Signature Tyrone Willingham

This was one of those games that looked atrocious from the very first snap. This game was all signature Tyrone Willingham as the Huskies showed up emotionally flat and ill prepared for the opener with Oregon.

The Huskies had eight months to prepare for one of the most important games of Willingham's coaching career. What his team gave him was the worst performance of his Husky coaching career. This was the type of game that ends coaching careers.

How can you not be emotionally, physically, and mentally prepared to play Oregon in the opening game of the season?

Oregon is a top twenty type club but this edition does not come close to comparing with the squad that visited Husky Stadium last year. The Ducks simply outplayed Washington in every single facet of the football game last night.

There was no trickery or deception in this one. The Oregon lines simply came out and dominated Washington on both sides of the ball. This was nothing more than an old fashioned butt kicking.

This one could have gotten ugly early as Oregon raced off to a 14-0 lead against a UW nickel defense that featured three safeties. We all hoped for an attacking style and what we got was more prevent defense from the onset. The Huskies were very fortunate to be behind only 14-10 at halftime after Locker rallied the team in the second quarter when the Oregon offense sputtered a bit.

The second half was another episode of the worst of Ty Willingham "Deja Vu". Once again the opposing team made adjustments which countered the momentum UW had built up in the second quarter. Once again Washington had no answers. Once again Washington came out flat to start the second half.

The Husky offense was shut down completely in the second stanza unable to throw or run the ball. Special teams contributed shanked punts and poor kickoff returns which gave Washington terrible field position which only contributed to the offensive difficulties.

The Washington defense which looked like it had settled down in the second quarter was gassed after the first series of the second half. It is tough to make tackles when you are laid out on your back. Once again you have to question this teams physical conditioning.

The Washington offensive line was dominated the entire evening by Oregon. I really can't remember seeing a single scrum they won all evening. This was pretty surprising because the OL had been touted as being one of the better in the conference this year. Cody Habben had terrible game out at tackle as he was beaten continuously all night. Juan Garcia played almost the entire game which was great but he wasn't impressive.

Offensive coordinator Tim Lappano didn't do his team any favors as he called perhaps his worst game in purple and gold. The Huskies were predictable and uninspired all evening.

The Washington version of the spread offense doesn't spread the field. UW repeatedly ran the ball up the middle rather than trying to sweep it outside. Obviously they wanted to go with the supposed strength of the team which is the interior offensive line. It didn't work and Chris Polk and Brandon Johnson were smothered at the line of scrimmage the entire evening.

Locker dropped back to pass the majority of the night which allowed the pocket to collapse around him. You have to question why UW didn't roll out more since it would give Locker and his receivers additional time and more options.

Jake wasn't himself last night. It was obvious that the lack of practice time had hurt his conditioning and thrown off the timing between him and his receivers. He had a bit of a limp so you know the hamsting was still bothering him. It also looked like he suffered a chest or shoulder injury late in the second quarter which slowed him down in the second half.

For Tyrone Willingham this game was a nightmare because it signals the end of his coaching career at Washington. It was obvious to all observers that nothing had changed in the off season with this Washington team. All the same problems are here with the addition of a lot more inexperience. Things are not getting better, they are getting progressively worse, and everyone knows it is about time to pull the plug.

Up next is a BYU squad which is probably on a par or better than Oregon. The following week the Huskies take on possibly the best team they will face all season in Oklahoma.

The odds are pretty good that Willingham will submit his resignation during the bye week before the Stanford game. Washington will be 0-3 at that time hand and possibly have a scoring differential of about 170-30. That isn't a pretty picture.

Rumor has it that he tried to do that after the WSU loss last year but Todd Turner talked him out of it. That is probably the biggest reason Todd is no longer AD at Washington. Count on Scott Woodward to take it without argument this time around.

Bright Spots

One of our readers wrote in asked us to highlight a few brigh spots. There weren't many but here are the ones I noticed.

QB Ronnie Fouch came in during the fourth quarter and played pretty well against the Oregon "B" team. To be honest he looked better than Jake last night.

Quinton Richardson had a nice night at CB picking up his first interception.

LB Mason Foster picked up ten tackles.

DT's Alameda Ta'amu and Johnnie Kirton looked like the best of the group out there last night. I can see them both getting more playing time next week against BYU.

TE Kavario Middleton is going to be a force once he gets his blocking down. He is an incredibly smooth receiver but his blocking is still a year away.

No Mas! No Mas! Oregon 44 Washington 10

First Quarter

The Ducks have come out and dominated from the get go jumping out to a 14 point lead. Washington hasn't been able to do anything on offense and they haven't been able to stop the Ducks on defense. It could be a very long night. Oregon out gained the Huskies 151 to 29 in the 1st quarter. My first impression is opening night jitters for a young team. The Huskies need to develop some rhythm.

Second Quarter

The Huskies have settled down and developed some rhythm and have closed the Oregon lead to 14-10. Washington is playing much better in the second quarter on both sides of the ball. Quinton Richardson made a nice interception. Jake looks to be around 80% tonight. Kavario Middleton has caught three passes and it looks like he will be a major weapon this season. The offensive line isn't getting any push on running plays. The Washington running game is once again all about Jake scrambling.

Looks like Roper could be out with an injury so they will go with their 3rd string QB in the second half. Moselli played the last three minutes of the first half and looked fine.

The Huskies trail 14-10 at halftime.

Third Quarter

Can Willingham out coach Bellotti is the second half?

Adjustments in the second half were a major problem last season.

Both teams go three and out on their first series but Oregon gets a nice punt return from Byrd and drives it quickly to the endzone to take a 21-10 lead early in the third. Looks like the Ducks have taken back the momentum.

Oregon goes with Chris Harper who is the third Duck QB of the night.

Washington isn't moving the ball at all in the third quarter. Poor field position and lack of adjustments that work are hurting them.

Washington special teams rears its ugly head for the third time tonight when Jarius byrd makes another great punt return breaking Husky arm tackles.

The third quarter ends with Oregon on the UW 16 driving to put this one away with a 21-10 lead.

Washington still hasn't broken its habit of being out adjusted in the third quarter.

Harper is the best QB I have seen tonight. He is going to be a great Dennis Dixon clone. Good chance the Ducks go with him the rest of the year.

The Ducks have used three QB's tonight. What is this a spring scrimmage?

Fourth Quarter

The Huskies hold to start the fourth quarter and the Ducks hit a 41 yard Fg to take a 24-10 lead. This is still a gem, but UW needs to get something going on offense.

UW goes for it on 4th and 3 around mid field and Jake gets pounded. On the next play Oregon hits a big on to Williams to take what seems to be an insurmountable 30-10 lead.

Habben has been eaten up all night. UW's offensive line has been terrible tonight and that is the real story of this game. I think it may have been the worst Washington rushing performance I can remember seeing.

Trailing 30 -10 the Huskies panic on the next series throwing long on every play hoping for a miracle. The offensive play calling and execution has been terrible the entire second half.

UW's defense is getting really tired, way too many arm tackles as the game winds down. It looks like they are giving up.

Oregon drives it down the field again to take a 37-10 lead.

23 straight unanswered points in the second half by Oregon.

Ty says "No Mas, No Mas"....Jake Locker gets pulled from the game and Ronnie Fouch comes in.

Fouch has a decent drive going until one of Kearse fumbles after a reception.

Oregon takes the ball and drives it down the field to take a 44-10 lead with 46 seconds left.

This was one of the most important game of Ty Willinghams career and it ends up as being the worst loss in his tenure at Washington.

Tick...Tick...Tick

Washington Visits Oregon Tonight

The Washington Huskies kick off the 2008 college football season tonight traveling to the Willamette Valley to visit the Oregon Ducks.

The Ducks are favored by two TD's but if you bet on these type of things they probably won't cover the spread because the gap between the two teams has been shrinking over the past six months.

One key for Washington in this one is hanging on to the ball. Young skill players tend to put the ball on the ground and if that happens the Huskies will be in trouble quickly. If Washington can eliminate the mistakes they have a chance to pull an upset in the opener.

I will be back around game time.

John and Nathan's Week One Predictions

One of the staples of blogging or covering football is the weekly predictions.

Nathan and I are predicting games every week over in the PI Blog.

Here are Nathan's predictions for week 1.

Oregon State 31, Stanford 17
Oklahoma State 38, WSU 20
Arizona 45, Idaho 10
Arizona State 46, Northern Arizona 19
Cal 33, Michigan State 27
USC 31, Virginia 24
Tennessee 30, UCLA 16
Oregon 31, UW 20

Here are John's predictions for week 1 under Chicago Dawg.

Stanford 20, Oregon State 17
Oklahoma State 45, WSU 17
Arizona 52, Idaho 3
Arizona State 52, Northern Arizona 17
Michigan State 31, Cal 24
USC 38, Virginia 7
Tennessee 42, UCLA 17
Oregon 27, UW 24

Last nights game between Stanford and Oregon State was viewed by most as a toss up and it was that way until later in the second half when the Cardinals started taking advantage of Beaver mistakes.

Lyle Moevao was 34 of 54 for 404 yards and three touchdowns. Sammie Stroughter had 12 catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns, and Shane Morales had 13 catches for 151 yards and a TD. You would figure with that type of offensive production that the Beavers would win this football game.

Stanford did two things much better than Oregon State. They ran the ball and didn't cough it up. Toby Gerhart had a career-high 147 yards and two touchdowns in his return from last years season ending knee injury. The Tree outrushed the Beavers 210 to 86. The Beavers had two key interceptions and two fumbles in the second half which sealed their fate.

You can draw more than a couple of conclusions about Oregon State from this first game.

• Oregon State's offensive line has a lot of work to do if they are going to compete against the better teams in the Pac Ten.
• Oregon State's defense is rebuilding not reloading. The Beavers have a long way to go to return to the level they have been at over the past three years.
• Lyle Moevao was able to get the ball to his receivers most of the night but the Beavers need to develop a running game to help him out.
• Sammie Stroughter is back and the OSU receivers are one of the top tier groups in the league.

Here are a couple things you may have picked up about Stanford.

• Being able to run the ball for over 200 yards during the game took a lot of pressure off Tavita Pritchard who was only 10 of 17 for 91 yards.
• The Stanford defense shut down the OSU running attack. They also picked up some key turnovers which was the main factor responsible for the victory.
• Harbaugh's Cardinals didn't turn over the ball.
• Stanford is still a work in progress on offense until they can get some semblance of a passing game going.
• Just by the way....Jim Harbaugh can coach!

UW is Better than OSU, UCLA, Stanford, and WSU

I am watching Oregon State and Stanford.

A very one dimensional Stanford team is having little problem the Beavers leading 36-20 with eight minutes left in the 4th quarter.

Gerhardt has rushed for over 200 yards.

Washingon is better than both of of those teams plus they are better than WSU and UCLA.

If UW finishes lower than fifth this year in the Pac Ten this year it is is all about coaching.

Ducks Have Edge in Experience

One big reason the the odds makers have Oregon as a two touchdown favorite is the big edge they have in experience over the the Huskies.

The most telling statistics listed below show that the Ducks are returning 53 lettermen compared to only 30 for Washington. The Ducks experience rating is 2.88 which means this team is close to averaging out as juniors. The Huskies on the other hand measure out more like a team made up of redshirt freshman and true sophomores with a 2.12 average.

A big key for Washington in this game will be getting a significant boost from almost thirty players who will be playing in their first college football game. Chris Polk, Alvin Logan, Senio Kelemete, and Quinton Richardson will be starting for the first time in their very first games as Huskies. The rest of the group is going to get the chance to make an immediate impact too.

New Husky Blood for 2008

QB Ronnie Fouch RS
TB Chris Polk
TB Willie Griffin RS
TB Brandon Yakaboski RS
WR Alvin Logan RS
WR Devin Aguilar
WR Jordan Polk
WR Cody Bruns
WR Jermaine Kearse
WR Anthony Boyles
WR Chancellor Young*
TE Mike Izbicki RS
TE Kavario Middleton
TE Romeo Savant* RS
OL Nick Scott*
OL Scott Fancher RS
OL Mark Armelin RS
OL Scott Schugert RS

DL Senio Kelemete
DL Alameda Ta'amu
DL Everette Thompson
DL Tyrone Duncan RS
DL Nick Wood RS
DL Kelani Aldrich RS
LB Kurt Mangum
LB Cort Dennison RS
CB Quinton Richardson RS
CB Marquis Persley RS
S Tripper Johnson*

Returning Offensive Starters

7 Washington
5 Oregon

Returning Defensive Starters

6 Washington
7 Oregon

Returning Lettermen

30 Washington
53 Oregon

Lost Lettermen

23 Washington
21 Oregon

Average Experience

2.12 yrs Washington
2.88 yrs Oregon

Five Keys to Beating Oregon

The odds makers feel that Oregon will beat Washington on Saturday night by two touchdowns. If you look at the two teams on paper that is a pretty fair appraisal. The Ducks are stronger and more experienced than Washington at most positions.

That doesn't mean Washington can't win. What makes the start of any college football season exciting is that you don't know what the young guys will do.

Take USC for example. When Pete Carroll came in the program was way down. In his first season he played a lot of young players and finished 6-6. Washington beat USC his first season and he went head to head with Rick Neuheisel for every top recruit on the West Coast that Winter. He won most of those battles. The rest is history. Carroll's program hasn't lost more than two games in a season since then. The key down at USC has been to go with the youth.

Washington is doing that this year coming off its best recruiting class in over a decade. The big key for this season is for the young guys at the skill positions and defensive line to perform like upperclassmen. They are going to make mistakes but they are also going to make some very good things happen.

Stop the Oregon running game.

Make no mistake about it, the Ducks are going to come out running the ball hard at the middle of the Washington defense. Oregon has three very capable running backs that will all play and keep the position fresh all evening. Oregon wants to get the running game going so the safeties have to creep up to help stop it. Once that happens the Ducks like to go deep for the quick score.

Oregon has a great offensive line. They dominated the Washington defensive line last season. Keep a close eye on Elisara, Kelemete, Kirton, and Ta'amu. If they are getting blown off the ball it won't be a good sign.

Establish the run against Oregon

Washington needs to come out and establish the run early in this one. Locker lines up behind one of the best offensive lines in the conference. His RB's may lack experience but they have the talent to take advantage of the holes that can be created in the middle of the Oregon defense.

Louis Rankin may be gone but I think you will enjoy the styles of Chris Polk and Brandon Johnson more. Both of these guys know how to get yards in the middle. Polk is a legitimate big play threat every time he touches the ball. David Freeman, and Willie Griffin may also be in the mix.

Divide up the carries between Locker, Polk, Johnson and Homer anyway you want, but the Huskies need to go over 250 yards on the ground to beat these guys.

Get off to an Early Lead

You don't want to play catch up on the road against Oregon. If Washington can get off to a good start and take the Ducks out of their running game it is going to be a big plus. An early lead makes the other team do things they would rather not do. If you can put the game on the young shoulders of Justin Roper you can force the Ducks into making some mistakes and beating themselves.

Hold on to the Ball

You need to minimize mistakes to beat a team like Oregon. Fumbles, interceptions, and blown scoring opportunities which plagued the team last year have to go away in 2008.

Washington's young receivers need to get open against one of the nations best secondaries. Once they get open they need to catch the ball. The 5-6 drops per game which murdered Locker's passing statistics last season need to go away.

I think it will be tough for Washington to play mistake free with so many new players in key positions, but a positive turnover ratio will be key in this contest.

A Game of Emotion and Adjustments

Washington did a terrible job last season making adjustments during games. The inability of Willingham's coaching staff to counter what their opponents were doing in the second half cost this team 4-5 wins.

Coach Willingham has to prove himself as a game day coach that can match wits with the best of the Pac Ten. The second half of the Hawaii game was hard to watch because Ty looked like a deer in the headlights on the sidelines.

DC Ed Donatell is a big upgrade over Kent Baer. The Husky defense will surprise you on Saturday night. They still aren't there from an experience factor but they are rapidly closing the gap in talent. Oregon is at a slight disadvantage because they really don't know what the Washington defense is going to throw at them.

For Washington to win on Saturday night they need to outcoach the Oregon staff. Willingham actually had a pretty good record against while he was at Stanford. Washington has really never been in a game with Oregon since Ty arrived. For some reason the Huskies have come out flat against these guys. They can't do that on Saturday night and expect to win. Willingham needs to get this team fired up in what may be one of the most important contests of his career.

Beavers Visit the Cardinal

College football fans are you getting excited yet?

Oregon State and Stanford open the Pac Ten season tonight in Palo Alto. The Beavers have placed a priority on starting fast this season. They have started the season 2-3 the past two seasons, only to lose once more the rest of the way to post the second most wins in the conference to Southern California. After visiting the Cardinal, the Beavers travel to No. 22 Penn State next weekend.

The Beavers are favored in this one by 3.5 points but I think Stanford is going to surprise the Beavers at home and come away with the upset. The Cardinal are strongest early in the season before depth starts becoming an issue. Harbaugh has proven he can get his teams up for big games and a victory in the opener will help sell some future tickets in what has become a very empty Stanford Stadium.

The key match up in this game will be the Cardinal offensive line versus the front seven of OSU. Last season the Cardinal rushing attack averaged just 111 yards per game and three yards per carry. The Stanford line, however, should be much improved in 2008 and the Beavers entire starting defensive line and linebackers from 2007 are gone.

The key story in this game is the Cardinal are getting better, deeper and are coached extremely well. The Beavers are trying to prove that they are reloading rather than rebuilding.

Jerry Brewer on Willingham etc...

When you ignore a beat writer all his/her friends come to his/her defense. Those friends just happen to be at all the local papers. Beat Oregon on Saturday Tyrone and it all starts to go away. Win a few more in a row and you will be a labeled a misunderstood genius. Start 0-3 and it won't be very pleasant.

Jerry Brewer of the Times writes a sensitive follow up to Bud Withers earlier article.

I've abandoned trying to dissect Tyrone Willingham. I don't think there are any secret meanings behind his words and don't believe he's a very complicated football coach. It's much easier to accept him for who he is -- a rigid coach who never deviates from his beliefs and values -- and leave it at that.

Players Make a Mockery of Coach Willingham

Jim Moore of the PI comments on some of the better Willingham impressions on the team.

Tyrone Willingham comes across as being pretty uptight. He's also predictable. You know what you're going to get from the UW football coach -- not much. And you'll get it in measured monotone doses, as if war looms. Which is great. His dial-tone delivery never changes. Deep down, very deep down, I love the guy. Love that he closes practices (less to do) and love that he takes everything so seriously (more to mock). Even drill sergeants think he needs to lighten up.

Local Newspaper Husky Previews

All the local newspapers are bringing out their Husky season previews this week which makes sense since the opener is on Saturday. Not much new in any of the articles because the press has had very little access to the team since early last week.

We did learn that TB Chris Polk has been throwing up before games since he was six years old. that means you really don't want to sit next to him on the bus to Eugene.

Polk gets so nervous before games that he usually throws up, often multiple times, a habit dating to when he was 6 years old and due to his advanced abilities was thrown in against a bunch of older kids.

Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times chimes in with the obligatory pat on the back of Juan Garcia.

They call it a small miracle, which is humorous because Juan Garcia, the proprietor of this gift, weighs 305 pounds. Offensive linemen are such understated behemoths. Give them something to marvel, and they make it all practical.

You can't have a preview without reviewing the legend of Jake Locker.

Since he arrived at Washington in 2006, Jake Locker has been the focus of most of the attention, the one around whom the program's hopes have revolved.

Over at the PI Molly Yanity writes about the freshmen return men.

Polk, now a true freshman with the Huskies, will return kickoffs Saturday at Autzen Stadium when Washington opens the 2008 season against Oregon. He could be the first Washington player to touch the football.

Molly also writes about the long road back for Chancellor Young.

Never did Young, a former All-America football player at O'Dea High School, figure he'd trade stretch nylon football pants for Carhartts. But he'd been expelled from the University of Washington for academic reasons, and his dreams of football grandeur were going up in a cloud of gypsum plaster dust.

John Boyle of the Herald writes about Jordan White Frisbee

It's late morning on the Monday before Washington's season opener, and Jordan White-Frisbee feels out of place. "It's crazy being here," the senior guard says, referring to the weekly press conference that takes place on each Monday of a game week. "I've never been invited to anything like this."

John Boyle also had the opportunity to speak with Tim Lappano.

Offensive coordinator Tim Lappano stopped by late this afternoon to answer questions about his offense (guess the OC wouldn't be answering questions about the defense, eh?)

Don Ruiz of the News Tribune remarks on a shortage of cupcakes.

By late Saturday night, the Washington Huskies will have begun their football season 1-0 or 0-1.
They’ll also be 1-0 or 0-1 in the Pacific-10 Conference race, and 1-0 or 0-1 in the annual round-robin against their Northwest rivals. That raises the stakes for the Huskies’ opener at Oregon, but not necessarily the degree of difficulty.

Jimmy Boyd Looks At the Huskies and the Ducks

On Saturday, August 30^th at 10:00 EST, the Washington Huskies and the Oregon Ducks kick off the 2008 college football season with a televised conference showdown on Fox Sports Network.

The 21^st nationally ranked Oregon Ducks are listed as the -13.5 favorites by the oddsmakers to win this contest. This Washington/Oregon betting preview by Jimmy Boyd is here to help you better handicap this matchup as it breaks down both sides. Make sure you check out his college football picks each week to see who he likes to beat the spread.

While the Ducks finished the 2007 season 9-4, they couldn't help but be a little disappointed. Nine games into last season, Oregon had climbed to No. 2 in the BCS rankings and was ready to contend for a national title. But all of those hopes were lost when Heisman Trophy candidate Dennis Dixon went down with a season-ending knee injury. Without Dixon under center, Oregon dropped its final three regular season games before rebounding with an impressive 56-21 win in the Sun Bowl over the South Florida Bowls. Dixon's replacement in 2008 will be Justin Roper. He starred in last year's Sun Bowl victory, throwing four touchdown strikes. He will get the nod to start the season opener as projected starter Nate Costa will miss eight to 10 weeks following a knee operation.

Besides having to atone for the loss of a Heisman Trophy candidate, Oregon must also try to adequately replace running back Jonathan Stewart. Stewart led the Pac-10 in rushing with 1,722 yards last season and was drafted 13^th overall by the Carolina Panthers. While Oregon's two best offensive weapons are gone from last season, the team is still considered to be a top-tier team in the Pac-10 conference.

Nothing has gone as planned for Washington Huskies head man Tyrone Willingham. He is coming off a disappointing 4-9 season in which the Huskies were only able to win two Pac-10 games. Willingham has also become the first coach in Washington history to have three straight losing seasons. What that does is put him on the hot seat. A season opening loss to rival Oregon will have the athletic administration all but ready to send him packing at season's end. If there is hope for Willingham, it lies in super sophomore QB Jake Locker. Locker is attracting NFL scouts by the bunches with his combination of speed, power, and athletic ability. He was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year after tallying 3,048 yards and 27 touchdowns. He set a Pac-10 record with 986 rushing yards by a QB.

