SEATTLE – The Jedd Fisch era didn’t exactly start with a bang, but the UW Huskies took it in their first game under the new coach.

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The Huskies overcame a sluggish start against the Weber State Wildcats, who play an FCS schedule in the Big Sky Conference, to comfortably secure a 35-3 victory on Saturday night in front of their home crowd at Husky Stadium. Here are six immediate observations from UW’s season opener:

• Coleman does look real: One of the biggest hauls for Fisch upon taking the Huskies job was luring running back Jonah Coleman from Arizona to Montlake. The talented junior running back showed why Saturday night with a series of electric runs, including a 25-yarder on his first touch in the purple and gold. Coleman then ran to the house for a 44-yard TD on the next play, but it was called back for holding. The Stockton, California native found the end zone three more times (all of which counted) and surpassed 100 rushing yards in the third quarter. He finished with 126 yards and three TDs while averaging 7.9 yards per carry. Coleman’s vision, burst on cuts and ability to fight through contact all stood out. He is believed to be the first Husky to rush for 100 yards on his debut since 1960, according to the UW athletics departmentThe revamped offensive line also deserves praise for its run blocking.

• Clear one-two receiving punch: UW targeted sophomore Denzel Boston early and often and also heavily involved senior Giles Jackson, as the duo combined for 19 of the team’s 30 targets. Jackson hauled in all 10 targets thrown his way for 98 yards. The diminutive receiver did much of his damage by generating yards after the catch on short passes. Boston, who at 6-foot-4 and 209 pounds is a more physical, downfield threat, had six receptions for 76 yards and one TD. Boston also returned punts.

• Rogers settles in: New starting quarterback Will Rogers never looked bad against the Wildcats, but he certainly became more effective as the game wore on. Rogers completed 11 of his final 13 throws for 156 yards and his lone TD pass. That came after starting 9 of 13 for 94 yards. Overall, the Mississippi State transfer went 20 of 26 for 250 yards before being traded for freshman Demond Williams Jr. after the Huskies took control of the game. Rogers’ night really started to roll when he accounted for all 72 yards with four straight completions on UW’s second scoring drive.

• Shaky showing from run defense early on: The expectation for the Huskies in a game against a middling FCS school is to dominate, regardless of whether or not they bring in an entirely new set of starters on offense and defense under a new coach. Dominance wasn’t the case for UW’s run defense early on. The Huskies allowed Weber State to move the consistency on the ground in the first half, as the Wildcats outrebounded the Huskies 91-82 on the ground with an average of 4.6 yards per carry. UW stepped up its run defense in the third quarter before pulling away and bringing in its second-teamers late in the game, but one bad half against the run can be detrimental against much stiffer competition in Big Ten play.

• Lockdown night for pass defense: The run defense looked shaky at times, but UW never really let Weber State get going in the passing game. The Wildcats completed just 34 percent (11 of 32) of their passes for 98 yards, with five completions and 49 yards in the fourth quarter against UW’s second-teamers. The Wildcats’ wide receivers rarely had any separation. When they did, UW’s secondary was quick to secure tackles.

• A notable injury: When playing smaller programs like Weber State in warmups, one of the biggest goals is leaving the game healthy. UW appeared to leave Saturday night without too many bumps and bruises, but starting tight end Quentin Moore left the game in the first half after taking a big hit to his left leg on a reception and never returned. Moore wasn’t putting much weight on his leg as he was helped off the field by medical staff and teammates, and UW was already playing without sophomore tight end Ryan Otton, the younger brother of former Huskies star Cade Otton. The good news? Fisch said he expects Moore to be fine after the game, and freshman Decker Degraaf came in and caught a 33-yard TD pass shortly after Moore left.

More about the UW Huskies

• Huard: Three UW Huskies season stories blossom Saturday
• Caple: Three things we know and three things we don’t know about UW Huskies
• How Jedd Fisch Impresses Former UW Huskies Coach Chris Petersen

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