Huskies notes: UW loses inside linebacker, tailback to season-ending injuries
The Washington Huskies traveled to Tucson last week without several impact players who missed the trip with injuries.
They will be without at least two of those players again this weekend in Palo Alto and for the remainder of their season.
UW coach Jimmy Lake said during his Monday morning press conference the Huskies will be without inside linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio and tailback Richard Newton the rest of the way.
Ulofoshio, the Huskies’ leading tackler the first half of the season, and Newton, who started the first three games, were injured against UCLA, Lake said. Ulofoshio’s arm was injured, and he had surgery last week, while Newton has a torn ACL and was scheduled to have surgery Monday.
Prior to Friday night’s game at Arizona, Ulofoshio had appeared in every game this season for the Huskies, starting five of six and playing nearly every defensive snap. He was leading UW in tackles (51) through six games, while adding 2½ tackles for losses and one pass defended.
Ulofoshio was a preseason All-Pac-12 second-team pick after also leading the Huskies in tackles (47), passes defended (four) and fumble recoveries (two) during the four-game season last fall.
Beyond his contributions to the defense, the fourth-year sophomore is also a leader in the Huskies’ locker room, which Lake expects will still continue.
“He’ll be around us the rest of the year, and I’m sure Eddy will still be one of the first guys in the building and one of the last guys to leave,” Lake said. “That’s just who Eddy is. But, he’s very positive, he’s in good spirits. Of course, nobody wants to see their season derailed by an injury, but he’s handled it the way I thought Eddy would handle it. His head’s held up high, and he’s positive and he’s still being a leader for us.”
With Ulofoshio out, the Huskies could look to several younger players to help fill his role alongside fourth-year sophomore Jackson Sirmon, who leads UW with 52 tackles through seven games.
Lake noted redshirt freshman Daniel Heimuli, who has started two games this season, sophomore MJ Tafisi, redshirt freshman Alphonzo Tuputala and freshman Carson Bruener could help fill Ulofoshio’s role.
Heimuli has appeared on defense in every game except the Huskies’ season-opener against Montana, and started against both Arkansas State and Arizona, while Tafisi has appeared on defense in all seven games, Bruener in two and Federal Way product Tuputala, who Lake said has been working his way back from a torn Achilles, made his season debut against Arizona.
As for determining who will see significant time moving forward, Lake said, “It’s going to have to be knowledge of our defense, be where you’re supposed to be, line up in the gap you’re supposed to be in, playing the gap in the run, your pass fit — we need those guys to be able to operate.”
“We had a good practice yesterday, and so we’ve just got to keep building practice after practice after practice,” Lake said. “We’ve had one game without Eddy, and I’m hoping this next game, that group of players that’s replacing Eddy plays a better game this Saturday than they did this last Friday.”
Newton was the Huskies’ leading rusher through three games this season, with 38 carries for 138 yards and a touchdown, but did not play against California or Oregon State when UW opened Pac-12 play. Following the bye week, he returned briefly against UCLA, but was injured on the play he caught his only target.
“Rich is a tough young man, and he’s been through injuries a lot here throughout his career,” Lake said. “ ... He’s handled it with positivity. But, today we’re going to have to regroup with him. Today he’s in surgery, maybe right as we speak, right now. So, we’re going to have to love him up, surround him with our brotherhood, and let him know that we have his back and we’ll get him back soon.”
Without Newton, the Huskies have leaned primarily on sixth-year tailbacks Sean McGrew (73 carries, 269 yards, six TDs) and Kamari Pleasant (40 carries, 259 yards) in recent weeks, while redshirt freshman Cameron Davis (32 carries, 95 yards, TD) has also rotated in.
UW was also without left tackle Jaxson Kirkland and defensive tackle Sam Taimani, who had each started the first six games, safety Cameron Williams and tight end Quentin Moore against Arizona. Lake said all four players are considered week-to-week.
Safety Alex Cook, who was injured on a play during the first quarter of the Arizona game, and tended to by medical staff on the field for several minutes before he was carted off, is also considered week-to-week, Lake said.
Cook was taken to a local hospital during the game, was responsive and had movement in his arms and legs, a UW spokesperson said Friday night, and was later released and able to return to Seattle with the team.
“Thankfully, all the tests came back negative,” Lake said. “He did get back on the team plane with us, traveled back. He’s in good spirits, and he’s currently in concussion protocol and he will be week-to-week. So, all the major (injury) things that we all thought could have happened to him are all negative, so extremely great news.”
EXTRA POINTS
▪ Redshirt freshman Troy Fautanu made his first career start in place of Kirkland, playing all 65 offensive snaps, per Pro Football Focus, at left tackle.
“Troy I thought played an extremely solid game,” Lake said. “He was really, really physical, finished off some really good blocks. He pass protected really well. And those are big shoes to fill with Jaxson Kirkland right there, and so for him to be able to go out there and seize his opportunity was a good sight to see.”
The Huskies also shifted some elsewhere on the offensive line against Arizona.
Fife product Ulumoo Ale making his second consecutive start against the Wildcats at left guard. The sophomore also played all 65 snaps on offense, per PFF, after Julius Buelow started UW’s first five games at the position.
Sophomore Matteo Mele also played a season-high 32 snaps at right tackle, per PFF, behind starter Victor Curne.
“Matteo has showed up in practice playing well as well,” Lake said. “We want to get him out there and get him some reps, just like I had mentioned across other positions, offense and defense. But, I thought Matteo played a really solid game, and it was pretty cool for him to go down there and play a lot of reps in his hometown in Tucson.”
▪ Outside linebacker Zion Tupuola-Fetui continues to see his snap count increase after returning from an Achilles injury. He played 10 snaps in his season debut against UCLA, and that count jumped to 24 against Arizona. He tallied his first three tackles last weekend, including a sack.
“He came out healthy, and you should see his reps probably double again once we get to game time here on Stanford,” Lake said.
This story was originally published October 25, 2021 at 5:14 PM with the headline "Huskies notes: UW loses inside linebacker, tailback to season-ending injuries."