With Locker under center, there's no doubt in my mind that the Huskies will be able to score the football, the big question is if they will be able to stop anyone on defense. In last year's matchup with Oregon, the Huskies put 34 points on the board, but relinquished 55. The Huskies gave up 661 yards and allowed the Ducks to rush for a school record 465 yards. With Washington's young team being another year older and with Oregon not having Jonathan Stewart, things should go better for the Huskies defense. But will things go well enough for them to have a chance to pull off the upset? We shall see, but the college football lines aren't giving them much of a chance as two touchdown underdogs.

Puppy Chow - Kelemete Starting at DT

Some rumblings are going on out there that Husky LB EJ Savannah is getting closer to rejoining the football team. Willingham mentioned on KJR with the Groz that EJ was getting closer but still had more to do without being definitive. We have always known that he was going to miss camp with his broken arm and that it would need some physical therapy once the cast came off. the earliest most people thought he could physically go would have been Oklahoma.

The biggest question right now in my mind is if Savannah wants to even come back and play for Willingham at this point? EJ doesn't have a redshirt year left so if he transferred he would have to sit this year out the rest of this season and only have one year left. Seems to me the coach has the leverage.

Ty-Tyee Discipline Gate Redux

Bud Withers of the Seattle Times runs his look at the JC Cornell debacle and the signs that Ty may be cracking under the pressure. The Seattle Times had the extra motivation to run this story after Ty Willingham cut Bob Condotta off from asking questions that would be answered in the press conferences.

"I've covered good football coaches and bad ones. I've covered pleasant ones and prickly ones. But I've never seen one quite like Tyrone Willingham."

In a perfect world they would just allow Molly Yanity to read softball questions during the conference from a prepared and approved script. I wonder if DM's Chris Fetters is still running the stairs for asking the EJ Savannah questions?

Senio Kelemete

Senio Kelemete has defied all reasonable odds by becoming a starter at DT after coming to camp almost a couple of weeks late. That means one of two things.

1. The kids that were there before he arrived were not very good.


2. The coaches project Kelemete as a future All American candidate.

It seems to be more of number two because Kelemete showed up to camp in absolutely perfect shape and has a motor similar to Daniel Teo Nesheim. Sources are telling me that Kelemete is the best looking Husky DL since JWF was a freshman.

Alameda Ta'amu isn't all that far behind and will also see a lot of action this year. He also hit camp in good shape despite weighing in close to 350 pounds. Look for Washington to try to play a rotation of at least eight defensive linemen this year in an effort to keep everyone fresh and keep attacking the ball.

Nathan Ware

"The question of the day is "how did UW end up with 2 true freshmen in their starting lineup for the season opener on the road?". I'm OK with TB Chris Polk starting the game. By all accounts, he's a freak of nature. But, the fact that Senio Kelemete is starting at DT speaks to how the other DT played during training camp."

Nathan - I think Kelemete is going to be a player right out of the box.

The News Tribune Husky Section

The News Tribune has come out with its annual pre season section previewing the Husky football team.

Click the link to read five juicy stories on your favorite team.

Craig Noble

The Huskies will receive word one way or another today on if Craig Noble passed his California Exit Exam test. Since he has missed the entire camp it is likely he will red shirt or delay enrollment until January.

Ranking Oregon and Washington by Position

Quarterback

Washington - You have to take Locker over Roper going into this one. The less mobile Roper was named the starter on Monday and has a nice touch. Jake on the other hand has improved his passing and is always a great running threat. We all assume Jakes leg should be close to 100% for this one which is another big plus for UW.

Running Back

Oregon - Washington brings three very talented TB's and a great FB. The Ducks have three guys that are proven and that makes the difference. If Washington can outgain Oregon on the ground it could lead to a win on Saturday. You give the advantage to Oregon on paper but word out of Washington practices is the Husky tailbacks are going to be a force to be reckoned with.

Wide Receiver

Oregon - The Huskies have plenty of talent and virtually no experience. It isn't like the Ducks are all world out here either but they have more experience. Jaison Williams puts Oregon over the top going into the game.

Tight End

Oregon - The Huskies are improved but until Kavario becomes an every play player I have to take the Ducks. Ed Dixson is one of the better TE's in the league.

Offensive Line

Washington - These are two of the top units in the conference. Washington has a lot of depth and strength inside with the only weaker point being depth on the flanks. The return of Garcia gives Washington an extremly slight edge.

Defensive Tackle

Oregon- The Huskies and Ducks have similar holes to fill with strength out on the ends. This could be a reach but I think Kelemente, and Ta'amu are going to answer Washington's questions at this position as the season goes on. The Ducks go with two seniors so they have the edge.

Defensive End

Oregon - This position is pretty even. You have two of the conferences best in UW's Daniel Teo Nesheim and Oregon's Nick Reed. Give the nod to Oregon because they also have Will Tukuafu who has more experience than UW's Darion Jones.

Linebackers

Washington - The loss of Savannah for at least this game makes these units pretty even. Paysinger, Matthews, Bacon, are very solid. The question that needs to be answered for the Oregon defense is the middle of the front seven. I still give Washington the edge because they are stronger in the middle.

Defensive Backs

Oregon - Oregon has one of the best defensive backfields in the nation. Chung, Byrd, and Thurmond are all going to be NFL draft picks. The Huskies are dramatically improved back here but Oregon is in a different league going into game one.

Huskies Release Depth Chart

The Huskies released their first depth chart of the year and as usual there were some surprises since this has been such a secret camp. The first surprise is the Senio Kelemente has earned a starting position at defensive tackle after missing the first two weeks of camp. Senio weighs an impressive 295 and observers say this kid has All American potential.

Nick Scott a walk on offensive tackle from Drake cracked the depth chart and will be backing up Ben Ossai. Chris Polk is the starting tailback backed up by Brandon Johnson. The mild surprise here is that freshman David Freeman has cracked the three deeps.

Jordan White Frisbee earned a starting job at OG. Ryan Tolar will be backing up Bulyca, Garcia, and JWF.

Over on defense De'shon Matthews is listed as a third string defensive end after starting the fall as a #1 defensive tackle. Obviously the team feels solid enough going with Elisara, Kelemente, Teo'Nesheim, and Jones.

Walk on Tripper Johnson remains with the two's at safety. Jason Wells will play but is still being treated cautiously coming back from knee surgery. Darin Harris will start at SS with Victor Aiyewa backing him up.

Jordan Polk and Quinton Richardson are listed as your KOR men. D'Andre Goodwin is going to be handling punts.

Perkins and Ballman have earned all the kicking slots.


Washington Offense

WR 11 D’Andre Goodwin 5-11 175 So./Jr
9 Devin Aguilar 6-0 195 Fr./Fr.

LT 79 Ben Ossai 6-6 332 Jr./Sr.
69 Nick Scott 6-4 337 Jr./Sr.

LG 76 Jordan White-Frisbee 6-5 368 Sr./Sr.
65 Ryan Tolar OR 6-5 321 So./Jr.
70 Morgan Rosborough 6-6 382 Jr./Sr.

C 58 Juan Garcia 6-3 305 Sr./Sr.
64 Matt Sedillo OR 6-3 320 So/Jr
65 Ryan Tolar 6-5 321 So./Jr.

RG 72 Casey Bulyca 6-6 339 Sr./Sr.
65 Ryan Tolar 6-5 321 So./Jr.

RT 71 Cody Habben 6-6 316 So./Jr.
67 Skyler Fancher 6-5 294 RFr./So.

TE 86 Michael Gottlieb 6-5 249 Sr./Sr.
83 Walt Winter OR 6-4 254 Sr./Sr.
80 Kavario Middleton 6-5 255 Fr./Fr.
4 Chris Izbicki 6-3 249 RFr./So.

QB 10 Jake Locker 6-3 222 So./Jr.
8 Ronnie Fouch 6-1 203 RFr./So.
7 Taylor Bean 6-1 199 RFr./So.

TB 1 Chris Polk 5-11 200 Fr./Fr.
6 Brandon Johnson OR 5-9 207 So./So.
20 David Freeman 5-7 190 Fr./Fr.
21 Willie Griffin 5-8 198 RFr./So.

FB 30 Paul Homer 6-1 239 Jr./Jr.
32 Luke Kravitz 6-0 228 Sr./Sr.

WR 3 Alvin Logan 6-2 218 RFr./So.
15 Jermaine Kearse 6-1 180 Fr./Fr.

Washington Defense

DE 66 Daniel Te’o-Nesheim 6-4 263 Jr./Sr.
92 Everrette Thompson 6-6 255 Fr./Fr.
96 De’Shon Matthews 6-4 260 So./Jr.d

T 99 Cameron Elisara 6-3 289 So./Jr.
74 Alameda Ta’amu 6-2 348 Fr./Fr.

T 93 Senio Kelemete 6-4 260 Fr./Fr.
37 Johnie Kirton OR 6-3 296 Sr./Sr.
91 Tyrone Duncan 6-2 278 RFr./So.

DE 59 Darrion Jones 6-2 245 Jr./Sr.
50 Kalani Aldrich OR 6-7 240 RFr./So.
96 De’Shon Matthews 6-4 260 So./Jr.

OLB 24 Joshua Gage 6-2 226 Jr./Sr.
5 Matt Houston 6-0 232 So./Jr.

ILB 9 Donald Butler 6-1 242 Jr./Jr.
57 Trenton Tuiasosopo 6-2 243 Sr./Sr.

OLB 40 Mason Foster 6-1 229 So./So.
29 Chris Stevens 6-1 218 Sr./Sr.

FS 8 Nate Williams 6-0 207 So./So.
34 Tripper Johnson 6-1 210 So./Jr.

SS 15 Darin Harris 5-11 208 Sr./Sr
41 Victor Aiyewa 6-1 209 So./So.

CB 28 Quinton Richardson 6-0 200 RFr./So.
6 Vonzell McDowell, Jr. 5-9 178 So./So.

CB 23 Mesphin Forrester 6-2 202 Sr./Sr.
19 Matt Mosley 5-10 180 So./Jr.

Washington Special Teams

P 12 Jared Ballman 5-11 186 Sr./Sr.
17 Erik Folk 5-11 199 RFr./So.
13 Ryan Perkins 5-10 205 Jr./Sr.

FG/PAT 13 Ryan Perkins 5-10 205 Jr./Sr.
12 Jared Ballman 5-11 186 Sr./Sr.

KO 12 Jared Ballman 5-11 186 Sr./Sr.

HLd 8 Ronnie Fouch 6-1 203 RFr./So.
SNP 49 Danny Morovick 6-4 213 Jr./Sr.

KOR 82 Jordan Polk 5-8 161 Fr./Fr.
28 Quinton Richardson 6-0 200 RFr./So.

PR 11 D’Andre Goodwin 5-11 175 So./Jr.

Husky Football's Dirty Dozen

These guys aren't exactly dirty, but they are survivors.

These are 12 kids that I picked out to highlight today that you seldom see written about. Each is on track to be a key contributor in 2008. All of them have been around four to five years. They all might not be starters but this collection of scholarship late bloomers and walk on's are going to be counted on to provide impact this season season.

Each one of these guys bring some special skills to this team that is often used in a situational basis. You want improved special teams in 2008? Included are some very key contributors that will help with that goal.

FB Luke Kravitz Sr

This is Luke's fifth year in the program and the legacy recruit from Olympia has seen a lot of time on the field at the FB position and special teams. Luke plays behind Paul Homer but the coaches have equal respect for the abilities of both players. Kravitz has had some type of nagging injury each year he has played and this will be the first time he has left training camp unscathed.

The coaches like the way Luke catches the ball out of the backfield and maybe this year the coaches will call his number more often.

WR Chancellor Young Sr.

Chancellor originally committed to Duke and stayed one year there before transferring to Washington. He had to sit out a year and had a breakout spring game. He was never heard from again after suffering from academic problem. Chancellor is back for his last season as a walk on and he had a good fall camp. That camp will get him a shot catching the ball and playing on special teams in 2008.

Young is very good athlete and will get every chance to play this season. Pencil him in immediately for special teams. Don't count out time at receiver because he is the big and physical guy we possibly lack.

WR Charles Hawkins Sr.

Hawkins from Chicago transferred from a small program in Iowa. He has worked his way high up enough on the depth chart to get extensive time last spring. He dropped a couple of passes in the spring game that probably hurt him, but it wasn't like anyone else other than Goodwin was lighting it up either.

Charles will get some opportunities to play in 2008.

TE Walt Winter Sr.

Walt came to Washington as an Army All American LB. he was moved from LB to DE and asked to beef up early in his career and the move didn't really fit him even though he gained some playing time. This is his second year at TE and he is starting to blossom at that position and will open the season as the #2 behind Mike Gottleib who has been slowed down by a hamstring injury.

Walt should have been at TE all along.

OL Morgan Rosborough Jr.

Morgan has been a work in progress ever since he joined the team. Morgan is a giant man the training staff has spent three and one half years sculpting. He always had light feet but he needed to lose weight and gain strength. He saw his first action last season at OG and will get his reps in again this season at the crowded and deep position. Morgan is the fourth guard behind Tolar, Bulyca, and White-Frisbee.

Next year he will compete for the starting job alongside Tolar when the other two graduate.

LB Josh Gage Jr.

Every guy dreams about walking on to a division one program and earning a starting job. Josh did that this year when EJ Savannah went into exile. Gage isn't your usual walk on. He has impressed the coaches with his ability since he joined the team.

Obviously a healthy EJ would be the starter but it is nice to see Gage get his shot.

LB Fred Wiggs Jr.

You hear Fred's name called quite a bit during games. He tends to be around the ball a lot on special teams. He has played a lot since he walked on from O'Dea becoming one of the leaders on special teams.

Fred is a big hitter so keep an eye on him.

S Tripper Johnson Jr.

A 26 year old walk on safety from Newport HS in Bellevue. He signed to play baseball out of high school and bounced around the minors for eight years. He walked on this spring and was running with the 2's for the most part. He is going to be a valuable reserve in 2008 and a boost to the special teams.

Johnson is going to play plenty over the next two years.

S Darin Harris Sr.

Harris has started a lot of games for the Huskies in between sitting out with a broken back. He teamed with Forrester for most of last season after Wells went down. The young talent at safety and the return of Jason Wells still hasn't knocked him out of the rotation.

Harris is your likely starter for the opener beside Williams.

LB Chris Stevens Sr.

The coaches need to find a way to utilize Stevens more in 2008. The absence of EJ should give him more time out there. Chris can be a big play type of player in the right situations. In the past he has lined up as a pass rushing DE and has caused some serious havoc.

Ed Donatell needs to maximize this kid this season.

LB Trenton Tuiasosopo Sr.

Trenton has started a lot of games since recovering from a near fatal bicycle accident. He will be listed as starter 1-B at MLB this year. Trenton is very solid against the run so I believe we will see him used on a situational basis this year when Donald Butler is on the field.

I could see Butler and Tui playing besides each other during obvious running situations.

DE Jovan O'Connor Sr.

I don't know if Jovan has ever played a down since he hit campus five years ago. He was listed as the #1 DT at the start of Spring than quickly moved down the depth charts. He lost 40 lbs since school ended and is now listed as a DE. I don't know if that translates into playing time but Willingham must like this kid to keep him around this long.

Oregon's Nate Costa Doubtful

It looks like Justin Roper is going to be starting next Saturday night against Washington. Coach Mike Bellotti said that they would know the extent of Costa's injury after he is examined by the team Orthopedist on Sunday. He said at this point it was doubtful that Costa would play against Washington.

Roper is a different type of QB than a Costa or a Dixon. The 6'6 Roper simply is not as mobile as those two. This slows down the game a bit for Washington. Roper is a decent QB but he won't give the Huskies as many reads as Costa would have. Washington will be able to key more on the Oregon running backs who will be attacking Washington's young defensive line.

Costa was going to be the starter this year over Roper because he had a lot more upside. Roper out performed in camp this fall but most felt that Costa would be the better QB over the long term. He fits what Oregon likes to do a lot better than Roper.

The line in this game is two touchdowns in favor of Oregon but in my mind the gap has been closing between the two over fall camp.

Final Impressions from Fall Camp

All indications are that the coaches were very happy with the scrimmage on Thursday and the entire camp in general. A large majority of the players showed up in good shape, injuries were minimal for the most part, and some players are starting to emerge as potential stars.

The most important development has been the added contributions of the true freshmen. Washington is going to play a lot of young kids this season.

At running back Chris Polk, David Freeman, and Johri Fogerson have all showed they are ready to play immediately. Terrance Dailey isn't that far behind but will likely red shirt since the position also returns Brandon Johnson, Willie Griffin, and Brandon Yakaboski.

Tim Lappano has stated that they are going to go with a rotation of three running backs this season. Chris Polk and Brandon Johnson who is now rounding in shape figure to be the first two to be called on. The third is a bit of a mystery with Freeman, Fogerson, and Griffin running neck to neck into the final week of practice before the opener. Expect at least one of the true frosh in addition to Polk to play this season.

Going into this camp the biggest question mark was running back but the coaches feel those questions have been answered and the position will be one of strength in 2008. Look for Chris Polk to contend for freshman of the year honors in the Pac Ten. This kid is going to do some very special things over the next four years if he stay healthy.

Questions are still being answered at wide receiver. D'Andre Goodwin is the only sure thing so far with Alvin Logan not too far behind. Both of those kids are likely to be your opening night starters. Behind them will be Devin Aguilar, Anthony Boyles, Jermaine Kearse, Cody Bruns, and Jordan Polk in no particular order.

Vince Taylor who arrived late is probably going to be the only player to end up saving a year of eligibility. I also think it is a given that they move Vince over to safety to build some depth for the future. The loss of Curtis Shaw due to personal problems hurts since he was the fastest player on the team plus he had game experience.

Over at TE Kavario Middleton has had an exceptional camp and is catching on very quickly. I expect him to be a starter by mid season even though like all frosh he could benefit from a year in the weight room. Everyone knew that Kavario could run and catch but what is impressive is how far his blocking has come along in camp. tim Lappano. The coaches are saying that he is everything they expected him to be and more.

Another great surprise at TE has been the emergence of 5th year senior Walt Winter in his second year at the position. Walt came in with a lot of recruiting fanfare and has played quite a bit since he has been at UW. Walt however has never been a star and one reason for that is he never was at the right position. He was recruited as a LB but was asked to put on weight and play DE. He got some reps in games but never broke into the starting lineup. The move to TE though has given him a home that works well with his talents. Walt is a smart kid who blocks well and has shown in practice that he can be a reliable receiver. Walt is going to see a lot of action this season backing up Mike Gottleib.

Perhaps the biggest question mark going in to the season for me was the defensive line and it still is. If you listened to Ed Donatell's comments the day after the scrimmage he is still looking for some answers at these positions. he mentioned he wasn't that happy with their play while watching the scrimmage but after he watched the film a coupl of times he felt that they did OK.

Daniel Teo Nesheim is the only given this unit really has at this point. The fourth year junior will compete for all league honors in 2008. Darion Jones who has a lot of talent will flank him on the other side. DeShon Matthews and Cameron Elisara are the guys slated to start in the middle. Those two are my biggest question marks going into the season. Both are going to be starting for the first time and while they looked solid this past Spring they lack size and experience. In a perfect world Matthews and maybe Elisara would be playing out on the end. They both will see some time out there in the future. You hope the quickness they can bring can offset the lack of size in the interior.

Coach Donatell would like to develop a large rotation for these positions with only the massive freshman Alameda Ta'amu staying inside at all times. That means plenty of potential playing time for Johnnie Kirton, Nick Wood, Tyron Duncan, Kelani Aldrich, Everette Thompson, and perhaps Senio Kelemente is he catches on quickly after arriving late. All of these young guys are having decent camps and will contribute in 2008.

Craig Noble who was supposed to compete for playing time is going to end up red shirting. He missed all of camp waiting for his Cal exit exam test score. If he doesn't make it soon they just might have him wait till January to enroll.

I think a really big key this season will be the play of Alameda Ta'amu. If he can make his presence felt in the same that Jordan White Frisbee did as a freshman this line may come together better than most people think. It is a lot to ask out of a true freshman but this kid is 350 pounds of almost pure muscle. I really haven't seen much of a belly on him in the photos I have seen. The coaches have been working him in a similar way as Juan Garcia because he still has the lingering effects of a foot injury suffered in high school. All indications though show he is healthy and ready to contribute.

Youth will be served and counted on at Washington in 2008. How quickly these kids come along will be a large part in determining the fortunes of this team this season. One thing for sure is they are going to learn quickly with Oregon, BYU, and Oklahoma as their first three assignments. This is going to be a baptism of fire for these kids and it is going to be very exciting to watch.

Pac Ten Alley

Pac Ten Alley

Its time to take the weekly walk down the coast to see what the neighbors are up to.

Addicted to Quack chips in on the injury to Costa. This extent of the injury is still a mystery but it is looking more and more like Roper will start next weekend.

1320 "The Score" is reporting that Costa has injured the same knee that was surgically repaired last year. Good news is that he finished out the practice and then discussed this with the coaches. From what we've heard, he will be getting an MRI tonight. However, Oregon's orthopedic surgeon is out of town, so results may not be back until Sunday. At this point, we don't know the extent of this. It could be very serious, or quite minor. He won't be playing for at least a few days.

The return of Toby Gerhart is boosting Stanfords gridiron fortunes.

The last time Stanford's Toby Gerhart played a football game, he ran like an All-American.
But while shredding San Jose State for 140 yards in just 12 carries last September, Gerhart partially tore the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Expected to be out a few weeks, the running back spent the rest of the season on the sideline.

Arizona looks back at the #12.

With 12 days to kickoff we look at the number 12, and we remember some great ex-Wildcat quarterbacks. It was a difficult choice to pick the top ‘Cat at #12, but in the end we had to go with Arizona’s current passing leader, Tom Tunnicliffe.

Kevin Riley was named the starting QB for Cal's opener.

Following Thursday's practice, Cal coach Jeff Tedford announced that he has named sophomore Kevin Riley as the Bears' starting quarterback for the season opener on Aug. 30 against Michigan State. Still on the field, he was quick to address the elephant in the room as he met with media members. "Kevin is going to start, might as well cut to the chase," Tedford said. "Kevin's going to start the first game. We feel like both of them have had great camps. Kevin's going to take the first snaps, and we'll see how it goes from there."

Jake at the Beaver Blog is happy to see the horse collar be outlawed.

