The Washington Huskies’ front seven can disrupt opponents in so many ways

With four players, including three All-American defenders, gone to the NFL Draft from the 2014 team, Washington’s defense reloaded with youth to finish 2015 at No. 9 in the S&P+ rankings (which are adjusted for opponent strength and pace).

Then the Huskies saw their sack leaders, Travis Feeney and Cory Littleton, head to the league after 2015.

Although there was 2016 offseason hype around Washington, there were questions about replacing defensive production, even if many other pieces were returning.

The Huskies have done so, ranking No. 4 in the Playoff rankings and No. 12 in Defensive S&P+.

You probably know the name Budda Baker, the all-world safety who runs things on the back end. He was nearly All-Pac-12 as a freshman, and now as a junior, it’s not a stretch to fully expect him on your TVs next year on Sundays.

But good defenses are products of the sum of all of their parts. With 11 guys on the field, one guy doesn’t do it all.

The back four must work in concert with the front seven. When the pass rush isn’t working, the DBs can help by creating coverage sacks. But defensive lines can take matters into their own hands by hurrying quarterbacks or sacking them. They can also gin up pressure to affect the run game, spilling plays outside to the waiting arms of perimeter defenders to clean things up when plays break down.

To answer, we need to talk about each piece of its starting front seven.

We will reluctantly not be talking about DE Joe Mathis in this space. Mathis is Washington’s best pass rusher, but he’s out for a while with a foot injury and has already missed Washington’s last three games.

But he does stuff like this, and he will be missed.

No, that offensive lineman’s leg is not breaking. Yes, his spirit is, though.

Connor O’Brien, junior, 6’3, 232 pounds

Washington likes to go with speed on one side of the line. More speed on the field is imperative for a team that faces wide-open offenses in the Pac-12. But don’t think that O’Brien can’t hold his own, no matter what size he is.

Near the goal line, every yard is precious. Defense wins by getting penetration down here. But in lieu of that, holding the point of attack will work, too.

On this QB keeper run by Utah, O’Brien takes on a block from H-back No. 40, and the other player in the backfield, No. 89.

He’s there to spill this outside, and although he doesn’t make the tackle, he impedes the ball carrier enough to let his teammates clean it up behind him.

O’Brien’s size allows Washington to use him in another way. The Huskies weaponize him as a flat defender here. He lines up on the line of scrimmage, but he isn’t going to stay there. Typically, a bigger defensive lineman will do this to throw a QB off by sitting in a passing lane.

Here, O’Brien is an extra defender fully capable of playing in space, allowing the Huskies to drop a total of eight defenders in coverage.

No gain.

Vita Vea, sophomore, 6’5, 332 pounds

Mr. Vea, on the other hand, specializes in raw power. Want to add some spice to your bench presses at the gym? Line up across from a 300-pounder and see if you can press him out. When you’re done, sprint and tackle a running back who runs a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash.

It’s as easy as one ...

... two ...

three.

There’s something oddly satisfying about watching a defensive lineman stand up to an offensive lineman and scamper down the line to tackle a running back from behind.

Later, he actually made me laugh by doing the same thing with a little added flair.

Yes, he essentially keeps an offensive lineman at bay with one hand as he catches a running back with the other.

Greg Gaines, sophomore, 6’2, 318 pounds

A screen play is designed to use a defensive lineman’s overzealousness to the offense’s advantage. Usually, offensive linemen will pass block for an internal “two Mississippi” count before releasing to block a DB or an LB unabated.

But sometimes a savvy defensive lineman sniffs it out, and it’s lovely. You can almost see the gears churning in real time as he realizes, “Hey, I’m not being blocked.”

As Gaines waltzes through this unblocked, the RB avoids him because he’s got to leak out to catch the pass. Gaines isn’t fooled.

But he’s got the brawn to match his brains.

On any play involving offensive linemen who are pulling behind the line, play-side (the side of the ball to which the ball is headed) pressure is an absolute killer. On this run to the right, the left guard will come from the back side to the play side. The right guard’s job is to move Gaines, so the puller can block a linebacker.

All that gums up when Gaines shoves the RG into the puller’s path. That means all three big bodies are in the path of the running back. That ain’t good.

Gaines doesn’t get credit for the tackle, but he caused it.

Elijah Qualls, junior, 6’1, 321 pounds

There are ways to affect a throw as a defensive lineman. You can hurry a QB, or you can bat a pass down with your meaty paws.

Or, you could just shove an offensive lineman into the QB’s lap. This throw sails because the QB can’t finish his follow through. It’s hard to do that with 600 pounds in your personal space.

On the play above, Qualls gets where he wants to go by slanting into a gap on the other side of the offensive line.

His burst out of a stance is just fine when he’s heading straight upfield as well. It’s how you get from here ...

... to here ...

... and finally here.

Azeem Victor, junior, 6’3, 230 pounds

You want your linebackers to be able to play down hill and attack straight into the offense.

Here, Utah shows a normal speed option to the left, with an H-back following to accept a shovel pass. Best case for the offense: the linebackers over pursue and are out of position, and the H-back can walk in the end zone.

Victor meets him in the hole instead.

Later in the game, Victor showed a little bit of elusiveness between the tackles, picking through the junk to make a play.

Victor stays tight to the down block of the right tackle, and is able to just slide his way into the hole.

And he’s got bad intentions when he gets there.

Keishawn Bierria, junior, 6’1, 221 pounds

To free Bierria, the Huskies work some slanting gymnastics.

Gaines works to the left and Qualls works to the right, occupying the center and the guard, respectively, so Bierria can waltz into the backfield. Bierria doesn’t get the sack, but he trips Utah’s QB up just slightly, and Gaines is able to affect the throw and force an incompletion, setting up a third-and-10.

With Utah driving to potentially tie the game with less than a minute left, the Huskies blitz Bierria, and confusion leads to what was almost a game-winning play.

Both Bierria and O’Brien are coming here.

The left tackle initially engages Bierra before realizing O’Brien is coming, too, so he comes off of Bierria to block O’Brien. One problem: the running back thinks O’Brien is his responsibility, too, because of the RT’s initial move.

You’re never going to believe this, but it doesn’t end up well for the boys in red.

Bierra gets the sack and the forced fumble. He doesn’t recover the ball, but it’s a helluva play.

Psalm Wooching, senior, 6’4, 231 pounds

Wooching is Washington’s best pass-rusher now that Mathis is out, and is second on the team in sacks. It’s easy to see why.

He’s got the moves. Here’s a spin.

And he’s got the speed.

The rush here is delayed enough to make Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey believe a blitz isn’t coming, and he releases for a checkdown pass.

That wasn’t the best decision in hindsight.

... a defense that ranks No. 9 among the Power 5 in yards allowed per play, No. 13 in that group in yards per game, and — per opponent-adjusted numbers at Football Study Hall — No. 1 in limiting offensive explosiveness, No. 12 in Adjusted Sack Rate, No. 18 in linebacker disruption, and No. 11 against the pass overall.