The Day After: 21 more thoughts on Washington's loss at Iowa
A tough day in the trenches.
IOWA CITY, Iowa — All offseason, the question loomed over the Washington Huskies.
After losing two offensive linemen to the NFL Draft, plus three starters and a key reserve to the transfer portal, could they assemble an o-line capable of competing in Year 1 of Big Ten membership?
The answer, through the first half of the season, appeared mostly to be yes. UW’s new-look unit had done a decent job of protecting quarterback Will Rogers, had blocked well enough for Jonah Coleman to average 100 yards rushing per game, and slugged it out with Michigan in a 27-17 victory just last week.
There were a handful of breakdowns along the way — an ill-timed false start here, a missed protection there, some snap issues — but Washington at least played well enough in the trenches, on both sides of the ball, to give the Huskies a chance to win each week.
You couldn’t say that about Saturday’s performance, for either the offensive or defensive lines, after Iowa bludgeoned Washington in a 40-16 victory at Kinnick Stadium. To be sure, those positions were hardly alone in underachieving. But for the first time this season, UW’s opponent dominated up front, precisely the kind of outcome fans feared in the wake of January’s exodus.