Well, that sure was disappointing.

By Rich Cirminiello | @RichCirminiello

Okay, so no one expected the Huskies to trump rival Oregon in the North Division last season. But with the hype surrounding new coach Chris Petersen—and so much prime, next-level talent on D—an 8-6 finish left U-Dub fans feeling flat. The really bad news, though, is that seven of the nine Huskies that earned at least honorable mention All-Pac-12 in 2014 are no longer on campus. So, barring an improbable turn events, Washington will be looking up at the division leaders once again this fall. This offseason has been all about staging the competitions that will eventually provide Petersen with the feedback he needs to fill out his new-look two-deep at the end of August.

In many ways, Washington was built for 2014. Now, it must build again. The Huskies have recruited well in recent seasons, first Steve Sarkisian and now Petersen, but wholesale changes mean it’s going to take time to achieve consistency and continuity. On the bright side, the staff is no longer new, so familiarity is a problem of the past. And many of the hurdles associated with a transition, particularly to a Power Five program, are on the verge of being cleared. Petersen and his staff can simply coach and teach, and they’ve been doing plenty of both since dropping the Cactus Bowl to Oklahoma State on Jan. 2.

Year 2 will begin with plenty of new starters in the lineup. Graduation whacked the Huskies hard, losing more than half of last season’s starters. The new quarterback has virtually no experience, the O-line is being retooled and a star-studded defense won’t be shining nearly as bright in 2015. Washington is young, light on sure-fire stars for this season and attempting to avoid a full-blown rebuilding year on Montlake. Barring a shocking uprising from the underclassmen, forget about winning the Pac-12 North for the first time in school history. No, this team has far more mundane goals, such as avoiding a descent in the divisional pecking order.

Petersen is off to a slow start with the Huskies. And early indications are that a swift rebound from last year’s ho-hum debut is improbable. Yeah, the coaching staff has a much better feel for its surroundings and its priorities, but it also lacks the same talent base of the 2014 team that fizzled when it mattered most. For Coach Pete, 2015 is a table-setting season, an opportunity to continue remaking the culture, while preparing the young kids for far loftier pursuits a year from now.

What you need to know about the offense: Washington needs to become more competent on offense, but is it realistic in light of all the changes in personnel? Specifically, the Huskies are breaking in a new quarterback now that Cyler Miles has taken a leave of absence, and the O-line is back to being a concern following a rare brush with success. Miles’ unexpected announcement prior to the spring resulted in a three-man race currently led by veteran Jeff Lindquist. An even greater concern than whether Lindquist can hold off K.J. Carta-Samuels and Jake Browning is his protectors. Washington lost a ton of muscle and leadership to graduation, leaving the team shaky at the line of scrimmage. LG Dexter Charles, C Siosifa Tufunga and RT Coleman Shelton started games in 2014, but there’s no true anchor up front. And if the blockers struggle, it’ll prevent the Huskies from springing Dwayne Washington and Lavon Coleman, or giving the passers time to find Jaydon Mickens and Dante Pettis. After averaging 20 points in six games versus winning teams, the Huskies are staring at similar struggles this fall.

What you need to know about the defense: Four Husky defenders were selected in the first 44 picks of the NFL Draft, yet the 2014 team allowed an average of 32 points in six games with winning teams. Now, coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski must rebuild with seven new starters, as Danny Shelton, Marcus Peters, Hau’oli Kikaha and Shaq Thompson leave behind massive holes to fill. The promising news? The secondary, which employed so many young kids in 2014, has a very high ceiling. The concern? The front seven is likely to face a precipitous drop in production after fueling one of the nation’s best pass rushes a year ago. There are countless opportunities for exposure at each level. Up front, DE Will Dissly, DT Elijah Qualls and BUCK Joe Mathis are coming off statement spring sessions. Scott Lawyer, Azeem Victor and Keishawn Bierria are battling to join Travis Feeney at linebacker. And that emerging defensive backfield houses up-and-comers in S Budda Baker and corners Sidney Jones, Darren Gardenhire and Naijiel Hale. Washington houses ample talent on D, but inexperience means its potential won’t be fully realized until 2016.

What to watch for on offense: The quarterback situation. The Huskies were already going to enter 2015 with quarterback worries, but then incumbent Cyler Miles took a leave of absence for personal reasons. His departure resulted in a three-way competition involving junior Jeff Lindquist, redshirt freshman K.J. Carta-Samuels and true freshman Jake Browning. While Lindquist has only 10 career completions, and needs to improve his accuracy and decision-making, he’s the leader heading to summer. Browning is the future, and Carta-Samuels provides a running threat, neither is ready for the job right now.

