Understanding the New Husky TV and Media Package

I wrote a note to Todd Turner who was nice enough to respond immediately concerning what was going on media wise.

My first reaction is that I think we are all going to really like what they are doing once it is all put together. I really think it is a huge improvement even though San Jose has slipped through the cracks.

#1. Fox will televise all home games when possible. We have three affiliates, ABC, TBS, and FoxNW. ABC has to make its choice (they have first right of refusal), then TBS (also a Conference partner). After that they work on possibly changing game times for FSNW to televise the game, etc.

#2. The Coach Willingham show will be on Thursday Nights at 7:00 PM and will be a full hour long. It will usually be preceded by a Classic Husky Football Game. You have to like that, more interaction with the head man, plus a classic game.

#3. In the new contract they did secure the right to show a one-time replay of each home football game and most away games. They are still working on how they are going to do it. Expect an announcement soon.

#4. The New Dawg Channel is now free to all users, but you still have to register. The site just went live yesterday so keep an eye on it over the next few weeks as they add content.

I think Todd is doing a great job.

Two Deeps are Out

As we thought, the demotion of Scott White lasted until the opener. Great motivational ploy by the coaches, and a nice way to get your three most experienced LB's out on the field at one time. Guy's like Tui, EJ, Stevens and Butler are going to play a lot too. I am glad they got White's attention, and I look forward to him having a good year. The move should benefit him because he doesn't have to cover Tight Ends anymore.

Frosh expected to skip a redshirt year are Butler, Homer, and possibly Mosley, and Tolar if depth becomes an issue at their positions. I always thought Homer could play early. The guy is a real hitter and should help out the special teams.

Tolar is a surprise to me, I didn't expect him to make a move so quickly, but with Kava slowed down he is an option. Ty had some nice comments about him in his press conference. I posted over at Dawgman that Gilby's line class was a bust and I guaranteed that this class would be much better. Another poster questioned how I could guarantee it if I hadn't seen them play yet?
It is kind of obvious with Habben, and Tolar getting a lot of time with the 2's this Fall that the guys ahead of them who are in their 3rd year, Bulyca, and Bush are already getting challenged and passed by. With Flowers, and Ashby already checked out I would say it's easy to call that class a bust.

No other big surprises except that Dashon Goldson was named as a starter. He is still pretty gimpy so we will see how much he is able to play on Saturday.

Thank You All for the best wishes

I want to thank all the people who have emailed, and posted best wishes this week concerning the upcoming wedding. Kate, and I really appreciate it! This week will be pretty busy, but I will have time to keep writing through Thursday. After Thursday time is going to be a little tight till we get to Hawaii, so posts may be a little sporadic until the following Thursday. I will be listening to the XM Broadcast of the SJSU game before the wedding, so lets hope the Dawgs put it away early.

I am glad you guys are enjoying the blog, and will try to keep making it better as the year goes on because I really enjoy interacting with all of you on a daily basis. So everyone take care, and I will post as time allows, and by a week from Thursday we will be back to normal.

The Lull before the Storm

We have reached the end of Fall camp and the players now have a couple of days off to rest, get a few personal things done, and recover from the last three weeks.

Fall Camp is a lot different then when I played because we simply practiced a lot more since the current rules where not in effect. We had doubles every single day, and we were in full pads most of the time. Water was a rarity on the playing field, and conditioning was endless simply because there were no time restrictions on how long, or when we could practice. I remember going to bed so tired that my body was just humming, and in the morning we had to get up at 5:30 to go for a long timed run followed by breakfast, a meeting, than the first practice. By 7pm when we got off the field and into the cafeteria we were pretty pooped.

Despite the fact that their are now time limits, Fall Camp is still grueling because of the way the coaches structure the workload in the practices. 19 days is still 19 days, and by the end of it you are hitting the wall mentally, and physically. The great thing though with 18-22 year old kids is the recovery time, it's quick. The team has two days off and when the kids come back to plan for SJSU they will feel as if they have broken through to a different level after having time to rest. I think that is the best thing about Camp as a player, it ending, and than feeling the positive results of what you have been through after a little rest.

I wasn't able to watch a single practice this year, but from a few friends that have, and of course the Dawgman staff it looks as if the team is on a great track to improve. It seems a lot of the predictions I made before camp are actually starting to bear some fruit. First of all our defense is going to be really good. We may be thin in a few spots, but we have the potential to do some damage in a way we haven't since the beginning of the decade. Offensively we still are worried about the OL, but the coaches like the guys they have in the starting positions so far, and while we are paper thin, we could end up having the foundation of a decent line during this season if we stay healthy.

As far as health goes this has been one of the healthiest camps we have witnessed in years, just about everyone should be available for the opener.

I predicted 7-5, and right now I feel really good about that prediction. I can feel the team moving in the right direction. If we continue to minimize mistakes on offense the defense is going to give us a chance to win. This is only year two, and we need two strong recruiting classes in a row to right the ship, but I think a winning record is as doable a goal this year as it was last year, if we can get some breaks.

Of course all this is hyperboly, and wishful thinking until they play a game, but I have good feeling about this bunch, I think they are tired of losing, and I think they will pull it together. Showing significant progress in the W/L column will help recruiting, and as we know the future of the program during Ty's tenure is in the next two classes.

Weekend Edition

Still no word on the JC's which means that even if they get in on Monday they will have missed all of Fall Camp since next week is Game Week. I am sure these guys can al be plugged in by mid season if neccesary. Wells has been very solid at Safety so Palmer has time to get acclimated and catch up. I can see Mason, and Atkins redshirting.

No Leon Jackson sightings, but the "X" says that he, and his dad were on campus Thursday to meet with Willingham. It will be interesting to see how it play out.

Goals for this week are filling out the back up positions, getting ready for San Jose St, most importantly getting a little rest and staying healthy.

So whats going on around the Pac Ten?

Let's check out the blog's of the Pac Ten and our opponents.

Arizona

UA Coaches Making Final Decisions on Key Roles

Arizona State

ASU AD Backs Koetter

California

Bears Prepare for Tennessee

Stanford

NCAA Sanctions the Tree Mascot

USC

Trojan Backfield looking strong

UCLA

Bruins prepare for the Ute's

Oregon

Oregon Live Ducks Blog

Oregon St

Oregonian pessimistic about Beavers

Washington St

Cockle Doodle Doo! Rooster gives his take on the upcoming season

Oklahoma

Sooners name team captains

Fresno St

How important is Nevada?

San Jose St

SJSU's top defensive lineman will miss Washington game

This is going to be an interesting week for me, next weekend is my wedding so I don't know how much time I will have to write this week after Wednesday, and I know I will miss a good part of the game since we will be listening in on XM radio during wedding photo's.

The wedding starts at 3:30 Pacific time so hopefully most of it will be decided by the time we have to get our wedding faces on. I don't think Fox is doing replays this year, so not sure how they are going to do it. Hopefully they have something I can record on a DVD so I can watch it on the flight.

On Wednesday we are off to Hawaii for three weeks, and yes we will be able to watch the games and perhaps even log into the Dawgman chatroom while the game is going on if we have internet where the game is being shown. Will be back in Chicago on September 25th which means that we will be watching three games over there. Oklahoma, and Fresno are on TV, and you can bet UCLA will be too, so we should be in good shape. Being able to watch the games has been written into the pre nups.

Aloha!

Sportswriters getting cranky

Check out Bob Condotta's Blog

"So yes, indeed, the Huskies were scrimmaging today, and those of us in the media got to see about 10-12 minutes of it before we were kicked out. I won't rail on the stupidity of that policy again today, other than to make it clear I think it's still stupid. I mean, the Seahawks hold scrimmages like this in front of 12,000 people and it doesn't appear to harm them much."

Also more Leon Jackson sightings....could Ty have been driving him and his dad around campus in a golf cart today?

Bob is not a happy camper and I like it when the writers bitch about their condition to the audience. Still a nice report on the one way blog.

Molly Yanity went back to being pissed off in her blog. None of the media were happy about getting licked out early. "l hate that that is all I can share, but it's all I got to see."

Condotta termed it as stupid, which it is. It is sign of disrespect for these people to drive down there to watch 15 minutes and hang around the rest of the day waiting for a couple of press conferences that don't happen.

CJ Wallace had a serious concussion today that reportedly laid him out for over twenty minutes. He went to Harborview and spent a few hours under observation before being released. This isn't good, and it will be pretty iffy if CJ will be available against SJSU.

Twenty Questions

Things get a little slow at this time during camp. Ty wasn't really available Thursday for the media, and they only had a single afternoon practice. So why not get a little interactive, and play 20 questions?

Here is what I think, what are your answers?


Who will be the most improved Offensive Lineman?

Morgan Rosborough

Which Tight End will have the best season?

Johnnie Kirton

Who will lead the team in rushing?

Kenny James

Which receiver will have the most catches?

Sonny Shackleford

Which receiver will have the most total yards?

Marcel Reese

Which receiver will have the most TD's?

Marlon Wood

Which player is most likely to emerge out of Gilby's offensive line class?

Mark Bulyca

Which QB will be starting at the end of the season?

Stanback

Who will the offensive scout team player of the year?

Michael Houston

Which Husky offensive players will be all Pac Ten?

None

Who will lead the team in sacks?

Greyson Gunheim

How many yards will teams be able to rush against us per game?

125 per game ave

Which true freshman will have the most impact?

Donald Butler

Who will be the defensive scout team player of the year?

