The Monday Morning Wash - Apple Cup Edition

Nathan Ware's Monday Morning Long Snapper brought up an excellent point we are going to visit first this morning.

The Dawgs looked like they were in better shape and better conditioned than the Bears. That's the first time that I've thought that about a Husky football team – particularly when they are playing a quality opponent - in a long time. By the fourth quarter, Cal looked winded.

That is what a dominant running game will do for you, it simply wears down your opponent. Don't confuse it with your quarterback running for 150 yards either. When you hand it off to your running backs for over three hundred yards the game becomes very simple. Washington simply beat the tar out of California, and it was fun to watch. In fact I may watch it again at lunchtime.

If Coach Lappano is smart he will pick up where they left off last week and continue handing the ball to Rankin, and Johnson this Saturday. Brink was picked six times last weekend by the Beavers but don't expect that to happen again. Washington needs to control the clock and run the ball to win the game. When you dominate time of possession and wear down the opposing defense good things happen.

WSU Coaching Change?

This is Apple Cup week and Washington needs to build on the momentum to close out the home season with a win that will likely send Coach Doba into retirement. Doba actually deserves better, but most Coug fans are in favor of change, and that change might bring back Mike Price for a career finale if he is interested. Only a victory over the Huskies on Saturday will save Doba's job. I thought Doba did a great job pulling the Cougars together this year. The injuries at running back have crippled them in the second half.

Mike Price burned a few bridges when he traipsed off to Alabama a few years ago for a very ugly Spring of football and off field shenanigans. Former Husky assistant Bob Stull rescued his career by giving him another shot at UTEP. They love Mike in El Paso, but the lure to come back home and rebuild what he started may be too hard to resist. If it isn't Price, the man who succeeds Doba will likely be Bob Gregory who is the defensive coordinator at California. We didn't see the best of Bob last week in Husky Stadium, but he is well respected up and down the coast.

Ty Off the Hot Seat?

Is Ty off the hot seat? Well things are definitely a lot cooler this week after the win. It was a very Husky like November victory. If Washington wins next Saturday against WSU no change will be likely despite the attraction of Jim Mora Jr.. I have to tip my hat to the staff for keeping this team together and competitive each week. Washington looks to be in good enough shape to finish the season with a three game winning streak.

ASU and USC

Now that Oregon is falling off the map the battle for the Rose Bowl may come down to ASU and USC. Most of us thought that USC would be there at the end of the season but it is surprising that Dennis Erickson has brought the Sun Devils along this quickly. USC is a team that is used to winning in November so it will be interesting to see how this one plays itself out.

WSU Q & A this week

I will be doing some Q&A with our friends over at the Cougar blog this week. It will be interesting to see what Brinkhater and the gang have to say about the Apple Cup.

"Attending WAZZU is great preparation for real life. It teaches you not to expect too much."- Don James.