What to watch for on defense: Dissly spells. While at Boise State, Chris Petersen and his staff excelled at transforming off-the-radar recruits from rural areas into producers. Bozeman, Montana’s DE Will Dissly is flashing signs of being that kind of a riser in Seattle. At a time when U-Dub is hunting for new front seven playmakers, the 6-4, 275-pound sophomore turned a lot of heads with his play in the spring. Coming off another productive offseason in the weight room, he schooled the Husky O-line, and has the versatility to play the edge or move inside to handle three-tech.

The team will be far better if… the offense achieves better overall consistency. A year ago, the Huskies went 7-0 versus opponents with losing marks … and 0-6 against teams with winning records, while averaging only 20.2 points. The dichotomy typified Chris Petersen’s debut and could be traced directly to an erratic offense. Since the defense won’t be nearly as suffocating, Washington is going to need improvement from the attack. The unit disappeared too often disappeared in the face of decent teams, which could be a recipe for a sub-.500 campaign if repeated in 2015.

The Schedule:
– The Huskies will kick off the 2015 season with a much-anticipated trip to Boise State, as head coach Chris Petersen reunites with his former employer and a community that adored him.
– After the emotional opener in Idaho, Washington will play three straight home games. The home swing ends with an Oct. 8 trek to USC, where Trojan coach Steve Sarkisian will face many of the Husky players he recruited in Seattle.
– U-Dub’s South Division opponents will be USC, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah. And they must be played during an unrelenting six-game stretch that also includes a visit from Oregon and a trip to Stanford.
– Besides the Week 2 visit from Sacramento State, Washington’s closest thing to a break in the schedule occurs with a season-ending trip to Corvallis and post-Thanksgiving visit from Washington State.
– Petersen will need to maximize the Oct. 3 bye week, because the gauntlet that follows will test his Huskies depth, maturity and ability to persevere through inevitable adversity.
– WATCH OUT FOR … Oregon State. The Huskies could be physically whipped by the time they travel to Corvallis in the penultimate weekend of the regular season. Plus, the Apple Cup will be looming in just six days.

Best offensive player: Senior WR Jaydon Mickens. Mickens was already going to be important to the offense. He became absolutely essential after gamebreaker John Ross suffered a season-ending leg injury in the spring. Mickens is a young quarterback’s best friend; he runs good routes, rarely drops passes and can pick up yards after the catch. He’ll also serve as a mentor for a budding group of wide receivers, like veteran Marvin Hall and young Dante Pettis and Brayden Lenius.

Best defensive player: Sophomore S Budda Baker. The Huskies are a program that’ll be fueled by youth and fresh faces this season. And Baker will be their leader. He’s the prototype for today’s safety, operating with linebacker toughness and the cover skills of a corner. Plus, his maturity and intelligence have him well-prepared to be a lead-by-example guy early in his career. Baker has all of the markings of an emerging Pac-12 star and a future pro in the next couple of years.

Key players to a successful season: The offensive linemen. The quarterback is going to be unproven, yet the backfield has potential and depth. But no one, from QB Jeff Lindquist to backs Dwayne Washington and Lavon Coleman, is going to hit his mark if the revamped O-line flounders. For the offense to turn the corner, reliable blockers must emerge to supplant the loss of four starters. LG Dexter Charles and C Siosifa Tufunga are vets, and Jake Elderkamp has had a good offseason at left tackle. However, question marks persist for a program that can’t seem to escape its perpetual problems at the line of scrimmage.

The season will be a success if … the Huskies bowl. While it seems as if Chris Petersen should start trending north in his second year, this program is built for a reboot in 2015. Sure, there’s more familiarity between the players and the staff, but there are a lot more holes on both sides of the ball. And not only does a Pac-12 schedule afford a rebuilding team few breaks, but the non-conference slate includes a trip to Boise State, Coach Pete’s old team, and a visit from Chuckie Keeton and Utah State. Washington fans want more, but they’ll likely have to wait another year to experience beyond 7-6.

Key game: Sept. 4 at Boise State. Chris Petersen makes his nationally-televised return to Boise, the place where he became a household name in college football circles. It’ll be an emotional trip back to Idaho for the coach, but it’ll also be an important opener for a Husky team in transition. Washington will have first-time starters littered throughout the depth chart. And facing the Broncos, who defeated Arizona in last year’s Fiesta Bowl, will be a baptism by fire that sets the tone for their debut season in the lineup.