Elisara

Who will lead us in interceptions?

Lewis

How many yards will teams be able to throw on us this year?

175 yards per game ave

Who will be the MVP of this defense?

Wallace

Which Husky Defensive players will be All Pac Ten?

Wallace, Lewis, Gunheim

Who will be the top return threat?

Marlon Wood

What will UW's final record be?

7-5 with a bowl game

Tidbits

We are at the point in Fall Camp where the only big news we are waiting for is whether the JC's are going to make it in or not. Grades have been posted, but for some reason it's Thursday and no word yet about the eligibility of Palmer, Mason, and Atkins. With every passing day the liklihood of any of these guys making a contribution this year diminishes. Atkins, and Mason are eligible for a redshirt year and could use one. Palmer has three to play three so he is just going to have to catch up if he gets in. If something doesn't happen this week it isn't likely going to happen.

Have any of you checked out Molly Yanity's blog in the PI? It's good, just like Condotta's Blog over at the Times. She wrote some optimistic things about the current state of the program this week so go check it out. Things are starting to turn around in Montlake and I am glad that someone in the media notices. U-Dub Dish is another Husky blog that is a fun read, stop by and check them out. They are geared up for football and have something new up every day.

Former Nebraska TB/WR/S Leon Jackson who hails from Pasco has been the subject of a few rumors this week on all the message boards. Seems like UW is on Leon's shortlist but no word if UW is interested now that Michael Houston is in school. I like Jackson as a DB, but I imagine he left Nebraska because he wanted to be a TB. The amusing thing about this rumor is the reported Leon sightings going on, or the my uncles, sisters husband works with Leons, fathers, brothers, sister and she said..... .

On the freshman front some players are vying for early playing time. The latest to be mentioned is Ryan Tolar who has been working with the 2's at guard recently. You don't ever want to see a frosh lineman play, but it seems that Bush, and Kava, aren't stepping up yet. We have little depth in the interior. All the linemen are learning all the positions this year so they can fill in where needed. We currently only have 13 scholarship offensive linemen.

Elisara has been seeing some time inside with the 2's as JWF, Lobos, and Reffert have been banged up at various times. MLB Donald Butler will play this year, and he may end up starting at some time which is saying a lot since he started camp behind Bomar, and Tui. Mosley is another candidate ready to play in the defensive backfield. Goldson being out, and Murchison's sore knee will likely give him some time this year. Gunheim, and Goldson are likely to miss the SJSU game.

Mesphin Forrester is going to be a valuable reserve this season in the defensive backfield. The sophmore made a move this past Spring and is now a solid back up at CB, and Safety. Durrell Moss who started a couple of games at CB after moving over from FB is in the mix at Safety. We have a lot more depth to work with back there this year. With depth comes the ability to run packages we were unable to use last season which contributed to those 4th qtr dissapointments.

That is about it for now, not much going on as the team has gotten over the hump and heads into the weekend for final scrimmages. Ty scrimmages a bit every day, but on Saturday there is going to be plenty of contact. It will be the last chance for those making moves to get a starting job. With only 71 scholarship players (if the JC don't get in) there should be plenty of playing time for all.

Understanding High Ankle Sprains

All of us have had a sprained ankle at some point in our lives, and usually we are back to full strength in anywhere from a few days to a month depending on the degree of sprain.

High ankle injuries are quite different, and as Ty acknowledged the other day, a broken ankle can sometimes be less painful, and serious.We all have been concerned about Goldson's ankle as the season nears, and some have been questioning why he is practicing, and not resting the ankle to let it heal. I decided to do a little quick research on the subject.

A high ankle sprain injures the large ligament above the ankle that joins together the two bones of the lower leg. These two bones, the tibia (shin bone) and fibula, run from the knee down to the ankle. They are joined together by this ligament called the "syndesmosis" or "sydesmotic ligament." Syndesmotic injuries tend not to heal as well as more common ankle sprain, that is why trainers and coaches of athletes are often concerned about "high ankle sprains."

Grade I is stretching or slight tearing of the ligament with mild tenderness, swelling, and stiffness. It is usually possible to walk with minimal pain.

Grade II is a larger but not complete tear with moderate pain, swelling, and bruising. The damaged areas are tender to the touch, and there is pain with walking.

Grade III is a complete tear of the affected ligament with severe swelling and bruising. Walking is usually not possible because of the ankle gives out, and there is intense pain, although initial pain may quickly subside.

Prolonged immobilization of ankle sprains is a common treatment error. Functional stress stimulates the incorporation of stronger replacement collagen. Functional rehabilitation begins on the day of injury and continues until pain-free gait and activity are attained. The four components of rehabilitation are range-of-motion rehabilitation, progressive muscle-strengthening exercises, proprioceptive training and activity-specific training.

So anyway that is why Goldson is practicing the best he can rather than resting the injury.

A few questions and answers

Is Jake Locker already the best QB we have?

Every person who has seen Locker say's he is special, and he looks really good. He obviously had the best day Saturday in limited action. This kid is going to be ready to start by week 4, he may be ready at the end of camp. The question is do you burn the redshirt if IS, and Carl struggle? I don't think Ty will have a problem doing it if those guys stumble. The best thing this program can do is win and get the bad taste out it's mouth. If Locker gives them the best chance to win he will play.

Who will start at MLB?

Ty Willingham commented that there was a real dogfight going on at the position and that true freshman Donald Butler was in the mix for the starting job. Bomar, or Tui will start against SJS, but Butler is going to play alot this year which will allow Bomar to play anywhere that he is needed. We haven't seen this type of talent and flexibility at LB since Lambo left.

Is the defensive backfield really better?

Yes, they are better, and will be a strength as we probably have two All Pac Ten guys in Lewis and Wallace starting. Goldson has been slowed and the coaches are really challenging him to get back. One guy to keep an eye out for is Mosley who is quietly moving up the depth chart. If Goldson can't go Fountaine will start in his place, but Mosley is going to really push him. Despite the loss of Harris, Merrill retiring, and the delayed enrollment of Palmer we are pretty deep and talented at Safety. Forrester, and Hemphill have made a lot of improvement. Well's has proven to be the diamond in the rough as he secured a starting job over the Spring in Fall.

Will we finally have a pass rush?

I think you can safely bet that this is the year the pass rush returns in spades at UW. Gunheim and Teo Neshiem backed up by a lot of good depth at the ends will give UW the opportunity to stay fresh late in the game. We saw glimpses at the end last year what Gunheim could do once he got his footwork down, now you are going to see a lot of visible improvement each week as he moves toward elite status. Ossai is younger, and will share time, but he is a guy I am going to watch closely this year till he has a breakout like Greyson did in the second half of last season.

What about run defense?

Mateaki and Ala are solid, and they are experienced. Behind them though ae two question marks in JWF, and Lobos. Neither are in they type of shape they need to be in yet to provide significant help. That will come if they can stay healthy, but according to Hart in his interview with Fetters they just aren't there yet.

Is Chris Fetters the best college football writer in Seattle?

You have to wonder when one of the newspapers is going to offer him a job. I am not saying he would take it, but is there really anyone better than Chris Fetters right now? I think Ted Miller is great, but since he has been reassigned I have to go with Chris.

Molly Yanity? She really makes me cringe when I hear her ask questions at the press conferences. Can somebody get her some happy pills? I think she is good, and would be better if she wasn't so cranky.

Bob Condotta? He is really good, he does know his stuff, but is he a guy you would have a beer with? He has a blog in the internet edition where the only comments that are allowed is "Way to go Bob, nice job Bob, you are doing us a great service Bob." What kind of blog is that? It makes me thing that Bob doesn't exactly care about what his readers think. Why doesn't he just rename it "The All About Bob Opinion Blog?"

Talking about beer, Jim Moore continues to amaze as he creates interesting reads out of thin air each day for his column. His latest is a focus on kicker Michael Braunstein. Braunstein can be described as fairly cocky...that's being kind. I am surprised he hasn't dunked over Spencer Hawes yet.

Is Lindsay Soto hot, or what?

I watched the Husky preview on Fox last night and all I can remember is her purple sweater. Definitely the best looking sports announcer in the biz, and from what I hear she is a pretty good journalist too!

Is the Offensive Line really as bad as everyone says?

The interior is actually pretty solid, but behind them there is not a single guy currently capable of playing well in the Pac Ten. At tackle Macklin will do ok, but on the left side Ossai is going to struggle a bit the same as Kahlif Barnes once did. Behind them the situation is a little better even though the options are pretty green. Are they bad as everyone says, probably not, they have the potential to be mediocre with an upswing rather than bad nd getting worse.

Gilby's heralded line class is a complete bust at this point which really increases the time it will take to rebuild the football team. The Huskies need to being in a couple of JC's, and four frosh next year to solidify the position.

I thought the TE's were going to be improved?

They are improved, they just didn't show it in the scrimmage last weekend.

Can we run the ball?

I don't have a clue on that one. The running back are a year older, a lot healthier, and have shown improved habits, but if there isn't any holes we are in trouble. If there isn't any holes they are going to get all banged up which once again is a problem because we have paper thin depth. Adding Michael Houston will really help the team this year from a practice standpoint.

Will Kirton run the ball?

No

Is IS the man?

Not yet, he of course will be the starter, but he hasn't shown anything in practice to make people believe that he has made the quantum leap as far as making his reads. I think IS will still play in the NFL if he wants to because he would make a great strong safety.

What is new with the Receivers?

