The Washington Huskies are off to a 2-0 start after beating both Eastern Michigan and Weber State in their first two games of the season.
The Huskies have been led by quarterback Will Rogers after the graduation of Michael Penix Jr and departure of coach Kalen DeBoer. Rogers was the former Mississippi State Bulldogs starting quarterback before entering the transfer portal in search of a change of scenery. Through just two games, it seems as though the Washington football program will be in safe hands this season.
Washington Huskies Defeat Eastern Michigan, 30-9, as Rogers Tosses Four Touchdowns
The Washington football team has ventured into its next chapter during the 2024 season, with both a new quarterback and new staff. Quarterback Will Rogers joined the Washington football team and has immediately found success this season behind the offense line. Rogers, a former Mississippi State Bulldogs starter, is no stranger to throwing touchdowns at the collegiate level.
Rogers recorded over 12,000 yards and 94 touchdowns during his four seasons as the starter of the Bulldogs. Rogers was arguably one of the top quarterbacks in the country in 2021 but had been a member of some less-than-perfect Bulldogs teams. The quarterback finished his time with the Bulldogs with a record of 23-19 as the starter for the team.
The best finish Rogers previously had was during the 2022 season when the Bulldogs won nine games, including a bowl win over the Illinois Fighting Illini. Rogers seems to be back on track after suffering a lingering shoulder injury last season that slowed him down in the final two games of the year. The quarterback has 511 yards passing and five touchdowns to start his Washington career off along with two wins.
Can Will Rogers Continue to Successfully Lead the Washington Football This Season?
Rogers went through quite the tumultuous final year with the Mississippi State Bulldogs before entering the transfer portal and landing with Washington. The quarterback started eight games and appeared in eight games, extending a starting streak to 38 straight games for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs had a 3-3 record when Rogers went down with a left shoulder injury and relinquished the starting role to now Northwestern quarterback Mike Wright.
Wright struggled and Rogers inherited a team that went 1-3 during his injury absence, sitting outside of bowl contention. Rogers lost 17-7 against #12 Ole Miss in a game for bowl eligibility, thus ending the Mississippi State season early. When Rogers did play, he was not nearly as effective as the 30-plus touchdown version of himself a season before, amassing just 1626 yards, 12 touchdowns, and four interceptions.
Thus far into his young Washington football career, the Huskies quarterback Rogers has looked extremely efficient and precise with his throws. Rogers suffered a stress injury on his shoulder last season after taking an abundance of hits he did not need to take. The rest and recovery period the quarterback recently went through during the off-season seems to have allowed his shoulder to fully heal.
Unlike with the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Rogers does not need to do everything to allow his Huskies team to win. The Huskies have a solid foundation, and while plenty of turnover was experienced this off-season, the Washington football team should still be a competitive team. Rogers needs to continue to limit his mistakes and make accurate throws, and then Washington should have a pretty great season behind his play.
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