The Huskies could continue a rotation of offensive linemen for its Big Ten opener against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
SEATTLE — The Washington Huskies football team was able to get through its nonconference schedule 3-0 and will head into Big Ten play undefeated.
Despite having an unblemished mark through the first three weeks of the season, the Huskies still have areas they need to improve upon as they begin to take on conference foes.
One of those areas in the offensive line.
The unit has been a volatile one through the first three weeks of the season. Second-year right guard Champ Taulealea struggled in his first start at the position in Week 1 against the Washington State Cougars. He was splitting snaps at the position with seventh-year offensive lineman Geirean Hatchett, who's received the majority of the reps at the position since.
Washington has also been without its starting center, fourth-year Landen Hatchett, for the first three games of the year and his status is still to-be-determined for UW's Big Ten opener against the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Saturday.
In the younger Hatchett's stead, fourth-year Kolt Dieterich has started at center. These past three weeks have been the first three games Dieterich has started at center in his life.
Left tackle has also been a position that's seen some different looks. True freshman Kodi Greene received the nod as the starter at the position. But, for the last two games, starting left guard and second-year player John Mills has bounced to the left tackle spot for several snaps.
"Maybe (we'll see Mills at left tackle this week)," Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch said in a weekly news conference Monday at Husky Stadium. "John's a really, really good offensive lineman who's played for us tackle, guard, both sides. ... But I also know Kodi had his best games (against Eastern Washington), as well. So we feel really good about where we are at the tackle position right now.
" ... When you're playing tackle, you're asked to have a lot of combination blocks with the guard. The more trust you have that guard's gonna be there, or how square you should stay or somebody's gonna come on the backside ... the better you'll play. ... I felt like this past week, this past game, (Greene) focused on his own assignment the best that he's done. I think what that did is it allowed him to be more and more confident."
Based on Fisch's comments, it's not off the table for Greene and Mills to split snaps at left tackle again against Minnesota on Saturday. If Greene is able to get through the game against the Golden Gophers well, it'd be a good sign that he'll be able to stay steady as UW gets into the thick of the Big Ten schedule.
