Kalen DeBoer breaks down Washington health report ahead of Pac-12 Championship

As Washington heads into the Pac-12 Championship Game against Oregon on Saturday, it does so much healthier than it has been in a while.

Even a brief injury scare for EDGE Zion Tupuola-Fetui last week proved to be minor, and the talented edge defender is expected to play this weekend against the Ducks.

“I’d expect him to be, yeah,” coach Kalen DeBoer said. “I think relative to where we were at maybe middle of the season, I think we’re healthier. So guys, different guys have been out throughout.”

But many of those Washington players have returned to action or will shortly.

DeBoer explained exactly where his team is getting healthier right now going into a pivotal Pac-12 Championship Game with playoff hopes on the line.

“The receiving corps’ slowly come back into being intact,” DeBoer said. “Offensive line is kind of back to where it was early in the year with (Julius) Buelow being back. Defensively some of those pieces slowly returning. So I think we’re getting in a good spot when it comes to the health of the team.”

Taking them on twice

One thing that will be interesting about Saturday’s matchup is that it’s a rematch of the regular season meeting between the teams. Washington won that contest 36-33.

DeBoer knows that first game means there will be an added level of familiarity both ways.

“You learn from the game before,” DeBoer said. “You know they’re going to make adjustments. But, it’s not like there’s any secrets. You know who their personnel are. They know who ours are. You quickly talk through again the details of what they do, how they do it, who they are and you get the plan moving.”

It won’t be the first time as a coach DeBoer has faced a team for the second time in the same season, though the challenge Washington will face against Oregon may be steeper than others.

“Many times at Sioux Falls, two of the top teams in the country were us and Morningside College,” Kalen DeBoer recalled from his past coaching experience. “We played a regular season game, usually for the conference championship, and then we played usually the second round of the playoffs.

“When I was at Fresno State, we played [Boise State] back-to-back weeks. We played them the last game of the regular season. Then, had to turn around and play them in the conference championship. We played them four times in two years. So, I’ve done that a few times.”