SEATTLE – It was a morning of unconventional touchdowns for the UW offense on day eight of spring football practices Monday.
During an 11-on-11 period, redshirt freshman quarterback Jacob Sirmon connected with walk-on redshirt freshman tight end Jack Westover for a 6-yard score, off a bobbled catch attempt from redshirt junior wide receiver Jordan Chin.
Redshirt sophomore QB Jake Haener, who finished is final drive of the day completing 5 of 7 attempts including two to redshirt freshman WR Terrell Bynum, converted a 3rd and goal by scrambling in for a TD to make up for an interception earlier in practice.
Even though the defense won Monday 21-13, UW running backs coach Keith Bhonapha said after practice that the offense is gearing up to rumble this fall.
“I just think we got a rumble,” Bhonapha said with a laugh. “The storm is coming. We just don’t know if it’s going to be thunder or lightening.”
With the three, or five-man QB competition this spring, one element buried in the details is the handoff exchange. Jacob Eason led the first-team offense with Sean McGrew and Salvon Ahmed each getting a turn out of the backfield during the first scrimmage portion of Monday’s practice.
Both backs, along with redshirt junior Kamari Pleasant and walk-on senior Malik Braxton, have taken reps with various units during the first eight of the 15 total spring practices.
“I think the big thing is our period that we do is tracks,” Bhonapha said, when asked how he handles coaching the exchange with his backs.
“Kind of rotating guys through with different quarterbacks, different tracks that we run and different plays that we run to get those guys used to taking different handoffs. I don’t know if there is an exact science to it, but those guys, as they rotate – we’re rotating QB’s, we’re rotating backs just like the QB’s rotate through centers.
Bhonapha added, “Everybody kind of gets a feel. Is it all perfect? No. but for right now it’s kind of luck of the draw and hope it works out for you.”
Having to replace an all-time great is nothing new for the Huskies RB coach.
During his time under Chris Petersen at Boise State, Bhonapha developed Doug Martin into a first-round NFL Draft pick and began to do the same with Jay Ajayi before leaving to join Petersen at UW after the 2013 season.
For the last four seasons Myles Gaskin has been the face of the Huskies stable of backs. Now that he’s graduated, Bhonapha is looking for the next great RB without trying to turn Ahmed, McGrew or any one of the UW backs into Gaskin.
“It’s just the nature of the beast in college football,” he said. “Obviously Myles was a heck of a player. All-time leading rusher in University of Washington history. The way he practiced, the way he attacked every game and things like that I think it is going to be hard to replace.
“I think the one thing you do is you coach up your room to a standard. My guys know the standard we are trying to get to. I don’t think you try to create a new Myles Gaskin.
Bhonapha added, “I think you make the best Salvon you can make. You get Sean McGrew to be the best Sean McGrew you can make and so on. If you constantly try to bring back Myles Gaskin you’re going to have a hard road.”
More observations from Monday’s practice:
-- True freshman safety Cameron Williams intercepted a pass from Jake Haener during the second 11-on-11 period for his first pick of the spring.
-- Junior cornerback Keith Taylor also recorded an INT off a throw from freshman QB Dylan Morris towards the latter portion of practice during a 7-on-7 period.
-- Redshirt sophomore Terrell Bynum had arguably the best day recording four receptions combined, including a 4-yard TD from redshirt freshman QB Jacob Sirmon. Austin Osborne also had several nice catches with his best being a sideline reception from Eason with redshirt freshman CB Kyler Gordon in tight coverage.