The best thing for Beaver fans is the elimination of the horsecollar tackle. James Rodgers was tackled this way on 3 separate runaway plays last year. They were touchdown saving grasps for USC, Stanford, and (uh...I don't recall the other one, anyone remember?). So that's great news! We need that guy to stay healthy and keep churning out the highlight reel runs.

USC was scrimmaging yesterday.

After USC assistant coach John Morton forgot to play Jordan Cameron into the scrimmage Saturday, Cameron got the first play of Thursday's scrimmage, a 32-yard pass from Garrett Green. Cameron led all receivers with three catches for 81 yards. He also drew a pass interference penalty and was called for pass interference.

ASU is sorting out its defensive backfield.

On the defensive side of the ball junior Terell Carr has also come a long way in camp and looks to be solidifying himself as the best choice for starter in the corner spot opposite Omar Bolden. Suffering from a case of the drops earlier in camp, Carr has been more advantageous with his time including an impressive pick yesterday that elicited a chorus of "Atta way T-Carr" shouts from his teammates in the secondary.

All things Bruin from Bruin Nation.

We will start our Friday roundup with a little perspective from our defense. They are feeling confident after getting better of our developing offense during most of this fall camp. However, projecting that confidence doesn’t mean they are counting our offense out. Briah Dohn has a good report today in the Daily News on Reggie Carter’s (one of our key defensive leaders) perspective on our offense:

WSU reviews the top comments of the week.

Just eight days until kickoff?? Please tell me, where did this summer go? Unbelievable. Some quick links to get your day started, and then it's your turn. We'll go over some of the top comments of the week.

Costa Update

Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti said that Nate Costa was dinged up in a scrimmage last night but continued to play. Costa was held out today and the team orthopedic surgeon is going to take a look at him on Sunday when he gets back from vacation if needed.

Bellotti was more optimistic today and said Costa could be back as early as Friday.

Here's what we know: Costa hurt the knee during Wednesday's practice, walked off the field and is now listed as "out'' on today's medical report.

Whenever your starting QB goes down nine days before the opener you are going to play a cat and mouse game with the media. No reason to tip your opponent off about what to expect.

Once again we hope Nate is OK and can start against UW.

Costa Injured

QB Nate Costa suffered an injury to his knee last night that could possibly end his season according to unsubstantiated reports coming out of Eugene this afternoon. Head coach Mike Bellotti will give out the official news later today at his press conference.

Once again these are unsubstantiated reports so until the coach confirms it we have no idea of the seriousness of the situation. Expect as is the custom for word to be delayed as long as possible so Washington has to prepare for two different QB's.

I want to add that we all hope Nate is OK.

Oregon Ducks Go Into Hiding

Down in Eugene daily doubles have come to an end and the Oregon Ducks are now beginning to focus completely on their opener with Washington. The Ducks announced they will be closing practices to fans and the media in anticipation of getting ready for the opener on August 30th.

Coach Bellotti typically runs one of the more accessible BCS programs in the country. From the team's perspective, there is too much at stake on Aug. 30 to freely disseminate certain types of information regarding UO's preparations for the start of Pac-10 play.

For example, UW boss Tyrone Willingham was quoted in Tuesday's Seattle P-I as wanting to know who Oregon's starting quarterback is going to be for the opener. "You'd like to know," Willingham said. "It gives you a better look at what the skills of that individual are. So, if you can have that information, it's better to know."

One of the big questions going into this game is who Oregon is going to go with at QB. For the most of the fall it was going to be Nate Costa, but Justin Roper the star of last years Sun bowl bowl victory has pulled even with him as the team heads into crunch time.

You have to think that Bellotti has a pretty good idea and will make a decision by Saturday, but the starter could actually end up being a game day announcement which is designed to keep Washington on its toes as far as preparation is concerned.

Whoever the starter is he will be guarded by one of the very best offensive lines in college football. The Ducks game plan will be to run the ball at the soft underbelly of Washington's smallish and inexperienced defensive line. This will take pressure off whoever the starting QB is and it will put the highlight on Oregon's trio of NFL bound running backs. Make no mistake about it, Oregon is going to try to establish ownership of the line of scrimmage before opening up the passing game in this one.

Coach Bellotti expressed concern at the offense’s tempo in last Saturday’s scrimmage. The Ducks went to a consistent no-huddle look last season, and became so efficient that they got off two snaps against USC at mid season in a span of just 13 seconds. With Dixon graduated the timing and rhythm just may not be there yet.

When I saw the Ducks in Husky Stadium last fall I thought they had the best offense in college football. We were all just amazed by the gamesmanship going on in the backfield. It was almost impossible to tell who was carrying the ball at times. You would think one second that the Huskies had stuffed a play only to see a Duck sprinting around the corner with the ball unmolested.

I think it is a given that whoever starts at QB won't be able to execute as well as Dixon in the opener but they may not have to. The Ducks have a solid offensive line and with the speed and size at RB they should be able to gain their yards playing straight up against almost anyone.

Oregon has the ability to be a great football team in 2008, but there biggest obstacle just might be the opener against Washington because the offense may not be running on all eight cylinders yet.

Whenever you are going up against a team with an athlete the caliber of Jake Locker anything can happen. Locker almost single handedly kept Washington step for step with Oregon in 2007 through three and a half quarters. With an additional year under his belt and Dennis Dixon gone the Huskies hope that gap has been closed.

“I think we’re a great football team, and I’ve said this before — if we don’t beat ourselves, there are very few teams out there that can beat us,” Bellotti said. “And I really, truly believe that.

This game is going to answer a lot of questions for the Pac Ten on opening night.

Willingham's difficult relationship with the 12th man

The Huskies took yesterday afternoon off but Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times made some interesting observations in his blog concerning the Washington Husky football practice policy.

What Oregon is doing is actually what I think most of us who cover UW would like the Huskies to do --- be open, or pretty close to open, during spring practice and the beginning of fall camp, when there is really very little game planning going on, but maybe get more restrictive once the season nears.

Most of the programs in the conference and country do that these days because it helps promote the team and build excitement for the coming season. Willingham feels that opening practice at any time to the media distracts his coaches and players.

A longtime observer of Washington football told me that the coach simply hates the chance of any criticism. It isn't simply a matter of information leaking out to opposing teams. He doesn't want anyone commenting on how he runs his practices. If the players aren't doing a lot of hitting for instance he doesn't want someone to criticize his methods. He feels information is power and if he controls all the information he is controlling his power. In other words the coach wants to eliminate the chance of anyone second guessing him.

It is that same type of logic Willingham used when he banned fans and family who travel on the road to see games from staying in the team hotel. Up to 10,000 fans used to follow the Huskies on the road for each game. Obviously all of them could not stay at the team hotel but the hotel lobby was a central meeting place for all Husky fans when they were on the road.

I don't know if you have ever been to a road game pre Willingham but it was a carnival atmosphere in those very recent days. KJR or whatever radio station was following the team would set up in the hotel lobby on Friday and do a live broadcast. Husky fans from all over the country would meet each other and share their passion for Husky football. The team, fans, families, and friends were all together the night before the game in a charged atmosphere which helped the team build the emotional edge it needed to conquer the opposing team on the road.

I remember the days of a Rick Neuheisel, Jim Lambright, Don James being available in the lobby and mixing with fans and boosters to let them know how important they were to the program and they sincerely meant it. If you wanted to talk to Jim Lambright for a few minutes he had the time and made you feel glad you were there. It wasn't unusual to have a chalk talk with one of the assistants over a cold frosty beer.

Those former Husky coaches knew that having 10,000 Husky fans in the stands when you were on the road playing a team such as Michigan was a great source of pride and comfort. It simply was an edge that most programs in the country did not possess.

The number of fans that travel to watch the Huskies on the road is dramatically down. I was amazed at how few Husky fans were on the road when we played Arizona State last season. The majority of Husky fans at the game were made up mostly of sun birds who had moved down from the Northwest.

What the coach and the team are missing out on is the tremendous emotions that help propel the team to improbable victories in the past.

Who can ever forget the Whammy in Miami? Do you think that win would have ever been possible without the support of the 12th man on the road?

The thing that has made Washington football so special over the last 100 years is it has been our team. Husky football is the one thing some bandit in Oklahoma can never take away from us. Husky football is something that is in our blood. We all grew up with it going to the games with our fathers, and fathers, fathers. It isn't just sport it is a deeply rooted Northwest tradition of pride, excellence, history, and community involvement.

The message from Coach Willingham is loud and clear. He doesn't want anyone around his team at home and on the road because he feels it is a distraction. He wants to control the environment. The coach wants his players to focus on the task ahead without any distractions.

What the coach and his team may be missing out on is the key ingredient of emotion. With the nations toughest schedule staring them in the face in 2008 a little emotion and support from loyal fans may be the secret ingredient this team is lacking.

Willingham Press Conference

Ty was pretty informative today with the press which is a nice change.

First of all Juan Garcia didn't suffer a setback as feared by Molly Yanity of the PI earlier today. He did have a bit of a scare, but nothing to worry about. The coaches think he is still solid. One of his relatives passed away and he went home to attend the funeral and that is why he missed practice. Tolar isn't getting much work at center which means they think they are going to be fine with Garcia and Sedillo.

Practice was cancelled this afternoon to give the players some rest. They had hoped to run what the coach called a game mock up but it was mostly for the coaches benefit not the players. He sensed the legs were getting heavy and probably after factoring in the weather decided to call it an early day. The practice can be made up at a later date if needed.

On the injury front Nate Williams is just bruised up a bit and will be fine. TE Mike Gottleib is back on track to start against Oregon. Willingham also mentioned that Walt Winter is really coming on this year. Kavario Middleton is getting it and is getting hIs blocking down in addition to be a very important receiving option.

The coach said that center Mykenna Ikehara has been one of the freshman standouts of camp. Tim Lappano told Bob Condotta of the Times it was too early to say whether Ikehara will play this season and the preference would be to redshirt him, but that he could play this year if needed. I commented earlier today that it has been evident since this kid stepped on campus that he is the next great Husky center.

Meanderings

Tick...Tick...Tick...AAndy is back over on the Dawgman message board.

Franchise Faithful...Kickoff 2008 is a little over a week away in Eugene...The anticipation and expectations for this season have not been seen in years...2008 is the Rubicon for a program that will define the direction of the Franchise for the next five years...With so much at stake...where is the excitement?...Previously the beginning of a Husky football season was not unlike May Day in the Former Soviet Union...All the power, technology, and depth on display for the football world to marvel at...So what do we have today?...Cross your fingers and hope the Huskies exit Eugene without embarrassing themselves...If that is not the case...is this true Husky football?...Well yes...and yet we are asked to remain patient...The patience of the faithful has grown thin...and the sense of excitement is just as thin...

Huskies Healing up for Opener

Lets spend a little time talking today about what is going on in preparation for the Oregon game. Willingham told the media today not much is going on yet. Nice try Ty, but I think the Huskies are squarely focused on Oregon. Intensive game planning will start on Monday, but you can be sure that the team is already planning some surprises for Belotti and company.

The good news is that Washington is slowly getting all the injured players back to full strength. Locker came back on Monday along with Brandon Johnson so the coaches are really going to be focusing on keeping them healthy. Johnson has two weeks to shake off the rust and get ready.

Getting the safeties healthy is another big concern. Jason Wells is still coming back from his knee injury, Victor Aiyewa is still slowed by his groin, and Nate Williams came up with a gimpy ankle. If the Huskies were playing tonight the starters at safety would be Harris and Johnson. Thankfully we have almost two weeks to go so I imagine if there are no setbacks we should be fine on opening night.

Juan Garcia has really put himself in contention to play in the opener. I would have to say this has been the surprise of camp so far. Matt Sedillo has been slowed down with a concussion so it is going to be great to get some depth back at the position. Mykena Ikehara is a kid that could play this year if needed. Remember his name because this kid will be the next great Husky center. Hopefully they won't need him and he can build some muscle this season and keep that extra year of eligibility. (Quick note on this one is that the PI's Molly Yanity says Garcia may have suffered a setback. We will report about it later today if true after Ty concludes the press conference.)

An official depth chart probably won't be released until next week, but here are some pretty solid guesses on what it will look like. Not a lot of surprises here except for Harris over at safety. He is the only safety that isn't dinged up so I think he will get the nod over Aiyewa early. Wells is going to play a lot this year, and once the coaches are satisfied his knee is fine I bet he ends up starting beside Williams. As far as depth goes i would love to see them move Fogerson and Taylor over. I think it is just a matter of time with Taylor, but fogerson has impressed at RB.

Offense

QB Locker, Fouch
TB C.Polk, B. Johnson, Griffin, Freeman
FB Homer, Kravitz, Sylvester
WR Logan, Aguilar, Young
WR Goodwin, Kearse, Hawkins, Boyles
SB Bruns, J. Polk
TE Gottleib, Winter, Middleton, Izbicki
OT Habben, Fancher
OT Ossai, Armelin
OG Tolar, White Frisbee
OG Bulyca, Rosborough, Shugert
C Sedillo, Garcia, Christine

Defense

DT Elisara, Kirton, Kelemente
DT Matthews, Ta'amu, Wood
DE Teo Nesheim, Duncan, Thompson
DE Jones, Aldrich
WLB Gage, Houston
SLB Foster, Stevens
MLB Butler, Tuiasosopo
CB Forrester, Mosley, Persley
CB Richardson, Davenport, McDowell
SS Harris, Aiyewa
FS Williams, Wells, Johnson

Specialties

KR C. Polk, J. Polk
PR Goodwin, J. Polk
PK Folk, Perkins
P Ballman
S Morovick

Husky Fans Form Factions

This is an interesting outsiders take on the message boards over at Dawgman.

Last year, with Jim-Mora-to-the-Huskies talk at frenzied pitch, I actually saw a guy at Husky Stadium with a Jim Mora Jr. button.

Fitting, I thought, because the battle between the pro- and anti-Willingham forces was beginning to resemble a political debate–with both sides having developed specious talking points (pro-Ty: It’s Gilby’s recruiting!; con: Look at Notre Dame!), and disingenuous counter-arguments meant to stifle debate (pro-Ty: you’re scaring off recruits!; con: don’t blame the players!).

But now the campaign is at a new level. The sides have actually created political parties. Over at the Dawgman.com message boards–which I like to check in on every once in a while to destroy my faith in humanity–the pro-Willingham forces are being called POSIDawgs, and anti-Willingham partisans are known as NEGADawgs.

Shooting the Messenger

Every once in awhile we run with something controversial that leads to a significant amount of debate on the subject. We had a lot of great posts, and some not so great anonymous posts, but since the majority of those not so good anonymous posts came from the same person over an over again I found it amusing.

My point in writing the article was to point out that there was a much better way for the athletic department to handle these type of things when they come up. I think most rational people can agree with that.

Once again we keep this place pretty positive during the year and are in a mode now where we judge by results on the playing field each week during the season. However this site isn't to be confused with the Ty Willingham Fan Club. You can't even come close to being objective or fair when you ignore the day to day reality (good or bad) that surrounds the way the program is currently being run.

I don't have a fire Ty agenda at all. I want to see the team win, the players to have fun, and the stadium to be full every weekend. I want to see our players graduate, stay out of trouble, and live to see a rebuilt Husky Stadium.

If Willingham is the guy that takes us there I have absolutely no problem with it. I will however continue to question his leadership at times when needed. Anyone who is 11-25 does not get a free pass on scrutiny and fair criticism.

Here are two posts that take opposing views that are very well thought out and deserve mention. I think both of these guys hit the nail on the head from opposing angles.

The first post is from ROB N who is one of our regular readers.

Alright, everyone and their mothers has thrown in their two anonymous cents. I'm frankly a little surprised at the fervor with which several guys have stood up for Ty. It, in some bizarre way leads me to believe that he must be doing something right in that if he's got these guys in his corner, he must be holding a certain level of favor amongst some of the important boosters and donors. Then again, 1/3rd of the country still supports George W.

Do your critics regarding this Queeg series realize you started this blog to bolster support for Ty? Minus a little jab in backtalk the other day, it seems you tend to give Ty the benefit of the doubt in football-related matters and have been quick to sing his praises when he succeeds, the recruiting class of '08 for example. I'm not sure where you stand on issues of Ty's employment, neither as the future coach of this program nor whether you could rewrite the past. It doesn't really matter. Your allegiance to the team and program has been unwavering, so good riddance to the idiots who won't allow you to expose a character flaw in a man you might still consider the best chance for the team's near or long-term success.

Coach blew it on this one. Maybe he'd take it back, I don't know. He ought to want to.

To all of those in Husky Nation who are sick of Ty Willingham as a topic, you must appreciate that he's Dr. Frankenstein as well as Captain Queeg (he created this monster). Except for the most resolute of the Montlake rabble-rousers, every Husky fan in the world would love to track Chris Polk's challenge for the permanent starting role. Would like a semblance of a depth chart at DT. Would be interested to know from what distance Ryan Perkins can still split the uprights.

That is all stuff we can talk about!

When Ty restricts the stories that come out of lower campus, the restriction itself becomes a story. Apparently Ty believes he can win an intelligence war with his football opponents and that will give him an edge that will lead to more wins. I wonder how many 4th quarter leads slipped away at Husky stadium because the place was only 3-4's full.

Is Ty a good coach? Has he been a victim of sub-par talent? The answers are debatable. He put together several winning seasons at Stanford, at least after he had the chance to put his team together. He had Notre Dame in the chase for a national championship, then left the program with a back to back BCS Bowl roster. Ironically, Willingham was chased out of South Bend for too man blowout losses, but at Washington it's been the narrow ones that have had us pulling our hair out. At best he's good, at worst he's bad. I guess he's always inconsistent.

Despite another tough schedule, this is likely TW's career-defining season. He had the chance to bring in some guys— any talent gaps will be tough to justify; he adjusted his supporting cast and any late game breakdowns should fall on his shoulders; for this season to be a success, he needs a signature win, an upset that sets the tone for the season. If Ty limps in with 6 wins, I'll still consider this year a failure.

If that's the case, he'll be lucky to get fired with the plausible deniability that he just got shafted again from an unreasonable and impatient fan base. He'll point to his off-field successes and make sure his future employers know just how bad the team was when he took the helm. He'll point to whatever lucky coach gets Jake Locker as a senior and call the 2010 Rose Bowl the house that Ty built.

If Ty can haul in 8 regular season wins, which I believe is more realistic than a lot of frustrated fans, then I think some people should just shut up. Not you, John, but some people. The Willingham era has been frustrating so far, but this team is very near a verge, very close to almost breaking out. Wins this year will largely come from one good recruiting class and one great recruiting class, a coaching shakeup, and Ty's ability to keep his team on his side despite the $#!+storm that has blown in. That would all be evidence of good coaching, his poor PR aside.
8 wins could mean a contract extension and perhaps the moment the tide turned, launching the golden age of TW's era and burying the bad memories of Neu and Gilby's wake.

I supported Emmert's decision to keep Ty on for this year because I felt it was both the honorable decision as well as the correct (or at least least premature) decision. My support wavers by the day. If the Dawgs can end the season with at least 8 wins (either 7 in the regular season + a bowl win or 8 in the RS and a bowl loss), I won't have to regret that support. Anything less and I'm done making his excuses.

Keep doin' what you're doin' cuz you're doin' it well. Your position as a blogger is important specifically because it frees you from needing that inner-office memo to publish your editorial when you know what's what.

Sorry for taking so much space. See you at Autzen?

The next post is from Husky Fan in NY.

While the Tyee office and/or athletic department could've handled it better, that's not the main issue here. So this guy wants to cry that he wasn't told nicely enough that he broke clearly stated rules?!?

Somebody call the WAAAAAAAMUMBALANCE!!!! THIS ISN'T NAM PEOPLE, THERE ARE RULES HERE!

People that get to attend practice have to agree to those rules and they know (or should) full well that these practices, particularly right now, are under strict scrutiny. For all things holy, we open AT Oregon! If any purple veins bleeding Husky fan can’t at least try to make it a point to just follow the rules as they are clearly stated then this wouldn’t even be an issue, but these guys just ignore the rules and the UW has said “ENOUGH”.

The UW has EVERY RIGHT to dictate the rules as they see them – it’s not just Ty either. James had closed practices, Lambo, and Gilby too. This program is bigger than some stupid fan that can’t keep his big mouth shut on message boards.What’s even more disturbing is that Dawgman lets these guys post those reports knowing full well that the UW doesn’t want to see that on message boards.

It’s like they set Ty up to look bad no matter what. Again, this is a huge game in 11 days and UW has a large advantage in having a new DC and is most likely engaging a bit of gamesmenship with the Locker injury and possibly some others. If one guy posts anything about his privileged access then other people might think it's ok as well and go into even more detail. If you can't handle the ramifications of breaking rules by which you agreed to abide, don't break them in the first place!

Now You Know the Rest of the Story

You might have noticed the Captain Queeg posts in the blog the past two days and thought to yourself what the heck is going on? What is this leading up to? What does Captain Queeg have to do with Washington Husky football?

Well Husky fans, I have a very sad story to tell you.

Coach Tyrone Willingham has a new policy in force this year that the Tyee's who are invited to watch practices aren't allowed to post about their experience on the internet. Obviously they don't want anyone posting sensitive information that could result in an opponent gaining a competitive advantage. I can respect that. I do get information from friends that do attend practices and I do not post that information even though it is second hand.

A member over at Dawgman who is the nephew of Husky legend Bo Cornell went to a UW football practice last week. He wrote a positive post about his experience that had very little if any information about the practice.

This guy was totally pro Willingham and up till last week he actually believed that Willingham should be given an automatic five year extension. This guy was Willingham's biggest fan and I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't have a signed Ty poster on the wall of his bedroom.

When Willingham became aware of the post on Dawgman he had the athletic department track him down and permanently ban him from attending practices. His family who have owned the tickets for decades were threatened with the restriction of their Tyee privileges as further punishment.

Here is the post that raised Ty's ire, you be the judge. Was there a single thing in there an opponent could use? Did it deserve such a harsh reaction?

Was quite happy with the intensity and the effort that was being put forth by the players.

Got a chance to watch Donatell and JD work together with the defense. Lots of coaching and it was clear all the players were totally engaged and helping one another.

Some players showed some serious fire. Bulyca just exploded on a guy for slacking. I watched each line going through drills and there was absolutely no screwing around. Not putting anything out there, but I was quite happy to see a couple things.

Chris Polk isn't the only Polk with speed....wow. Chris Polk's family was there and they were having a good time.

I personally really like this coaching staff. Donatell is first class. Gervias is a total stud. I really hope it stay intact from the HC on down.

I have seen the recruiting process first hand and I think from a recruiting stand point they know what they are doing. Regardless of what many say.

If it is a 4 win season I would still be inclined to see TW another year. Though I don't think it would happen. There is a certain player with the number 10 on his jersey who loves playing for Willingham. Remember that when you bash the coach that there are others that take it personally and they know about it.

