When the Washington Huskies take the field on Friday night at Rutgers for their first road game as a member of the Big Ten, they will have two veteran players returning, who were absent in their conference opener against Northwestern. At his Monday press conference, UW head coach Jedd Fisch announced that senior edge rusher Zach Durfee and senior linebacker Drew Fowler are expected to be available for defensive coordinator Steve Belichick and special teams coordinator Jordan Paopao.
Fowler, who has missed the last three weeks due to injury, will make his return against the Scarlet Knights. Durfee, a 6’5″, 256-pound Minnesota native, played in the first two games against Weber State and Eastern Michigan and had a key role against Washington State before missing the last game due to injury. Durfee, the Huskies’ sack leader with 2.5 sacks over the first three games, was seen on the sideline in a boot during the Northwestern game but did not seem to be dealing with a long-term injury.
Fowler, a 6’1″, 222-pound sixth-year senior, has been a major contributor on special teams, an area where UW has struggled, allowing 28.21 yards per kick return — which ranks 126th out of 131 teams in the nation. Fisch also noted that junior Anthony Ward, who was a special teams standout for him at Arizona, is expected to return as well, adding another experienced player to the lineup.
While the Huskies have not given up a special teams touchdown this season, they have allowed the most total kick return yards (395) among FBS teams and are averaging 98.8 kick return yards allowed per game, ranking fourth-worst. Fisch acknowledged the challenge ahead, especially against Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, known for his expertise in special teams.
He mentioned that extra practice periods have been dedicated to improving both coverage and kick units. Rutgers, through three games, has returned only two kicks with a 19-yard average, and a similar 19.5-yard average on two punt returns. With the return of Fowler and Ward, Fisch is hopeful the veterans’ presence will strengthen the special teams unit. “It looks like we’re getting three of our best special teams players back this week, which should help,” he said.
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