What's up with Washington? A Q&A with Kevin Cacabelos of SeaTown Sports
Washington's in the Big Ten now. What kind of dominance does UW want to establish in this sport?
With the big Washington game coming up this weekend, today’s a good day to enjoy a special crossover edition of The Ypsilanti Eleven with some new friends we made out West — SeaTown Sports, founded and operated by Kevin Cacabelos. Cacabelos, like me, has former SB Nation blog and print newspaper chops, and we’ve both stuck to our local roots in our own ways, but both doing our things on the Substack platform.
Cacabelos (@SeaTownKev on Twitter) reached out wanting to do this, so you can go ahead and check out my answers to his questions on his page, or check out the rest of his work to learn more about the Washington Huskies and the surrounding pro sports teams. His answers to my questions are below.
The Ypsilanti Eleven: Last year Washington had a heck of year finishing as the national championship runners-up. How much does this year's team, with a new coaching staff and a lot of new players, hang onto those banners?
SeaTown Sports: New Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch has made it a point to acknowledge that this a brand-new team, but that the “standard” hasn’t changed. I think that’s a fair assessment on how to view things with this year’s team.
While virtually the entire starting offense from last season is gone (only junior kicker Grady Gross returns) and only three defensive starters remain (senior linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala, junior cornerback Elijah Jackson, and junior punter Jack McCallister), there are a handful of returning players that made significant contributions last season. For example, Washington returns senior linebacker Carson Bruener finished third in tackles last season and senior wide receiver Giles Jackson, who appeared in seven games last season, including all three playoff games. The returning starters, along with guys like Bruener and Jackson played in so many tight games last season and have the intangible experience of playing in the Pac-12 championship, a national semifinal, and a national championship.
So, while these guys know the Kalen DeBoer and Michael Penix Jr. era is over, they have valuable postseason game experience to lean on from last season that not many other players in the country have.
Y11: Lots of new changes at Washington. New coach after the recent run of luck. New conference. Lots of recent turnover with the athletic director chair too. What are the short and long-term goals of this program?
STS: The short-term goal is to establish itself within the upper echelon of the Big Ten within two to three years. Washington is one of only eight schools in the history of the College Football Playoff to make multiple appearances (2016, 2023). Out of the Big Ten, only Ohio State and Michigan have made multiple appearances, with Oregon and Michigan State both notching one appearance in the CFP era. With this success in the past ten years or so, getting into the Big Ten’s upper tier is a baseline goal. This means by year three, Washington is not only finishing in the top half of the Big Ten but competing for a Big Ten championship and a CFP berth at the end of the season. Kalen DeBoer was able to turn the program around in his first year (11-2), after a disastrous 4-8 season in 2021 under Jimmy Lake. It’s unlikely Fisch can get that same success in year one, but because of the transfer portal, programs like Washington are always one or two players from becoming an instant contender.
The long-term goal is financial stability both for the football program and for the athletic department in general. Washington left the Pac-12 with the second-highest operating budget amongst the 12 schools, and now enters the Big Ten with the No. 10 operating budget. There are going to be places where Washington falls short when compared to its Big Ten peers. UW Athletic Director Pat Chun will have to figure out how to continue getting the necessary funds into the football program while also dealing with the challenges of the coming House settlement and the ever-changing landscape of college athletics. Washington is also only getting a half-share of the Big Ten’s media-rights money, a concession Washington and Oregon took to join the league. Dealing with this financial disadvantage will be a long-term priority for Washington.
Y11: What are some lessons you took from UW's win over Weber State?
STS: It’s difficult to have confidence in any conclusions after a blowout win against an FCS opponent, but there are a few things that are clearer after the win.
One, this is not a bad team. Solid FBS teams should be able to wipe out FCS opponents like the Huskies did last weekend. It was just a few years ago in 2021 where the Huskies lost to Montana. After that loss, it would have been fair to conclude that that UW team was bad. Much of the national preseason discourse around Washington is that there are no returning offensive starters. But going down that path is misleading because the offense is full of transfer portal additions who were some of the best players at their previous schools and conferences, including senior quarterback Will Rogers (Mississippi State), junior running back Jonah Coleman (Arizona), and senior wide receiver Jeremiah Hunter (California).
The second lesson learned is that the Washington secondary may be one of the most underrated position groups in the Big Ten. The Lindy’s preseason publication has the unit ranked No. 10 among Big Ten schools and this just seems wrong after week one. Junior Ephesians Prysock, a transfer from Arizona, looked like a lockdown corner all game. Senior cornerback Thaddeus Dixon (who appeared in 14 of 15 games for UW in 2023) also looked impressive, recording four tackles and two pass breakups in the victory.
Y11: Will Rogers might be EMU's toughest opposing QB it'll face through non-conference play. What do you think of him?
STS: Many Washington fans are having to readjust their football-viewing eyes after witnessing Michael Penix the last two seasons. While Rogers does not have the same deep-ball accuracy or arm strength as Penix, Rogers appeared to be a seasoned veteran who, for the most part, was able to not make mistakes in Fisch’s pro-style offensive scheme. There were a few miscommunication errors, and he also took an undesirable sack, but it’s hard to complain about him passing 20-for-26 for 250 yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. He is still transitioning from the simple Air Raid offense he operated under at Mississippi State and learning Fisch’s system, but I expect to see modest improvement against Eastern Michigan.
Y11: On offense, who's a player that this unit can count on, and who's somebody you're a believer in?
STS: Eastern Michigan is going to see a lot of running back Jonah Coleman. The Arizona transfer looked incredible last Saturday, scoring three touchdowns and rushing for 126 yards. He has this instinctual style of running in terms of making cuts and finding holes, but he is also fearless in running through contact at the end of his runs.
In the pass game, senior wide receiver Giles Jackson is a playmaker. Last week was coming out party for Jackson, who played behind three NFL receivers last season. His career-high 10 receptions and 98 yards last game came in a variety of ways, including a few screens.
Y11: Same for defense -- who can they count on and who's got something to prove?
STS: The secondary is full of playmakers, but one guy defensive coordinator Steve Belichick can count on is cornerback Ephesians Prysock. The Arizona transfer started all 13 games for the Wildcats last season and earned All-Pac 12 honorable mention honors. At 6-4, Prysock has an opportunity to emerge as one of the top cornerbacks in the Big Ten this season.
Senior edge Zach Durfee has something to prove. Despite sitting out the entire regular season last year due to transfer restrictions, the previous coaching staff was itching to get him game action, and he finally saw the field in the Sugar Bowl. He is an excellent athlete. Last week he recorded three tackles and a pass breakup. Before transferring to UW, he earned 1st-team All-league honors while at the University of Sioux Falls.
Y11: Your game prediction?
STS: Eastern Michigan poses a stiffer test for Washington, but I think the Huskies will pull away with a blowout victory over the Eagles. I expect the Husky offense to run much more smoothly than last week and the secondary to again impress on the defensive side of things. Washington 38, Eastern Michigan 10.
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LatsgooooooSeaaaaaatle! Thank you Y11!
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