Will Rogers, the fifth-year quarterback for Washington, experienced a scrimmage that didn’t go quite as planned. The offense struggled to find momentum, with Rogers failing to throw a touchdown and getting intercepted for only the second time during training camp. The interception came after a pass intended for sophomore receiver Denzel Boston bounced off his hands, epitomizing the rough night for the Huskies’ offense.
However, Rogers remains optimistic, understanding that there’s still time to improve before Washington faces Weber State in their season opener on August 31. “A lot to fix, but that’s why we’re out here,” Rogers said. “We’re trying to get better, so I guess that’s a positive coming out of this. Tonight’s the worst we should ever be.”
The scrimmage took place at Husky Stadium on Saturday night, lasting three and a half hours with all players in pads. The first half was limited to light contact, while the second half allowed for full-contact tackling, though a few players were held out as a precaution.
Head coach Jedd Fisch saw the scrimmage as a learning opportunity. “The offense certainly got its tails kicked for the first hour of the scrimmage,” Fisch said, “and the defense probably wasn’t real happy with how they played the second half.”
The defense dominated much of the scrimmage, especially at the line of scrimmage. Rogers and freshman quarterback Demond Williams Jr. rarely had time to throw beyond five yards downfield, as the defensive line consistently applied pressure, particularly when blitzing. The offensive line also struggled with penalties, committing two false starts and two holding infractions.
Washington’s quarterbacks coach, Jimmie Dougherty, emphasized the need for Rogers and Williams to adapt as the offensive line continues to develop. “It’s our job to have a plan, to get rid of the ball on time, to make sure we’re precise on our reads,” Dougherty said. He noted that even the best offensive lines seldom provide a perfect pocket, and quarterbacks must learn to adjust. Dougherty attributed the offense’s improvement in the second half to better execution and focus, rather than any major adjustments from the coaching staff.
Rogers agreed, noting that the team loosened up after halftime. “They made some plays, they missed some throws,” Fisch said. “We’ve got to be better at the quarterback position. There’s no question about it. We’ve got to be better at protections to be able to get the ball out. We’ve got to catch the ball better. We had a few drops I can think of that prevented us from making plays. But I like some of the throws and the plays we made in the second half.”
Despite the challenges, Rogers did manage to lead his offense to the end zone. After narrowly missing a touchdown on a 25-yard pass to sixth-year receiver Giles Jackson, who made an acrobatic catch but couldn’t get a foot inbounds, Rogers guided the offense to the 1-yard line, where sixth-year running back Cameron Davis punched it in for the first score of the scrimmage. Rogers also connected on several notable passes, including a 19-yard seam route to senior tight end Keleki Latu and a 22-yard comeback to Jackson. His best throw of the day was a 30-yard pass down the right sideline to Boston, who made the catch despite tight coverage from redshirt freshman cornerback Leroy Bryant.
Rogers feels he has already improved since spring practices. Having gained 10-12 pounds of muscle, he reports feeling stronger after recovering from a shoulder injury in 2023. He also credits the coaching staff for emphasizing nutrition, which has helped him take better care of his body.
Adapting to the unique conditions at Husky Stadium is also a focus for Rogers. Saturday’s scrimmage was only the third practice held in the venue, and he’s learning how to throw into the wind that sweeps through the stadium from Lake Washington.
Rogers and Williams are becoming more familiar with the playbook as well. Dougherty noted that about 90% of the offense has been installed, and more practice will help solidify their understanding.
Williams, who had struggled with interceptions earlier in the week, showed improvement during the scrimmage. He completed a 22-yard pass to freshman tight end Decker DeGraaf and later connected with DeGraaf again for a 25-yard touchdown, marking the first passing touchdown of the scrimmage.
One significant development for Williams was his reduced tendency to scramble. Unlike previous practices, where many of his runs were reactions to broken plays, several of his runs during the scrimmage were designed options. Fisch acknowledged that this is something they are working on with the freshman. “It’s a natural habit as a freshman, just like it is as a rookie in the NFL,” Fisch said. “You just scramble quicker, you get out of there faster because you’re not accustomed to necessarily trusting everything around you. But we just work at it—reps, reps, reps—and I think the more comfortable [Williams] feels, the more he’ll stay in there. But when you run as fast as [Williams] runs, we’re OK with him taking off too.”
As the Huskies continue to work through these growing pains, both Rogers and Williams remain focused on improvement, knowing that there’s still time to refine their game before the season begins.