Considering this coaching staff and the level experience and their level of desire to be here this staff will not fail. Like Fleenor said we cannot pin the season on one player. They have got to put it together as a team

He sums his feelings up with this comment.

"This is what I get for being 4 year typologist.......dirt kicked in my mouth for supporting Ty and his coaching staff. I am saddened by this and have always looked forward spending this time with Dad and getting a chance to go to practice. I have shrugged off the mounds of complaints about Ty and didn't give them much weight. I can only imagine what the big donors must feel like."

So you fly off the handle and permanently ban this guy from going to practice and threaten his family with the restriction of their Tyee privileges after they have been contributing to the program for over thirty years?

How hard is it to make a friendly phone call and remind the poster of their Internet practice posting policies and retain a friend of the program?

If this was an isolated incident I wouldn't even bother posting it, but I get calls a couple times per week concerning the way Willingham treats current players, former Husky players, alumni, boosters and in this case the common fan who idolized him.

There are so many people out there that don't have a clue what the coach is doing behind his purple curtain. It is high time that people started getting a glimpse of the real Ty Willingham. It isn't very pretty.

Captain Queeg Continued

Another episode which highlights Queeg's behaviors occurs when a quart of strawberries vanish from the wardroom icebox.

Remembering how he helped solve a mystery involving a similar theft when he was an ensign earlier in his career, Queeg attempts to recreate his former accomplishment by insisting the strawberries were pilfered by a crewmember with a duplicate key.

Queeg orders every key on the ship collected, and a thorough search made. During the search, the captain is confronted with evidence that the messboys ate the strawberries. Queeg loses all enthusiasm for the search, though he orders it to continue, and it is continued in a desultory way amid public mocking of the captain.

To be continued...

Ty Speak on EJ Savannah

One of the more amusing things you can do during the day is watch one of Ty Willingham's press conferences on http://www.gohuskies.com/ . It gets very interesting watching Ty react to a question he doesn't want to hear and by the way that applies to most questions asked by the media.

Chris Fetter's from Dawgman decided to ask Ty about the status of EJ Savannah today.

A question was asked about E.J. Savannah and whether or not he would be available for the Oregon game with the amount of practice time missed, and Willingham asked if we had seen him at practice. A follow up was asked to find out Savannah's status and TW was unsure as to why the question would be asked. When asked if E.J. was on the team or off the team, TW simply said, 'Your eyes are as good as mine'. And it was left at that.

If you watch the replay of the conference, and watch Ty's face you get a pretty good idea that EJ may have played his last down as a Husky while Ty is head coach.

Ty had these comments on Jake Lockers return to practice.

"TW said that Jake did '100 percent' more than he's done since the injury because before that he was doing '0 percent'. He added that Locker won't be expected to be 100 percent for a while, and 'wouldn't even be 100 percent the day he gets there'."

When asked what he and doctors saw in Locker, Willingham said, "Jake. That's what we saw: Jake. Jake's eager, anxious and ready to get involved."

OK, so what in the heck does that all exactly mean?

Confer among yourselves.... .

Captain Queeg

Lieutenant Commander Philip Francis Queeg, USN, is a fictional character in Herman Wouk's 1951 novel The Caine Mutiny.

I am sure you have all seen the movie in which Humphrey Bogart does an excellent job playing the excessively paranoid Captain Queeg.

In the novel it quickly becomes apparent that Queeg is prone to eccentric behavior. Queeg displays an oppressive command style and is prone to unprovoked angry outbursts. From the first, he begins to make mistakes that endanger his ship. After refusing the assistance of his predecessor in command, he grounds the Caine on a muddy shoal his first time underway. He panics in a fog and nearly collides with a battleship, and passes the blame to his helmsman, starting a series of incidents that eventually results in a scripted court-martial and mental breakdown of the helmsman.

To be continued... .

The Monday Morning Wash

This is the time of year when UW football beat writers start pulling their hair out. Conference teams are scrimmaging up and down the coast and the writers who cover Washington are just guessing whether UW had a scrimmage on Saturday or not. No word was given of a scrimmage before or after practice by Coach Tyrone Willingham.

We are talking some serious secrecy when a coaching staff doesn't even let you know if they plan on scrimmaging or not. Oregon on the other hand had a scrimmage on Saturday that was open to the media and public.

Bud Withers of the Seattle Times drove down to Eugene to take it in.

Nate Costa, believed to be the guy who will take the first snap when Washington visits the Ducks on Aug. 30, struggled in his first live action since injuring a knee last October, completing only 2 of 10 pass attempts and failing to get the Oregon offense into the end zone.

The results of this scrimmage were pretty mixed. Is the Duck defense so good that they smothered the UO offense, or is the offense in total rebuild mode right now?

Costa went up against the number one defense and had a tough day. Roper on the other hand went up against the #2 defense and looked like he was making a potential move to take over the starting job. The competition is getting very close and both QB's may see action against UW.

According to Ted Miller of ESPN most of the offenses in the Pac Ten struggled against the defense in scrimmages this past Saturday.

You will notice once again that there are no links to a Washington scrimmage because Willingham isn't talking. He may get around to it during his Monday press conference if he is in the mood.

Sounds like some of the Pac-10 offenses had trouble linking up

Looking Forward

This is the halfway point in camp and the number one goal Washington has this week is to get kids like Jake Locker, Brandon Johnson, Mike Gottleib, Byron Davenport, and Victor Aiyewa back into practice.

Most of us expected to see Locker back late last week. He has been throwing and running stairs, but he has not returned to full contact work.

The Huskies have double practices on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of this week. The final or first scrimmage of the year depending on if Willingham will let us know should be this coming Saturday.

UW has the day off next Sunday and on the following Monday starts its game week preparations.

Backtalk with Nathan Ware 2008

Nathan and I haven't done an edition of backtalk since spring practice concluded. This week we attempt to talk about the team in general as we march through training camp. Next week we will start focusing on the Oregon game.

Here's edition #1 of the 2008 season of my weekly talks with John Berkowitz, a fellow UW blogger who runs a successful UW blog on blogspot.com. John and I talk each week throughout the season and give our thoughts on what's happening with UW athletics.

Locker and Johnson are Back

Husky fans can heave a heavy sigh of relief today because Jake Locker was back at practice this morning. Also back in pads were tailbacks Brandon Johnson and Brandon Yakaboski. Safety Victor Aiyewa appeared to be going full speed, as did backup center Matt Sedillo, who was still in a red no-contact jersey. Cornerback Byron Davenport was not present. Freshman defensive tackle Alameda Ta'amu was also not on the field. As far as Ta'amu goes I think he is a kid they are going to be careful with ala Jaun Garcia which means he will only go once during two a days.

WSU Snags Three In State Recruits

Gino Simone, Kirby Moore and Jamal Atofau all committed to Washington State today. Atofau from Bellevue never showed any interest in Washington and that lack of interest was mutual. Simone and Moore are surprises because both have HS teammates playing at Washington and had official vists last week. Simone played with Willingham's son and was coached by current Husky RB coach Steve Gervais.

Washington is loaded at receiver and can survive without Moore, and Simone, but you hate to lose a couple of in state guys that you wanted. The uncertainty of Willinghams tenure after this season obviously played a big part in their decisions along with the chance of immediate playing time across the mountains.

UW needs to win some early games to solidify its next recruiting class. The news this week that Fellner and Coleman had committed is nice, but when you lose kids in your own backyard you have to start closely examining what you are doing.

Puppy Chow

Deandre Coleman from Garfield committed to Washington this week. He is the top recruit from Washington and the top defensive tackle on the West coast. The only knock on Coleman is his grades. He has a long way to go over the next twelve months if he wants to avoid going the JC route to start his college career. Imeka Iweka from Rainier Beach was in the same category and never made it in. He is playing JC ball somewhere and the Huskies are no longer recruiting him.

Coleman has a cousin named Eric Smiley who is also a highly regarded recruit. He moved from Washington to Arkansas last year to get away from some not so great influences. He is currently spending the Summer working on his grandfathers farm in Alabama. The reason I mention Smiley is that he wants to go to Washington and he is the same caliber recruit that Coleman is. The bonus on Smiley is that grades are not a problem. You have to wonder why the Washington coaches haven't offered him yet. Seems like he would be a great package deal with his cousin.

The announcement by Coleman means Washington now has five commitments for the year. Expect the next two to come sooner than later. WR's Gino Simone and Kellen Moore are pretty close to popping the question. The only thing holding them back is the uncertainty around Willingham. With every commit that uncertainty begins to chip away. Add a win over Oregon in the first game and all the dominoes start falling into place.


Injuries

There are a lot of nagging injuries in camp this year. The latest on the list is Victor Aiyewa who has a groin pull. I just wrote a feature on Victor and no sooner than it was published he goes down for the count for a bit.

Injuries are part of training camp and they happen every year. Nobody at this point on the squad has been penciled out of the opener at Oregon, but you hate to see projected starters losing reps on a young team. All the players listed below are day to day except Anthony Gobern who is going to be red shirting.

• Jake Locker - Hamstring
• Byron Davenport - Ankle
• Brandon Johnson - Calf
• Mike Gottleib - Hamstring
• Juan Garcia - Foot
• Anthony Gobern - Shoulder Surgery
• Brandon Yakaboski - Hip Flexor
• Matt Sedillo - Minor Concussion
• EJ Savannah - Academic Problems
• Curtis Shaw - Personal Leave of Absence

Jake Locker is obviously getting closer to getting back on the field. I think if he had to play a game tomorrow he would be out there. Hammies can be a nagging injury if you don't rest and rehab them properly. UW wants Jake to be healthy all season so they are willing to sacrifice time this camp to achieve that goal.

Freshman making an impact

Kavario Middleton is really moving up the depth chart. Expect him to get plenty of playing time against Oregon in passing situations. Johri Fogerson and David Freeman have taken advantage of the absences of Yakaboski and Johnson. Both are on a track to play this season. Most of the receivers are in line for playing time. Jordan Polk, Jermaine Kearse, and Cody Bruns in particular have been very impressive. Devin Aguilar, and Anthony Boyles are also in the mix.

On the defensive line Alameda Ta'amu, Senio Kelemente, and Everette Thompson are all on schedule to play opening night. All three of these kids showed up in great shape ready to play. Senio missed the first couple of weeks of practice because of an NCCA Clearinghouse mix up, but the coaches love this kid. He has a motor that just won't quit.

Whats Happening

Tyrone hasn't announced it but the Huskies could be having their first scrimmage today with two weeks to go till the opener. Don't count on Jake or any of the players listed above to participate much or at all. UW has a goal of getting everyone healthy by the 25th of August. Game week practice is the most important week of camp and if a player misses that week his chances of playing against Oregon are not very good.

This hasn't been a very open camp. We speculated in the off season that Ty might loosen things up this year to give the media a better view of what is going on. That hasn't happened. In fact this is the tightest camp information wise he has run since he became coach at Washington. The press conferences haven't shed much light on where the Huskies are right now either.

I will be back later in the day with updates from practice.

Ryan Tolar - UW Difference Makers

Sophomore OG Ryan Tolar from Pasco has been a difference maker almost from the moment he arrived on campus. The coaches were very tempted to play him right away, but ended up wisely redshirting him to allow him to get rid of the baby fat and build some strength. Tolar is going to end up being a four year starter on the Washington offensive line, and he should be around to see the Huskies challenge for a conference championship before he leaves.

The thing I like best about Ryan is the intensity he brings to the team. This kid was born to be a Husky and plays every minute like it is going to be his last. He blocks very well, and has the ability to pull and lead which really gets the running game going. The kid is 6'5 320 so when he gets moving you really don't want to be in front of him.

Don't be surprised if he garners All Pac Ten honors at the end of the season because he is developing into the best lineman we have in a group of very good lineman. Last season he was named second team freshman All American, and this year he should be one of the better guards on the West Coast.

Ryan sat out this past spring to recover from an injury, but is currently 100% for fall camp. He is the official back up center in addition to his duties at offensive guard going into the season due to Garcia's injury. Matt Sedillo will be the starter till Garcia is ready, but Tolar will moved over in case of emergency. Ryan has really never played center, and it isn't an easy switch because of all the new line calls you have to learn. Hopefully Garcia is back to strength after the first bye week as planned.

Tolar takes protecting Jake Locker pretty seriously. When Locker was knocked out of the Oregon State game with a viscous borderline hit Ryan responded by getting ejected himself after going after throwing a nasty forearm under Alfalava's chin. Willingham may not have been publicly pleased, but Husky fans love the nasty attitude Ryan Tolar brings to the game. With all the cheap shots Jake received last season it is good for opposing teams to look at film and realize that Ryan isn't going to put up with that.

Ryan Tolar helps lead a veteran offensive line that are going to be difference makers for Washington this season.

Victor Aiyewa - UW Difference Makers

Victor was one of those rare finds when he was recruited. He was a kid from Texas that had only played football for two years. Despite the lack of experience the sculpted safety from Texas earned time on special teams as a freshman last year because he just knocks the snot out of people and the Huskies were short handed. The coaches would have loved to have redshirted him, but his ability to elevate the play on special teams, and possibly get some time at safety when Jason Wells was injured accelerated the decision.

This spring he went out an won a starting job at safety. There is also a pretty good chance that he is going to be able to hold onto it during camp as Jason Wells works his way back from a knee injury. Victor and his back field mate Nate Williams really opened up some eyes this spring because they really began to lay some serious lumber.

Washington frankly hasn't had this type of talent and depth at the safety position for most of this decade. The last time we had this type of talent at safety was when Hakim Akbar, and Curtis Williams were leading the team to a Rose Bowl.

Safety is back at Washington, and the position is deep. Backing up Aiyewa, and Williams will be seniors Jason Wells, and Darin Harris who are both former starters. Behind those two you have walk on junior Tripper Johnson who ran with the two's most of the spring, and freshman Greg Walker from San Diego. Another probable addition in the next couple of weeks may be O'Dea's Johri Fogerson who has been impressive working out with the TB's during the first two weeks. With a glut of talent on that side of the ball Fogerson just may find a home over on defense. vince taylor is working with the receivers right now, but safety may also be his ultimate destination.

I list Victor Aiyewa as a difference maker in only his second year in the program because for the first time in nearly a decade we are going to have true enforcer over the middle. Look what Taylor Mays, and Patrick Chung do for their teams and you get a glimpse of what Victor's future at Washington is going to look like.

I am not forgetting CJ Wallace's, and Jason Wells contributions either, but the lack of depth, and talent around them really hurt the defenses that they led.

The Washington defensive backfield that has been maligned ever since the last Holiday Bowl loss against Texas is about to re-emerge from a long slumber. The young talent led by Aiyewa, Williams, and Richardson is ready to explode, but most importantly the positions are all four deep in quality depth. The biggest problem Washington has had under Willingham has been simply having enough DB's ready to play each week so they can execute the defense the way it has been designed. It is pretty tough to compete with only six healthy DB's, and the coaching staff has had to deal with that over the past three years.

In 2008 look for Victor, and Nate to have break out seasons, and be near the top of the list in 2009 when the media starts picking their pre season All Pac Ten defensive teams.

Kibbles

The team hosted the annual 101 club luncheon today. The media was not granted access to the players and Ty Willingham had little to share with the media during his press conference.

Over at TE Kavario Middleton is making a move up the depth charts. He is listed as the #2 behind Walt Winter with Mike Gottleib still sidelined by a strained hammy. Chris Izbicki has temporarily fallen to the bottom of the list. He entered a plea of not guilty today for a couple of misdemeanors he alledgedly committed at the White River Amphitheater. I have no idea of what he thinks he isn't guilty of since he almost broke a breathalyzer with his reading. I guess that is what attorneys are for. I am sure Chris will eventually be forgiven, but don't plan on seeing him play much or at all against Oregon.

The NCAA Clearinghouse admitted that may made a mistake concerning Senio Kelemente's transcipts and he should have been eligible from the start of camp. Not much you can do about the NCAA or the IRS when they make a mistake.

The Huskies have one practice today at 3:30 pm and then another two on Friday.

Ted Miller

Ted Miller continued his series of best case and worst case scenarios with Washington featured today. I like the best case scenario a lot better.

Ted's Best Case

After four lead changes, the Ducks, down 30-28 drive to the Huskies 25. After a QB sneak and a spike, four seconds remain and Matt Evensen comes out for the game-winning field goal.
Blocked, by freshman Kavario Middleton. The Huskies come home to a raucous Husky Stadium and crush No. 15 BYU 35-10.

Ted's Worst Case

Washington starts strong at Oregon, taking a 10-7 lead in the second quarter. But when Jake Locker tries to twist for an extra yard on a third-and-4 run, he hurts his knee. The offense falls silent, and the Ducks roll after halftime, 44-20. The next day, it's revealed that Locker is out for the rest of the season.

Ted's Absolute Worst Case

And Emmert then hires John Mackovic.

Nathan Ware

As usual Nathan puts out something interesting to ponder for Dawgfans.

If you ask any UW fan what UW needs to improve the most in 2008, most would say "play better defense". But, UW's biggest enemy in 2007 was the 2nd half. Obviously, defense is part of that equation. Consider these stats. Here are UW's games from 2007 with the halftime score of each game.

New Commit

Washington picked up a highly touted safety from Fresno California today when Nate Fellner announced he was going to attend UW. Fellner is rated as the 6th best safety recruit in California by Scout. This was good news for the program as Fellner joins four other recruits who have committed over the last thirty days. He chose UW over WSU, Stanford, and san Diego State.

The Weekly Poll Question

Last week we asked how many games are the Huskies going to win this year?

Twelve - 4% (7 votes)
Eleven - 1% (1 votes)
Ten - 1% (2 votes)
Nine - 4% (6 votes)
Eight - 17% (29 votes)
Seven - 24% (40 votes)
Six -14% (24 votes)
Five - 10% (17 votes)
Four - 10% (17 votes)
Three - 4% (7 votes)
Two - 3% (5 votes)
One - 2% (4 votes)
Zero! - 5% (9 votes)

Most of the group felt the team would win between six to eight games this year. One thing that was interesting is the number of people who voted that they would go undefeated. If you are out there give us a reason in the comments section.

This week we ask:

Do you think the Huskies will beat Oregon in the Opener?

This may be one of the most important games in Willingham's coaching career. If you win this one it is going to set the tone for the season and give Ty some breathing room. The Ducks come into this one favored by a couple of touchdowns. Nobody expects the Huskies to win, but don't tell the coaches and the players. They expect to win.

Montlake Jake Locker - UW Difference Makers

The legend in the Pacific Northwest is that when Jake isn't quarterbacking the Huskies he is practicing walking on water, turning water into wine, working toward solving the Israeli/Palestinian dispute, walking elderly ladies across Montlake Boulevard, and discovering the cure for cancer.

It is really hard not to like this kid because he personifies and is a throw back to everything that has been Husky over the past 100 years. You look into this kids eyes and you see a little Bob Schloredt, Marques Tuiasosopo, and Don Heinrich mixed in to his makeup. Make no mistake about it, this kid has the potential to be the best quarterback that Washington has ever had.

I bring up Bob Schloredt because he was a two way player at Washington. He played a ferocious safety, and he was an excellent QB who led his team to two Rose Bowls. Bob was known for his running more than his throwing. I bring up Don Heinrich because he just still may be the best passing QB we have ever had. One thing Heinrich, and Schloredt both had was great leadership skills and the ability to elevate the play of everyone else around them. Jake has the ability to run like Schloredt, throw like Heinrich, and lead like Marques Tuiasosopo. He also has the ability to play about anywhere on the field and be an All American. Jake would make one heck if a safety.

Jakes goal in 2008 is to complete 65% of his passes! Think about that for a minute, only three Washington QB's have thrown for over 60% over the past 60 years! His position coach Tim Lappano thinks it is a doable goal even though he only completed 47% last year while learning the offense. This past Spring he accomplished that goal in scrimmages, and in the spring game, he also has been doing that in informal preseason workouts, and his continued that in the first week of practice the fall.

This past spring the Husky offensive coaches spent some time hanging out with Urban Meyer and his staff in Florida watching the Gators go through spring drills. Lappano says it is just uncanny how similar Tebow, and Locker are in makeup. Lappano feels that Jake has the ability to put together a Tebow like season in 2008.

On offense all the pieces are there to make it happen because everything starts with an experienced and talented offensive line. The only questions are at receiver, and running back, but the players vying for those positions may just be the most talented group Washington has had to work with since the mid 1990's. If those kids jell early, and all indications so far have been positive, this could be a breakthrough season for the Washington offense, and Jake Locker.

Jake's goal for 2008 is simple, complete more passes, improve accuracy, and try to get out of bounds before taking viscous hits from the head hunting defenses that will be targeting him. Make no mistake about it, there will be someone shadowing Locker in every game he plays this season. He isn't going to sneak up on anyone anymore. If Jake gets close to 60% this team is going to go bowling in 2008. He only completed 47% last year, but his receivers didn't do him any favors because we would usually count around 5-6 dropped balls each week. If those balls had been caught there is a pretty good chance the team would have won 4-5 more games in 2007.

The players surrounding Jake in the skill positions may lack experience, but like we said above they have a lot of talent. I feel Jake now has the experience to go along with the ability to elevate the play of those inexperienced pieces. I look for Jake to have a big season in 2008. If he does the Huskies should return to a bowl game. Maybe if we are lucky a cure for cancer is just around the corner.

Puppy Chow

The only two skill positions set right now are QB and FB. You could say since Jake Locker has been out all week with a hamstring strain that position is also up in the air. You hate to see Jake lose work, but it is a good thing for Ronnie Fouch to get extra work since he is just a heartbeat away from having to lead this team.

It is good to hear that Paul Homer and Luke Kravitz are scheduled to get extra opportunities in games this year. I have always felt that they should get more of a chance to catch the ball coming out of the backfield and over the middle. It is a great changeup type of play. Both of these guys can knock down DB's like bowling pins when they catch the ball in stride.

Willingham is being pretty coy about the tailback position. We kept hearing rumors that Brandon Johnson was having trouble with his knee. Now we hear it is just a strained calf muscle which limits his work, but is not a season long reason for concern. Brandon Yakaboski is a bigger concern since he has a chronic hip flexor thing going. He has missed time in his two fall camps and during spring. He needs to get some reps to ever be a factor in this offense. I could see him moving over to LB at some point because they really like the three freshmen.

If you were playing a game tomorrow the pecking order at TB would be C.Polk, Griffin, Freeman, and Fogerson. Expect Freeman to burn his redshirt this season. The coaches really like the way this kid performs. I could see him as one of the possible answers out of the slot also.

