Demon secondary focused on their feet

In the defensive backfield, a lot of attention goes to interceptions and tackles, but for Washington football, the focus is on the ground this season.

?Our biggest thing we need to work on is our feet,? Washington defensive backs coach Josh Riffle said. ?When you look at the pros, they say ?you don?t pay us for our interceptions, you pay us for our feet,? and that?s what we are working on. We?ve spent more time in camp this year than we did all year on it last year.?

The Demons? secondary will return a lot of experience this season, and with the addition of improved footwork, they think they might be the strongest point of the defense this season.

?We have experience, with me and Jack (Giardino) being back,? senior Dakota Suchan said. ?Jaivonn (Willis) is going to step up at corner and even our second string guys are stepping up. Austin Hazelett is playing really well and so is Trey Van Weelden.?

Suchan finished the year tied for the team lead with three interceptions last year, returning one 44 yards for a touchdown, but one of the hardest hitters is now being moved to safety.

As a corner, Giardino was second on the team in tackles, notching 63 as a junior. The Demons are hoping to harness that tackling ability by moving him to safety, where he can roam in the middle of the field.

?Coming up on the ball and I?m just looking to get hits,? Giardino said. ?We pride ourselves on swarming and getting all 11 hats to the ball. That?s what helped me get to where I was last year.?

After last season, the Demons lost a lot of defensive experience, but with new players stepping up into new roles, things could improve for Washington in a new year.

?I think we understand the defense about 10 times better than we did last year,? Giardino said. ?We don?t have any great standout athletes on either side of the ball, but we are going to work together and get the win together.?

With increased footwork and a better scheme understanding, Riffle hopes it leads to one thing: more interceptions.

?You?ll see more balls taken back this year,? Riffle said. ?We want to be ball sharks this year. Last year we were trying to cover guys, but now we want to be ball sharks, because our feet will be in the right position.?