Jake Bertalotto from "Building the Dam" joins us on the eve of the game for a little Q&A. I think most of you have been over to Jakes blog in the past and realize he does a great job covering Oregon State Beaver sports.
John: How much will it impact the Oregon State offense having Canfield out this week?
Jake: Canfield is obviously our best quarterback, so it will definitely hurt us. He's had problems with interceptions this year, but he is our best passer. Moevao has a strong arm and quick feet but he's short-- I'm sure you guys will try hard to get in his face, as he gets a lot of passes batted down as is. Between Canfield and Moevao, Canfield has the best command of the offense right now, and I'm kind of worried about how Moevao will manage the game.
While Canfield has gotten the job done enough to have won five games, he hasn't been spectacular. Personally, I want to see what Moevao will do with the entire game to himself. We've only seen him play while splitting time with Canfield or in mop-up situations. However, the key for OSU's offense is the return and effectiveness of Yvenson Bernard.
Jake: I've heard that Locker should be good to go on Saturday-- What exactly happened to him? And will the injury he is recovering from affect his mobility and/or passing ability?
John: Jake bruised his shoulder a bit running for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter against Stanford. After the game the trainers iced him down like Nolan Ryan after nine inning at age 45. It turned out just to be precautionary and he was 100% all week. Jake shouldn't have any problems on Saturday except for the eleven guys dressed in black and orange.
Jake: Of course, you must flaunt the fact that Jake was running for a touchdown when he was hurt ;). Canfield injured his shoulder on an 18 yard scramble that resulted in him being slammed into the turf as he attempted to slide.
John: What about Yvenson Bernard, it sounds like he is still pretty sore, how do you think he will do this weekend?
Jake: Bernard will probably still be sore this weekend, but he won't show it. He plays through pain all the time, and I'm glad he removed himself from the game when the actual shoulder sprain occurred. This dude is tough, and not much can stop him from playing.
Jake: The Huskies haven't played at Reser Stadium since 2003. That was two renovations ago. With the Beavers expecting the largest crowd in school history, what are your thoughts on the 'Dawgs playing at Reser? It's going to be loud, but I know the Huskies have experience playing in a loud stadium.
John: I would love to see Reser again in person, and it looks great from the photos I have seen. As far as crowd noise you get that on the road everywhere you play except for Stanford, so the Huskies should be prepared for it. I have been to Reser quite a few times, but I can't remember it being particularly loud like Oregon, or ASU. I was at ASU this year and it was just an intimidating circus. I think the weather will play a lot bigger part in the game than the crowd. It is going to be slick, and cold out there, so the team that hangs on to the ball the best should have the advantage.
John: Tell me a little about the running backs behind Bernard. I have a feeling that OSU is going to be running most of the day, and that means they will probably rotate their backs.
Jake: Behind Bernard, the Beavers have Matthew Sieverson and Clinton Polk. Matt is listed as second string on the depth chart, but I think Clinton is the better back. Matt is a senior out of Bend, Oregon who is a hard worker and earned every bit of the playing time he's gotten. He's a bit slow for a Pac-10 back. But he's a quality back, and a quality guy. Clinton is a better runner in my opinion, but I think he has some disciplinary problems. Don't know this for sure, but it's my assumption. He's the one that took over for Bernard last year and proceeded to put 100 yards up on USC to help out in a 33-31 win.
Along with Bernard, those are the three guys you will most likely see out of the backfield. The guy to watch out for is #8, James Rodgers. He's perfected the fly sweep, and Oregon State usually runs it 2-3 times a game. The Beavers ran it first play against USC, and he ripped off 39 yards when it looked like he would be tackled for a loss. He's short-- but speedy and strong. His brother Jacquizz just committed to Oregon State, and he's a RB, so watch out for him in a few years. Don't know why you needed to know that.
Now that we've got the backs covered, you might want to watch out for Moevao. Word on the street is that he can run better than Canfield, we just haven't seen it yet. He's not going to put up Dennis Dixon numbers on the ground, but it could mean an extra first down or two.
