SEATTLE – It didn’t take long for Jacob Eason to ingratiate himself with Washington fans in his return to college football.
After sitting out the entire 2018 season due to NCAA transfer rules, Eason returned home in record-tying fashion in the first half against Eastern Washington. The junior signal-caller threw for 349 yards and four touchdowns, including a pair to senior wide receiver Aaron Fuller en route to the 47-14 victory for the Huskies.
Saturday marked the first game in 693 days for Eason. His last appearance on October 7, 2017 against Vanderbilt for Georgia saw Eason throw just three pass attempts. Eason completed 27 of 36 attempts against EWU which is tied for the second most in his career.
“It’s a player making plays,” Eason said, referring to Fuller’s two scoring catches – the first mirrored a one-handed catch by Quinten Pounds last season against Auburn.
Fuller finished with five receptions for 73 yards to couple with his pair of touchdowns. Two other receivers, both seniors, Andre Baccellia and Chico McClatcher each recorded five catches and one touchdown against EWU.
Junior tight end Hunter Bryant led the Huskies with six receptions while finishing three yards’ shy of Baccellia, who ended the game with a team-high 84 receiving yards.
On the final drive of the game for Eason, the two connected on a 7-yard shovel pass that set a new single-game record for the former five-star Lake Stevens. He surpassed his previous single-game record for pass yards (342; at Missouri on Sept. 17, 2016) and left little doubt about what could be coming as the season progresses.
“The guys in the receiver room and the guys up front, our tight ends, they put a lot into this week and it showed out there today,” Eason said after the game.
Young and Versatile Defenders Shine
Much of the anticipation heading into this weekend was on the UW offense – Eason in particular. But it was also the first game for several redshirt and true freshmen on both offense and defense.
Sam Taimani and Tuli Letuligasenoa saw ample game time throughout the home opener. Both redshirt freshmen signed as part of the Huskies 2018 recruiting class that started a trend of elite, massive defensive linemen choosing Washington over other top Power Five programs.
Both players came in on the second defensive drive of the game for UW, while the crop of true freshmen from the 2019 recruiting class saw more time in the second half. Since the NCAA adopted a four-game redshirt rule which allows players to appear in four games without risking a season of eligibility, the UW coaching staff has taken full advantage on defense.
Three of the four true freshmen defensive backs saw the field Saturday; Trent McDuffie, Asa Turner, and Cam Williams who started at safety next to senior Myles Bryant.
During fall camp Lake balanced the senior reps with the younger players resulting in a hybrid, athletic defense against that kept the Eagles at arms length. It resulted in the Huskies doubling the number of sacks and tackles for loss compared to their week one matchup against the Auburn Tigers in 2018.
UW finished with four sacks – two credited to senior lineman Benning Potoa’e – and nine TFL against Eastern, much to the delight of defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake.
“Oooh,” Lake uttered when he learned about the comparison, before continuing “we definitely felt it. I could feel for sure. I was hoping we would get a couple more, if that quarterback wasn’t so athletic and got out of there.
“But it was exiting to watch. That’s been a huge emphasis for us. That’s only one game. We’re going to have it again, and again, and again. But I think those guys feel what we’ve been emphasizing in the offseason. Hopefully we’ll see more of that.”