Over at WR it looks like Vince Logan is going to be your starter opposite D'Andre Goodwin. Logan is a very good athlete who can catch the ball and block. He has had a good camp and has shown he can be very consistent. Cody Bruns, Jermaine Kearse, and Jordan Polk are all going to play a lot this year. All three of these kids have impressed so far. Walk on Charles Hawkins will be in the top seven and Chancellor Young is also going to get a fair shot at playing time. Aguilar has been coming on lately to make a bid. Boyles still looks pretty light but I doubt they red shirt him since he sat out last season. Vince Taylor is likely to redshirt and I still think his future is safety once the depth setlles out on this side of the ball.

Kelemete Cometh

Senio Kelemente was at practice yesterday and the coaches have indicated that they are going to give him every chance of cracking the rotation on the line. I saw a few pictures of him and he is a ripped 290 lbs.

We should find out about Craig Noble anytime. His test results are due to arrive any day. Having his big body out on the practice field is a real big plus. Ta'amu, Kelemente, Noble, and Thompson are definitely the foundation of future Rose Bowls.

Nathan Ware

Nathan is back at it over at his blog. Our weekly feature Backtalk with Johnny B will continue this season. We are working on the first edition this week.

So many good Pac-10 storylines for the upcoming season, let's take a look at some of the issues that we'll be tracking.- Is anyone going to steal the conference crown from USC this year? I've lost track of how many Pac-10 titles they've won in a row at this point (actually, they've won 5 in a row). 2008 should be another title season for them.

Bob Condotta

Hats off to Bob Condotta over at the Seattle Times. Bob kept his blog going almost ever day during the off season. Today he has an article with the Dawgfather.

Ty Speak

You have to wonder what Willingham is up to in his press conferences.

This is what we get for listening to the head coach, but it turns out Brandon Johnson is being sidelined because of his lower right calf, which he strained last Wednesday. This has to be good news to Huskies fans as we reporters ran with some inaccurate information from Tyrone Willingham, who said Johnson was out because of his knee, on which he had surgery in May.

All this time we were told it was bad knee, but not the case.

It will be very interesting when one of the beat reporters eventually gets Curtis Shaw on the phone.

Confident and sure, Perkins is determined to keep a job at which he was pretty successful last season.

Correct Grammar

I had a reader last week who is a fan and a former English teacher who offered to edit my blog because I keep making repetitive mistakes with comma's. I am going to take him up on the offer because reason #1 for doing the blog was to refine my lost writing skills. It is a very kind offer. It has been thirty years since the correct grammar and punctuation was beaten into me at O'Dea.

Hopefully he will go easy on the leather strap!

I think he also should volunteer to help out Molly Yanity from the PI. She seems to have her commas down, but she could use some help from our resident wordsmith.

"It should be able to the job," Perkins said.

Perkins said the kickers are kicking every day and he has "backed up pretty far."

When I asked him about the pain he endures he said, "Well, when it goes in, I don't really feel it.

A little bit afterwards, the pain might start to shoot, but it's a lot better when it goes in."
Jokes aside, Perkins spent the offseason strengthening his core, focusing on his abdomen and thighs.

"The quad has to do some overtime because it keeps the keen together," he said.
He did no kicking at all and stayed off the knee as much as he could.

I apologize for the excess of comma's but it could be worse as you can see above.

That is the nature of blogging. You pour it out in a ra ta tat manner and sometimes the rules go out the window.

Juan Garcia - UW Difference Makers

Who is the last Rick Neuheisel recruit remaining on the Washington roster? I think that is a pretty easy question to answer because it is fan favorite Juan Garcia.

Juan was on all the national watch lists this year because he is rated as the #2 center on the West Coast behind California's Alex Mack who may just be the best center in the country. Everything was looking pretty good for the 6th year senior who had battled plenty of adversity to overcome injuries, and potential academic hurdles to last this long. Juan in fact didn't even have to come back this year because there was a pretty good chance that he would have been drafted last spring. After the Hawaii game he decided to come back for one more year to boost his draftability, and also help the Huskies get to a bowl game and save Coach Tyrone Willingham's job which was in jeopardy.

Everything was going on schedule until one afternoon in the Dempsey this spring when he was carted off the field after suffering the dreaded Lisfranc injury that ended Isaiah Stanback's career early at Washington. He had two options, have surgery which would have ended his career, or hope for a miracle that it would heal on it's own. As we near the end of the first week of camp all signs are encouraging that the miracle is close to happening as Juan has been able to participate in most non contact drills.

This week has been a big test because it has been the first time he has participated in contact drills to test the foot to see how it is doing. The coaches of course will be closely monitoring him and limiting his reps, but if all goes well we can expect to see Juan back in action for the BYU game even though his goal is to play against Oregon. If he doesn't have any setbacks that goal may just be a reality.

Right now he is inspiring everyone around him and making them work harder. Coach Denbrock said the other day that the conditioning of his line is excellent this year. Juan has inspired guys like Casey Bulyca to really turn it on this year. Most of these kids are in the best physical shape of their life.

As for 2008 Juan has a few things to work on other than his foot. He needs to improve his snapping in the shot gun formation. Too many balls were errant last season forcing Jake Locker to lose a fraction of a second fishing for the ball. The best thing Juan can do for the offense this year besides returning is improve in that area.

You really have to like this kid because he has made the most of his opportunity at UW after arriving in the program as what they used to call a Prop 48 kid. He has earned his degree, he has been an exceptional student, and most importantly whether he plays football in the NFL or not he has a bright future which will allow him to accomplish all his personal goals.

I don't think a kid ever failed at Washington who was a Prop 48. LB Anthony Kelley comes to mind who arrived the same way, last time I heard Anthony was considering going for his doctorate. The lesson to be learned is test scores, and GPA are not absolute guides when it comes to determining a future students ability to learn and achieve success.

Juan Garcia is a difference maker for Washington even if he doesn't play a single down in 2008. With the positive reports coming out of camp that is beginning to look very doubtful. Any player that inspires his teammates to push it to a new level is a difference maker in my book.

Pac Ten Alley

The loss of Curtis Shaw for the season may be one of the most challenging holes for Washington to fill over the next two weeks. The Huskies designed the position around Chris Polk and Curtis Shaw. Polk has moved to TB to take over for an ailing Brandon Johnson which means the two guys the position was meant for are no longer available.

Just guessing here but David Freeman and Jordan Polk sound like a couple of possible answers they may be looking at. Both of those guys have pretty good speed even though Shaw who was a true burner was faster. If you decide to go larger Kavario Middleton and Chancellor Young are looking for playing time. They both would give Locker a couple of bigger targets to look at.

Looking Ahead to Pac Ten Openers

The Pac Ten schedule kicks off on Thursday, August 28 with Oregon State playing at Stanford. This is going to be an interesting contest for both schools. The Cardinal are on the rise and an opening win over the Beavers would get some momentum going. Oregon State on the other hand is out to prove their program is reloading rather than rebuilding. I have to go with the Beavers but like any opener there is likely to be some surprises. This one is going to be a lot closer than people think.

ASU takes on Northern Arizona in their opener and it is exactly the type of shake down exhibition that Dennis Erickson needs to start the season rolling. This one isn't going to be much of a contest.

Arizona opens with Idaho and should be able to put up 50 points on the Vandals with their high powered offense. One of the interesting things to keep an eye on will be the Wildcat defense. If they give up to many points to Idaho it won't bode well for them in conference play.

Michigan State visits California in a big game for both schools. On paper this should be a pretty close game. This game is going to be a tossup with a slight edge to Cal because they are at home. MSU is a veteran team with most of their players coming back on offense and defense. The Bears are replacing a lot of talent but early reviews show that the players that are steeping in are pretty talented. Make no mistake, this is going to a be a big early game.

USC goes on the road to take on Virginia. Al Groh has done a nice job at Virginia and was named ACC coach of the year in 2007. The Trojans are struggling on offense in camp, but the boast the best defense in the country. USC won't need to score many points to beat these guys, but those lack of points will give pundits second thoughts about the Trojans invincibility.

Oklahoma State travels to take on Washington State in Seattle at Qwest Field. WSU is an unknown quantity this year with a new head coach, a rebuilding culture, and a team lacking some serious depth. The Coug's do have some tools on offense, and it will be interesting to see how Rogers does at QB. Oklahoma State is an offensive powerhouse and they should have no problem dominating the Cougar defense all night.

On September 1st Tennessee invades the Rose Bowl to play UCLA in a Monday night tilt. The Bruins are in rebuilding mode right now trying to break in a new QB in time for this big time opener who will play behind an offensive line filled with question marks. Rick Neuheisel loves big games but this is one he would rather pass on. Conventional wisdom says Tennessee should have no problem making a statement against the Bruins.

Pac Ten Alley

Now its time to take a walk down the coast to see what our neighbors are up to.

Oregon unveiled a huge new scoreboard for Autzen Stadium to show the Kenny Wheaton replay again on August 30th

The new scoreboard is up and running as of yesterday. Check out this video on the Register Guards website. This thing is HUGE!

Addicted to Quack responds to Ted Miller's best and worst case scenario for the Ducks in 2008.

In the last couple days, Ted Miller has been running through the best and worst case scenarios for each Pac-10 team. Today, he went over Oregon's. Reading this will get you excited and depressed all at the same time. The thing is, I could see it going either way. We have a very talented team. If the offense clicks, then many good things will happen.

Stanford announced today that Tavita Pritchard the hero of last years USC upset is going to be the starting QB for the opener. Tavita is the nephew of former WSU star Jack Thompson.

Ted Miller has a nice interview with him on his ESPN PAC Ten blog.QB position, they we will be screwed, especially if we can't get momentum early.

Stanford's defense is something to potentially get excited about in 2008.

For a defense that ranked near the bottom of most major Pacific-10 Conference statistics last season and then watched its up-and-coming coordinator leave for Michigan, Stanford seems awfully optimistic it can make stops this fall.

Here is a day eight practice report from Tucson.

The Arizona Wildcats' ninth practice in eight days was uneven early on, but turned competitive during 11-on-11 drills toward the end. Quarterback Willie Tuitama connected with Terrell Reese on a handful of passes, the longest one going for 50 yards. Rob Gronkowski caught a seam pass for about 30 yards. Freshman quarterback Matt Scott worked with the second-team offense again Monday and looked good. He turned the ball over when end D'Aundre Reed stripped him as he scrambled, forcing a fumble.

Darian Hagan is making an impression early in camp for California.

It's better late than never, and Darian Hagan appears to have figured out that much. A much-heralded recruit coming into Cal, Hagan may not have progressed as quickly as some would have wished. But his camp performance thus far suggests he could soon erase those sentiments, according to defensive coordinator Bob Gregory. Following Friday's practice, Gregory gave an update regarding the second cornerback slot. "I think Chris Conte is doing OK. I think Darian Hagan, right now after five days, is playing as good as he has played since he's been here, so that's really, really good to see," he said.

The Oregon State blog has been burning some gas and rubber going between Portland and Corvallis.

Building the DamNation, in our continuing effort to serve you in the best way possible, we bring you the finest practice reports money can't buy. We have searched and searched and driven from Portland to Corvallis a few times for your reading enjoyment.

USC's offense is sputtering in practice, but part of the reason is they are squaring off against the #1 defense in the country.

The running game was nearly non-existent and offense had a rough day against the defense, although the QBs looked poised. Aaron Corp started the scrimmage with the first team but Pete Carroll said it was merely his turn and not a sign of who replaces Mark Sanchez. The blocking needs to improve in the next scrimmage.

ASU needs to improve their offensive line in 2008 if they want to got to the next level.

Fifty-five last season was the number of sacks that ASU allowed in 13 games, a school record that brought no joy. Sun Devils fans probably can't read that sentence without grimacing. Fifty-five is painful. Fifty-five is the difference between the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 27, and the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. Fifty-five is motivation.

Is it time to push the panic button at UCLA?

So on the second day after Ben Olson went down at Spaulding the Bruins had a sluggish day on offense (or a dominating one on defense from another pov). The sloppy offensive performance (to start the Monday of second week of Fall practice) led to Neuheisel making a comment about being “concerned” about offense, which set off immediate concern trolling by local reporters who seemed to be pouncing for the opportunity to hit the panic button.

Eyewitness report from Pullman.

That's right Crimson Nation, Cougar football is BACK. This morning the boys put on full pads for the first time this season and got after it. Having learned from my mistakes I made sure I had plenty of juice for my camera and came away with some good images of the morning's action on Rogers Field. There was a lot to see, so today I promise less jibber-jabber from yours truly, and more pictures of your 2008 Washington State Cougars in action.

BYU concentrates on the backups in scrimmage.

With several of BYU's offensive stars laying low, it didn't take long for their backups to break loose in Saturday's scrimmage at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Junior tight end Andrew George, redshirt freshman running back J.J. DiLuigi and true freshman wide receiver O'Neill Chambers shone in BYU's first full contact work of fall camp. Electing to keep starters like junior tight end Dennis Pitta, sophomore running back Harvey Unga and junior wide receiver Austin Collie on the sideline, the BYU coaches took a look at some talented second-unit players.

The Oklahoma offensive line will be one of the nations best in 2008.

Oklahoma’s offensive line has the three things that all coaches want that particular unit to have – size, strength and depth. The starting five are all seniors and stand tall with Loadholt (6-8/337), Robinson (6-5/335), Cooper (6-3/290), Walker (6-3/284) and Braxton (6-6/304). That is an average of (6-5/310) just in case you were wondering.

The Domer Sports Report reflects on the rebuilding process.

It seems idiotic to even imply that Notre Dame could be the biggest surprise team in 2008 but the statement alone makes everyone realize how far it is the Irish have fallen. One year ago they were coming off of back-to-back BCS appearances and seemed primed for the spotlight for years to come once again. However, 3 wins and 9 losses later they enter 2008 looking to gain back some of the respect that was lost on the national level a year ago.

Puppy Chow

TE Mike Gottleib has a pulled hamstring and Walt Winter has been elevated to #1 TE. You would have thought that Izbicki would have moved to #1 but off field problems this past summer is one reason it isn't happening. Another eason is Winter just might be the best blocker and blocking is a more important requirement at this time than pass catching at TE. Kavario Middleton is still swimming like all freshman do. Once he gets the play book down he is still going to need a year in the program to put on the muscle required to block efficiently. With two and a half weeks till the Oregon game Gottleib is going to be most likely ready to play anyway.

Coach Willingham expects Curtis Shaw to return to the program once his family issues are worked out. No timetable on that one but we have heard whispers that it may not till be spring.

Alameda Ta'amu has made a good impression this camp and is expected to join the rotation at defensive tackle. Senio Kelemente should join the team no later than the end of the week. Craig Noble should be getting his test results very soon. If they are positive expect him to hop a plane and be here the next day.

Nathan Ware is Back!

Nathan Ware is back at it after vacillating for the past month on whether he wanted to continue doing his blog. We are all glad that Nathan decided to continue because he does a fantastic job each day.

Part of my hesitation has been my lack of anything good to say. Like many of you, I'd describe my fanhood as "highly irritated" given the state of current affairs. I felt like if I didn't have something good to say I shouldn't say anything at all.

I can feel the pain Nathan.

Mesphin Forrester - UW Difference Makers

Mesphin was almost an after thought for most Husky fans when he was recruited. He came in with a DB class that included Okeobor, Bankhead, Sanders, Harris, and Goldson. Okeobor had a string of terrible knee injuries, Bankhead never got in, Sanders dropped out his first year, Goldson only played two years because he had to go the JC route, and Harris had to sit out a full year with a back injury. Five years later the most important DB recruit in that class turns out to be Mesphin Forrester.

He has played both corner, and safety, but as one observer told me he was a cornerback in safeties body. you could see him struggle a bit with the position in 2007 when Jason Wells went down. His best moments have been playing in the nickel. This year he moves to CB fulltime and is trying to hold off Byon Davenport for one of the starting positions. No matter who gets the starting nod both will play quite a bit in 2008.

The thing I like best about Mesphin are his hands. The kid rarely drops the ball when it is thrown at him, and that has resulted in some pretty big interceptions since he landed on campus. his biggest was alst season when he returned one for 54 yards against USC. I think he will thrive at CB this year because he has plenty of experience, and the less physical side of the field suits him much better than safety. I think it is a great move because now you have a physical, experienced cornerback, 6'2 200, as opposed to a kid that may just not be physical enough for safety.

This is Mesphin's 5th year on campus, and he is one of the survivors of Gilbertson's one and only recruiting class. Only 15 of the 23 ended up playing at Washington, and only nine iron men remain from what was supposed to be a top twenty recruiting class. These kids have been through a lot over the past five years, and it would be great if Mesphin and his fellow seniors could finish up their careers with a bowl game in 2008.

Ed Donatell - UW Difference Makers

When UCLA's Dewayne Walker decided to stay on with UCLA after being passed up for the head coaching position many Husky fans were disappointed. Walker is a good coach with excellent recruiting ties in Southern California. Those recruiting ties made him even more valuable to a Northwest school.

I personally always thought of Walker as more of a flavor of the month type of guy, so when he passed on Washington I wasn't too upset. Its no knock on Walker, but it wasn't like he was the only guy in the country who could coach a defense.

When the Huskies hired Donatell I really got excited. What Ed brings to the program is a lot of experience from the NFL, plus the type of bloodlines we like since he started his career at Washington under Don James, spent time with Keith Gilbertson at Idaho, and was the DC for the Atlanta Falcons under Jim Mora Jr..

Ed has spent 12 of the last 13 seasons as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator in the National Football League and has coached 12 players who have earned Pro Bowl recognition. Last season he was a special assistant with the New York Jets. He served as defensive coordinator from 2004-06 for the Atlanta Falcons.

Prior to his time in Atlanta, he served four seasons as Green Bay's defensive coordinator under Mike Sherman. During his stint in Green Bay, Donatell's defense led the NFL with 144 takeaways, an average of 36 a year and led the league with 2.25 forced turnovers per game.

Even though his defense hasn't played a down yet he has fans and players excited. Practices this spring indicated that he was capable of providing the most maligned defense in Husky history with a complete 180 degree turnaround. Part of that turn around will come from being in the right place, at the right time. Kent Baer never had the tools at his disposal that Donatell will have this season in the defensive backfield. To be fair to Baer he had around six guys each season he could count on over the past three years. Donatell on the other hand will have plenty of depth, talent, and experience back there in 2008.

Washington has a proud defensive tradition that goes back to the days of Jim Owens. Win or lose when you play the Huskies you were going to hurt the next week. In fact teams often lost the next week after Washington softened them up. For some reason that began to fade under Neuheisel, and under Willingham it became non existent.

Husky fans love an attacking defense, and Donatell promises to return that attacking tradition to the football field in 2008. You aren't going to recognize these guys this season. No more lining up ten yards off the line of scrimmage. This defense is going to take its chances and start playing aggressively to win rather than passively not to lose.

Ed Donatell is going to be the biggest Husky difference maker in 2008 if he can turn around a defense that ranked 94th nationally last year in scoring defense (giving up 31+ points per game), 99th in pass defense (261+ yards per game and 27 touchdowns) and pass efficiency defense, and 102nd in total defense.

Curtis Shaw leaves the team

Washington sophomore wide receiver Curtis Shaw has left the Husky football team for family reasons, head coach Tyrone Willingham announced today.

Shaw, from Stockton, Calif., played in all 13 games as a true freshman last season, serving as a tailback, wide receiver and kickoff returner for the Huskies.

"The opportunity will be here for him to return once his family issues have been resolved, said Willingham. For the time being, that needs to be his focus.

Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times leads with these comments in his blog.

To add futher comment, we have been assured that Shaw is not in legal trouble or anything like that. And that while the door is being left open for him to return at a later date, we are told this is a "long term'' situation and he is not expected back any time soon.

From what we are hearing it is a family emergency of some kind that may take some extensive time to resolve. Shaw played as a true frosh last year so he has a redshirt year he can use if he eventually comes back to the squad.

Donald Butler - UW Difference Makers

Washington used to be known for its great linebackers, but when was the last time we truly had an exceptional one? To be honest with you it has almost been a decade since Washington produced what we would call a great prototypical linebacker.

Who was the last great Husky linebacker?

I have to go with Jeremiah Pharms. I know he won't win any awards for his off the field behavior, but he was the last real animal we have had back there. I am pretty sure that if he hadn't have gotten in trouble he would still be playing in the NFL.

MLB Donald Butler has the potential to be a great linebacker, and the reason it hasn't become obvious yet is that he played at about 65% last year after a late summer knee surgery. In all honesty he should have probably redshirted last season because Trenton Tuiasosopo did a splendid job filling in for him all season.

This season Donald is now back to 100%. The coaches are counting on him to have a huge year. He is going to need to have one because the defensive line in front of him is going to be extremely green this season. What distinguishes Butler when he is healthy is his size, 6'1, 242, speed, and maturity. Donald can really get to the ball and he is fast enough to cover in passing situations which wasn't exactly Tuiasosopo's greatest asset.

Donald is one of the leaders of this defensive squad. The kid is another workout warrior, and he also earned honorable mention on the Pac Ten All Academic team last season. Obviously this is the type of kid that Coach Ty Willingham likes to work with.

When Butler is teamed up with So Mason Foster, and possibly JR EJ Savannah if he returns from academic exile the Huskies will have one of the better groups of linebackers on the West Coast.

In 2008 you are going to be really surprised about the way Donald Butler plays football. He is going to open a lot of eyes and compete for some post season honors in a league that is loaded with quality linebackers.

The Monday Morning Wash

The injury to Jake Locker last week helped all kinds of emotions boil to the surface on the message boards. A lot of fans weren't happy about the way Willingham handled the news about the medical report.

I think he may just be tired of answering the same question over and over.

Tyrone is in a can't win type of situation until his team starts winning more than they lose.

You can listen to the Willingham press conferences each day over at http://www.gohuskies.com/

Expect Jake Locker to be back practicing by the end of the week.

Another player to keep an eye on this week is Juan Garcia. He has done well the first week moving straight ahead. In the next week or two they probably are going to take a cautious look at how he moves laterally. When you see him moving laterally that will be a pretty good sign that he is getting close.

The Huskies will hold two-a-days Monday, Wednesday and Friday, single practices Tuesday and Thursday, and a split squad practice on Saturday.

Remember Cory Mackay?

He was a TE/LB/WR recruit who decommitted from UW to go to WSU. The story back then was UW wanted him as a LB, but WSU wanted him as a big WR or TE. One week into practice at WSU he has been moved to LB by Cougar head man Paul Wulff.

Ben Olson Goes Down Again

In our UCLA preview we predicted that Ben Olsen wouldn't be able to stay healthy the entire season. Ben went down in practice yesterday with a broken foot and will be sidelined for eight weeks. Kevin Craft and Chris Forcier will battle it out to see who takes over.