Jake: Tell me a little about the balance of your offense. We saw Rankin put up a stellar performance last week at Stanford, and we know Locker can run. If Oregon State's defense dominates the line of scrimmage, what strategy will the Huskies turn to? What should we look for out of Reese, Russo, Williams and the rest of the receivers?
John: I think Oregon State is going to dominate the line of scrimmage defensively on Saturday. As you well know the Beavers are rated second in the country in rushing defense. Oregon State is going to stack the line of scrimmage and pinch down to take away the run. Your linebackers are very fast and they should be able to contain Locker in most situations just like they handled Stanback last year. The key for Washington will be hitting some early passes to loosen up the Beaver defense. Locker throws a nice long ball and a couple of strikes early can change the way the game is played by both teams. Washington's receivers are very average. They have trouble playing against man defenses, they don't get much separation, and you can count on them to drop plenty of balls on Saturday. Reese is the most explosive, and has the most potential of the group. He caught a 98 yard TD pass against Arizona when the Wildcats were stacking up against the run. Russo doesn't provide many yards after the catch. Williams bobbles everything thrown at him. For Washington to win on Saturday they need to turn in a better game than we have seen up to this point.
John: Can you update me on the health of the OSU offensive line? I hear that there are some key players out for the game on Saturday.
Jake: The Offensive Line returned in it's entirety for this year, but since the beginning of the year, things have gone downhill. Jeremy Perry went down with a broken leg the first game of the season. This week it seems like everyone is playing a different position than they're used to. Part of that reason is because freshman Ryan Pohl got dominated at USC, and we had to make some changes to get him out of the lineup. It's nothing against him, he's just lacking experience at this point. He's also had a sprained ankle bugging him.
Here's the line you are likely to see on Saturday: Jeremy Perry at LG, Adam Speer at RG, Roy Schuening at RT, and Andy Levitre at LT, with Kyle DeVan at C. The changes are Perry for Speer at LG. Speer replaces Schuening at RG, then Schuening moves over to RT for Levitre, and Levitre going to LT. Lots of guys will be playing positions they haven't played before, or at least in a long time. Supposedly, they were still getting the footwork down as of Tuesday.
Jake: Washington's passing defense is statistically a lot better than their rush defense, which benefits the Beavers, a rushing team. With Moevao at the helm, how will the Huskies get in his face? What's the game plan going to be?
John: Well Jake, a lot of people in Seattle are wondering the same thing. Washington's defense isn't very good, it doesn't matter how you attack them, by air, or on the ground, they give up a lot of yards. We play a bend but don't break type of defense which gives receivers quite a bit of cushion, so throwing it out to the sides to see what your receivers can do after the catch is always a good strategy. What Washington should do against OSU is constantly blitz in passing situations. That being said because our D.C. doesn't get it, expect Washington to only blitz around 12% of the game. UW fears Bernard, and for good reason, when healthy he is one of the best backs in the country. UW doesn't want to give up the big run, so expect them to stay home most of the night to contain Bernard.
John: What will OSU do to contain Jake Locker?
Jake: Oregon State hasn't faced a quarterback with the style of Jake Locker, but we should be ready to contain him. Our D-Line has been rotating all year by situations (we have certain linemen for pass rush situations, run situations, etc.) so that shouldn't be a problem. Really, I think the defense will just do their thing. We've got some great linebackers and a great secondary, so I have no worries there. This isn't to say that Jake Locker won't be productive- I'm sure he will. I just expect our defense to keep him under control, and not allow him to dominate the game.
John: Lets finish it off by asking each other who is going to win the game?
Jake: I am not a fan of predicting the score for Beaver games. Obviously I hope the Beavers win and get to bowl eligibility with two games left in the regular season. As for the score though, I'd prefer not to say. I'll let these two teams battle it out in the crappy weather on Saturday night. (I have box seats for this game--haha!)
John: Jake, I really liked it last year when you ran game simulations on your play station, I thought it was a cool feature.