Reese give us something we haven't had in awhile and that is a big guy who will be very fast and physical in the middle of the field. This big target is going to help our QB's, and open up other areas. Shackleford, and Russo will be your possesion type guys, and Williams, and Woods will be the home run hitters. Reese will be the sledgehammer. Marlon Woods is going to be a legit threat all over the field this year. Whether it is returning kicks, or catching the long one, this kid will make an impact.

Will the JC's and Chancellor Young ever get in?

This is really taking forever, you would think that since some took the classes at UW the grades might be posted right now to help out in these type of situations? According to the rules these guys could be practicing right now, but Willingham doesn't want them on the team till they are cleared. He doesn't want a repeat of last year. He just wants to prepare the guys he is sure will be here. Chambers is going through the same thing over at Montana, and Hauck has him practicing.

Monday Morning Wash

I know it is the Monday Morning Wash, but I was delayed till the afternoon because I wanted to get the official word before posting something that may, or may not be factual.

Good news in the Husky Camp today as a new highly recruited RB has arrived on the scene by way of transfer from the University of Texas. Ty confirmed the rumor this afternoon in his press conference. Just the other day I was bemoaning the fact that Ty hadn't picked up a transfer, or walkon at RB and he pulls this bull from out of his sleave from the Longhorns.

Michael Houston at 5'11 238 is the big back they have been looking for. He will have to sit out 2006, but will have three years to play. Texas played him last year and he had three carries for 27 yards. The Denver native was originally recruited by Notre Dame, UCLA, Texas, and Colorado, and was rated among the #63 RB in the nation by Scout in 2005. Texas wanted him on defense, and looking at his size he may have been a pretty damn good LB, but he wants to play offense, and now he is at Washington where he will immediately gain playing time in the starting rotation for next season. His HS coach describes him as the second coming of Lendale White. No word on how long Washington had been recruiting him, this was a tight secret that lasted till he checked into the dorms last night. It would be nice if he had a couple of OL show up by surprise too! Anyway this is a really nice piece to help finish out the future puzzle in a true area of need. Good insurance if Hasty doesn't make it back, since Ranking would have been the only RB with experience on the roster next year.

Michael Houston is an impressive kid.....check this out

Scout from 2005.

Willingham also announced that walk-on linebacker Mark Farney of Bellevue High has rejoined the team.

Greyson Gunheim is ok, and can come back within 1-3 weeks. Chances are he will be just fine when we head to Oklahoma. He should be ok for SJSU, but the coaches and training staff will be conservative. One encouraging sign is that the guys behind him Ala, Winter, and Rayford are also playing well this pre season. You hate to see Greyson slow down, but we have some depth behind him. Ala is a senior, he has something to prove.

Nothing on the JC's yet, but you would figure that grades would be posted today, or at least early this week. We haven't heard zip on Chancellor Young, get that paper in Chancellor! Something should happen soon, just don't know the exact moment on all these guys.

The team had the day off from practice yesterday but was still together for the most part working on stuff that did not count as an official practice. Good move by Willingham who sensed them hitting the all on Saturday and gave them a little time to recoup. So far I really like the way he is running his camp this year. This is going to be a tough week for these guys, it's still limbo time till you are a week out from the opener. Plenty of competiton for starting jobs still going on, plenty of extra conditioning too.

Will be back later today as more stuff pops up, but all in all a pretty good news day!

A few reminders

A couple idea's on posting. I believe all the posters here are also members of one of the premium recruiting services, particularly Dawgman. We have around 50 people visiting the site every day so even though the bulk don't post, quite a few are reading it each day.

I bring up Dawgman because most of us chat, and post there. Please try not to post things you hear from over there until it hit's the newspapers. It is a courtesy to those great guys who have worked so hard to keep us entertained and informed over the years. I will go a step farther, it isn't just a courtesy, it is the right, and ethical thing to do.

Nobody asked me, or suggested I post this, but it has come up in an email question from a poster, and so since the question has been asked I thought I would clarify it for everyone. The guys at Dawgman, and Husky Digest have been very supportive and realize that this is a site meant to compliment what they do, rather than compete with what they do.

We will comment on recruiting from time to time, but we won't be calling PSA's, and we won't be breaking the news that someone has committed. We won't be reporting news, we will just be commenting on news, and issues revolving around Husky Football.

I know we will all get excited from time to time, and that's fine, but let's be careful about what we post and respect where that information is coming from. For the record nobody has come close to posting anything they shouldn't, but as we pick up new posters once the season begins I want to make sure that we keep doing that.

This week from The Pac Ten and Opponent blogs

Once again we take our weekly look at the blogs around the conference for the latest information on our coming opponents.


Arizona State

The offense seemed to pick up right where they left off last year. Guess that should be expected, though, when you have two QB's like Keller and Carpenter leading the way. At first glance, guys like Ryan McFoy, Dimitri Nance, Lance Evbuomwan and the linebacking group of Jamarr Robinson, Gerald Munns, Travis Goethel, Jeff Bereuter and Garrett Judah really grab your attention. However, it was very apparent by the end of the night that this is a strong recruiting class the Sun Devils brought in and there will be some major contributors from this group before it's all said and done.

Arizona

If the UA football team won the BCS championship this season, would anyone even notice?
Humor me. The UA blog once again proves the hallucinogenics are still the rage in Tuscon.

California

Obviously a work in progress, Cal's first-team offense sputtered a bit during Thursday's scrimmage when it was facing what could become one of the nation's best defenses. "I thought we did real well," Cal inside linebacker Desmond Bishop said of his unit's play. "This is what we are working so hard for. "But we also have to respect that 'The Man' wasn't in the backfield." The Man at Cal these days is junior tailback Marshawn Lynch, who was deemed far too valuable by coach Jeff Tedford to put at risk during a scrimmage. "There is no need for him to play," Tedford said. "He has been practicing so well and so hard."

Stanford

With the season opener two weeks away, Stanford's secondary remains a work in progress. Senior Brandon Harrison, who has started 22 consecutive games at strong safety, has played some cornerback during camp because the team wants its best four defensive backs on the field.

UCLA

The weekend begins with today's 11 a.m. scrimmage at Drake Stadium, and concludes with a day of coaches' meetings and evaluations as UCLA moves toward solidifying its two-deep for the season opener in two weeks. Bruins coach Karl Dorrell has consistently described the battle between Olson and Cowan as "competitive." Although it is widely believed Olson has the edge, Dorrell will not elaborate on which player has the upper hand, and reps have been split evenly.

Southern California

The Trojans held a closed scrimmage on Thursday night at the Coliseum and we saw a solid display by a defense that was flying to the ball and an offense that was led by the ground game which relied heavily on freshman legs.

I came in to this scrimmage hoping to see a good night from John David Booty and he got things started right by leading his team to a touchdown on the opening drive. His first throw was a 17 yard completion to Patrick Turner, not a bad way to start. Allen Bradford had a short run and then Booty missed Fred Davis with a short pass. Booty came right back to Davis with a short pass and Fred rambled for 22 yards before Thomas Williams came over with a hard tackle (does Thomas make any other kind of tackle?). Booty then faked a handoff right and rolled left to hit Chris McFoy for seven yards. C.J. Gable added a 12 yard run. Booty threw an out pattern to Steve Smith that seemed to hang in the air but Taylor Mays was unable to reach the ball and Steve pulled it in to put the ball inside the five yard line. Booth overthrew Turner in the end zone, a Bradford run gained two with a tackle by Maiava and then Michael Coleman punched it in for the touchdown.

Oregon State

Look for Yvenson Bernard to continue to improve throughout this year, and for Clinton and Patrick to also earn considerable playing time. The running game is going to play an even bigger role in the offense than last year, to make up for lost yards in the passing game. Short yardage situations should be much easier, as tight end Joe Newton is back in the line-up, and Yvenson Bernard continues to improve.

Oregon

The safety positions promise to be one of the team’s strengths with the return of 12-game starters J.D. Nelson at free safety and Patrick Chung at rover. Nelson serves at the heart of the defense after recordng 64 tackles in 2005 as a second-year starter. The second-team all-conference pick is deemed as one to watch for consideration for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s top defender.

Washington State

Doba mentioned that young Andy Mattingly continues to impress, with a 57-yd INT last night, that he said per Cougfan: "If he continues to improve, we probably won't redshirt him," Doba said of Mattingly. "We'll go ahead and put him on special teams, and get him some playing time." I'm not wild about burning his redshirt for special teams play, but in this day and age, freshman are somewhat important. Gone are the days of redshirting entire classes, especially at a place like WSU where, as we know, depth is always going to be an issue.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma's Reggie Smith was a defensive standout last season and he's already solidified himself as the Sooners' kick returner this preseason. There's only one area left for him to conquer. This week the Sooner coaching staff is giving the cornerback a chance to go for football's hat trick, working the sophomore from Edmond Santa Fe at wide receiver.

Fresno State

The QB position is still unsettled.

I know many of you are avid Brandstater supporters and that makes complete sense since he is looked at as the next great Fresno State quarterback. Unfortunately I view Brandstater as another Pinegar. Before everyone decides to jump on my case for making this statement hear me out..... .

San Jose State

QB Sean Flynn -- A junior college transfer from Los Angeles Harbor College, he was impressive enough this spring to vault over incumbent Adam Tafralis as the starter. He's more accurate than Tafralis and even has a little mobility in the pocket. SJSU coaches believe ther offense is much faster than Washington's defense.