This is going to be a tough first season for Rick Neuheisel and his crew. Don't undersestimate his abilities. The man thrives when his back is against the wall. Rick is one of the better gameday motivators I have ever seen.

Oregon Scrimmage Report

Oregon had its first scrimmage of the year and Mike Belotti wasn't very impressed. He says his team doesn't look like a top twenty football team yet. That is coach speak for you guys need to pick it up because we have Washington coming to town on August 30th.

Nate Costa led the first-string offense on a drive to the 4-yard line Saturday before Bellotti called a halt to the possession and summoned the second-string onto the field. Costa and his mates only had been expecting to take four or five snaps, but after the eight-play series they were begging for one more.

Sports Blog Network and Reader Feedback

We are getting closer to our move over to the Sports Blog Network. We should be ready to make the move in a week or two, they are working on a logo, layout, and securing a new address. The new name of the blog is going to be the UW Dawg Pound.

I want to get some feedback from you regular readers on how I have been doing this preseason. The goal has been to give you something new to read each day that isn't a rehash of something you have already read elsewhere.

Your idea's, criticism, and comments are appreciated.

AD Hunt Coming to a Conclusion?

Scott Woodward let it slip out that the UW expects to hire a new AD before the start of football season.

The smart money is on Woodward being named the permanent AD since he has done a good job so far and he is going to be leading the stadium initiative anyway. Woodward wouldn't deny that he still wasn't in the running. He did make it clear that it was time that he started doing one job or the other.

The other name that keeps coming up is Chuck Nelson. Chuck is the color man on the broadcasts when he isn't selling stocks or running local golf tournaments. Nothing against Chuck, he knows Husky tradition, and what the fans want, but I think Emmert would be more comfortable with Woodward since they have a long track record together that stretches back to LSU.

Head Coach Ty Willingham - UW Difference Makers

I started this blog three seasons ago for two reasons. The first was to keep my English, and writing skills in practice. The second reason was to stay as positive as possible about the new head coach who many didn't like from the first moment he was hired. It hasn't been exactly easy doing that over the past year.

The very private coach who had just been fired by Notre Dame didn't fit the profile a lot of people wanted in a Husky head coach. Most had nothing personal against him, they just felt his lack of public charisma, secrecy bordering on paranoia, reputation as a laid back recruiter, and lack of past success on the gridiron added up to the wrong choice at Washington.

Willingham hasn't really done much to dispell those doubts despite facing one of the larger rebuilding projects in the country. The 11-25 record and lack of perceived public charisma had Husky fans asking for his head after a series of close 4th quarter losses in 2007. Ty actually almost received the axe the week after the Hawaii loss. Washington led that game by twenty one points at one time only to lose once again in the fourth quarter.

Season tickets sales have fallen around 20,000 per game since he was hired, and in this day in age it usually means a coaching change is in order. The message was clear among most Husky fans. They wanted former Husky, and ex Atlanta Falcons head coach Jim Mora Jr. to come in and resurrect the program. Mora was available, and willing to take the job, but at the last minute UW President Mark Emmert decided that Willingham deserved one more season to get it right.

One reason for that decision was that Washington was having an excellent recruiting season, one of the best in over a decade. The second reason was the outside perception. Should they fire a coach after only three years who was in the midst of a major rebuilding job with two years left on his contract? What type of message was this going to send?

Willingham was forced/suggested to fire two longtime assistant coaches, DC Kent Baer, and ST/TE coach Bob Simmons. Both of those coaches had drawn the ire of the Husky community because their units had performed so poorly the past three years. RB coach Trent Miles, another long time assistant, left the program to become head coach at Indiana State.

Willingham went after UCLA's DeWayne Walker with a vengeance, but the Bruin DC was convinced to stay on Rick Neuheisel's new staff after he was passed over for the Bruin head coaching job. Tyrone then turned to former Atlanta Falcons DC Ed Donatell to fill the position. Knowledgeable observers this spring noted that the Husky defense was doing a 180 under the enthusiastic, and hard working Donatell.

The other two vacancies were filled by legendary Skyline HS coach Steve Gervais who took over the RB job, and Syracuse assistant Brian White who took over special teams and tight ends. White is regarded as an excellent coach and was also a long time assistant at Wisconsin under Barry Alvarez.

The coaching changes Ty made in the off season, plus the addition of two very talented recruiting classes in a row bring increased expectations in 2008 despite facing the toughest schedule in the country. Most pundits feel the Huskies will field an improved squad led by QB Jake Locker, but they feel the brutal schedule will once again prevent Washington from going over .500 and reaching a bowl game for the first time in six years.

If you ask Willingham what the goal is going into 2008 he will tell you that it is to win all twelve games and compete for a national championship. He isn't too far off the mark because Washington had a chance to win every single game they were in last season. They took national power USC to the wire for the second consecutive season, and they were leading Ohio State late in the third quarter until a series of silly mistakes made the wheels come off.

That brings us to the second half, and most importantly the fourth quarter of each game. Washington opened last season by impressively defeating Syracuse, and Boise State. They were on their way to a possible upset over Ohio State when they imploded late in the third quarter. They had UCLA on the ropes the following week, and even had the Bruins down to a walk on QB in the fourth quarter, but the Bruins rallied using their special teams and running backs to win the game. The Husky defense couldn't stop what they knew was coming at them. The following week was the down to the wire loss to USC.

The second half of the season started after a much needed bye week. The Huskies outplayed ASU on the road in the first half taking a halftime lead only to be blown out in the second half. The fans were grumbling that his team was being out coached, and they probably were because opponents were out adjusting them in the second half.

Washington stuck with #2 Oregon in an offensive fireworks show in Husky Stadium the following week. Oregon was the better team, but Jake Locker kept the Huskies in the game all the way through the fourth quarter. The defense finally ran completely out of gas, and the Ducks went on to pad the score and win a game that was tighter than it appeared.

During that week Willingham stated that he didn't have enough bullets in his gun. AD Todd Turner who was fired after the season mentioned that the UW kids didn't look like the kids at Ohio State, Oregon, and USC. Turner received the master of the obvious award for that statement. Both Willingham and Turner were heavily criticized for the remarks.

UW still was in the running for a bowl game after that brutal run, but things went from bad to worse as the Huskies lost narrowly to Arizona, Oregon State, WSU, and Hawaii. All were games which UW had a chance of putting away, but the fourth quarter nightmares continued.

A couple bright spots were an expected win over Stanford, and a dominating home win over a heavily favored California team with Jake Locker sitting out with an injury on the sidelines. The Huskies went to a clock eating power running attack which just smothered the Bears.

The questions most fans asked is why Washington wasn't using that type of a game plan every week? Why would you abandon what was working the next week when Locker returned? Why were the defensive backs playing ten yards off the line of scrimmage against possession passing teams all season? Why was Washington playing the second half not to lose at Hawaii instead of playing to win like they did in the first half?

These are the questions that Ty Willingham has to answer in 2008 to keep his job and get a contract extension. Almost everyone agrees the team is improved, the talent base is better, and the culture has changed for the better. Tyrone has more bullets, but when will that translate into enough wins to get to a bowl game?

Willingham has to show he has the ability to be a better game day coach in 2008. He needs to start inspiring his players to play up and beyond their abilities like Rick Neuheisel, Jim Lambright, and Don James did during there tenures at Washington. He needs to start making the second half adjustments that win football games rather than being out coached in crunch time by the opposition.

Coming in to year four Willingham still lacks a single signature win while at Washington. He needs his Lambright inspired "Whammy in Miami", the Don James inspired "All I saw was Purple" destruction of USC, or Rick Neuheisel's dramatic domination of a heavily favored Miami in Husky Stadium.

Willingham will get that shot at a signature victory very early this season. The first three games are against Oregon, Brigham Young, and Oklahoma who most feel will challenge for spots in BCS bowl games at the end of the year. UW will be the underdog in all three of these games, and most feel that if the team comes out of the first stretch 0-3 it is a foregone conclusion that the goal of reaching a bowl game may be out of reach. Washington needs to win at least one of the first three to keep the attitude of the team together. If they win more than that you can say that Willingham has the team on the right track and will likely survive to get a contract extension.

The season starts on August 30th in Autzen Stadium on national TV against the Oregon Ducks. Sounds like as good a time as any for Coach Willingham to garner that first signature win which would be a giant step in reaching the goal of going to a bowl game in 2008, and most importantly cementing his coaching tenure at Washington into the future.

Paul Homer - UW Difference Makers

I was back in Omaha on business when Paul Homer announced that he was going to attend UW. I was speaking with some very knowledgeable Cornhusker fans who told me that Washington had picked up quite the football player. Paul of course was born to be a Husker, but there wasn't room on a team that was in the middle of switching to a West Coast based offense. The Huskers thought he was a step slow for LB, and they didn't need another FB, so Nebraska's loss was Washington's gain.

Paul's cousin is married to ex Husky lineman Aaron Dalan, so through that grapevine the Washington coaching staff heard about Paul and offered one of the more prolific HS players in Nebraska history. Paul is a legend back in Omaha, he just dominated games when he was in HS, and he immediately earned playing time at Washington on special teams. I still shake my head that Bill Callahan was senseless enough to let this kid leave the state of Nebraska, just another reason that he lost his job to Bo Pellini.

Paul is in his third season at UW is completely entrenched as the starting FB, and the leader of UW special teams. Paul is a very hard worker and a dream to coach according to UW RB Coach Steve Gervais. His veteran leadership is really important this year because the Huskies have seven players with limited experience vying to play beside him at TB. Having Paul at FB is like having an extra coach on the field during practice and games. He knows the playbook by heart, and is an expert at getting the young kids lined up correctly as they swim through the playbook.

The thing we all like about Paul is his blocking. He was a big reason that Louis Rankin became the first back at UW in over a decade go over 1000 yards in rushing. He also is a very comforting presence for Jake Locker as he is a great lead, and pass blocker. Think of Homer as Jakes personal bodyguard in the backfield. Homer just may be ready to emerge as the best overall FB in the conference this season. His blocking is superb, and he can really move the pile in short yardage situations when he is called on to carry the ball.

The one thing that has been missing so far has been receiving out of the backfield. I feel Homer is an excellent target to concentrate on in 2008. He is like a "Mack Truck" in the secondary on the rare occasions he gets a chance to catch a pass. Hopefully coach Lappano can get the ball in his hands more this season because he is a great change up that can keep a defense honest.

Keep a close eye on Paul Homer this season when you are watching the game, and appreciate all the little things he does to make the offense run better. He isn't going to run for 1000 yards, and he isn't going to catch 30 passes, but he is going to help create the opportunity for a young offense to click in 2008 by doing all the unnoticed things well.

Locker Update

According to Jakes father, Scott Locker, who was on KJR today, the MRI revealed a slight tear/strain to the hamstring. Supposedly it happened in a good place and they are pretty sure he will be back to practice some time next week, in other words he should be fine for the Oregon game.

This sounds like a grade one hamstring pull, and the prognosis for most of us would be one to three weeks. For a young athlete like Jake who heals quickly, and has the best medical care available you should expect to see him back out there by Wednesday, or Thursday.

So the news is about as good as you can hope for. Jake won't miss a lot of practice time, and he should be ready for Oregon.

Puppy Chow

The Husky fan boards are all blazing right now because of the hamstring injury to Jake Locker. I find it pretty funny to watch as the populace jumps to extraordinary conclusions and contemplates slitting their wrists on August 9th. If this was the week before the Oregon game I would be a little concerned, but he has plenty of time to recover with three weeks left before the opener.

Another thing to consider is that Ronnie Fouch is now getting some valuable time running with the #1's. He is going to get some meaningful playing time in 2008 because it is pretty rare when a QB stays healthy enough to start all 12 games. I think Ronnie is going to surprise a lot of people, he isn't Jake (Only Tim Tebow is), but he is a legit Pac Ten QB.

Here are a few things you can use to help keep your sanity.

1. A mild pop like Jake had heals pretty quickly for most people, even non athletes.
2. Jake has no history of hamstring problems which is good because scar tissue is major reason these type of injuries can become chronic.
3. Jake is in exceptional shape, athletes who are in exceptional shape heal extremely quickly.
4. The MRI will most likely show that there wasn't a rupture, when you rupture one of those things it is like a bomb going off in your leg, followed by serious pain, and nausea. Jake had a felt a small pop, and hopped a bit which is a very good sign.
5. Conventional wisdom is he will be out 3-5 days tops.

USC's Mark Sanchez

Mark Sanchez would trade injuries with Jake Locker. Sanchez suffered a freak knee cap dislocation while warming up for practice and it will probably cost him four weeks which means he will likely miss the opener. That means Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain will likely start in game one which could start the old QB controversy into action if he performs well.

Rumors

We are hearing rumors that EJ Savannah is close to returning to the team which is a good thing since if he does he will probably lead the team in tackles in 2008....DT Senio Kelemente could join the team as early as Monday since he is expected to finish his math course this weekend....DT Craig Noble could join the team in mid August once the results of his exit exam are released....Juan Garcia could be ready to play as early as the opener depending on how well his foot reacts to full contact next week in practice. Look for the staff to be very cautious with him....Johri Fogerson is making it pretty hard for the coaches to send him over to defense. The former O'Dea star is having a good early camp....Vince Taylor who was slated for safety is starting off at WR which is his best shot for early playing time. Taylor like Fogerson will likely move to safety sometime in the future, but the coaches are giving them both a shot where the need currently is since safety is very solid at this point.

Daniel Teo Nesheim - UW Difference Makers

Daniel Teo Nesheim is another in a long line of solid Husky players who have been recruited from the state of Hawaii. Since the day he set foot on campus all the coaches knew he would be special because he has a motor that doesn't quit. Coaches know you can't teach that, players either have it, or they don't.

Daniel enters his junior season with All Pac Ten honors firmly set in his sights. The Huskies need a big year out of their only retunring starter on the defensive line, and it looks like he is prepared to really open up some eyes this season. Some of those eyes belong to NFL scouts, and there is a good chance that Teo Nesheim may make enough noise to enter the draft next spring if he so desires.

Daniel is one of the designated leaders of the defense this season. He is one of those kids the coaches don't have to worry about because he gets his work done, and inspires those around him to do the same.

They say one picture is worth a thousand words. Check out this video of Daniel laying the hammer during the Cal game last year.

Daniel Teo Nesheim De-Cleats Cal's Justin Forsett

I expect very big things out of this kid this year because every single year he has been here he has shown considerable improvement. The Huskies are going to need that type of talent and leadership this year on the defensive line because they will be breaking in three new starters. Expect Daniel Teo Nesheim to be a major difference maker for the Huskies in 2008.

Huskies Re-Sign with Nike for 39 Million

The Huskies resigned with Nike for 39 million over the next ten years.

I knew the Huskies weren't going to switch despite rumors to the contrary.

No way Phil Knight wasn't going to lay out the big bucks to a Northwest rival.

No way he wanted Under Armour, Adidas, or Champion in his own backyard.

Phil Knight abides by this simple rule, keep your friends close, and keep your enemies closer.

The University of Washington abides by this simple rule, pay me the most and we will sign the contract.

Both rules are rules to live by.

I am pretty surprised that Under Armour, and Adidas didn't bid more to hack Nike off, UW should have proposed that angle, but since Nike had the right of first refusal it didn't really matter.

Locker Tweaks a Hamstring

Jake Locker tweaked his hamstring in practice yesterday, and could be out of action for 3-5 days. According to Softy on KJR the injury is not serious, and an MRI taken after practice confirmed it.

I guess we will find out more during the press conference.

Just so you know all the press conferences are broadcast live on http://www.gohuskies.com/

Tyrone confirms in the press conference that it doesn't look serious, and he expects Jake back in practice early next week.

UW Season Predictions

Everyone knows that Tyrone Willingham is on the hot seat in 2008, but he enters the season with enough talent to put together a winning record and go to a bowl. In fact that has been the case for the past two years but his teams have not been able to finish games in the fourth quarter.

One reason for those collapses has been the lack of overall depth at key positions, and the inability to get the tough yards needed to keep drives going in clutch time. You need to pick up that 3rd and two if you are going to start winning close games. Washington was terrible at picking up those extra couple of yards to keep the chains moving, they need to get that figured out in 2008.

Most importantly Washington needs to learn how to finish, and expect victory. UW has had USC on the ropes the past two seasons, but the Trojans won those games because they knew how to reach down and finish.

If you take a realistic look at the schedule, and the strength of our opponents, you come away with the feeling that Washington has a realistic a shot at winning eight games this year if they can fill the holes in the DL, and develop skill players to compliment Jake Locker.

I feel confident that the Huskies will beat Stanford, WSU, but frankly the other six winnable games, BYU, UCLA, Cal, Arizona, Notre Dame, Oregon State are all swing games that could go either way. The victories are there if the young team performs.

Washington also needs to avoid starting the season 0-3 against three possible BCS bowl teams. An 0-3 start will be very tough for a team with a likely lame duck head coach to overcome from a psychological standpoint.

We really don't know much about the new Oregon QB, but the Ducks have owned us ever since Willingham has been here. Predicting a Husky victory on opening night in Autzen is a bit of a reach. Oregon however is breaking in a new QB, and Oregon is a different team without Dixon. I still have to pick the Ducks, but it will be close.

We have played USC tough over the years, and the Trojans are also uncertain at QB, but the Troy defense will be a wonder to watch in 2008. I don't think the Huskies upset them in the Coliseum.Oklahoma is a top five team this year loaded to the gills with talent and depth. The game is at home, but UO is in a different league at this point than UW. I have to go with the Sooners.I went to the ASU game last year in Tempe and while UW won the first half, ASU simply pounded UW in every way in the second half. Mark this one down as out coached, outclassed, and out played. We have them up here this year, but Erickson has too many tools at his disposal to probably lose this one.

@ Oregon (Loss)
BYU (Win)
Oklahoma (Loss)
Bye
Stanford (Win)
@ Arizona (Swing with slight advantage to UA)
Bye
Oregon State (Swing with slight advantage to UW)
Notre Dame (Swing with slight advantage to UW)
@ USC (Loss)
Arizona State (Loss)
UCLA (Swing with advantage to UW)
@ WSU (Win )
Bye
@ California (Swing with advantage to CAL)

So breaking it all down I would say Washington can win eight games in 2008, but six of those games are of the swing variety. If you split on the swing that means five wins, and a new head coach in 2009. Realistically Ty needs to win at least seven games in 2008 to keep his job.

Cameron Elisara - UW Difference Makers

When Cameron Elisara hit campus three years ago it was a major recruiting coup for Washington. Not only was he one of the top defensive linemen on the West coast he was also the son of a former Washington State Cougar.

Here we are at the start of year three and the sophomore from Spokane still hasn't had that breakthrough that the fans and the coaches have been looking for. Cameron played a bit last year, but didn't make a move for a starting job on one of the worst statistical defenses in Husky history. This spring he inherited one of the starting jobs at DT but he still didn't make the quantum leap everyone has been expecting since he hit campus.

One thing we can say about Cameron is that it is just a matter of time because he is one of the hardest workers on the football team. He is known as a workout warrior, and leads by example in the weight room. He is also a good student being named to the 2007 Pac Ten All Academic team. That type of hard work is bound to start paying off this season now that he is going to get plenty of experience playing every week.

It has been an interesting first week of practice at Washington. Mykena Ikehara a highly recruited center from Hawaii served notice that he is going to be a player by getting the best of Elisara in a one on one drill. Good news for Mykena, but not good news for Elisara since this is his third year, and for the defensive line to have success in 2008 he is going to have to be one of the main cogs on the line.

ESPN ranked Elisara as the #24 defensive tackle in the country coming out of high school. Here is what they had to say about him back then.

Elisara is a physical defensive lineman whose athletic ability and toughness make him hard to handle between the tackles. He exhibits an explosive first step and is tough to block as a penetrating one gap defender. He does an excellent job of shooting his hands and controlling blockers at the point of attack. He is able to maintain separation and come off blocks to make tackles along the line of scrimmage. He is a relentless high motor player who also runs down on kickoffs and makes plays. He is a strong tackler who is excellent at wrapping up the ball carrier.

He is a very good pass rusher who is able to get a jump on blockers and is excellent at using his hands to keep separation. He does a very nice job of flipping his hips and getting skinny in the hole and getting to the quarterback. He has the presence to get his hands up when necessary and can be a disruption in the backfield. He is solid in the open field, but his strength is between the tackles as he moves very well through trash at the line of scrimmage. His penetrating style and footballs smarts make him a load for offensive lineman to handle.

Sounds like a can't miss defensive line prospect doesn't it? For Washington to move to the next level in 2008 Elisara needs to start living up to that hype. We all know one thing, lack of effort won' be the problem for this kid. I think the thing that will make the difference this season for Cameron will be game day experience, and I predict that we will really see him grow over the first three weeks of the season.

Jerry Brewer of the Times is Awesome

With Ted Miller off to ESPN enjoy Jerry Brewer of the Times while he is in Seattle because he, like Ted, is headed to the big time one of these days.

My contention is that, because the Huskies are such an unknown commodity, we can't start marking off wins and losses just yet. Unless something dramatic happens, we probably can say that the Huskies won't beat Oklahoma and USC. Beyond that, I just don't know. I have to see the team play first. Having a winning record with this schedule won't be easy, but when will it ever be? The Pac-10 is always going to be a nine-game grind. The Huskies are always going to play a challenging non-conference schedule on top of that. If the team is good enough, it will win. If not, it won't. Simple as that. I do think the Pac-10 won't be as much of a bear this season. Beyond USC and Arizona State, I see a lot of question marks.

D'Andre Goodwin - UW Difference Makers

When he hit campus three years ago he picked up the nickname the Flea. He wasn't exactly the biggest guy on campus, but he ended up being one of the fastest, if not the fastest kid on the team. The coaches decided to redshirt him because we had plenty of receivers at that time, and he needed to build some muscle.

Last season the "Flea" debuted playing with a mostly veteran lineup of underachieving wide receivers who have now departed. It was an important year because he got to run some routes in game situations and adjust to the speed and physicality of conference play. This spring that experience paid off as he ended up being the most impressive receiver on the squad, and will also get a shot at taking over Anthony Russo's punt returning job this fall.

Jake Locker says it best, he feels that Goodwin is going to be his go to guy in 2008, and will end up being one the top receivers in the conference by the end of the year. This is a kid who has the ability to haul in 70 plus passes this season, and that production is going to be needed if the Husky offense is going to improve.

Goodwin is one of those kids that nobody in the conference has ever heard of, and he shares that title with all his fellow talented WR's. What sets him apart right now is the ability to run good routes, get seperation, and most importantly hang onto the ball. Once he does get the ball he has the ability to be a game breaking receiver.