I think it is going to be a tough game dictated by the weather and decided by field goals. I will go along with you and leave it up to the guys on the field to decide who is going to win this one. To be sure in crappy weather the team with the most heart is going to win.
I had fun Jake, let's do it again during basketball season!
Friday, November 09, 2007
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Not much today
Not much new out there today on the football team as they prepare for Oregon State. Once again it is a big game against a much better opponent than last week. This game will tell us a lot about exactly where this team is going into the end of the schedule.
I was surprised to hear that the womens basketball team lost to SPU in an exhibition opener, not exactly the way you want to start the year off. I imagine it will take awhile for the new coach and her players to jell.
I was surprised to hear that the womens basketball team lost to SPU in an exhibition opener, not exactly the way you want to start the year off. I imagine it will take awhile for the new coach and her players to jell.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Pac Ten Alley
Barbara Hedges once said, that was then, and this is now.
Only few weeks ago I wrote a column in favor of keeping Ty till the end of his contract. I felt that Washington had played better this season despite starting off the season 2-5. I felt losses to Ohio St, USC, UCLA, Arizona State, and Oregon were OK for a team in a rebuilding year. That all came crashing down in a loss at home to Arizona.
After becoming unglued after that loss I decided to retract a bit and wait to see how we finish the season. The logic of course was the Huskies still could finish with a winning season and go to a bowl game. Would anyone of us have a problem with that?
Last week we took care of Stanford and dominated them in almost every area but the scoreboard, 27-10 just didn't do it for me when you run for over 300 yards. It wasn't a great game, but it was a win, and like everyone else we were glad to take it.
This week is the one that really means something. Oregon State even with the injuries has been a better team than us this year. If we beat Oregon State on the road in Corvallis I will start getting excited again. After that we have Cal, WSU, and Hawaii.
My thinking is if we beat Oregon State we have the ability to win the rest of our games and go bowling, and if that happens you really shouldn't be urging anyone to fire the coach.
On the other hand if Washington loses the next four it is time to get the pitchforks, and torches ready again. If we split I don't think anything will happen at the end of the year, but lose out and the pressure on UW from boosters will be tremendous with favorite son Jim Mora Jr waiting in the wings.
So in conclusion I think this is one of the biggest games of the year. UW heads into this one with some confidence, winning a game, any game guarantees to give your team a big boost. A win in Corvallis will keep hopes alive, and most importantly it will mean that we have a very good chance of winning the next three.
Pac Ten Alley
Lets take a stroll down the coast to see what the neighbors are up to.
It looks like Yvenson Bernard is going to give it a go with his tender shoulder in his final home game for Oregon State.
The big things we learned: Canfield is 99% sitting out this week against Washington. Moevao will get the start. Yvenson will probably be back. Defense end Dorian Smith will also be out with a knee sprain. We'll examine these two injuries in greater depth late in the week. Now, for some quotes from Riley.
Could Bob Gregory be the next head man at WSU? Now that Cal is eliminated from championship contention expect more stories like this as Tedford assistants get a good look from around the country.
Cal defensive coordinator Bob Gregory, a Washington State graduate, is among a group of logical candidates for the Cougars' head coaching job if Bill Doba is fired, which has been the subject of widespread speculation on the Internet. Gregory's first job interview - a 20-17 win over the Cougars - was nearly flawless. The Bears didn't give up a touchdown until the game's final minute and allowed Washington State to put together only two drives of more than 70 yards. Cal limited the Cougars to 52 rushing yards, 17 first downs and 4-of-16 on third-down conversions. "We played very well against a very good offense," Gregory said. "Hopefully, a game like this will give us a little confidence." Washington State came into the game averaging 24.9 points and 129.2 rushing yards a game. Quarterback Alex Brink, who averages 293.8 passing yards a game, had only 138 yards through three quarters. Two late drives pushed Brink's total to 306 passing yards.
WSU finally received their first verbal commitment. Karstetter is a good looking kid who didn't receive an offer from cross state Washington.
