Washington
What Jedd Fisch said after Washington lost to No. 1 Oregon football
EUGENE — No. 1 Oregon beat Washington 49-21 Saturday night at Autzen Stadium.
Jedd Fisch recapped the loss for the Huskies (6-6, 4-5 Big Ten), who await their bowl game destination and matchup.
Below is a transcript of Fisch’s postgame press conference.
No. 1 Oregon (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) vs. No. 4 Penn State (11-1, 8-1)
- When: Saturday, Nov. 30
- Time: 4:30 p.m. PT
- Where: Autzen Stadium, Eugene
- TV channel: NBC
- Stream: You can watch this matchup live for FREE with Fubo (free trial). If you don’t have cable and want to watch the game on the cheap, sign up for Peacock Premium ($7.99/month) and get it on NBC’s streaming service. You can also get this game on DirecTV Stream (free trial). You can also watch the event live on NBC Live if you already have cable or satellite provider login information.
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JEDD FISCH
Opening Statement…
“A tough night, obviously. We did not play our best and we ran into a really, really good football team, the No. 1 in the country and they certainly reflected that today. I think that they don’t really have many weaknesses. I thought we had some moments that I was proud of our guys and how we played at certain times in the game. (The score) was 7-6 in the middle of the second quarter or so, but it got away from us a little bit. I liked how we responded at the end of the half to make it 28-14. I thought we came out and did a decent job in that first drive but in the end, we just didn’t make enough plays. We had too many negative plays. Demond Williams had a lot of good plays, 85% completion for the night. But obviously, we can’t take as many sacks as we took. We got a lot to work on and we have 15 practices to do it. We have Signing Day on Wednesday, we have a portal window opening on Monday. The new calendar is certainly interesting, so we’re going to have to get after it. We’re going to come in tomorrow, grade the film and start scheduling practices for next week and be ready for a bowl game. As I said to our team in there, you have a chance to play in the postseason and you earn the right through 12 games, not through one. When you win six, you get to play in the bowl game and that’s what we’re looking forward to doing.”
On Will Rogers’ response to not starting vs Oregon…
“Will [Rogers] was fantastic, as he has been all year long. I let Will know very early, two weeks ago, that this was the direction we were going and he was an A-plus as he has been all year long. I can’t say enough good things about Will Rogers the person. I am so proud to have had the opportunity to coach him this year. I am going to miss him, and if he ever comes back, he will have a coaching job here.”
On Will Rogers’ availability for a bowl game…
“I expect Will (Rogers) to be around all the time. He is fantastic. He is going to prepare the same way he would as a starter. We talk a lot about being able to help Demond (Williams) if Demond is going to start, which he will. Also for Will to be able to continue on his journey and reach his dreams.”
On the decision to start Demond Williams vs Oregon…
“At this time in the season, after the way we moved the ball in the second half against Penn State when Demond was in…we had three drives where we got inside the 20, two of which were field goals. And then the three drives he had in the second half against UCLA, which led to 17 points. It was time and it is nice to have a full game of film to coach him off of. We are in a situation where now I can sit down with him and go through each play. We had 57 plays that we can now go through. There’s a lot of situations there and he has three years left so we can get him going. We also have 15 practices to get him those starting reps.”
On Demond Williams taking accountability for Oregon’s 10 sacks…
“We trained him well to say that. I would hope he would say that. I would hope that our line would take the same accountability, our running backs would take the same accountability. I think all of it is a learning curve. I’ve always said that all 11 score touchdowns and all 11 take sacks. There’s so much to it. It’s getting open, it’s getting rid of the ball, it’s holding up in protection. There is a lot to learn from that. I think he’s going to learn when to get rid of the ball. But on the same token, there’s probably times where I yelled ‘Get rid of the ball’ and he scrambled around and got a first down on third down. This is what we’re going to have to learn and this is what we’re going to live with and continue to see Demond’s growth throughout this process.”
On defensive performance vs Oregon…
“We would always like to be better and bigger up front and make more plays to push the line of scrimmage. They had way too many yards after contact. Rushing the ball, they were able to do it at their disclosure. They were able to pick and choose the run game. They were getting too many yards from it. We need to be able to get bigger. We need to be able to really handle an offensive line that is built for the Big Ten.”
