Washington Huskies Week Two Game Report
The Washington Huskies pulled off their first win of the year with a 45-3 thrashing of North Dakota. The Huskies definitely needed a tune-up game like this before traveling to Utah this week for a tough road test. Because of the quality of opponent, and Stanford’s 17-3 win over USC, the Huskies dropped one spot to 10thin the AP Poll.
QB Jake Browning
23/37 313 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
Browning looked slow on Saturday. He was wearing a heavy brace on his right knee, after coming up gimpy on the final play against Auburn. Whatever injury is plaguing him, it definitely showed up on Saturday, as he threw two very questionable interceptions against a lower class opponent. Not the best game for a highly regarded college quarterback like Browning, despite the 300 yards.
Grade: C
RB Myles Gaskin
15 attempts, 53 yards, 1 TD
Outside of a big 24-yard scamper, Gaskin didn’t have a great day. North Dakota seemed to want to stop the run from very early on and put a lot of bodies in the box to stuff Gaskin. He’s a notoriously slow starter to the season, so this performance isn’t all that concerning. Also, Gaskin didn’t play much in the second half, to keep him healthy. We’ll see how he bounces back this week against a stout Utah defense.
Grade: B-
OT Kaleb McGary
The offensive line held their ground against a physical North Dakota front and didn’t allow any sacks. McGary was at the center of that, as he wanted to have a big bounce back after the way the Auburn defensive line handled UW. If he continues to play like this, he might play himself into the first round.
Grade: A
DT Greg Gaines
2 tackles, 2 solo
Gaines continued to show that he’s a force to reckon with in the middle of that UW defense. He was consistently drawing double teams in both run and pass protection, and he’s making a name for himself as a true nose tackle. He was able to end his day early because of the score, but his outlook is promising as Pac 12 play begins.
Grade: B+
LB Ben Burr-Kirven
9 tackles, 4 solo
Because of the loss of Trey Adams, we’ve added Burr-Kirven to our prospect list. As UW’s leading tackler last season, he really made a name for himself playing alongside now Broncos linebacker Keishawn Bierria. He has great range and proved he can hang with the big boys after recording 13 tackles against Auburn. Expect a big rest of the year from Burr-Kirven, who is a key piece of this Husky defense.
Grade: B+
S Taylor Rapp
3 tackles, 3 solos, 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery
Taylor Rapp balled out on Saturday. He was nothing short of spectacular and is cementing his spot as the best safety in America. No one hits, has range and hands like Taylor Rapp, and that was shown off in full force against North Dakota. Going anywhere near him on the field simply isn’t a good idea.
Grade: A+