Stop the presses! A verbal commitment! Unbelievable. And a Ferris kid to boot. In all seriousness, this is a solid "get". Tall and lanky at 6-4, 195, a very good athlete. Hey, it's a start. A good hoops player as well, who knows, maybe this is more about the hoops team?? For some reason he's a bit under the radar though. Offers from schools like Air Force, UNLV, Idaho and Eastern, but didn't get offers from ASU or UW, schools on his list. From Scout.com:Karstetter racked up 71 receptions for 1,002 yards with 12 TDs in 10 games as a junior. He took home all-league and AP all-state honors, along with the WIAA/Seattle Times State Athlete of the Week Award for a 174-yard, two touchdown performance against Shadle Park. Karstetter is also one of the state's top basketball players, taking home the MVP of the Greater Spokane League and AP first team all-state honors as the Saxons won the 2007 state 4A hoops title.
Hawaii looks like it will slide into a BCS bowl game if they can get by Washington.
So far this season Brennan is 225 of 328 for 2,820 yards and 26 touchdowns. Twenty-four quarterbacks have attempted more passes than Brennan, but only three have more touchdown passes. He's seventh in the nation in passing efficiency with a 160.3 rating. Eight quarterbacks have more passing yards.
UCLA is on the skids as usual. You can guess what the topic is.
I honestly don’t see why these kids should rush back to play for losers like Dorrell or Walker. Why risk their careers playing for coaches who do not deserve to be here next here? If I were Harwell’s parents, I’d strongly consider advising the kid to take a medical red shirt, and come back strong under a new coaching staff next season.
Booty is shaking off some rust for USC
Quarterback John David Booty attributed some high passes against Oregon State to rust after he broke his finger. "I've been out three games. Usually, when you first come back to camp or spring ball, they aren't perfect,’’ Booty said. "A couple of throws were high on me."He also overthrew freshman wide receiver Ronald Johnson on a deep pass. What's interesting is Carroll praised freshman wide receiver Ronald Johnson on the play. "We just missed him," Carroll said. "(Johnson is) doing his part."
The bubble has burst in Tempe, but they can still go to a BCS game if they get by USC.
So we lost. The sting isn't as bad as it was immediately following the game, but the BCS is looking like a stretch barring a complete catastrophe, not that the 2007 college football season hasn't been without the unbelievable. More on that in a moment, but what the hell happened?We got beat by a better team but I think Oregon fans will admit that Saturday's game wasn't their best performance. There were several dropped passes by the Ducks, they were without superman Dennis Dixon for the fourth quarter, and the Oregon pass D was less than spectacular. While many doors were left open for ASU throughout the night, the Sun Devils couldn't seem to walk through any of them.
Our favorite team to hate is probably the best football team in the country. tough to say if they can get by Ohio State, or LSU to get into the title game.
On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, a record crowd of 59,379, watched their high flying Ducks win the biggest game in Autzen history. The game was not as close as the score would indicate as we had a few miscues that could have led to even more Oregon points.
Arizona has won two in a row!
Arizona cornerback Antoine Cason is among the 12 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to college football's top defensive back. The list will be cut to three finalists on Nov. 19. Cason, a senior, has four interceptions this season. He has broken up six passes, forced two fumbles and has 62 tackles, including a sack.
The Stanford team Washington beat last Saturday may be the most injury depleted squad in the conference.
Consider this a combo effort from myself and Merc beat writer Darren Sabedra, who has been all over the Stanford injury situation all season — and it has been a long and ever-growing situation. At this time of year, every team has injury issues. It’s just that Stanford has been hit hard at one position (tailback).
Only few weeks ago I wrote a column in favor of keeping Ty till the end of his contract. I felt that Washington had played better this season despite starting off the season 2-5. I felt losses to Ohio St, USC, UCLA, Arizona State, and Oregon were OK for a team in a rebuilding year. That all came crashing down in a loss at home to Arizona.
After becoming unglued after that loss I decided to retract a bit and wait to see how we finish the season. The logic of course was the Huskies still could finish with a winning season and go to a bowl game. Would anyone of us have a problem with that?
