon’s attack just enough for the Huskies to
    maybe pull away, which is something that they did in 2023. Oregon’s offense is elite though,
    and as the game against Ohio State shows, the Huskies struggled against their elite athletes.
    Still, the optimist in me believe the boys will be fired up playing their biggest rival at home,
    and pull out a narrow victory as they await their bowl destination! I’ll likely be wrong, but I can
    never pick against the Dawgs!
    UW-28, UO-27

    Thanks Mark, we appreciate the friendly banter. Though, obviously, you are wrong about the final score.

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