The Monday Morning Wash

Lets start the week with something positive.

Lets talk about the way Jake Locker and the Washington offense is developing. The Husky offense is finally starting to show what it can do as Jake Locker gets more experience. Saturdays performance, minus the turnovers was one of the most impressive ever by a UW quarterback. When you consider that Jake is only in the middle of his freshman year you realize that this kid, with the adequate package of coaches, may be able to put the program back on top while he is here.

I can't recall a quarterback who has the arm strength of John Elway and who also runs like Eric Dickerson. Make no mistake, Jake isn't a scrambler, he is a power runner who carried defensive linemen, and linebackers with him as he goes. As far as the arm goes, it is only getting better, and as we saw over the last two games he is starting to develop some touch. That 98 yard TD pass to Marcel Reese Saturday was a thing of beauty. Imagine what Jake could do with better receivers? The crew that is coming in next year has more talent, size, and speed than the current group, what they will lack is experience, but receivers tend to be more ready to play than any other position. Aguilar, and Boyles will at least have a full Spring with the team, and that will be a big plus going into 2008.

Louis Rankin has had two good games in a row which means the offensive line is maturing and doing a better job. Brandon Johnson hasn't carried the ball much this year, but he has a nice carry on Saturday that flashed a lot of potential to me. I really like the way he moved.

I would love to see them use Kravitz, and Homer more as receivers. You have to love the way they both ran the ball on Saturday in short yardage situations.

TE Mike Gottleib is finally becoming an option in the passing game. Mike had a couple of nice grabs on Saturday, but in the real world of Husky football we are talking third TE. Washington really needs to bring in Kavario Middleton next year to team up with Izbicki. Kavario is one of those rare kids who are ready to play on either side of the ball from the get go. Izbicki was a HS All American who needed a year in the weight room. According to coaches Izbicki is the complete package.

Now back to Jake Locker, he accounted for 493 of Washington's 572 yards of total offense against Arizona. If you could take away the turnovers Washington would have scored over 60 points and had this one put away for all intents and purposes early in the first quarter. Despite the loss this performance was one for the ages, and the kid is only going to get better.

Only 18 quarterbacks in major-college history had ever thrown for 300 and run for 100 yards in the same game. Locker added his name to that list but missed joining Marques Tuiasosopo as the only 300-200 achiever in the group. Marques by the way achieved that mark against a Stanford defense which was coached by a guy named Kent Baer.

There is a lot of gloom, and doom surrounding Washington football this Monday morning, but there is also the knowledge that the best offensive player to ever play at the school may be currently on the roster.

As Washington heads into their last five games of the season with it's bowl hopes virtually extinguished by the loss to Arizona there is always the hope of running the table when you have a talent like Jake Locker on the roster.

Husky fans, enjoy the kid while he is here, and he might just be here the full five years since his value as an NFL QB will be measured more by the development of his arm than his tremendous legs.

All hail Jake Locker!