Last week we took care of Stanford and dominated them in almost every area but the scoreboard, 27-10 just didn't do it for me when you run for over 300 yards. It wasn't a great game, but it was a win, and like everyone else we were glad to take it.
This week is the one that really means something. Oregon State even with the injuries has been a better team than us this year. If we beat Oregon State on the road in Corvallis I will start getting excited again. After that we have Cal, WSU, and Hawaii.
My thinking is if we beat Oregon State we have the ability to win the rest of our games and go bowling, and if that happens you really shouldn't be urging anyone to fire the coach.
On the other hand if Washington loses the next four it is time to get the pitchforks, and torches ready again. If we split I don't think anything will happen at the end of the year, but lose out and the pressure on UW from boosters will be tremendous with favorite son Jim Mora Jr waiting in the wings.
So in conclusion I think this is one of the biggest games of the year. UW heads into this one with some confidence, winning a game, any game guarantees to give your team a big boost. A win in Corvallis will keep hopes alive, and most importantly it will mean that we have a very good chance of winning the next three.
Pac Ten Alley
Lets take a stroll down the coast to see what the neighbors are up to.
It looks like Yvenson Bernard is going to give it a go with his tender shoulder in his final home game for Oregon State.
The big things we learned: Canfield is 99% sitting out this week against Washington. Moevao will get the start. Yvenson will probably be back. Defense end Dorian Smith will also be out with a knee sprain. We'll examine these two injuries in greater depth late in the week. Now, for some quotes from Riley.
Could Bob Gregory be the next head man at WSU? Now that Cal is eliminated from championship contention expect more stories like this as Tedford assistants get a good look from around the country.
Cal defensive coordinator Bob Gregory, a Washington State graduate, is among a group of logical candidates for the Cougars' head coaching job if Bill Doba is fired, which has been the subject of widespread speculation on the Internet. Gregory's first job interview - a 20-17 win over the Cougars - was nearly flawless. The Bears didn't give up a touchdown until the game's final minute and allowed Washington State to put together only two drives of more than 70 yards. Cal limited the Cougars to 52 rushing yards, 17 first downs and 4-of-16 on third-down conversions. "We played very well against a very good offense," Gregory said. "Hopefully, a game like this will give us a little confidence." Washington State came into the game averaging 24.9 points and 129.2 rushing yards a game. Quarterback Alex Brink, who averages 293.8 passing yards a game, had only 138 yards through three quarters. Two late drives pushed Brink's total to 306 passing yards.
WSU finally received their first verbal commitment. Karstetter is a good looking kid who didn't receive an offer from cross state Washington.
Stop the presses! A verbal commitment! Unbelievable. And a Ferris kid to boot. In all seriousness, this is a solid "get". Tall and lanky at 6-4, 195, a very good athlete. Hey, it's a start. A good hoops player as well, who knows, maybe this is more about the hoops team?? For some reason he's a bit under the radar though. Offers from schools like Air Force, UNLV, Idaho and Eastern, but didn't get offers from ASU or UW, schools on his list. From Scout.com:Karstetter racked up 71 receptions for 1,002 yards with 12 TDs in 10 games as a junior. He took home all-league and AP all-state honors, along with the WIAA/Seattle Times State Athlete of the Week Award for a 174-yard, two touchdown performance against Shadle Park. Karstetter is also one of the state's top basketball players, taking home the MVP of the Greater Spokane League and AP first team all-state honors as the Saxons won the 2007 state 4A hoops title.
Hawaii looks like it will slide into a BCS bowl game if they can get by Washington.
So far this season Brennan is 225 of 328 for 2,820 yards and 26 touchdowns. Twenty-four quarterbacks have attempted more passes than Brennan, but only three have more touchdown passes. He's seventh in the nation in passing efficiency with a 160.3 rating. Eight quarterbacks have more passing yards.
UCLA is on the skids as usual. You can guess what the topic is.