2014 Fun Stats:
– Passing yards per game: Washington 200.1 – Opponents 286.6
– Sacks: Washington 52 – Opponents 28
– Second-half scoring: Washington 209 – Opponents 126

Players You Need To Know

1. S Budda Baker, Soph.
No player represents hope for the future in Seattle more than Baker, a blue-chip recruit who actually weaved a blue-chip debut. The pride of local powerhouse Bellevue (Wash.) High School started every game as a rookie, while copping honorable mention All-Pac-12 recognition. Atypical of most safeties, Baker can do it all, from covering receivers in the slot to staying back to play centerfield. And his instincts for such a young player are uncanny. After making 80 tackles and breaking up seven passes, the 5-10, 176-pound shooting star has focused this offseason on improving his overall size and strength.

2. WR Jaydon Mickens, Sr.
Mickens is not only U-Dub’s top returning receiver; by catching 60 balls for 617 yards and four touchdowns in 2014, he had more than twice as many receptions as the next closest Husky. He’s a skilled, 5-11, 171-pound slot receiver, with the lightning quickness and the dynamic qualities to jet past last year’s output. But doing so will require more help from the quarterbacks and the complementary weapons on the outside.

3. RB Dwayne Washington, Jr.
The Huskies finished last season with a whimper. But the program appears to have found a feature back in Washington. He emerged from a collection of mediocrity to rush for a team-high 697 yards and nine touchdowns on 132 carries. More important, though, was how he finished, rushing for at least 100 yards in the final three regular season games. There’s nothing fancy about the 6-2, 221-pound Washington, but he can truck defenders and has the giddy up and straight-line speed to snap off long gainers through the secondary.

4. LB Travis Feeney, Sr.
This is a huge season ahead for Feeney, the lone returning starter from a unit that’s losing stalwarts Shaq Thompson and John Timu. The 6-4, 223-pound Feeney needs to become bigger and stronger, while doing a better job of executing his assignments. He’s an outstanding athlete at the position, with 22 career starts. But after making a rather quiet 60 tackles, 4.5 stops for loss and two picks, Feeney is being asked to deliver more money plays in his Husky finale.

5. OG Dexter Charles, Sr.
The Huskies need to see the very best of Charles this season … desperately. He’s the only returning starter for a front wall that’s in full-fledged rebuilding mode. However, he’s also coming off an injury-plagued junior season, and missed the team’s bowl game for academic reasons. At his best, the 6-5, 312-pound Charles is a seasoned and athletic pulling guard, who was recognized as an honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection two years ago.

6. CB Sidney Jones, Soph.
Jones is a key part of the bright future that the U-Dub secondary is hoping to enjoy over the next few years. He started all but one game in his first season out of West Covina (Calif.) High School, making 61 tackles, 2.5 stops for loss, two interceptions and seven passes defended. While Jones has good size at 6-0, he’ll need to add more muscle and size this offseason after being overmatched at times as a 177-pound rookie.

7. PK Cameron Van Winkle, Jr.
A lack of experience at this level had no ill-effects on Van Winkle, who rose to honorable mention All-Pac-12 in his first season as the Husky placekicker. He was the much-needed nightcap for an offense that too often stumbled in the red zone, making 20-of-24 field goal tries. Van Winkle hit a career-long 51-yarder versus Illinois, but needs to kick with a little more consistency on attempts between 40-49 yards.

8. TE Joshua Perkins, Sr.
He’s not the reincarnation of Austin Seferian-Jenkins. But in Perkins, the Huskies feel they have a playmaking tight end whose full complement of skills have yet to be realized. He began to scratch the surface of that potential in 2014, overcoming nagging injuries to catch 25 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns. At 6-4 and 226 pounds, Perkins is a super-sized wide receiver, with the speed to create headaches for opposing linebackers.

9. DE Will Dissly, Soph.
Dissly is one of the Huskies poised to make the most of the team’s attrition on defense. He followed up a solid fall of practice with a breakout spring that’s going to earn him a prominent spot in the D-line rotation. After playing sparingly as a true freshman in 2014, the 6-4, 275-pound Dissly is poised to catch the rest of the Pac-12 by surprise with his strength, motor and quickness. An end by trade, he also has the size and the physicality to play inside if needed.

10. LB Cory Littleton, Sr.
If ever the Huskies needed Littleton to exercise his experience and leadership, now would be that time. The Huskies are pining for veterans to step up in the depleted front seven, and Littleton has started multiple games at either end or outside linebacker in each of the last three seasons. He’s smart and hard-working, with good size at 6-3 and 227 pounds. Littleton is more of a utility player than a game-changer, but he should be able to shoot past last year’s 37 tackles and 3.5 stops for loss.