Freshmen Interceptions Highlight Husky Mock Game

On a perfect night for a University of Washington football mock game, with cooperative weather, a decent fan turnout considering the freeway shutdown and generally a festive mood, it was an imperfect exercise.

Just like in the Sun Bowl against Louisville, Demond Williams Jr.

threw a first-series pick-6, with freshman cornerback Dylan Robinson intercepting a ball thrown short and returning it 37 yards for a quick score.

Grady Gross missed a couple of field goals, including a 36-yarder.

And worst of all, the substitute public-address announcer had no clue who anyone was half the time or what yard line the ball was placed for a good portion of the evening.

The good news is none of it counted, everyone got their work in, the PA guy likely was a one-off at his job never to be heard from again and UW coach Jedd Fisch seemed satisfied with the proceedings.

"We did OK," the second-year Husky leader said.

"We've got a lot to work on.

It was a good opportunity for us to get better.

First time under the lights to see what some of the freshmen looked like to see if it was too big for them ...

It didn't look like it was too big." Freshman safety Rylon "Batman" Dillard-Allen, same as he did in the UW Spring Game, had a pick-6 on a ball thrown by Kai Horton near the end of the night, scoring on a 40-yard return and matching the heroics of Robinson, his fellow first-year player.

Dillard-Allen, a brash 6-foot, 180-pound newcomer from Phoenix, probably won't start, but should play a lot this season.

The same holds true for the 6-foot, 195-pound Robinson from LaVerne, California.

Both freshmen showed up on special teams in the mock game.

In the closely contested battle to determine the starting offensive left guard, freshman John Mills took the first series, starting ahead of redshirt freshman Paki Finau, but Fisch said they would continue to compete for the job throughout the coming weeks.

"We probably should have both playing at some point and alternating in some regard," the coach said of young guards.

Thirteen players didn't suit up for the game, including prospective starters in junior edge rusher Isaiah Ward (ankle) and junior defensive tackle Jayvon Parker (Achilles heel).

Ward could be back soon and available for the opener against Colorado State on August 30 while Parker might be a game-time decision but more likely returns during the second or third week of the season, according to Fisch.

He also said senior linebacker Jacob Manu and freshman linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, both recovering from knee surgeries, haven't been cleared yet to return and didn't indicate whether there's any chance that might happen by the start of the season.

Meantime, the Huskies played three 15-minute quarters with a running clock, hustling people in and out and setting the line of scrimmage wherever they pleased after a play for situational purposes.

So it wasn't a regulation game by any means.

Contact was limited throughout and play calls were fairly straightforward -- with a lot of short gains -- so this hour and a half of football, counting a halftime break, was fairly straightforward.

Certainly there was no display of anyone's hitting ability, so it was just a sample for the fans.

Of the better plays, senior cornerback Tacario Davis made a diving end-zone interception of ball thrown by Horton and intended for Penn State transfer Omari Evens in the first quarter.

USC tight end transfer Kade Eldridge caught a 29-yard pass from Horton in full stride, hauling in a pass in a very small window while beating the aforementioned Dillard-Allen.

Batman doesn't return everything thrown his way for a touchdown.

He also was a step behind when Demond Williams Jr.

threw a 6-yard TD pass to Audric Harris in the back of the end zone in the second quarter.

Freshman wide receiver Raiden Vines-Bright, who was the standout player of the Spring Game, had another productive showing in the mock game.

He finished with catches of 7, 14 and 25 yards, keeping him in the competition for a starting job at the third wideout position.

Both of the Huskies' top two running backs Jonah Coleman and Adam Mohammed, even after getting touched along the way, returned kickoffs 101 and 98 yards just to get a good run in.

This was the last opportunity for the media and the fans to see the UW in action until the treal thing gainst Colorado State.

While they need to become much sharper on offense, there shouldn't be too many surprises for the Huskies between now and then.

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