I honestly don’t see why these kids should rush back to play for losers like Dorrell or Walker. Why risk their careers playing for coaches who do not deserve to be here next here? If I were Harwell’s parents, I’d strongly consider advising the kid to take a medical red shirt, and come back strong under a new coaching staff next season.
Booty is shaking off some rust for USC
Quarterback John David Booty attributed some high passes against Oregon State to rust after he broke his finger. "I've been out three games. Usually, when you first come back to camp or spring ball, they aren't perfect,’’ Booty said. "A couple of throws were high on me."He also overthrew freshman wide receiver Ronald Johnson on a deep pass. What's interesting is Carroll praised freshman wide receiver Ronald Johnson on the play. "We just missed him," Carroll said. "(Johnson is) doing his part."
The bubble has burst in Tempe, but they can still go to a BCS game if they get by USC.
So we lost. The sting isn't as bad as it was immediately following the game, but the BCS is looking like a stretch barring a complete catastrophe, not that the 2007 college football season hasn't been without the unbelievable. More on that in a moment, but what the hell happened?We got beat by a better team but I think Oregon fans will admit that Saturday's game wasn't their best performance. There were several dropped passes by the Ducks, they were without superman Dennis Dixon for the fourth quarter, and the Oregon pass D was less than spectacular. While many doors were left open for ASU throughout the night, the Sun Devils couldn't seem to walk through any of them.
Our favorite team to hate is probably the best football team in the country. tough to say if they can get by Ohio State, or LSU to get into the title game.
On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, a record crowd of 59,379, watched their high flying Ducks win the biggest game in Autzen history. The game was not as close as the score would indicate as we had a few miscues that could have led to even more Oregon points.
Arizona has won two in a row!
Arizona cornerback Antoine Cason is among the 12 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to college football's top defensive back. The list will be cut to three finalists on Nov. 19. Cason, a senior, has four interceptions this season. He has broken up six passes, forced two fumbles and has 62 tackles, including a sack.
The Stanford team Washington beat last Saturday may be the most injury depleted squad in the conference.
Consider this a combo effort from myself and Merc beat writer Darren Sabedra, who has been all over the Stanford injury situation all season — and it has been a long and ever-growing situation. At this time of year, every team has injury issues. It’s just that Stanford has been hit hard at one position (tailback).
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Battle for the line of scrimmage
The one thing that scares me about Oregon State is how physical they play on both sides of the ball. Don't judge the Beavers by the play of quarterback Sean Canfield who likely will miss Saturday's game. Judge the Beavers on their ability to shut down the run on defense, and open holes for their running back on offense. What that is called is dominating the line of scrimmage, and it is the main reason the Beavers are competitive in a season where they haven't been able to pass the ball well.
The main thing Washington hasn't done much of this season is dominate the line of scrimmage. Let see, they did it against Syracuse, they did it against Boise St in the first half, then they put together a complete game against Stanford last weekend. Even though they played a close game against now #1 Ohio State it was obvious from the onset who was in charge. Same thing can be said for UCLA, USC, Arizona State, and especially Oregon. We did a good job on offense against Arizona, but once again the defense couldn't get to a immobile QB which led to that upset loss which still has the program reeling in recovery.
Ted Miller of the PI brought up the Huskies "Anger" factor in almost mocking fashion in his column today. He thinks anger simply isn't going to do it against the Beavers because they simply have better players than Washington.
What's physical? It's a defense that nearly matches USC's collection of future NFL Pro Bowlers. The Beavers own the nation's fifth-best run defense, are second in the nation in sacks and join the Trojans as the conference's only other defense surrendering less than 300 total yards per game. No other conference team has forced more turnovers than the Beavers (22), and one could reasonably conjecture that the defense would look even better if its hapless offensive counterparts hadn't given the ball back an astounding 25 times. The Huskies, meanwhile, own the Pac-10's worst run defense, have forced the fewest turnovers in the conference and are surrendering 31 points a game.
