Let’s start with an unassailable certainty.
“We know if we can’t stop the run, we won’t win the game. That’s just the way it is,” UW safety Alex Cook said Tuesday, three days before Washington (6-2) hosts No. 24 Oregon State (6-2) inside Husky Stadium. “We saw it last year. We know what it feels like and looks like not to take care of that. Definitely, coming into this game, we’ve got that in the back of our heads.
“I’m not going to lie, the Oregon State game last year they just ran the ball down our throats, took time off the clock and scored to win the game. So we’re definitely prioritizing stopping the run more than anything else.”
On Oct. 2, 2021, UW’s defense was methodically ground into dust. Following a fourth down stop, Oregon State took over at the Husky 46-yard line with 3:18 left — looking to untangle a 24-24 tie. Jimmy Lake had three timeouts left; he would not need them.
The play sequence went this way:
Six-yard run. Three-yard run. Three-yard run. First down. Fourteen-yard run. First down. Timeout. Twelve-yard run. First down. Timeout. Kneel. Timeout. Kneel. Five-yard quarterback sneak. Game-winning 24-yard field goal.
Time remaining: 00:00.
In all, the Beavers barreled forward for 242 rushing yards, 4.8 yards per carry and three touchdowns on 50 attempts, while quarterback Chance Nolan completed just 7 of 15 passes for 48 yards and an interception. It was effective, unbalanced brutality inside Reser Stadium.
While Oregon State snapped a nine-game losing streak in the series, and its fans stormed the field, UW’s defense suffered a slow, deliberate death.
“That was the most frustrating part,” Cook said 13 months later. “We knew exactly what they were going to do. We knew the play. We were calling the play out before it happened and for some reason we couldn’t stop it.
“I don’t know what it was, if it was a combination of us players and the scheme. But I think now that we have a good scheme and we have the right dudes in the right places to stop the run, this will be a different ball game than last year.”
Time will tell. Through eight games, UW’s run defense appears dramatically improved — ranking first in the Pac-12 in opponent yards per carry (3.27) and second in rushing yards allowed per game (110.38), after surrendering 4.76 yards per carry (10th) and 194 yards per game (11th) a season ago.
UW’s defensive line personnel is essentially the same. So how do we account for the sudden stoutness?
“I mean, math. That’s the first thing,” UW co-defensive coordinator Chuck Morrell said with a chuckle. “How are you going to account for the box? We don’t go short in the box very often. We’re going to make sure we’re really gap sound and that the guys understand where the run game is supposed to show up and who’s supposed to be the primary force player, tackler. I think the guys are really, really engaged with that. That’s been a big part of it.
“Secondly, a physical mindset. You’re getting some really workmanlike performances out of Tuli (Letuligasenoa), and it’s been good having (Ulumoo Ale) back in the mix. Those are some good, solid, consistent guys that are hard to move, and the linebackers and secondary are fitting off the front guys. That’s led to a lot of our success in terms of stopping the run.”
So far. It’s worth noting that UW’s five previous Pac-12 opponents sit second (UCLA), sixth (Arizona), seventh (Arizona State), ninth (Cal) and 10th (Stanford) in the conference in yards per carry. Oregon State, meanwhile, ranks second in rushing attempts per game (39.38), third in rush yards per game (194.88) and fourth in yards per carry (4.95). The Beavers are led by bruising freshman Damien Martinez (6-0, 216) — who has amassed 289 rushing yards, 7.6 (!) yards per carry and three touchdowns in his last two games.
It doesn’t matter if Cook and Co. can call out the plays.
Can they stop them?
“That’s the one beauty of this being football, instead of 7-on-7. It’s going to be all about bringing the physicality to the table,” said UW co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach William Inge. “You have to show that you have that on every given down, because they’ve shown that they’ll run it on any given down, in any situation. So we have to make sure we’re taking it personally when it comes to you fitting your space, fitting your gap, doing your job and making your play at the point of attack.”
It’s not just Martinez, either. Redshirt junior Deshaun Fenwick (6-2, 226) has rushed for 356 yards and 4.5 yards per carry with four touchdowns. Redshirt sophomore Jam Griffin (5-9, 210) has added 339 yards, 5.6 yards per carry and two more scores.
Oh, and don’t forget inside linebacker and converted quarterback Jack Colletto — a 6-3, 239-pound sledgehammer — who has chiseled six touchdowns as a gargantuan goal-line back.
“It almost reminds you of Mike Alstott, because he’s bigger than everybody in your front seven, maybe outside of your interior defensive linemen,” Inge said of Colletto. “So from a physicality standpoint you just have to be on your fundamentals when it comes to knowing your tackling process, how your body needs to be, how your shoulders need to be, how you need to club and wrap, and how the posse — the gang of dawgs — needs to be at the point of attack, coming together.”
It’s expected to be a rainy track inside the dawg house on Friday.
Perfect for running the football.
Or for proving a point.
“We love teams that think they can come here and run the ball,” said Cook, who leads the Huskies with 55 tackles. “That’s what this defense is set up to do: stop the run. So I think this will be one of our biggest challenges in the run game, but it’s been one of the games we’ve been looking forward to, just because they run the ball so much.”
Three-star DL Sua Lefotu decommits from UW
Sua Lefotu — a 6-4, 285-pound defensive lineman from St. John Bosco High in Bellflower, Calif. — withdrew his pledge from UW Wednesday night.
“After much thought and consideration with my family, I have decided to reopen my recruitment process and decommit from The University of Washington,” Lefotu tweeted. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to play there, but at this time I want to explore other options.”
Lefotu is ranked as a three-star recruit and the No. 163 defensive lineman in the nation by 247Sports. He committed to UW on June 26, following an official visit. Lefotu has also earned offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Michigan State and more.
UW’s remaining 2023 class, which contains 18 commits, is ranked 27th in the nation by 247Sports.