SEATTLE — There will be bigger goals for the University of Washington football team when the new season begins in the fall. But in a Purple vs. White scrimmage that wrapped up spring practices on Saturday afternoon, there was certainly more on the line than mere bragging rights.
As in dinner, with fried chicken from a popular Seattle restaurant for the winners, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the losers.
So when White team quarterback K.J. Carta-Samuels came up a foot or so short of a first down on a fourth-down scramble, the Purple team broke into jubilant celebration at Husky Stadium.
“(He) was definitely short, so we get to eat chicken tonight,” grinned senior tight end Darrell Daniels, whose team prevailed 17-13.
“One side eats better than the other,” UW head coach Chris Petersen said. “I think that’s all fun. … That’s what it’s all about. About being able to compete and have fun.”
More importantly, of course, a young Washington team that showed promise in 2015 took the necessary steps toward reaching even greater expectations in the fall. With Petersen and his staff preparing for their third season, and with a strong core of returning players, the Huskies seem ready to challenge in the North Division of the Pac-12 Conference.
Though stopping short of such a prediction, “I think we’re pointed in the right direction,” Petersen said. “But I just know how much work has to go in, and how good we have to be to compete in this conference and do what we want to do. I’m encouraged and I like these guys a lot, but we have so much work to do to get to where we need to be.
“So do I feel really good? No. I’ll feel really good if we get through this Pac-12 schedule down the road and if we’re doing some things that we’re proud of. But that’s a long way away,” he said.
The Huskies tweaked the format for their spring finale this year, dividing the squad into Purple and White teams rather than just pitting offense vs. defense. Assistant coaches Chris Strausser and Bob Gregory split the roster, making the two teams “as equal as we could, and then we let them play,” Petersen said.
Some front-line players made only cameo appearances. White running back Myles Gaskin, who rushed for 1,302 yards last fall, did not have a single carry on Saturday, though he did catch a pass for a 9-yard gain. Likewise, 2015 starting quarterback Jake Browning, also on the White team, played sparingly, completing five of seven passes.
Still, Petersen said, “I thought (Browning) had a nice camp. I think he showed that with his decisions. And I think he’s throwing it well. The ball’s coming off his hand nice. … I think Jake did a nice job (this spring).”
“Jake’s become more of a leader,” Daniels said. “He just leads by example. He’s filling a role and doing what he has to do to get better every day.”
K.J. Carta-Samuels, Browning’s teammate on the White squad, had the majority of snaps and was 12-for-17 for 105 yards. Community-college transfer Tony Rodriguez, playing on the Purple team, showed that he will compete for the backup QB position in the fall by completing six of 12 passes for 75 yards.
Also getting time at quarterback was Anthony Berg, who played at Mukilteo’s Kamiak High School and Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, Calif. On his first pass he had a nice completion to wide receiver Andre Boccellia, but Boccellia fumbled downfield — the only turnover in the scrimmage.
In the coming months the Huskies will work out individually and in groups. The entire team will start fall practices in August to prepare for the 2016 opener, at home against Rutgers on Sept. 3.
“Are we ready to go play right now? No, we’re not,” Petersen said. “But I think they did what we wanted them to this spring. … We expected guys to get better and you saw that. There were a lot of guys that took the next step.”
“I think every single one of us has taken steps,” agreed junior safety Budda Baker, an All-Pac-12 pick last season.
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