UW Football Notebook | UW's young pups up to challenge

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Maybe Syracuse's coaches hadn't read the papers.

How else to explain their apparent lack of interest in going after Washington's kiddie corps secondary, featuring true freshmen Vonzell McDowell Jr. and Nate Williams in prominent roles?

"I thought they would come at me a whole lot more," McDowell said after UW's 42-12 win.

"They came at me with some screens, but I thought they would go deep a whole lot more."

And even when they did go at McDowell he more often than not made the play, as the secondary held Syracuse's supposedly rejuvenated passing attack in check.

It was thought that Syracuse would attack McDowell — who started at cornerback — and Williams, who was a starter in the UW nickel package. And they tried at times, but to little success as the Orange had only one play of longer than 16 yards all night, a 28-yard pass and run to running back Curtis Brinkley.

"For the most part, they played well," said defensive coordinator Kent Baer. "I was pleased with them."

Each came up with big plays late in the first half that helped give UW momentum at the break.

First, McDowell, a Rainier Beach graduate, closely covered Syracuse receiver Taj Smith on a deep pass in the end zone, a play that drew the wrath of Orange fans who were calling for pass interference.

"I didn't think it was interference," a smiling McDowell said afterward.

A couple of plays later, Williams — a Kennedy High grad who made the move from running back shortly before camp began — helped break up another throw to Smith on a third-down play in the end zone, forcing the Orange to kick a field goal."I was real nervous at first, I'm not going to lie," Williams said, saying that the play in the end zone was when he knew he belonged. "I just went up and knocked the ball down."

Ossai gets nod

One of the big questions heading into the game was who would start at left tackle — sophomore Ben Ossai or redshirt freshman Cody Habben. When the game began, it was Ossai, playing the entire first quarter.

Habben, however, played the second quarter and the two shared time at the position throughout the game.

"They both deserved to play," UW coach Tyrone Willingham said, indicating the rotation could last all season.

Ossai started all 12 games last season as a redshirt freshman but was demoted to the second string when fall camp began after failing to get down to his required weight.

Habben, a graduate of Skyline High, has held the starting job most of camp, but he was listed as a co-starter with Ossai on this week's depth chart.

True frosh debut

Ten true freshmen made the trip for the Huskies — McDowell, Williams, running backs Brandon Johnson, Curtis Shaw and Willie Griffin, linebackers Mason Foster and Austin Sylvester, cornerback Marquis Persley, kicker Cory Rutkowski and quarterback Ronnie Fouch.

The only ones who didn't play were Griffin, Fouch, Persley and Rutkowski. Fouch is expected to redshirt this season but as the No. 3 quarterback will make every trip.

In all, 19 new players saw action for the Huskies, including J.R. Hasty, who had one carry for 6 yards.

Notes

• Trenton Tuiasosopo got his first start at middle linebacker in place of Donald Butler, who has struggled with a knee injury all camp. Willingham said Tuiasosopo got the start as a "combination" of both his good play and the Butler injury. The two shared time much of the night.

• DE Caesar Rayford had just one sack all last season — on the last play of the Apple Cup. He had 1 ½ against Syracuse. "We couldn't block him all fall, so I couldn't imagine anyone else could," Willingham said.

• UW appeared to suffer only one significant injury as FB Luke Kravitz left with a hand injury of undetermined severity.

• The Huskies had seven sacks, one more than their game high last season.

• UW's game captains were center Juan Garcia, linebacker Dan Howell, running back Louis Rankin and defensive tackle Jordan Reffett.

• UW basketball coach Lorenzo Romar watched the game in a hotel lobby of the Electra Palace in Thessaloniki, Greece, where the Huskies are on a tour of exhibition games. The game kicked off at 3 a.m. in Greece. The basketball team was due to board a bus at 9 a.m., heading to Trikala for a game tonight.

Mike Waters contributed to this report.

Bob Condotta: 206-515-5699 or bcondotta@seattletimes.com.