On reviewing the film vs just moving forward…
“There is too much to learn. We are such a young team and there is so much to learn in many places. For no other reason, we are playing with a true freshman quarterback. We will look at the tape and teach him off of it. There are so many other reasons to learn. For our receivers, when you’re correcting Denzel Boston, he has two more years. When you correct Jeremiah Hunter, Rashid Williams has to learn from that. When you correct Keleki Latu, Decker DeGraaf has to learn from that. Obviously on defense Khmori House has to learn from every correction we make to Alphonzo Tuputala and Carson Bruener. As does Isaiah Ward, continuing to get better, but he gets corrected on every play. As does Ephesians (Prysock), as does Makell Esteen, as does Vince Holmes, Peyton Waters. There’s so many young players on this team, we have to keep learning.”
On Russell Davis’ status…
“We lost him in Tuesday’s practice. He will not be back for the bowl game. He will have to get operated on and we will see him back in about three months.”
On the future of the program…
“There’s part of coming to an end in a regular season where you have emotions. Where you’re giving hugs to guys like (Carson) Bruener and (Alphonzo) Tuputala and you’re building these strong relationships with players who have been here a lot longer than I have. On the same token, there is energy and excitement about what is in the future. We have talked about sending this team out with a winning record, sending the team out with a bowl game championship. Send this team out in a place where they can say ‘we won seven with a team that nobody expected us to do much.’ And then let’s see what it looks like next year with all these young guys and the youth movement that has occurred. I’m really looking forward to what this team can do now and in the future.”
On who will start the bowl game…
“Demond (Williams) will start the bowl game.
— James Crepea covers the Oregon Ducks and Big Ten. Listen to the Ducks Confidential podcast or subscribe to the Ducks Roundup newsletter.
On a perfect day in Seattle for football, Washington took the field inside Husky Stadium for its first scrimmage of spring practice, and ahead of his third season at the helm, Jedd Fisch seemed pleased with the results.
“Guys played and competed their ass off,” he said after the Huskies ran 120 plays. “That’s the type of day we want to have…We have a lot to work on, but we’re excited that today gave us this opportunity.”
The 120 plays had a little bit of everything, but the biggest thing the Huskies showed during the day was that, despite the inexperience that Fisch’s coaching staff is looking to lean on at several positions, there’s plenty of talent littering the roster. The best example of that is sophomore safety Paul Mencke Jr., who had his best practice in a Husky uniform after Fisch announced on Saturday that senior CJ Christian is out for the year after suffering a torn Achilles tendon during Tuesday’s practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
“Paul’s done a great job of competing and being physical and playing fast, and you could see over these three years, he’s really grown into understanding now the system, and what’s asked of him as a safety,” Fisch said. “I think there’s a lot of in him that he wants to be like (safeties coach Taylor) Mays. He sees himself as a tall, linear, big hitter. So when you have your coach that is known for that type of play, I think Paul has done a great job.”
Mencke was all over the field. Not only did he lay some big hits, just like his safeties coach did during his time at USC, but the former four-star recruit also tallied a pair of pass breakups, an interception in a 7-on-7 period, and multiple strong tackles to hold ball carriers to limited yards.
While the defense did a good job getting pressure throughout the day and making the quarterbacks hold the ball with different looks on the back end, with safety Alex McLaughlin, linebacker Donovan Robinson, and edge rusher Logan George all among the players credited for a sack, quarterback Demond Williams Jr. got an opportunity to show off how he’s improved ahead of his junior year.
Early on, he showed off his well-known speed and athleticism, making the correct decision on a read option, pulling the ball and scampering for a 25-yard gain before displaying his touch. Throughout the day, his favorite target was junior receiver Rashid Williams, whom he found on several layered throws of 15-plus yards in the various scrimmage periods of practice.
On a day when every able-bodied member of the team was able to get several reps of live action, here are some of the other noteworthy plays from the day.
Spring practice notebook
- Freshman cornerback Jeron Jones was unable to participate in the scrimmage and was spotted working off to the side with the rest of the players rehabbing their injuries.
- The running backs delivered a pair of big blows on the day. First, cornerback Emmanuel Karnley was on the receiving end of a big hit from redshirt freshman Quaid Carr before the former three-star recruit ripped off a 13-yard touchdown run on the next play. Later on, every player on offense had a lot of fun cheering on freshman Ansu Sanoe after he leveled Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, letting the sophomore linebacker hear all about it when the play was whistled dead.