Saturday Notes

Looks like we should have a couple of our JC's practicing next week, of course we said that last week, but Monday afternoon looks good for the return of Atkins, and Palmer. No word on Mason who finished up his classes down South. Willingham said it doesn't look good for Meyers at this point. Too bad about him, like Mosley he is one of the guys that could have played this year.

No major injuries in practice so far which is great. The training staff seems to be pretty conservative this year which is a nice change. Getting the team to the gate healthy is a major goal. Guys like EJ, and JWF may be day to day during their entire careers at UW. Saving their best for the games is a reasonable goal.

Is the Dawgman site great this year or what? They made a few changes and really improved what has always been the best website in college football. A lot more interaction going on with the addition of new faces on the premium message boards.

Husky Digest also made some positive changes and has more content this year. HD does their own thing and comes up with some original content rather than a rehash of stuff that is elsewhere.

I have really enjoyed the improvements over on the official Husky site. While still limiting media access to the team they have made a good try at filling in with their own video content. CSTV is still a work in progress, but I really think it will end up being a pretty big thing.

Recruiting news has kind of come to a standstill for now as the PSA's are getting ready for their own season, and the college coaches are concentrating on getting their players ready for the year. Expect that to pick up again in September.

This will be the final week of practice before game preparations begin in earnest. This is the week where the coaches push these guys and see exactly where the wall is. Keep an eye on the Gold jerseys this week, it will tell you who is pushing through the wall. Keep an eye on Mosley at CB, this kid could end up playing a lot this year if Murchison, and Goldson stay banged up.

Only two weeks to go till kickoff!

Name Five things you would do if you were AD

I don't have a lot of time today, but I thought I would ask you guys this question and get a little interactive.

If you were Todd Turner what five things would you do to improve the football program from a fan's perspective?

I am not going to answer right away, I am going to think about it, and it will be interesting to hear your responses.

Malamute's latest

Dick Linde went to picture day last week and shared some of the unique conversations, and observations he had during the day. As usual another must read from Mr. Linde. You can always get some nice insights talking to the parents.

Malamute's Website

Walkons Dwindle at UW

One of the key parts of any college football program is the recruitment of walkons to fill in your program to 105 bodies once you have given out the alloted 85 scholarships for the base of your squad. You are limited to 105 once pre season practice begins.

Washington currently has only approximately 90 kids in camp right now. After school begins, or after the first game you can have a maximum of 125 on the roster, and Washington won't even get close to that this year.

When Coach Willingham was asked to comment on this he said he prefers to work with quality, rather than quantity. UW does have some standout non scholarship players on the roster led by Alex Mercier, Mark Palaita, and Josh Gage. UW typically has had good luck with walkons with a few such as Madalvi, Faila, and Gottleib arriving on the scene to earn scholarships and starting jobs each year.

When Willingham and his staff arrived on the scene they were confronted with a bigger rebuilding job then any of them have imagined. Washington's total talent pool, and the conditioning of that talent had rapidly fallen to a historically low level. The lack of wins also has been a factor in recruiting top walkons to the program. Kid's typically want to get a chance to play, but most importantly they want the chance to be part of a winning program.

The recruiting of walkons has gotten a lot more competitive over the years in the Northwest because there are a lot of options for a kid who doesn't quite merit a Div One scholarship coming out of HS.

Both Western, and Central Washington offer a limited number of scholarships, and grants in aid. The Big Sky gets a lot of their talent out of this state each year, and the addition of Boise St, and Idaho in the WAC also siphons off a lot of top talent that used to consider walking on at UW. Schools like PLU, UPS, and the other NW Small Colleges offer immediate playing time, a less formal environment, and much smaller class sizes. The UW is also a much tougher place to get in then it used to be due to the competition of increasing amount of kids applying to get in each year.

Nebraska has always been famous for it's walkon program. A player like Paul Homer who I predict will letter four years at Washington was not offered by Nebraska last year. Kid's from Nebraska like Homer typically will walk on if not offered by the state school in hopes of competing for a scholarship once they get there. Homer was one of the rare one's that left when not offered.

One of the things that Willingham needs to do is make sure that he has a solid corp of 20 walkons that can compete for playing time, and provide depth for the program. Wouldn't it be nice if there were a couple more walk on OL that could help out this year? I am sure the low numbers this year are an effort by the current staff to concentrate on the best they have as they continue building the overall numbers back up to where they should be. No reason to spend time with kids that can't compete.

Just like building up the initial corp of 85 scholarships, rebuilding the walkon program at UW won't happen overnight. Solid relationships with coaches around the Northwest, and in California can help find those special walk on nuggets each year, and Ty has done an excellent job since he has been here mending fences in state.

While most people will be focussed on the scholarship class of 25 that the staff will bring in this Winter, I am also going to be paying very close attention to the 5-10 invited walkons that they will persue. While not as heralded as the scholarship athletes coming in these kids are very important to the overall depth, and competion within the program.

Ty is very fond of using the term "perfect practice".....having enough guys to practice against is a step in the right direction as far as "perfect practice" is concerned.

The Sins of Gilbertson

Keith Gilbertson eventually will go down in Washington annals as possibly the worst coach the school has had in the modern era of football. While most people blame Rick Neuheisel for the current woes of the program it was Gilbertson who hammered the majority of nails into the current coffin of the program.

In 2004 Gilbertson contributed the only recruiting class during his tenure that was heavily influenced by the work done by his predecessor Rick Neuheisel. The following year he cut off recruiting early crippling the opportunities of his predessor Ty Willingham.

The 2005 class was even more crippled because of the time Ty had to work with, and the lack of scholarships available (may have been a blessing). UW cutting off recruiting early in September, followed by Gilby's early Mea Culpa to Turner just killed this class. You have two years with little to show for it on the recruiting front. The 2005 class may be small, but there are a lot more current contributors in it than the 2004 class. Nice job by Ty, and Tormey.

Significant contributors are in bold, poossible contributors are in italics.

2004 Class

QB M. TUIASOSOPO...Signed with the Huskies but never played a down and went the baseball route for the Mariners. Currently struggling at AA San Antonio.

RB KIRTON....Put on 45-50 lbs since he has been at UW and now is the 2nd string TE.

FB KRAVITZ....Has been on the scout team the past two years and will get his first meaningful playing time behind walkon Mark Palaita this year.

OL BULYCA...Has been injuerd since arriving but finally healthy and is expected to step up into a major back up role this season. As of this Fall has still not made a move.

OL FLOWERS.....The top guy in the class that was expected to contend for the starting job at LT with Ben Ossai flunked out of school during the Spring.

OL ASHBY....The Ballard standout wasn't able to get through the first quarter of school.

OL O'CONNOR....Has moved to the defensive line where he is is buried in the depth chart.

OL BUSH....The ready made center has not been able to put on any weight since he entered the UW. He will play a bit this year, but really needs a lot more work to be succesful. Very dissapointing so far.

DL LOBOS....Has been hurt on and off but has supplied some quality minutes. Will be in the rotation somewhat this year.

DL HENRY....Never played a down due to injury.

DL WHITE-FRISBEE....Was briefly considered the next Steve Emtman till stress fractures in the foot slowed him down. The return of a healthy JWF could really influence the outcome of the coming season.

DL RAYFORD....The classic tweener has hands like rocks, can't block, has proven to be too tall, and too light to make an impact at DE. Not exactly Dash Cruthchley, but close. Will continue to try to make an impact at rush end.

DL GOODRUM.....Never made it in at UW, ended up at SC where he did diddly.

DE GUNHEIM....Probable All American Candidate. The kid has come on to be the leader of the DL...too bad Gilby didn't redshirt him.

DE WINTER....The Army All American has never adpated to the DE position, currently in the depth at 3rd string but expected to contribute again this year.

LB T. TUIASOSOPO....A solid recruit who has been injured since he got here, now healthy and competing for a starting spot a ILB.

LB HOWELL....Has battled White to a standstill since he arrived in campus, now it his time to shine. Coaches are rewarding him for his dedication and attitude.

CB OKEOBOR....Great potential crippled by injury. Was the best CB at times last year despite being hobbled. Could come back for a 6th year.

S HARRIS...Back injury will sideline him this year and possibly forever. Never a starter, but provided quality depth. Future is uncertain.

CB GOLDSON....Has started since he got here, but will reach his true potential as a CB this year. Was originially a Neu guy out of HS who had to spend a year at a JC.

S SANDERS....Solid recruit who never lasted long enough academically to play.

S FORRESTER..... A more lightly regarded three star recruit who finally made a move for playing time this Spring but hasn't been heard from this Fall.

S BANKHEAD...Never made it in and likely will never play again due to his new career as a rapper, and flag football player. Guys on the Dawgman board swear they are now better and faster tha Bankhead. Aemery can run circles around him!

Not a lot of help for Willingham in this class which means it will take him, or any coach four to five years to get things back to normal.

2005 Class

QB Durocher....Transfer from Oregon has provided good depth and competition but currently is running #3.

TB Hasty....Almost played last year but was redshirted and didn't mke the cut dredit wise to play this year. Would have been a significant contributor if he had played this year, his loss has caused a reshuffling of talent in all the skill positions.

TE Williams....Getting the opportunity to grow naturally in a position that is suddenly back up to past UW standards.

WR Wood....Big play guy broke out at midseason and was subsequentially injured.

OL Rosborough....he hasn't played a down yet but I predict greatness starting next year.

OL Ossai.....Another guy who will do great things but starting prematurely this year.