The only knock on him is his size, and it is going to be very interesting to see how he fares against the very physical Oregon secondary in the first game of the season. I think the "Flea" and Patrick chung are going to develop a very close relationship immediately after kick off. Like all new kids on the block the defenses are going to test his toughness. They are going to deliver hits him whether he has the ball or not. How he responds to that treatment will go a long way in deciding whether he will be a significant factor in 2008.

D'Andre was one of the last recruits in his class. The Huskies picked him up after some bigger names chose other schools at the last minute. The coaches liked his speed, and ability, but they knew he was a raw talent who wasn't ready to play right away. The wait has been worth it as we found out last spring. Expect great things out of the "Flea" in 2008.

Kibbles and Bits

It looks like DT Senio Kelemente should be in camp sometime next week. It seems he was short .25 of a core credit because he ended up taking the same class under two different names twice. He is working six hours a day to get that rectified online, and should be ready to go once UW admissions lets him in. This is one of those things that is unfortunate because it could have been identified, and rectified before camp.

Kelemete took part in UW's summer bridge program as he was initially given academic clearance. But Tarantola said there was a mixup at the last minute concerning a class Kelemete took last summer at a local community college. Tarantola said Kelemete took a class hoping to fulfill a needed core class credit. But he said that while the class had a different name, it was judged to be the same as another class Kelemete had already taken, so he was officially declared to be .25 credits short of the core class requirement of 16.

It is a pretty good bet that Senio is going to play quite a bit this year if he can get back into camp next week.

S Vince Taylor will be at practice today after being given the thumbs up by the NCAA Clearing House. Good to see him join the team because this kid is going to be a stud.

DT Craig Noble is awaiting the results of his California HS Exit Exam. He took the test on July 29th and it can take up to three weeks to get results back. If he passes he gets the green light since his SAT, and GPA are up to par. Craig is pretty sure he passed the test, now it is just a matter of waiting.

No word on Demetrius Bronson as of yet, but I suspect he will end up enrolling in January which is just fine since he was going to redshirt this season anyway.

As expected JR Hasty is headed to Central Washington, and he should thrive over there. It seems Central has become the halfway house for the Husky football program.

Brandon Johnson - UW Difference Makers

Everyone talks about Jake Locker, but the most important player on the team that needs to come through in 2008 is TB Brandon Johnson. We got a glimpse of what Brandon can do in 2007 during the second half of the California game. He came in for an injured Louis Rankin and just punished the vaunted California defense for his first 100 yard game. When the guy ahead of you is putting together a 1200 yard plus season there aren't a lot of opportunities, but in 2007 Brandon impressed the fans and coaches with a solid effort in his first year on campus.

In 2008 Johnson has the chance to establish himself as the man to lead the Husky running attack over the next three years he is on campus. Behind him is a stable of talented running backs led by Willie Griffin, Brandon Yakaboski, Chris Polk, Curtis Shaw, Johri Fogerson, David Freeman, and Terrance Dailey. All these kids are hungry for playing time, and Brandon is going to have to hold them off this fall because almost every position on a 4-9 football team is up for grabs.

What I like about Brandon is that he is physical, plus he still has the speed to pop the big one. He is the kind of kid that you hope you can count on to pick up a long 3rd and two in the fourth quarter with the game on the line. No knock on Louis Rankin, but he never developed into that guy, and for Washington to take it to the next level they need Johnson, or someone else to emerge to be that guy.

We haven't seen the true freshman play yet, but Brandon has a decided edge over Griffin and Yakaboski going into camp based on his performance last season. Curtis Shaw is needed more at WR so will be playing more SB, but Chris Polk on the other hand seems to be in the early mix at TB. Brandon is going to be challenged by Polk early in camp, and it is imperative that he steps up and meets the challenge to hold the talented freshman off.

Brandon reported to camp at around 195 pounds which is around 5-10 pounds lighter than you would like the second year running back to be. He had arthroscopic surgery on his knee in early May and the coaches don't feel he is 100% yet coming into camp. As we shared with you yesterday there are some people associated with the program who feel he didn't put in enough work during rehab, and overall conditioning this past summer.

The second year in the program is always tough for most of the kids. The first year of school, and all the work you have to put in during the off season can wear anyone down. Sometimes kids simply need a bit of a mental break to clear their minds out. We all have to remember that all the second year players have been going non stop since last August, and it isn't unusual for them to feel burned out after the spring, especially when you have to have some surgery.

Brandon had the opportunity to be interviewed by the PI's Molly Yanity yesterday and he had these comments. I think there is a pretty good chance that Brandon's father is one of our readers.

Sophomore tailback Brandon Johnson got a phone call Tuesday. It was his father, Anthony. The elder Johnson had read online his son may have slacked off a bit during summer workouts.
Johnson didn't dodge the question. "It sounds like excuses, but part of it was my knee was bothering me, then my housing situation," he said, explaining he lived in Northgate and his teammate, Tyrone Duncan, had been in an accident. So, he said, he lost his ride to morning workouts.

Once again another reason to extend the Sound Transit Light Rail line from Husky Stadium to Northgate. Unfortunately by the time that happens Brandon hopefully will be a retired veteran NFL running back with plenty of coin in the bank.

Brandon is about to be challenged over the next three weeks by one of the better athletes who has ever set foot on the University of Washington campus. It is going to be real fun to see how this battle shakes out before the season starts. The competition is going to elevate the play of each player, and no matter who wins in the pre season the battle will continue every week in practice during the season. Washington is going to need 2-3 backs they can count on this season, count on Brandon Johnson being one of them.

Ty Willingham is kind of like a gentler version of the Captain played by Strother Martin in "Cool Hand Luke."

"What we've got here is failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week - which is the way he wants it. Well, he gets it. I don't like it any more than you men."

This is going to be a battle, and I think Brandon is going to do some very good things this year, but he needs to bring his "A" game over the next three weeks.

Pac Ten Alley

College football is back in full force, and once again we take a walk down the coast to see what our neighbors are up to this week.

Oregon picks up some much needed late JC help at linebacker

JC transfer student Tyrell Irvin arrived on campus yesterday and has registered for classes. Irvin, a 6'1", 220lb. 4 star linebacker from Mt. San Antonio JC in California. Several teams showed interest in Irvin including, Missouri, Oklahoma State and Colorado.

Addicted to Quack takes in a practice.

Went to practice again today. This time it was at noon, when the starters and 1 and 2-deeps work. Whee! I got to meet very many players, such as JJ, Roper (talked to as we were leaving the field for about 4 minutes), Jerome Boyd, J-Will, Morgan Flint, Nick Reed, and dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum CHIP KELLY WOOOO!! Chip was awesome.

Jon Wilner visits the Stanford camp.

I don’t expect any of the contenders (Tavita Pritchard, Alex Loukas and Jason Forcier) to win the job this month and keep it for three more months. But what the Cardinal needs now is separation. It can’t spend the next four weeks dividing practice reps between the three contenders — that wouldn’t prepare anybody for the season.

Tuesday Training report from Tuscon.

The Arizona Wildcats’ defense dominated Tuesday’s practice. Safety Brandon Tatum and cornerback Trevin Wade intercepted passes during 7-on-7 drills. Defensive end Ricky Elmore and defensive tackle Solomon Koehler had sacks during 11-on-11s; Elmore also tipped a pass at the line of scrimmage. Tight end Rob Gronkowski continued to shine, grabbing more than a dozen passes in team drills. True freshman David Douglas and redshirt freshman Devin Veal showed soft hands.

California's Jahvid Best seems to be fully recovered.

As former Cal stud Marshawn Lynch would have put it, tailback Jahvid Best is stupid fast. His credentials include a 10.31 in the 100-meter, a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash and a 7.6 yards-per-carry average during his freshman season.

The Beaver Blog is playing what did you do last summer?

It's always football season in Corvallis! To give us an inside perspective on Beaver football, we meet up with the Beavers' wide receiver, punt returner -- and holder -- Taylor Kavanaugh to see what he did this summer.

USC's Mark Sanchez has been watching Me TV

Sanchez is expected to start for the Trojans against Virginia in three weeks, but in the meantime spent all summer watching the three games he started in place of John David Booty last season.
"I know every play in all three of those games," Sanchez said Tuesday. "I'll look back and criticize myself when I'm watching and I think about limiting turnovers. But it really wasn't that bad when I look back at it.

The goal at ASU is the Rose Bowl, since USC is going to the BCS championshiop game that slot may be open.

The ultimate destination seems within reach this season. The Arizona State Sun Devils no longer have to squint to see the Rose Bowl and the spoils of the Bowl Championship Series. This time it's clearly in focus. "The next step for us is, we're trying to win the Rose Bowl and the national championship," senior safety Troy Nolan said. "Coach brought in some new players. We have a lot of returning players. I think we have the pieces."

A familiar tone at UCLA, ring any bells Husky fans? I wonder if he is still giving out popsicles?

"These coaches are a lot more demanding," Bruins senior receiver Marcus Everett said. "(Offensive coordinator) Norm Chow demands we execute and practice at a fast tempo, and demands perfection, and that shows a lot. (Neuheisel) is a different type of coach. He's personable. He's definitely a player's coach. He jokes around with us, but when it's time to get serious, he does.

Paul Wulff is now in the building at WSU.

Welcome to a new era of WSU Football! Paul Wulff's lads hit it hard today, with morning and afternoon sessions, and the official "flipping of the program" begins. We'll stay on top of things for the first stages of the new era, as things will get pretty interesting beginning today.

BYU loses a center for the first part of the season.

After Tuesday's practice, BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall confirmed that the projected starter at center, junior Tom Sorensen, will likely require surgery on his shoulder. Mendenhall said he would exepect Sorensen to be out 4-6 weeks

These aren't Barry Switzer's Sooners, or are they?

Oklahoma freshman WR Josh Jarboe wide receiver was kicked off the team Friday, after a video posted on the Internet showed him rapping about guns and shooting people. That came after Jarboe had pleaded guilty to felony charges of theft by receiving stolen property and bringing a gun to school in May in his home state of Georgia.

Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen is in potential trouble again.

While it's always the point in time where you wish the college offseason would end, when it gets this close, people start going crazy and just desperately trying to fill the time before the first inaugural kickoff. Case in point: The Big Lead tossing up some pictures of Jimmy Clausen, Brian Smith and James Aldridge participating in Beer Olympics and Notre Dame apparently taking steps to investigate it.

Chris Polk - UW Difference Makers

One thing that may escaped notice is the condition in which Chris Polk arrived to camp this year. Chris is now close to 215 chiseled pounds and is spending most of his time at TB during practice. The thing about Chris that you are all going to find out about is his work ethic. The kid graduated early from high school so he could enroll early and get a spring practice under his belt and start conditioning for the upcoming season.

Chris and his parents have a game plan. That game plan landed him at Washington rather than USC because he wanted to play right away, not sit on the bench waiting his turn behind eight HS All Americans. It isn't like Washington is without talent, in fact Coach Willingham has put together a nice stable of skill position athletes. That being said the Huskies didn't have anyone on the roster with the total package of tools this kid possesses.

Chris learned an important lesson this past spring, he won't be the fastest player in the league anymore, let alone his own team, he can't simply run away from people and continue to achieve his goals. Polk hit the weight room hard once he arrived on campus, and that extra 15 pounds of muscle is going to make a difference between the tackles in 2008.

Most fans feel that So Brandon Johnson will be the man at TB this year based on his performance as a back up last season. Johnson had some off season knee surgery to clean up some damage from HS, and many question if he put in the adequate time working out, and rehabilitating to make a quantum leap of improvement in 2008.

Chris Polk on the other hand is taking nothing for granted, and the player who most scouts thought was the best HS RB in the West last season is poised to make a serious move this season.

They call him the next Reggie Bush, but he works harder than Reggie, has a solid family behind him, and comes without any of the baggage. Chris is willing to work harder than anyone and do things the right way. I like to think of him more as the next Napoleon Kaufman because of the solid personal traits he has shown since he hit campus.

Pac Ten teams beware, Chris Polk is going to be the Huskies X-Factor in 2008.

Things that Can Go Wrong for UW in 2008

I have been trying to approach the 2008 season with the glass half full method as far as Husky football is concerned. On offense I've written about how Jake Locker walks on water, how the veteran offensive line will blast holes for inexperienced running backs, and why I think the current group of inexperienced wide receivers are better than the experienced ones that graduated.

On defense I have made the case that Washington has one of the best sets of LB's in the Pac Ten, and the defensive backfield finally has enough depth and talent to compete. I have also talked about how much I like DE Daniel Teo Nesheim and what a great year I anticipate him having. The interior of the defensive line is a concern, but we have some very large young guys that have the potential to come in and play right away.

If you ask the coaches the word is they feel they have the talent to win eight games this year which would be great improvement. If you ask me I feel the same way, but the coaches and I felt that way the last two seasons and watched it go up in smoke when Stanback was injured 2006. It happend again in 2007 when the defense couldn't stop anyone. Add to that the inability to pick up crucial yards to keep possession in the fourth quarter to put games away during both of those years.

Lets talk about what can go wrong in 2008. Plenty of things can go wrong and we setting down the half full glass and picking up the half empty one to talk about it.

1. We all have a big man crush on Jake Locker, but what if he gets injured? Behind him is RS Ronnie Fouch who has never taken a snap in a game and is pretty green, and behind him is one true frosh who may not ever end up playing QB at UW once everything shakes out. For Washington to do well Locker needs to be around for all twelve games, if he is injured the wheels are going to come off pretty quickly. If you lose Locker, and Fouch it will get 2007 UCLA ugly.

2. The schedule is rated as the toughest in the country. Washington starts off against Oregon, then they get BYU, and Oklahoma at home before they take their first bye week. what if they start off 0-3? Once again even with Jake Locker the wheels can come off pretty quickly for a program that hasn't had a winning season in four years. Instead of handing out just chocolate milk after practice Coach Willingham may have to lace it with Zoloft. Washington needs to beat BYU if they have any hope in 2008, and that won't be easy.

3. D'Andre Goodwin looked like the only receiver on the team ready for Pac Ten play this Spring. What happens if that continues to be the case this fall? What if none of the highly touted frosh, and redshirts are ready to play? What it means is Jake is going to be putting a lot more on his shoulders than he has to, and that can mean the risk of serious injury when he is forced to run the ball more than he should. We are all counting on Jake to improve his passing percentage this season, but it won't happen if guys don't get open, and when they do end up dropping the ball.

4. The offensive line is labeled as the strength but what if injuries happen at the tackle position? If that happens Washington would have to rely on two redshirts who haven't played a snap yet. That is never good even though Ossai, and Habben earned starting time as redshirts the previous two years. UW could always move a veteran to from the interior outside, but veteran depth at tackle is a concern. Garcia is progressing ahead of schedule, but how big of a talent drop off will it be if he is reinjured?

5. We all expect improvement at TE with RS Chris Izbicki, and Fr Kavario Middleton being added to the mix to help out Sr. Mike Gottleib. What if they aren't ready to contribute? You get a replay of last season with Gottleib, and Walt Winter acting mostly as blockers while the TE still goes missing from the Husky offense in 2008. Kavario is going to be more of a receiver than a blocker this year, rarely does a true frosh have the muscle, and technique to come through in the first year.

6. Brandon Johnson's claim to fame was the second half of the California game last season, other than that he didn't pick up any significant playing time. What if Washington can't establish a go to running back in 2008? What if for some reason Johnson doesn't come back 100% from his knee surgery? Well this would be quite serious because Griffin, and Yakaboski aren't in the same league as Brandon at this point. Curtis Shaw could be the answer along with Chris Polk, but who would pick up those long third and two's? This team needs a solid year from Brandon Johnson to get it done, or they have to look at Homer and Kravitz in short yardage situations.

7. The cornerbacks looked pretty good this spring. RS Quinton Richardson held his own at CB along with Sr Mesphin Forrester, and SR Byron Davenport. In addition to that they have an improved Vonzell McDowell, and Matt Mosley who also started some games in 2007. What happens if this spring was a mirage produced against the mediocre competition provided by Washington's green receivers? If that is the case it is a replay of the last four years with the exception of depth to insert when players get injured. Whatever happens back here we are not going to run out of CB's in 2008.

8. Nate Williams and Victor Aieyewa seemed to put the nasty back into the safety position at Washington this spring. They may even be able to hold off Sr. Jason Wells when he returns to full strength during camp. What happens if they aren't as good as we thought? Just like at CB it means a lot more pressure on the offense to score points to keep up. The best offense is a good defense, and in the Pac Ten it means pass defense. One thing for sure, the Huskies have plenty of experienced depth to rely on at safety.

9. Daniel Teo Nesheim, and Darion Jones look solid at defensive end. If Matthews can move back outside the Huskies will have a nice rotation at the positions. What happens if one of them is injured? This would be pretty serious because the depth behind them even with the addition of frosh Everette Thompson is non existant. Kelani Aldrich still needs another year to add weight.

10. What if DT Cameron Elisara doesn't have a breakthrough season, or if they can't find anyone to play beside him? The hope was either Kirton, Ta'amu, Kelemente, or Noble can be the answer at the other tackle spot. The coaches also hope that the hard working Elisara continues to improve because he wasn't there yet in the Spring. If there is no answer at tackle the undersized Matthews has to move over from DE which compromises the thin depth over there which also means the domino's start to tip over for this line.

Cameron Elisara was overpowered by a true frosh center in practice yesterday during the one on ones. Either Mykena Ikehara is the next coming of Bern Brostek, or Elisara still isn't ready. Kelemente, and Noble still have some academic hurdles to finish up before they hit the practice field. As every day passes those two kids become a good bet to miss the season and enroll in January. You better hope Ta'amu, and Kirton come through.

11. The kickers had a below average spring. The spring game was marked by missed field goals. What happens if Ryan Perkins continues to break down physically, and Erik Folk is unable to become accurate enough to take over? It means Washington will be going for it a lot more on fourth down rather than taking the points.

12. Jared Ballman had a very good year punting in 2007. That came after a spring when he didn't look very good. He had that kind of spring again in 2008. What happens if he doesn't snap out of it? Good punting is just huge for any defense. When you lengthen the field with a good punt it makes the opposing offense work harder. If Ballman regresses it puts extra strain on a young defense coming off it's worst performance in Husky history.

13. Louis Rankin ended up returning kicks because the true frosh in 2007 weren't as big of a return threat plus they had problems handling the ball. What if that doesn't change in 2008 since the same cast of characters return minus Rankin? A third of the game is special teams, and Washington has sucked at special teams every year since Willingham has been here. Give up points by not handling the ball and you end up losing games you should win.

14. The departed Anthony Russo returned punts the last three years. He wasn't a gamebreaker, and while he had ok hands, he still coughed it up on occasion. D'Andre Goodwin, Chris Polk, and Curtis Shaw will all fight for the position in 2008. What if they don't show an improvement over Russo? The one good thing about Russo is he didn't turn it over too much. The new guys have a lot more speed, but the lack of experience may result in some costly turnovers.

15. The LB position is being touted as an obvious strength, but the best LB on the team will be out the first 2-3 games, plus the coach is hinting that may be the least of his current problems if he does not get his academics in order. If EJ Savannah doesn't make it back it is a blow to a rebuilding defense. Overall health at LB, and EJ's return is key for helping this group meet its potential. As we saw in the spring game the defense is a lot better with EJ in there.

Puppy Chow - Press Conference

Washington football's 2008 fall camp gets underway today when the Huskies hold the first official practice of the season. The Huskies will be just 26 days away from their season-opener Aug. 30 vs. Oregon in Eugene.

Coach Willingham will address the media in a 12:00 p.m. Pacific time press conference.

New Commit

Dawgman is reporting that Dallas, TX HS CB Kenneth Pinkard has committed to Washington after going home to discuss things with his parents after an unofficial visit to Washington last weekend. Baylor, Illinois, and TCU were the other schools that were showing him some interest. He is listed at 5'10 180, and runs a 4.55. The Huskies are also interested in one of the other players on his team a safety by the name of Kevin Brent who is a big time prospect.

Press Conference Bites

Lets start off with the news that LB EJ Savannah is no longer listed on the official roster which is bad news for the defense. No word yet if the omission is permanent, but it is obvious the coaches were getting pretty fed up with him. The breaking the arm story while arm wrestling was a bit hard to swallow.

Another piece of bad news is freshman DT Senio Kelemente, and S Vince Taylor are also missing from the roster along with DT Craig Noble, QB Dominique Blackman, and RB Demetrius Bronson. We knew about the later three, but Kelemente, and Taylor were supposedly admitted and on campus for the bridge program.

Sounds like NCAA Clearinghouse problems for Taylor, and Kelemente which means they could be resolved any time between this afternoon, and next year.

WR Chancellor Young is back with the team after quitting a couple of years back. I have been following him since he was a freshman in HS and he is a pretty good athlete. That being said he quit at Duke after playing his first year, transferred to UW where he promptly quit again after earning playing time. Young is listed as a senior, not sure if he has one year left or two at this point.

Update

Well it looks like all the subtractions are academic including EJ Savannah. He has some more work to do this summer before he can become eligible. He could come back in a week, or never, its up to him to get it done.

The other kids are Clearing House related which means the NCAA hasn't signed off on their credits yet, once again that could be tomorrow, or next month, you never know.

As usual with Willingham nothing is ever crystal clear.

RS TE Chris Izbicki is in a little trouble with the law after getting arrested for under aged drinking and being a pain in the butt at the White River Amphitheater.

I heard about the incident a couple of weeks ago but I don't release that stuff till it hits the newspapers. No word on how Willingham is going to deal with that, but it shouldn't be too serious because it is just a couple of misdemeanors.

There are still a few other things simmering out there that "Paint Dry Ty" didn't deal with today.

First practice today at 3:45 PM Pacific

The Huskies practice for the first time this afternoon with a full media barrage in attendance. Count on this to be one of the few practices that will be open this season. Ty usually lets the media watch for the first twenty minutes before banishing them tot he press room. After that he usually has a press conference to let the media know what happened during practice. Since he opened the day with a press conference we won't here from him for a bit.

One thing that hasn't changed if you watched the press conference today was Ty Willingham. He was his usual evasive self. The guy may be on the hot seat but he is isn't changing anything. It would have been nice if he had shed a little light on EJ Savannah's situation, or what Kelemente and Taylors chances were of making it in while camp is going on. I mean it doesn't take much to show you give a crap to the fans and media.

For some reason Ty walks around with this big chip on his shoulder which is odd for a guy who makes $1.5 million per year living in one of the best cities in the world. How tough can it be to not be a dick all the time? The guy is his own worst enemy, and its getting kind of hard to buy his schtick when he tells you everyone is in, but when practice starts everyone isn't in.

Good Golly Miss Molly!

Academics, legal issues rock UW football team!

You know as well as I do that everyone will be back before after first game. It wasn't like EJ was going to be able to play the first three games anyway. I am not too concerned about Kelemente, and Taylor they are pretty close, they just need a little more time with the NCAA clearing house. that type of stuff happens every year with every program.