- Sophomore wide receiver Justice Williams put together a strong day with several contested catches, showing off his strong hands and 6-foot-4 frame, including a 25-yard catch and run off a drag route from backup quarterback Elijah Brown.
- Of all the tackles for a loss the Huskies were able to rack up throughout the day, two stood out. First, junior defensive tackle Elinneus Davis burst through the middle of the line to wrap up freshman running back Brian Bonner. Later on, freshman outside linebacker Ramzak Fruean wasn’t even touched as he shot through a gap in the offensive line to track down a play from behind, letting the entire offensive sideline know about the play on his way back to his own bench.
- The Huskies experimented with several defensive line combinations on Saturday, and for the first time this spring, it felt like freshman Derek Colman-Brusa took the majority of his reps alongside someone other than Davis, who he said has taken on an older brother role to help mentor the top-ranked in-state prospect in the 2026 class.
“Elinneus is a phenomenal guy. Great work ethic. He’s kind of taken on that older brother mentor for me. He’s been a great help just to learn plays and learn the scheme. Can’t say enough good things about the guy.”
- Ball State transfer Darin Conley took a handful of reps with the first team, while rotating with Colman-Brusa, who got a lot of work in alongside Sacramento State transfer DeSean Watts.
Twenty Sioux Falls School District art teachers have their own original pieces on display at the Washington Pavilion’s University Gallery now through May 31.
The “Teachers as Artists” exhibit showcases their work not just as educators, but as artists inside and outside of the classroom, and highlights how art education builds critical thinking, creative problem-solving and self-expression skills.
Edison Middle School art teacher Meagan Turbak-Fogarty said she dreamt of such a showcase since her first year teaching.
She and Kathy Dang, an art teacher at Marcella LeBeau Elementary School who also serves on the city’s Visual Arts Committee, partnered with the city and Washington Pavilion to bring the showcase to life.
Turbak-Fogarty has taught at Edison for five years and said her passion for art is “instantly felt” on her classroom walls, but that students have asked where they could see her art in the classroom, or what kind of art she creates in her own time.
“I always felt the feeling that I stand in front of all these kids every single day and preach about how much I love art, and how art has changed my life,” Turbak-Fogarty said. “That got me thinking, ‘I want to show them.’”
Some of her works on display at the Pavilion include art she created in her first year teaching, including a large Cheetos bag she created as an example for her eighth grade classroom when they were working on a large chip bag project. Turbak-Fogarty said she loves painting, working with acrylics and unconventional materials.
“I wanted to show my students that art can be anything,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be hanging up in a museum to be considered art.”
Continuing to do her own art while teaching the subject helps keep her inspired, Turbak-Fogarty explained, adding that it helps her push her own creativity when it comes to projects she works on with students.
Samantha Levisay, an art teacher at John Harris Elementary School, showed three pieces in the show — “Moments in Time,” “Midnight Butterfly Garden” and “Whimsy” — with the same mixed media, watercolor and printmaking skills that she teaches in different units at every elementary grade.
Levisay educates her students that “art is everywhere.” She said her favorite memories as an art teacher are “moments when I show students a lesson, and they take it even further.”
“Kids are so creative; I marvel at them all the time,” she said. “They inspire me every day with their endless creativity and imagination.”
Roosevelt High School art teacher Ruth Hillman showed two pieces in the show: “The Potato on the Wall,” a mixed media work, and a collection of her handmade clay charms in a shadow box.
She also wore some of her art — miniature potato earrings made of clay.
Hillman is in her third year at RHS. When she’s not teaching art, she’s also making art, and sells her charms at shows like the Art Collective.
Washington High School art teacher Mollie Potter displayed a three-part painting series at the show that she said were inspired by her English language learner students’ stories, and how teachers help students “take flight,” as represented by balloons, parachutes and kites in her work.
Porter said she is often inspired by her students’ art in the classroom; for example, one former student was obsessed with swans, and Porter said she later created a painting inspired by one of the student’s stories about swans.
At an April 17 reception, Mayor Paul TenHaken emphasized the arts as an “important economic driver in the community,” and said the show honored educators “who are artists in and of themselves,” but who might not have had a chance to display their art outside the classroom before.
“This is a way for us to honor them and show their incredible work,” TenHaken said.
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