DE Te'o Neshiem..., and another redshirt who will burst on the scene to start for four years.

LB Jones.....Forced into action early last year but lowed by injury at ILB. Will redshirt at DE this year. Will contend for a lot of playong time next year.

LB Savannah....One of this small classes marquee recruits will play a lot over the next four years.

LB Stevens....Broke into the rotation as a freshman and will share time at OLB this year with EJ.

K / P Perkins.....Redshirted last year then had a serious knee injury in the Spring.

CB Handy.....Never made it in which helped cripple the DB's last year,

CB Freeman....Never qualified at UW but actually made it in at Arizona but didn't contribute significantly.

DE Davis....did not qualify out of HS but still a recruit for next year as a JC.

Tidbits

We are reaching the part of the UW pre season where the beat writers for the PI, and Times are going to start showing their frustration because Willingham isn't giving them anything new to write about each day. Ty needs to do a better job making sure these guys have angles/topics each day to concentrate on. Why is it Ty's responsibility? Well promoting the program is part of his job description even though he doesn't do it very well. If I could pick one thing that I don't like about Ty it is how he operates with the media, and fans from a PR standpoint. He needs to go the extra yard to make sure they are included. It looked good the first week, but since picture day not much has come out. Other than that I am a big fan of Willingham.

Jim Moore always seems to find something to write about. His latest in the PI gives us a look at Johnny Durocher who is currently our 3rd string QB. Jim always cracks me up. I loved it when he did the Drill, it just had me rolling. Despite the edge guys it is all for fun, and tongue in cheek.

Talking about newspapers my favorite is by far the PI. They really go the extra yard in providing the best coverage with best collection of writers. They even have dug into the local Blogs and given guys like Jason Churchill a weekly column on Mariners prospects. It just show's that Art and his staff do a great job staying in tune with what is going on instead of trying to fake it.

Todd Turner says that the media got it all wrong when they said he was delaying the remodeling of Husky Stadium till 2015. He says he will have a comprehensive plan to release to the public by Fall. He says the six month delay was due to coordinating with the coming 520, and Sound Transit projects. Uhhhh, Ok Todd, let us know when it is ready so we can send you a check.

Word from campus is that we should have Atkins, and Palmer practicing by the weekend, no word on Mason, Young, and Meyers. Once again Charle Young is a straight shooter, I have stood on the sidelines numerous times with Charle, and he doesn't say a single thing he doesn't mean. Count on Chancellor being back soon. Clearing House issues for HS players entering college can drag on for weeks, so hopefully Meyers problem will be resolved before class starts.

A few freshmen are starting to emerge as potential early contributors, but the plan is to redshirt them all if possible. Matt Mosley is the latest to get some ink. The coaches are trying him out at various positions but it looks like he is headed for where he is best suited for and that is CB. Jake Locker of course has impressed everyone and we went into that in a previous column. Paul Homer is mixing it up as expected at FB as has entered the competition at FB by showing he can block, run, and catch the ball. With Kravitz and Palaita a solid #2 he can redshirt, but if needed will be ready to play. Habben has seen a little action running with the two's. Aaron Goodwin has looked good at WR but we have plenty of depth.

The best position battles remain at LB where all three spots are still in play. Looks like we have six potential starters and three spots open. No battle on the OL yet as the starters have it all sewed up. I would love to see Bulyca make a challenge. The Times reports that Reese has slowed down a little due to learning the plays....he however should be up to speed by the opener, or soon after. Always a learning curve for a new player no matter they are.

Willingham said in his interview on GoHuskies yesterday that he was pleased with the teams conditioning so far. He felt that the guys who stayed over the Summer and worked with Greener were inoculated from injury because of the extra work they received. He went on to say that they can't force them to work out, but the guys that will stay healthiest, and play the most are usually the guys that did the work.

I will be back later today after practices are concluded.

Offensive line depth

The offensive line seems to be a major concern. Everybody is taking about it, and no wonder after the numbers we graduated last year. We need eight guys minimum to emerge to be able to have success this year. We already know about the starting five and the premature elevation of Ben Ossai to Left Tackle, so lets talk about the guys behind them because the overall strength of this line will be determined by the depth they can provide.

Tackle

You have some big question marks here because you have five guys that probably aren't entering camp ready to play. The guys in bold will be able to hopefully provide significant minutes this year.

Rosborough.....This kid is going to be very good, and he is going to see some action this year. Conditioning will limit his contribution, but keep an eye on him, you can't teach size. He is running with the two's right now. Observers have mentioned that he is very difficult to run around and has a great attitude.

Berglund.....It was a pleasant surprise when he returned to the program just because he is another big body. With Jefferson not making it in, Flowers flunking out, and Mason qualified yet, his return is a blessing. I am not sure what he brings to the table after taking a year off, but we will see in the SJS game where he should get plenty of reps.

Mason......First of all if any guy ever needed a redshirt year to boost his future worth it is this guy. He is weighing in at around 275 right now which is pretty light despite his quickness for OT. One thing that is holding him back even more is that he hasn't been practicing while waiting for Summer grades to come in. Every day he misses lessens the chance he will contribute much this year. I will keep him in bold for now just because we are so shallow, but I wouldn't count on him yet.

Habben.....Cody is spending some time with the two's but no way is he going to play this year unless injuries, or his talent forces it. He came in prepared, but like all freshmen he needs some time to get acclimated, get stronger, and learn the playbook. He will play a lot as a redshirt next year.

Tolar.....He has a lot of work to do as far as conditioning goes. Give him a year or two in the program and he will be a contributor.

Guard and Center

We are in a little better shape on the inside being led by our top three returnees, but behind them some help needs to emerge. Once again I think the guys in bold are the most likely at this point to emerge and provide significant help this season.

Bulyca.....This is Casey's year to break through from the injuries that have hampered his development. He has the size, and has developed the strength so one thing we should be looking for is if he is pushing any of the guys ahead of him.

Bush.....This guy hasn't been able to put on the weight. He came in a s a center and is now spending most of his time at guard.

Kava....In the program for a year after a two year layoff you would hope he could push for some playing time after getting some as a true frosh.

Sedillo....Has impressed those that have seen him with his poise and practice habits. Like the other frosh needs a year or two.

Christine.....This is the walkon that was invited to provide some depth at center. Right now Garcia is 1-A, and Walker is 1-B.

Numbers in Serious Decline at Defensive Back

We are only into the second week of practice and we are down to nine defensive backs with the continued absence of Ashley Palmer. Safety Darin Harris is out for the year with a back injury, Safety Jake Merril left the team this weekend. One thing is for sure is that you can't get through the season with only four CB's. Willingham is going to have to make some roster moves to help out at that position.

Safety Durrell Moss comes to mind since he started a couple game last year at CB. Matt Mosley who is now at RB is a another possibilty along with WR Aaron Goodwin, and RB/WR Meyers if he gets through the clearing house.

The earlier loss of Hasty really complicates things since we are just as thin at RB with James/Rankin/Sampson.

Current depth chart

CB Goldson/Murchison
CB Lewis/Fountaine

S Wells/Forrester
S Wallace/Hemphill/Moss

Potential Depth Chart

CB Goldson/Muchison/Mosley
CB Lewis/Fountaine/Moss

S Wells/Palmer/Forrester
S Wallace/Hemphill/Meyers

The Monday Morning Wash

Well it's Monday and the team had a full weekend of practice with Sundays practice being completely closed to the media. Sunday practices will be closed for the remainder of the year.

This would be a great week to watch if you are a spectator. Media will be able to watch the first 30 minutes of practice each day. Invited Tyee's can watch one practice per year, and a number of Dawgman members will probably report back as they did this weekend on their visit.

One observation everyone has had so far is that Jake Locker is the real deal, and the best looking QB prospect anyone has seen at UW in quite awhile. The words most mentioned are poise, timing, and athleticism. Jake probably won't play this year, but could be reasonably ready to step in at mid season if needed, he is that special. Jake seems to be the only Frosh sticking out so far even though Habben is running with two's on the OL. Typically the Frosh start swimming about right now trying to learn all the new stuff that is thrown at them.

Another observation is that the offensive line is struggling against the defense at this point. That always is the case this time of year as the defense is always ahead of the offense early in the year. The growth of the offensive line is critical to the success of this years team so it will be interesting to see the development over the next three weeks.

The Times reports that EJ Savannah, and Chris Steven's will probably be #1-A and #1-B for the next three years. EJ is around 225 now which is pretty good size for the outside. Stevens is smaller, but the combo will provide a nice changeup. It looks like with Howell, White, Tui, Taj, EJ, and Stevens we have solid players two deep. The two frosh, Butler, and Houston have caught the early eye of the coaches and look like good one's for the future. Improved hustle, and speed at the LB spot will really give the defense a new look this year and allow us to attack more. Kyle Trew doesn't seem to be a factor in his fourth year as a Husky, and probably is a candidate to graduate rather than play a 5th year.

No official word on the four players waiting for grades or clearing house issues, but the three JC's could hopefully see the field by the end of the week. It will be great to get these guys out on the practice field ASAP.

I will be back later after practice.

Mid Afternoon Flash!!!

Rumor has it that Chancellor Young will be back soon and that he will be eligible this year according to his dad who was interviewed on KJR. I would say that if Papa Charlie is saying that there must be something to it, he is a pretty serious guy. Chancellor making it back would be a good thing, he adds some speed, and looked good last Spring. This is the first word we have heard from the family since it became apparent he wouldn't be with the team this year.

