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 rosterafter one of the most successful seasons in school history. He made a bowl in year oneand 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 alittle bare, so to speak. A bowl in year one was just about the best we could’ve hoped for, andthis year was a step up. However, the little coaching annoyances from year 1 (bafflingplaycalling, the seeming inability to win in the Eastern Standard Time Zone), have shown upagain in year 2, and it’s clear that this team is maybe a year away from Coach Fisch’s idealvision. 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 doneabout 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 playmakers he has relied on?

A2: Demond is a very efficient quarterback, on top of being a dual threat and has taken the exactleap 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, sincethe Wisconsin game. Freshman Dezmen Roebuck has stepped up and looks to be the WR1of the future provided he stays with the program. Decker Degraaf is surehanded and agileand is a great safety valve for Williams if nothing else is open. And of course, the runningback duo of Jonah Coleman and Adam Mohammad can hurt you on the ground with theirpower and agility, but also in the open field on screens and swing passes. JordanWashington’s track star speed may make him a threat depending on how much the Huskiesuse him.

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

It was definitely a rough start for Walters’ unit, as they had the propensity to give up the bigplay, which was an annoying thing to watch, especially on third and long. But they havepleasantly surprised the past few weeks. They tackled very well against UCLA and forced 3fumbles, 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 getstops and fly to the ball. He has 2 touchdowns on the year, and has been a great help in theback end. The line has the talents of Jacob Lane (who leads the team in sacks with 3.5), ZachDurfee (who is an absolute terror), and Anterio Thompson (who leads the nation in defensiveline passes batted down, with 7). This is an athletic unit that is rounding into form at just theright time and if Walters stays, should get better continually.

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

A4: After Deboer left, there’s always uncertainty, and I think fans are very wary of that, especiallyconsidering Florida’s overtures and the way that Deboer left for Alabama. At this point, it iswhat it is in my opinion. I’ve lived through so much bad football in my life that nothing can killme. 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 matterwhat. 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 beshorthanded, with Hatchett and Azzopardi likely to be out still, and Denzel Boston and JonahColeman still likely not at 100 percent. Demond will have to shoulder much of theresponsibility and play out of his mind. Speaking of playing out of their minds, the offensiveline will likely have to do the same against a fearsome front 7 featuring leading tackler BryceBoettcher. Defensively, the most likely key to victory will be like last week: fly to the ball, forceturnovers, and play within themselves to slow Oregon’s attack just enough for the Huskies tomaybe 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 cannever pick against the Dawgs!UW-28, UO-27

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