Molly Yanity is a talented writer, but not a great reporter, or beat writer, she just mails it in every day and follows the lead of Bob Condotta over at the Times. C'mon Molly, you can do better than that. What is with the sensationalist head line about much ado about nothing?

As for Ty, thanks for turning the deal into a circus by not letting anyone in the media know that all the kids who were in the bridge program weren't qualified. Typical Willingham!

Another Commitment

West Seattle CB Aaron Grymes has committed to UW. Grymes blew up the camp earlier this year but nobody has really heard of the 5'11 170 lb CB till his commitment today. Who was the last UW commit from West Seattle? Could it be George Jugam? Grymes is a kid that nobody has heard of, but his performance at camp opened up a lot of eyes.

Practice Notes

Incoming OL Mykenna Ikehara appeared to be playing at center, and drew a lot of oohs and ahs for a standoff with Cameron Elisara in a one-on-one drill.

Nice comment by Bob Condotta of the Times, and other observers. A true frosh offensive lineman should never handle a third year DL who is expected to anchor the interior of the Husky defensive line. With Senio Kelemente, and Craig Noble temporarily ineligible this is a real area of concern. Alameda Ta'amu is going to be counted on to produce this year.

Give a lot of credit for Ikehara coming in ready to play, the kid is a potential four year starter after redshirting this season.

Cody Bruns is performing as expected and will be in the rotation with Goodwin, Shaw, Kearse, Hawkins, Aguilar, Boyles, and Logan.

Brandon Johnson seems to be recovered from minor knee surgery and will enter camp as the starter. The Huskies are having an open audition for his backups. It looks like Washington will go with a three back rotation that will likely include Chris Polk who practiced all day with the TB's.

Jake Locker was visibly improved today which is a very good thing since most of the offensive production in 2008 will be on his shoulders. Jakes goal is to complete 65% of his passes this year which would be a big improvement over the 47% he completed last season. If he accomplishes that goal it will really be something. Put me down for 55% which would be a huge improvement.

Juan Garcia participated today and is on track to play by game four. He still isn't ruling himself out for Oregon, but that is a real long shot. Matt Sedillo will start while he is out, but Ryan Tolar is also getting reps to prepare himself for a backup role.

The Monday Morning Wash - Pac Ten Predictions

We finally have made it and another Husky football season is upon us! Fall camp begins this morning and will be open to the media. I'm not sure how many practices will be open this year, but with Oregon on the docket for the first game you can expect Ty to keep everything pretty secret.

I finally finished my reviews of every team we play this year and while it became a little repetitive as time went on the goal was to give you something to read each day during June, and July which are usually a pretty slow time for college football news.

My friend Nathan Ware and his Seattle PI blog should be back in action this week. I imagine we will get going with another edition of Backtalk soon after practice begins. For those of you who wondered what happened to Nathan the answer is that he takes off the time between the end of spring football and fall camp to take a mental break. Don't worry he is still out there ready to crank plenty of good information.

Sports Blog Nation

It looks looks like we are going to be joining the Sports Blog Nation Network in a few days. This will bring a few changes such as a new web address, and a lot more tools we can use to effectively blog quite a bit better with.

We will be joining Bruins Nation, Addicted to Quack, and my friend Jake at Building the Dam among others. What the readers get is a better resource of overall football information and networking through the network.

I get a little more credibility by using that format since the bloggers at SBN have been deemed to be some of the very best in the country.

When the change is made I will post the new address, and instructions on this site which won't be going dark because we have such a large archive of stuff over here since this blog is now entering its third season commenting on Husky athletics.

Predicted Pac Ten Standings

USC and Oregon are the class of the league this season followed by Arizona State. After that you have a crap shoot between California, Washington, Oregon State, UCLA, and Arizona scrambling for an upper division finish. You just may just be able to include Stanford in that group if they develop a QB, and stay healthy. The Cardinal are definitely on the upswing, and Harbaugh is proving he can recruit with the very best of them. He is quietly putting together a very strong class for 2009. I predict WSU will bring up the rear in 2008, but it isn't like this team is devoid of talent, however lack of depth will be a factor.

1. Southern California....Surprise! I am picking the Trojans to win the conference this year and contend for a national title. That doesn't mean I didn't strongly consider Oregon, the Ducks could end up being very good. My main concern about the Trojans is declining offensive production which has been happening the last couple of years. They have the talent to reverse that, but I'm not convinced that Mark Sanchez will be the equal to Booty, who wasn't the equal of Leinhart, and Palmer. On defense this team will be awesome and led by the best safeties, and linebackers in the country. We are talking maybe four first round draft choices on this defense. USC could win a lot of games just with the defense so maybe the decline in offense if it continues won't hurt them.

2. Oregon....I almost picked the Ducks to win the Pac Ten. I think the Ducks have a better offensive line than USC, and have equal quality at the skill positions. Even though Costa is unproven he may end up being better than Dixon before he leaves. On defense I have to take Oregon up front, and at cornerback. USC has much better LB's, and even though the Ducks have safety Patrick Chung the Trojans have a couple of kids that may be slightly better. If Costa clicks like insiders say he can this could be the Ducks year. Surprisingly one of the biggest obstacles may be the opener with Washington because Costa won't be settled in yet.

3. Arizona State....Dennis Erickson exceeded expectations with his 2007 squad, but he has been doing that his entire career. You will never confuse Rudy Carpenter with a Peyton Manning, but this kid has a lot of moxie and knows how to win. He was just creamed on a hit by Washington near the end of the first half in Tempe last year and he bounced back up and just dared the Husky offense to try it again. They didn't, and in the second half the team made the correct adjustments on defense and blew UW out of the water. Well coached teams do that, and ASU is a very well coached team. Erickson may be the best coach in the conference when it comes to making second half adjustments.

4. California....The Bears were ugly in the second half of last season and they folded losing to teams like Washington, and Stanford. Nate Longshore took the brunt of the criticism, and the team graduated a lot of NFL quality talent at the skill positions. Longshore will likely share time with Kevin Riley this season until the Bears find out who makes the offense click the best. This team is similar to Washington in 2008, they have a veteran QB, a very good offensive line, and inexperienced talent at the skill positions. On defense they have a crew of LB's that are second only to USC on paper. They are filling holes with good talent in the defensive backfield, and the defensive line. The Bears can challenge this year if the injury bug doesn't bite, and the play at QB rebounds. The second half collapse was troubling, and it was obvious that Tedford lost his team. Jeff is a top notch coach and he will be out to prove that 2007 was an aberration.

5. Washington....Jake Locker is the most talented QB in the league, and it is expected he will make the quantum leap talented young QB's make in their second year. UW's offense was very good in the second half of 2007, but you may not have noticed because the defense was so atrocious. The Huskies have young unproven talent at the skill positions, but they have recruited well enough to expect some stars to emerge. The offensive line is one of the best in the Pac Ten which will give the mobile Locker time to throw, and the young RB's room to run. Defense is the big question and the Huskies looked like a different team this spring under new DC Ed Donatell. UW has an excellent corp of LB's, and most importantly has developed the depth, and talent to compete in the defensive backfield. Up front questions linger in the interior of the DL, but most of the Pac Ten has the same problem going in to 2008. Washington will try to plug that hole with 290 lb Johnnie Kirton who is moving over from TE, true freshman Senio Kelemente, and the massive 340lb Alameda Ta'amu.

6. Oregon State....The Beavers have had one the better defenses in the country over the past few years. They have to replace most of that defense in 2008 but they will probably be better than most people think. I love the potential of their defensive line. They have better than adequate talent in the defensive backfield. The question mark is at LB where the Beavers will be going with three new starters. Offensively the Beaver have the best WR's on paper in the conference, plus the cupboard isn't bare at RB even though Bernard has graduated. JC DE Simi Kuli who was supposed to come in and make an immediate impact will possibly sit out this season because he has yet to qualify. The question mark is the trigger man, I just don't have faith in their QB's, and I think the defense will fall off enough that they won't be able to make up for it in 2008. Everyone discounts the Beavers, and every season the Beavers defy the odds and finish in the first division. There isn't much separation between Cal, UW, and OSU this year, so it may happen again.

7. Arizona....Everyone loves Willie Tuitama and the offense. The Wildcats are going to put up plenty of points in 2008, perhaps enough points to save Mike Stoops job and go to a bowl. Grigsby is a fine young running back, and the receivers led by Thomas are talented, and deep. The problem is they will have one of the worst projected defenses in the Pac Ten. On paper I just don't see them stopping anyone. If you remember the UW/UA game last season it didn't matter that they couldn't stop UW, they simply outscored them in the 4th quarter. I think for the Wildcats to make a move in 2008 they are going to need to overachieve on defense. Give this team a middle of the road defense and they are a sure bowl team. Stoops is on the hot seat, but many people forget the mess the program was in when he took it over. the non conference schedule ids very kind to this team in 2008. So they should be able to start off 3-0 which means a bowl game is likely.

8. UCLA....Neuheisel, Chow, and Walker are going to get it done in a couple years, but this team has too major holes in too many places. UCLA faithful hope that Chow, and Neu can work their magic on Olson, but Ben is pretty fragile, and he will be playing behind an offensive line that is going to give up a lot of sacks. Defensively the Bruins should be OK up front, but they need to work on the pass defense, and find some depth at DE. The UCLA defense has the potential to give up way to many yards through the air. The Bruins are famous for folding in the second half of the season no matter how strong they start. That attitude could still be a problem after the team skipped a practice this spring which had to be extremely frustrating for the new coaches. Neuheisel has his work cut out in 2008, but he is an excellent game day coach so winning against the odds is something he can accomplish.

9. Stanford....It is very fashionable to automatically reserve the cellar for the Cardinal, but this team is seriously rebuilding. Just ask USC, and California, these guys come out ready to play each game. If you don't take them seriously you just might end up on the wrong side of the scoreboard. They are still a couple of years away, but Harbaugh is going to get them there, and they have a defense that will only get better. Offensively they have work to do score enough points to keep up with the rest of the Pac Ten. If a QB emerges they could make some noise they could move up in the standings. Depth will continue to be a huge concern, but things are getting better on the farm. I wouldn't be surprised to see them pass by UCLA in 2008. If this team can stay healthy all season they may surprise. This team could be the leagues defensive surprise in 2008, but they are probably still too far away on offense to seriously contend.

10. WSU....The Cougars as usual have the ability to put points on the board. Unfortunately they also have the ability to give up way too many. The defense has to be rebuilt before this team can start climbing back up the ladder. Paul Wullf is a talented young coach, but academic sanctions, and a dismal recruiting class are going to hold him back for a couple of years. Some of this teams best players have had serious legal troubles over the past year. Wulff has a lot of work to do to change the culture. The Cougars do have some talented receivers led by Gibson, and if Dwight Tardy returns healthy they have a viable threat at running back. Depth is going to be a problem almost everywhere, so if injuries mount it could get ugly.

California Preview

Coach Jeff Tedford’s reputation as a coaching genius took a hit last season. The 2007 team entered the year with hopes of passing USC, but sputtered at the end losing six of its final seven games.

One of those losses was to Washington in Husky Stadium with Jake Locker on the sidelines nursing an injury. Washington shut down the Bears on defense and went to a power running game which broke the Bears down. Tedford could be heard blowing his top at his team after the game stating that they had no business losing to a team like Washington.

Rebounding won’t be easy. The quarterback position remains unresolved. Incumbent starter, Nate Longshore, has never been able to elevate from good to great. Sophomore Kevin Riley, who tossed for three scores in last season’s Armed Service Bowl win, could get the nod. Though his decision making is inconsistent, his ability to run with the ball gives Tedford’s offense an added dimension.

The Bears have to replace wide receivers Lavelle Hawkins, DeSean Jackson and Robert Jordan and tight end Craig Stevens. Whoever starts at quarterback will almost certainly be less productive this year.

No receiver who caught over five passes during the 2007 season is back and that inexperience will hurt early in the campaign. It is not just the skilled receivers who are gone, but running back Justin Forsett has wrapped up his collegiate career after rushing for 1,546 yards and 15 touchdowns his senior season. Jahvid Best is the most experienced back, but after a hip injury it remains to be seen how productive he can be. Sophomore Tracy Slocum and redshirt freshman Shane Vereen are next in line.

The offensive line needs to be replaced on the left side with the graduations of tackle Mike Gibson and guard Brian De La Puente, but the other side of the line is solid and center Alex Mack is one of the best in the nation.

The defense will be shifting to a 3-4 scheme, a more suitable alignment in the pass-happy Pac-10. With linebackers Worrell Williams, Zack Follett and Anthony Felder returning, it makes sense to focus on the linebackers and try and squeeze in one more starter. Nobody on the line did a great job of getting to the quarterback, but another year of experience should make things better.

The secondary has the most to replace with the departure of safety Thomas DeCoud and corner Brandon Hampton. At corner the situation is not that bad. Chris Conte will join returning starter Syd’Quan Thompson after being the top corner reserve last year.

How do you beat California?

Washington showed how to do that last year. You run the ball all day, control the clock, and wear the Bears out. It doesn't help if you are playing at home either. It also doesn't hurt if the Bears show up not ready to play. It was obvious that Tedford was having a problem getting through to a team that was very talented in 2007.

What do I think?

I think California and Washington are very similar teams who will be slugging it out in the middle of the conference this year. I give UW the edge at QB with Jake Locker, but the teams are pretty even at RB, WR, TE, and on the OL. Defensively the Bears have one of the best linebacking trio's in the country, and while Washington is close I have to give the nod to the Bears here. Both teams are evenly matched in the defensive backfield. Cal get's a slight edge on the defensive line line the Huskies only have one player with significant experience coming back.

On paper this game is a toss-up, and because it is in Berkeley you have to make the Bear's a slight favorite. This is going to be an interesting game because Ty Willingham may be looking at it as a must win to keep his job. If Willingham is not retained one of the first phone calls Mark Emmert makes will be to Jeff Tedford who may be getting impatient working with the worst facilities in the league.

Huskies Pick Up a Decent Walkon Offensive Tackle

The Huskies will be gaining one more offensive tackle on Saturday via a transfer by the name of Nick Scott who has been playing for Drake according to Dawgman. With depth at offensive tackle a little shallow in experience it is a good pick up even if he is just a practice player. Having good quality depth to practice against is always a big plus in these days of declining scholarship limits.

Washington State Preview

The Cougars hired alum Paul Wulff as head coach, after the Cougar program went into a slide under Bill Doba. The Coug's haven’t been to a bowl game since they went to the Holiday Bowl back in 2003, and are coming off a season where they finished 5-7 overall and just 3-6 in the Pac 10.

Wulff will have his hands full early in his tenure at Washington State, as they have had a couple of mediocre recruiting years, and many players that just didn’t turn out like they were suppose to. Add to that a reduction in scholarships for not meeting NCAA graduation standards and you have a major rebuilding job on your hands.

Wulff could cause some problems for opponents early with his no-huddle scheme, but a lot will count on the arm of QB Gary Rodgers who has spent most of his career watching Alex Brink, who ended up setting numerous school passing records. Rodgers will have a solid target to throw to in Brandon Gibson who has All-Pac 10 talent. On top of that there are two youngsters in sophomores Daniel Blackledge and Jeshua Anderson who should be ready to step in and share the spotlight at receiver.

Last years starter at running back Dwight Tardy and backup Chris Ivory both missed spring ball, but it looks like Tardy should be ready to go by the start of the season. The team has a trio of solid tight ends on this team, and it looks like senior Devin Frischknecht will be the opening day starter.

The line should improve as they return 4 starters and the only spot left to fill is left guard, where they believe sophomore Andrew Roxas will be ready to go.

Wulff is bringing back the 4-3. With 4 returning starters at linebacker from a year ago, junior Andy Mattingly will move to defensive end to help the process go a little smoother, but he may have to do a little community service and face a suspension to begin the season.

Up front it looks like the team will be set at ends with Mattingly and junior Kevin Kooyman who has the talent, but was held back last year due to injury. Senior A’I Ahmu will return to hold down one of the tackle spots. DT Andy Roof could return after running into alcohol and assault related problems.

The linebacking group of Cory Evans, Greg Trent, and Kendrick Dunn are just ok, and they aren’t the best in pass coverage. Thats not a good thing when you really don’t know what to expect from your secondary.

In the defefensive backfield it looks like safety Alfonso Jackson and cornerback Chima Nwachukwu will swap positions in 2008, and its unclear if junior Devin Giles will be able to return after missing most of spring due to academics. Look for senior Markus Dawes to be opposite Jackson at corner, and junior Xavier Hicks to team up with Nwachukwu at the other safety spot.

How Do you Beat WSU?

I think the Cougars should be able to put some points on the board. Rodgers has been waiting for this chance for a long time, and even though he hasn't been a starter he should be able to do a decent job in 2008 with the targets he has at his disposal. The Coug's should also be able to run the ball well with a dynamic duo lining up behind an experienced offensive line.

The weak points on this team will be on the defensive side, and with overall team depth. The cupboard isn't exactly bare, but the Coug's can't afford to lose too many players as the season progresses.

You beat the Cougars by attacking a defense that should be less than stellar. The Cougars as usual have some very nice tools on offense, and you need to respect that. Depth is where most teams have the advantage over these guys so winning the fourth quarter and shutting down their offense in the second half is critical to success.

What Do I Think?

You throw out all the records and statisitics when you play the Apple Cup. The game is in Pullman this year, and Willingham is only 1-2 against the Crimson and Grey. On paper going into the season Washington is a better club with superior depth, and in game eleven superior depth is a huge factor.

I have to give the nod to Washington, but anything can happen on a cold day in Pullman with a bowl bid, and possibly Tyrone's job on the line.

Blackman on hold

QB Dominique Blackman is not going to be able to enroll at UW until January at the earliest according to reports coming out on the Internet this evening.

Blackman learned Friday that the school's board of admissions had rejected his last-ditch application despite him passing two online summer classes. "The holdup was my (grade-point average). It wasn't high enough with the score I got (on the SAT). I needed to retake two classes online and get B's. I finished the classes and still need to take the finals, but I have B's, for sure," he said. "Guess it's a day late, a dollar short, as they say.".

Oregon Linebacker Out for Opener

Kevin Garrett, projected to be Oregon's starting weakside linebacker, will definitely miss at least the Washington game after being suspended for a recent DUI arrest, Ducks coach Mike Bellotti said today.

UCLA Preview

Rick Neuheisel returns to Husky Stadium as the head coach of his alma mater UCLA. Rick thinks he will get BOO'ed upon his return, but I am not so sure he will. In fact he is probably still a lot more popular than current Husky head man Ty Willingham. After three years of "Paint Dry Ty" UW fans are nostalgic for the days when Husky football used to be fun under Neuheisel.

I like Rick, and I think he is a potentially great coach who learned a lot of tough lessons the hard way while at Colorado, and UW. I am pretty sure Neuheisel is going to put it all together during his tenure at UCLA, but it probably won't be in the first year.

Starting off at QB Ben Olson and Patrick Cowan have shared starting duties over the last two years. Pretty much whoever happened to be healthy would play. The duo started the spring in good shape, but that did not last long. With two days left before the end of spring practice, the bad luck set in. Cowan tore the ACL in his left knee and will miss his final season. Literally minutes later Olson broke his foot. Luckily, Olson should be back for the opener, but junior college transfer Kevin Craft needs to be ready.

Wide receivers Brandon Breazell and Joe Cowan are gone and now it is up to Dominique Johnson to develop into the main threat. At 6-3, the sophomore certainly has the potential to be a great player, but having some more experienced options would help him develop. At running back UCLA will be fine if Kahlil Bell can stay healthy. Otherwise a bunch of freshmen will have to play a big part in the offense.

The need is greatest on the offensive line. Micah Reed started eight games at guard last season and will shift to center. Tackles Alexis Landis, who was bothered by knee problems, and Micah Kia, who had troubles with consistency, are the only other linemen returning who started a game last season.

That has resulted in some position shifts. Tight ends Scott Glicksberg and Adam Heater have moved to center and Darius Savage is getting a look at guard. Neuheisel said that the staff worked out an offensive line depth chart after watching workouts this winter.

“That’s the unit of most concern,” Neuheisel said. “We can’t hope to get help somewhere else, so we got to stay healthy and come together as a group. We’re very lucky to have offensive line coach Bob Palcic and offensive coordinator Norm Chow, who I think get that and are good at putting those units together.”

Brian Price returns at defensive tackle and will be joined by Brigham Harwell, who was a starter in 2006 before missing most of last season with an injury. Those two will be the start of what should be another decent front seven. Tom Blake is now a senior and needs to start looking more like the departed Bruce Davis on the end. Highly touted incoming freshmen Damien Holmes and Datone Jones probably will be in the rotation right away out on the ends.

Christian Taylor will be missed, but linebackers Kyle Bosworth and Reggie Carter return. Carter will be moving to the middle linebacker spot and that leaves an opening on the outside for senior John Hale. With all experience up front, the run defense should be alright. But more important than stopping the run will be getting pressure on the quarterback to help out a very inexperienced secondary.

Corners Trey Brown and Rodney Van and safeties Chris Horton and Dennis Keyes are gone. That leaves a whole lot of inexperienced players left on the roster. Alterraun Verner has starting experience at corner and everybody is raving about redshirt freshman Courtney Viney. Brett Lockett, and Aaron Ware take over at safety. Four of the 11 players on the DB depth chart are walk-ons which means this team could be relying on true freshman if injuries arise.

How do you beat UCLA?

You have success throwing against their rebuilding secondary, and you shut down an offense that has some holes. You also have to out scheme Norm Chow, and Rick Neuheisel so it will be a big test for the Husky staff. I think any Rick Neuhesiel team is dangerous because he can really motivate his players to perform above their talent level on game day.

You need to attack the Bruin's weakest point which will be on the offensive line. If you stunt all day, keep them off balance, and put significant pressure on the QB you should come out with a win.

Talking about QB, since this is a late season game UCLA may be out of them by the time they play UW. The same thing can be said for the offensive line, and defensive back. You win with depth later in the season, and this team lacks it in some critical areas.

What Do I think?

Traditionally I always think we can beat UCLA every year then something nasty happens in the fourth quarter.

Make no mistake, this is a real big game for Rick Neuheisel, there is nothing he would rather do than beat the university that gave him the percieved shaft and sent him to college coaching purgatory. Say what you want about Rick, but in the end the old UW administration treated him like a sacrificial lamb when the NCAA came hunting.

Going into this one I have to give UW a decided edge with Locker at QB, and since this game is at home I am going with UW.

We all know that California teams hate to play in Seattle late in the year, plus UCLA historically packs it in after the 6th game of the year. To me that is Rick's biggest challenge, keeping his team together an entire season because the last two coaches couldn't get it done.