It look like the PI's Husky Football Blog written by fan Jason Ware is in a little hot water with the UW today. It seems that he is a Tyee and was at the entire practice on Saturday. In his blog he covered the practice and wrote a few things about Scott White that they felt was false. Ty says it if it happens one more time he is going to close practices to Tyee's who are already limited to one practice by invitation per year. Be careful what you write about practice if you are a Tyee. I think it is a misunderstanding, but Jason has to know that practices are restricted to only the first 30 minutes to credentialed media. You can't write, and report for the PI and then stay all practice as a Tyee and write about it. Ty wants thing private after the first 30 minutes.

It was announced after practice that Frosh Safety Jake Merrill had left the team for personal reasons and won't be rejoining the squad. I think it is pretty strange that a kid would quit and give up five years of education after seven days on the team, but it happens. He was supposed to be the top positive attitude guy in the class. Ty's use of the phrase peronal reasons is pretty wide, so it could mean anything. I think there is more to it than Jake just deciding not to play football.

Notes from around the league and our coming opponents

Each week we are going to dip into the blogs of our opponents and update ourselves on what is happening as each team prepares for the season.

From the WSU Football Blog.... OG Andy Roof is out 4-6 weeks with a broken thumb. QB Brink hasn't been feeling well and the depth behind him seems questionable. Sedihawk and the guys here do a real nice job. Washington State's defense held the upper hand in the Cougars' first scrimmage of the fall, limiting the offensive units to just over 200 yards rushing and passing, while picking off two passes and recording four sacks. "Usually the defense is ahead but I didn't think they were that far ahead," offered head coach Bill Doba after the mid-afternoon scrimmage that was witnessed by a contingent of former players who returned to campus for WSU's annual pre-season reunion.

From Bruins nation the UCLA football blog.....WR Jamil Turner has a chance to break into the rotation as a possession receiver, and the coaching staff is giving him every chance to do so. TB Chris Markey looks strong, showing good patience to find the hole, then slashing through the line of scrimmage quickly. SS Chris Horton, if he stays healthy, could be a game-changing player because of his ability to always be around the play, and he is a big hitter. WR Junior Taylor isn't 100 percent, but he is working hard. His speed and cutting ability hasn't come all the way back from reconstructive knee surgery. QB Ben Olson is outperforming Pat Cowan, and he throws a 15- to 20-yard out with great accuracy.

Nothing of note as usual coming out of the California Football Blog, but the Bears did have their first double scrimmage and practice with James Montgomery making an good early impression.
Offensively, junior running back Marshawn Lynch had an impressive and powerful run through the defense early in the lat workout, while true freshman tailback James Montgomery showed a burst of speed through the hole for a 65-yard touchdown jaunt. Senior quarterback Joe Ayoob hooked up with junior receiver Lavelle Hawkins for a 75-yard connection, the longest play of the day, while sophomore Nate Longshore flicked a dart to junior Robert Jordan for a 25-yard gain.

Over at the Oregon Blog they have a review of the Duck offensive line where they are touting Enoka Lukas as an Outland Trophy candidate. Nice job as usual by the Wines family.

Casey over at the USC blog say's Boooty's work load is increasing at QB which means he will probably start over Sanchez to open the year. Freshman tailback Stafon Johnson rushed for 119 yards, fellow freshmen Anthony McCoy and Stanley Havili each caught a touchdown pass and quarterbacks John David Booty and Mark Sanchez each threw scoring passes to highlight the No. 3-ranked USC football team's 93-play intrasquad scrimmage that concluded the first week of fall pre-season practice on Wednesday (Aug. 9) on Howard Jones Field.
Johnson, who averaged 9.2 yards on his 13 carries, was one of three freshmen tailbacks who was impressive. C.J. Gable ran for 64 yards on 8 rushes (8.0 average) and also returned a kickoff 100 yards for a TD. Emmanuel Moody added 28 yards on 8 attempts.

Jason at the OSU Blog had to miss the first scrimmage of the year to attend a wedding and that is big news. He should have a recap up later today. The receivers were shining yesterday at OSU and they seem to have a potent offense brewing again. JUCO reciever Shane Morales is a guy to keep an eye on.

Over at the Arizona blog which is entertaining they are picking Washington as the 10th best offense in the Pac Ten....surprise. We seem to have evolved into Rodney Dangerfield. The offensive line had a bit of a rough day on Saturday but it is hard to hold it against them. They are playing against a vastly improved Yaniv Barnett, a monster in Louis Holmes, an underrated player in Johnathan Turner, and a stud incoming freshman in Ricky Elmore, among others. All that and they are also not a complete line in terms of health. The offensive line did not play bad, but they also did not play their best in terms of passing coverage. However, they did play very well in terms of the running game. The running backs had what was one of their best days that we have seen and a large part of that is due to the holes that the offensive line created for them. The offensive line will go a long ways in determining how good Arizona is this season, and if the unit can become more consistent, Arizona's offense should be much better than last season.

The Tree's are focused on the opening of their new football stadium and concern that there isn't enough seats to satisfy everyone for the annual big game with Cal. Stanford Football held its first full contact practice on Friday afternoon at the Elliott Football Practice fields. The practice was highlighted by a spirited 18-play scrimmage to close out the day. Trent Edwards completed all four pass attempts for 39 yards during the scrimmage....During the "team" period, Edwards connected with Kelton Lynn on a perfectly thrown deep ball which resulted in 60 yard scoring strike.... During the "blitz" period, Mike Silva kept the defense's scoring streak alive by intercepting a Tavita Pritchard pass and returning it 40 yards for a score

Word from ASU is the offense is picking up where they were from last year which is bad news for coming opponents. ASU will put a lot of points on the board this year. The Devils are still up in the mountains practicing to avoid the heat in the valley.

Oklahoma continues to lose about a player a day due to grades, gambling, or NCAA infractions. Nice to see that they have elevated the program back the stature of the Switzer days. No word of gun running, or sexual assualts yet....stay tuned. A crowd estimated at more than 12,000 looked on Saturday night as Oklahoma completed its first major scrimmage of the 2006 preseason. OU head coach Bob Stoops said he was pleased with his team's direction after the 75-play workout. The Sooners' quick defense controlled much of the evening as several of the team's offensive standouts were used sparingly.

San Jose St is reeling from the loss of one of their players due to an apparent suicide in downtown San Jose. The Spartans under Tomey should be a lot better this year simply because of the coaching staff which is one of the better in the WAC.

They do a nice job over at the Fresno St blog and the big news there is the battle for the starting QB position. The Bulldogs ran 118 plays in Bulldog Stadium in front of a crowd of more than 2,500. It was the annual Bulldog Fan Preview, the first opportunity for fans to sneak a peek at the 2006 squad. "All in all, I was very pleased," said Coach Pat Hill following the scrimmage. "We didn't have any administrative penalties and didn't have to call a time out. For the first scrimmage, that's unheard of. I thought all three quarterback set a good tempo for the offense and did a good job leading. That's not easy for the first time out. We had some physical mistakes and some work to do, but from a mental standpoint, I was very happy."

Saturday Gleenings

The Huskies had their first day in pads today followed by the traditional picture day after practice. Picture day is prett cool.

The first player of note is Daniel Howell who wore the Gold jersey for the 4th consecutive day. He wins it for special teams one day, and defense the next, quite an early accomplishment, and it seems to cement the reason that one of the top returning starters, Scott White, is trying to play catch up on second string. It is no easy task to pass by a returning senior who is mentioned on most pre season all conference lists. The competition is going to make both of those guys better.

The uniforms still suck according to witnesses I spoke to this afternoon, very little color or numeral font change, just a more comfortable version. The Weasel must eventually go, I am sure Turner is working on it and just needs to approve something new with plenty of lead time for next seasons manufacturing. (See Todd, I gave you an out.)

Marcel Reese seems to be as good as advertised according to the coaching staff, look for him to make an early impact creating mismatches in the middle of the secondary. Reese may be the best receiver we have had since Reggie Williams. The other receivers aren't too shabby either.
If we can get these guys the ball we will be in good shape.

The early reviews on the offensive line are positive which means nothing till we actually see them in action. Ossai has been profiled lately and says his bench is up to 375. Not bad for a RS frosh, but 50-75 lbs away from where it needs to be. In the old days he would be a backup this year and finally see regular playing time as a sophmore.

Stanley Daniels say's the OL will surprise, and they are collectively the quickest and most athletic group he has seen since he has been here. I like Stanley, always have, and I hope he is right. The coaches seem optimistic, and this staff doesn't BS, so maybe they have something going.

The word is Chad Macklin is just huge, between 6'8 and 6'10. He is a Neu guy, and came in with Berglund in the infamous 2 man OL class. Remember they were waiting for guys like Bush, Bulyca, Ashby, and Flowers the following year, so they took a ton of WR types. Macklin seems to be rounding into solid shape and insiders are now targeting him for a breakout year.

Rosbourough is going to see some time this year. At 370 pounds he takes awhile to run around. I anxiously await the arival of Sir Mason, not only for depth he provides, but because of his quickness which may help him overcome his 278lb weight. He could really use a redshirt year to put on 25-35 lbs of muscle. Chances are that when he gets in it will take almost until mid season till his presence is felt. If Berglund and Rosbourough are capable of quality minutes Mason could redshirt, but I wouldn't count on it. I would love to see Berglund contribute this year.

On the interior no word about Kava, Bulyca, or Bush yet. These guys need to be worthy of being in the rotation for the OL to have any depth. Walker, Garcia, and Daniels, are solid, let's hope they stay healthy. Most people have written off Kava, but I expect him to surprise.

Matt Sedillo has been the most impressive Frosh lineman so far which is apropo since he was the least recruited out of the HS threesome. Nice to see a darkhouse pick show signs of working out early. All there HS guys will redshirt unless injuries come up.

Out in the seconday Goldson is back to going at full speed again which is good news. I think we are going to have the best corner rotatation this year since our last Rose Bowl season. Ashlee Palmer needs to get in or we are going to have problems again with depth with Darin Harris out for the season with a chronic back injury.

On offense Mosley is the frosh RB, he got his bell rung so he won't be back to full speed till Monday. I am thinking that when Meyers gets back in he may head to Safety rather than RB, or WR. Just a guess on that, but the Hukies have some depth holes to fill at DB, moving him or Mosley over would help now, and in the future.

Daniel Te'o Nesheim is in a big time position battle with Brandon Ala to play opposite Greyson Gunheim at DE. Word has it that Ala is bigger, and meaner this year. White Frisbee is coming along, seems to be participating in most drills, but they are bringing him along slowly to make sure he is healthy when the season begins.

Not much news at QB, and RB yet. IS is still firmly #1, they feel Bonnell is a good backup and even a potential challenger for the starting job.

Spam Links

Just a notice to the guys who come in here every day post spam links on the site. Every time you do that you are just wasting your time because all your posts will be deleted immediately. Every time someone posts here I get an email, and if it is a spam link, it is gone.

So please don't waste your time, or my time.

A Few Friday Notes

Scott White returned to the team a day after letting off a lot of steam. I think it's good because honestly he would have left a big hole in the depth. Scott is one of the biggest LB's we have, and the guy's that would have replaced him would have been twenty or so pounds lighter which isn't good. We lack size at LB, something that needs to be addressed in the next recruiting class. People on the message boards were pretty tough on Scott, and rightly so, Seniors aren't supposed to quit when faced with minor adversity. Scott will play quite a bit this year, but it is Howell's time to shine.

How is Ty handling it?

Well, he understands the frustrations that these kids have, and he is a great father figure to the kids because most of all he is fair, and he is understanding. As far as Ty is concerned it is buisness as usual, and this is done, over, and settled, he won't allow it to become a distraction.....welcome back Scott.

My feeling are simple, we can use him, and this experience has taken him down a peg which is exactly what the coaches had in mind when they did it. Demoting a returning senior takes moxie, and it shows the coaches aren't just giving lip service to playing the best players. Howell worked his tail off, won the job, now White has to win it back.

Tomorrow is the first day of practice in pads and full contact.

This is a very big day for players looking to make a move in the depth chart, it is one of the few days all year where you can just go out, strut your stuff, and make an impact. A week from now things will be mostly settled and the team will start concentration on game planning. The JC's are still absent, and it is going to be hard for them to make up for the lost time and have much of an impact during the first four games.

After a lot of news midweek info has slowed down coming out of Montlake which is understandable because there really isn't any news until they put on the pads. Expect quite a bit of new stuff on Saturday night and Sunday morning.

I want to take the time to thank the new posters for coming over and posting, as we get closer to the season I am sure it will start rocking, once again thanks to everyone who has been visiting, or posting. If you guys have idea's on how to make this site better, don't hold back, let me know!

Some of you may notice some posts that are deleted each day. I am not censoring anything, just removing spam links that people leave on the site to direct people to Viagra ads, casino's, or whatever.

Early Position Battles

This is the time of year when the coaches have the chance to evaluate talent on a daily basis without having to prepare for a game. That means there is a lot of competiton going on for playing time, and of course being included for the game plan for SJSU.

I thought I would highlight the major preseason position battles.

ILB.....Taj Bomar goes into fall as the starter but the coaches would like to see Tuiasosopo make a move for playing time. Not exactly close starting drills as Tui is still knocking off the rust.

OLB....We have all heard about the Howell vs White battle. Good possibility that White quits the team rather than battle it out with Howell. It is going to nice to see EJ Savannah finally play and get into the mix.

DE....SR Brandon Ala is listed behind RS Daniel Teo Nesheim. Ala has had plenty of opportunity since he has been here, hopefully he will be able to have a stellar year filling in, because don't think he can beat out Daniel.

S.....Forrester, Hemphill, Wells, and Palmer. Palmer is still waiting to get in, Forrester won the job this Spring and most likely will be the starter against SJSU. Wells can play corner or safety. Darin Harris is out for the year with a back injury.

RB....James and Ranking square off with the advantage going to Rankin because of health. Shelton Sampson needs to show he can hang onto the ball. Mosley will start out at RB since Meyers isn't in yet, the coaches like his quickness.

FB....Palaita and an improved Kravitz will fight it out all year. Paul Homer is a frosh that could end up playing if there is a problem with depth.

TE...,The Huskies are getting close to getting the talent level at TE back to where it used to be. Gottleib is the starter going in, but there will be heavy competiton between him, Kirton, and Lewis. All three will play. Behind them Williams and Harris are capable, and talented.

WR....The Huskies have nine good pretty good receivers. Russo, Williams, and Shackleford are going to be your starters, but Marcel Reese is a possible star waiting to happen. Daniels, Ellis, Wood, and Mercier are all in the mix too. The Huskies may have found a diamond in the rough that other schools missed in recruiting Goodwin, the early returns on him is that he is a player...they love his speed.

No word yet on what is going on with the return teams. Wood will probably be the main option for returning punts and kickoffs if he is 100%. Russo of course has experience returning punts. Not sure who the other kickoff return guy will be, maybe Rankin. We could use another guy or two to emerge here. Another spot to try Mosley at who has great quickness.

A little early controversy

Daniel Howell has finally overtaken Scott White at LB for the time being and Scott White isn't very happy about it according the the Seattle Times.

One of the great motivation tools a coach has is to demote a starter early in preseason drills and make him fight back to regain the position by the opening game.

Howell has been on White's heels since he got here, and now that he has been in the program awhile and matured, his ceiling looks higher than White's not only because he has more eligibility left. He has challenged the incumbent for the position, and won for now with his effort, attitude and talent.

What the coaches are looking for from White is to see exactly what he is made of. Is he going to fight back and win the position, is he going to outwork Howell? You have to love a position battle like this because it is one of things that makes the entire team better.

White has played a lot since the day he got here, but has he really impressed any of us with his play so far? Has he been the leader a returning senior is required to be? Coaches make moves like this to get a kid's attention, and frankly I think it is a great move by the coaching staff.

From an insiders perspective the move is long overdue, and as shown in Seattle Times article you can tell that Scott has a bit of an attitude problem and is considering quitting the team.

Not exactly the answer the coaches were looking for is it?

Scott has a big stupid mouth on him, in fact he talks a better game then he plays, that doesn't mean that he isn't a good kid, just a mouthy kid with an attitude problem which the coaches are attempting to nip in the bud. Scott hasn't been happy since Neuheisel left, and he has never been one of the more popular players with his teammates.

Scott is the undisputed leader of the old regime. He represents what needs to be pruned over the next couple of years as was Craig Chambers. It takes time to rebuild a program, 4-6 years, we are only in year two.

I asked earlier in the article if he was the type of leader a senior returning starter should be, what do you guys think?

From the Bob Condotta Blog

Willingham said four players will not be eligible for the start of practice today -- DE Anthony Atkins, safety Ashlee Palmer, OT Aaron Mason and RB Leilyon Myers. He said all have academic situations that are "pending'' and would not speculate on whether they will be able to play this year. Myers' problem is with the NCAA Clearinghouse, while the other three simply have to finish up some work. Of those four, Mason and Palmer may be the most critical. Mason is expected to fill in the depth at left tackle and Palmer is expected to compete for a starting job at safety.

Bob Condotta Blog

Losing any of these guys will really hurt the depth. I didn't expect any of them to start against SJS, but Palmer and Mason are slated to have prominent roles this year.

The Monday Morning Wash

Word out of Montlake is that three additional players may still have some hurdles to pass till they can practice with the team. All three are expected to play this year, but have to wait for final NCAA clearing house approvals.

The Huskies had their Junior day this past weekend with a number of players making it up here from California in addition to the locals that were invited. UW seems to be way ahead on the recruiting front compared to last season. I think a year of stability has helped quite a bit. A few more wins should yield a solid class.

Warren Moon entered the NFL Hall of fame in Canton, Ohio this past weekend while both Tui brothers played together for the first time in the Hall of Fame game. Zach is now with Oakland.

Some friends of mine in Seattle actually saw Ty speak at a kickoff event this past week. The word is he is quietly confident that UW will field a much more competitive program this year. He feels Stanback, and Gunheim are going to have breakthrough years.

The big news is football practice starts tommorow at UW, expect Ty to update the media on players hanging on the old academic edge during his press conference.

Fall Saturdays are for Father's and Son's

I remember the Fall Saturday mornings of my youth spent growing up in Seattle. The morning would start very early for us with a trip down Elliott Avenue to the Pike Street Market.My dad liked to get there early before the stalls opened and have a cup of coffee at the Venetian, or Lowell's. We then would check out the stalls, pick up the produce, meats, and be back home around 8 AM. Usually we would then have to head over to the neighborhood field if there was a soccer, football, or baskeball, game going on that I, or my brother was in, then immediately over to Husky Stadium for the big game if the Huskies were in town. Luckily many of the games we were in were on Sunday so we didn't have many scheduling conflicts.

If the game was on the road we would listen to it on the radio doing some yardwork, or if the weather was bad in the living room. I learned my passion, and love for Husky football in those years. We were just riveted to the radio.

I was alive during the early 60's Rose bowl games, being born in 1958, but I really didn't become a conscious football fan, or understand what was going on till around the mid 60's. That time period was very similar to today. The program was down, the team wasn't good, and the program was only supported by the serious Husky fan. Win, or lose we didn't care because we were Husky fans, and there wasn't any other way we would rather spend our Saturday then topping it off with the big game.

A highlight of every week was watching the Jim Owens show with either Keith Jackson, or later, Bruce King. That was always a night the TV trays came out and we had dinner in front of the TV. It was tradition not only for us, but for many Northwest families in the days of an antenna and 3-4 TV stations. It was there that you learned the game in JO's TV class room. The big felluh seemed like he was a part of the family, and in those days there wasn't any bigger icon in the state then JO.

During the late 60's we hung in there through the losses, and the unrest. We were solid supporters who hoped JO would get it, and become a little more flexible. Just when it seemed it would never get better Sonny Sixkiller took the field and the games were never more exciting. We took turns in the street pretending we were Bo Cornell, Sonny, and Cahill. Being Bo of course meant you had to stay home and block.

We were also big Seattle U fans so in the Winter we changed our allegiance to the Chieftains, and were even in attendance when they beat Texas Western (UTEP) who went on to win the national championship. We went to the first Sonic's game in 1967, and I remember seeing guys like Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor, Wilt the Stilt, and of course Bill Russell. Still UW, and Seattle U were passions, the Sonic's were something we did to fill in the space.

We ready for a change when Don James arrived, and it seemed the outsider from the Midwest just didn't get it. How could he bench Chris Rowland in favor of some guy named Harold Moon who was just terrible as a sophmore? The 78 Rose Bowl of course just pushed it over the top, and forever from that day DJ became the most respected man in the state.

My dad, and I continued those rituals till the late 80's when he passed away early in life due to cancer. I remember the last days as he had to take the Dawgsled up to our seats high on the South deck, and finally when we just watched the games at home. He missed the national championship, but at least he saw some great seasons, and the new North deck.

Husky football is a tradition that is handed down from father, to son. It is ownership in a special event that bonds a young man, and his father together, and it is meant to be handed down through generations of Northwest families.

I don't know if the new administration gets exactly what Husky football is, and what it has meant in the past to the community. The new administration doesn't want the fans, boosters, alums, media, or anyone around except for a few hours on Saturday. I think that is a shame because Husky football is traditionally more than that. It is a birthright we all share in, and until they get that again over at Montlake it just won't be quite the same.

Still we all remember having the same feelings about this guy from Ohio who was our fourth choice to be football coach because nobody else wanted the job. Hopefully they grow on us, as we grow on them.

Game Ten Oregon

Once again we visit Autzen Stadium situated in the friendly Willamette Valley of Oregon. How many times exactly do we have to play here anyway till the Pac Ten get's it right? The stadium is nice, probably the nicest in the league which has allowed them to upgrade their schedule. While Washington was looking for softball dominance the Duck's went out and built one of the best athletic plants in the country.

Mike Bellotti opens the year with Dennis Dixon, and Brady Leaf returning as QB's after both got time last year after Kellen Clemmons went down last season. Jonathan Stewart returns after a dinged up freshman year to be the man at TB. Kent and Colvin are the Wr's to look out for, but the Duck's are looking to develop some depth. Most importantly the Quackers return all five talented offensive lineman so Stewart will have room to run the ball, and Dixon room to stretch the defense.

Defensively the Ducks' lose Haloti N'Gata, and Devin Long, that has to hurt. The entire defensive line will be a work in progress to start the season. The Duck's look average at LB, and CB where they have holes to fill. At Safety Nelson, and Chung lead the way and are very good.

The Duck's need to score points this year, their defense will lack the teeth it did last season when they controlled the line of scrimmage against UW, and many other teams. I was at the game last year and it wasn't competitive.

Why Oregon will win?

Oregon's offensive line will be one of the best in the conference.

Dennis Dixon will be able to spread the defense, and Jonathan Stewart will be able to run through gaping holes.

Oregon's defense is just good enough to keep the Huskies off the scoreboard enough to be the difference in the game.

Oregon has more depth and overall talent on it's roster.

The game is at Autzen.


Why Washington will win?

UW comes into the game healthy and confident

UW is able to move the ball on the Duck Defense

The Washington defensive front is able to hold the UO rushing attack in check.

UW is able to force Dixon into making mistakes which turn into points.


What do I think?

I always think we can beat Oregon, hell we beat them with Casey Paus, and Keith Gilbertson! Now logic says that we have no chance in their house, but I think we match up pretty well with them. This is a rival game, and in such games you usually, except for last year throw out he rcords for both opponents coming into the game. That being said I am going to give the nod to the Duck's in a game that will be closer than expected.


Oregon 31 Washington 28 L (6-4)

Dawgman Radio

Kim, and Chris are at it again on Dawgman Radio.

Dawgman is not only the best Husky website, but is among the very best sports sites in the country.

If you don't subscribe to Dawgman you are really missing out!

Dawgman Radio

Getting Kirton on the Field

At the end of Spring Johnnie Kirton was listed as the third string TE. At UW, and most schools you need at least three solid tight ends because of the different sets, and situations they are used in. Spring of course is not where the final decisons are made, come Fall the cream usually rises to the top, the best players hit the field.

After a few years of decline the legendary at TE the position is really starting to round into shape. UW can count on five solid TE's being on the roster this year. The questions is how to best utilize them. Gottleib, Lewis, Kirton, Williams, and Harris provide solid depth, but Kirton could best be used as a guy they move around the filed as discussed last year.

The word out of Montlake is Johnnie will see action out of the backfield this year in short yardage situations. I would also like to see him shift into the slot and see what kind of damege in the redzone he can do from there. Imagine Reese, Kirton, Gottleib/Lewis, Shackleford, and Williams in pass pattern in the redzone. That is a really nice combo I hope they consider using this year when muscle, and finesse is needed to push the ball into the end zone.

Kirton is a weapon that should be moved around the field.

I like him sitting back their as a wild card single back on 2nd and 1. I like it when he lines up in the backfield on 3rd and long and shifts into the slot. I also like the prospect of him being used as a short yardage back, and of course at TE. That being said that is a lot of stuff to learn to do well for one guy. So it will be interesting to see if Lappano uses him as a real option, or just as an emergency fall back in case of injury.

A couple of UW tidbits

Lappano was on Softy with Baird yesterday.

Lappano Link

I like listening to Lappano, he gives a pretty good interview. The most interesting item is Johnnie Kirton is finally going to get his wish, he is going to get reps in the backfield and will most likely be used in short yardage situations. We are talking a 280 pound situational tailback. I wouldn't mind seeing that unveiled against SJSU to see how it looks.

Kirton will still play at TE. I think it's great that they are giving him a shot to move around.

James, Rankin, Sampson, Kirton, Meyers, that doesn't sound too bad.

Say's Williams will be the guy who will take over for Chambers and he is looking great. Say's Reese is down to 250 coming into camp and is big and still very fast.

It seems Mosley is ticketed for receiver rather than TB.

He likes his offensive line, says he feels the five starters are solid.

USC lost one of the Ting twins to steroids so they both won't be playing this year. They have decided to concentrate on medical school.

Oklahoma loses two starters

Oklahoma starting quarterback Rhett Bomar will not play for the Sooners this season following an investigation by the team, sources told ESPN's Joe Schad and ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach on Wednesday. Sophomore J.D. Quinn, who was expected to start at guard, was also dismissed.

Oklahoma said that two players had been dismissed by the team but did not identify them. The school said in a statement that the players violated NCAA rules by working at a private business and taking "payment over an extended period of time in excess of time actually worked."

Oklahoma seems to have a problem with car dealerships and scholar athletes. Seems like Adrian Peterson was also getting preferential treatment earlier in the year when he drove a car off the lot without securing financing. That was caught earlier enough that they were able to get it handled before it became a violation. Lucky for him he didn't drive a fruit basket out of the dealership

Despite our losses over the last few days it seems Oklahoma got hit a lot harder and it gives us more of a chance in Norman. The new starter will be one of these three, Joey Halzle, a junior transfer who passed for 2,077 yards and 13 touchdowns in 10 games last season at Golden West (Calif.) Community College, freshman Sam Bradford, or walk-on Hays McEachern.

Oklahoma just got a little more beatable.

Some new features

I am introducing a couple of new features today.

The first is the Digg News Service which basically scans blogs for the top sports stories of the day. We will see how that goes and if we like it.

The second thing I did was added a counter at Hair's request to keep track of how many people are visiting. Should be fun to see if how popular we get. Thanks for the idea Dick!

We have been linking with other Pac Ten schools and our opponents, some are starting to reciprocate. The guys that run the Oregon blog seem very nice , same with SC, WSU, SJSU, and UCLA. Still waiting to here from a few others. A new site get's back to us every day, so we will have more content for you to peruse as we open you up to the world of sports blogging.

We also added link's to Dawgman, Malamute, Husky Digest, UDub Dish, and The UW site.

If you notice the ad's are starting to cycle more and are becoming more specific to the keywords created by the stories on the site. Be sure to check them out, the Husky Store seemed to have about every Husky novelty known to man.