In one paragraph Ted was able to summarize why the Huskies shouldn't win this football game on Saturday. OSU doesn't let a lot of stuff get outside them on defense. The Beavers have no problem stacking the line with eight players all night to funnel everything inside where their excellent linebackers can lean up the play.
Washington is going to have to do some things to take them out of that. One example would be the 98 yard TD pass the Huskies completed against Arizona. The Wildcats were stacking the line and Marcel Reese got behind them and took the the Jake Locker pass to the house. Doing things like that opens it up for you because the defense can no longer cheat. Now it doesn't always work like that, last week Washington wasn't able to complete the long pass even though Jake was on target most of the night. The receivers need to do a much better job catching the ball if Washington wants to win this one.
On offense no matter who the quarterback is the Beavers are going to run all night until Washington shows they can stop them. Bernard is banged up with a bruised shoulder so it is imperative that Washington gets some clean hits on him at the line of scrimmage. Important not to our linebackers, and safeties, arm tackles are not going to work on Bernard, or any Beaver running back. If the Huskies arm tackle OSU is going to rack up some big yards on the ground.
Nathan Ware and I discuss the upcoming game in his PI blog. I asked him how many yards he expected the Beavers to put up on the ground this weekend.
Nathan: Yeah, let's see, in 2005, the Beavers ran for 127 yards against the Dawgs. In 2006, the Beavs ran for 180 yards against UW. This year, they are averaging 149 yards per game on the ground. I'd say they get around 200 yards this weekend.
Holding the Beavers to 200 yards or less may be a pretty good game for the Husky defense if they can control the Beavers through the air. The air by the way hasn't been friendly to the Beavers at all this year. Sean Canfield who may be out has been pretty much atrocious all year, the kid has been a turnover machine. force the Beavers into throwing the ball on Saturday and we just may come away with a victory.
The main thing Washington hasn't done much of this season is dominate the line of scrimmage. Let see, they did it against Syracuse, they did it against Boise St in the first half, then they put together a complete game against Stanford last weekend. Even though they played a close game against now #1 Ohio State it was obvious from the onset who was in charge. Same thing can be said for UCLA, USC, Arizona State, and especially Oregon. We did a good job on offense against Arizona, but once again the defense couldn't get to a immobile QB which led to that upset loss which still has the program reeling in recovery.
Ted Miller of the PI brought up the Huskies "Anger" factor in almost mocking fashion in his column today. He thinks anger simply isn't going to do it against the Beavers because they simply have better players than Washington.
What's physical? It's a defense that nearly matches USC's collection of future NFL Pro Bowlers. The Beavers own the nation's fifth-best run defense, are second in the nation in sacks and join the Trojans as the conference's only other defense surrendering less than 300 total yards per game. No other conference team has forced more turnovers than the Beavers (22), and one could reasonably conjecture that the defense would look even better if its hapless offensive counterparts hadn't given the ball back an astounding 25 times. The Huskies, meanwhile, own the Pac-10's worst run defense, have forced the fewest turnovers in the conference and are surrendering 31 points a game.
In one paragraph Ted was able to summarize why the Huskies shouldn't win this football game on Saturday. OSU doesn't let a lot of stuff get outside them on defense. The Beavers have no problem stacking the line with eight players all night to funnel everything inside where their excellent linebackers can lean up the play.
Washington is going to have to do some things to take them out of that. One example would be the 98 yard TD pass the Huskies completed against Arizona. The Wildcats were stacking the line and Marcel Reese got behind them and took the the Jake Locker pass to the house. Doing things like that opens it up for you because the defense can no longer cheat. Now it doesn't always work like that, last week Washington wasn't able to complete the long pass even though Jake was on target most of the night. The receivers need to do a much better job catching the ball if Washington wants to win this one.
On offense no matter who the quarterback is the Beavers are going to run all night until Washington shows they can stop them. Bernard is banged up with a bruised shoulder so it is imperative that Washington gets some clean hits on him at the line of scrimmage. Important not to our linebackers, and safeties, arm tackles are not going to work on Bernard, or any Beaver running back. If the Huskies arm tackle OSU is going to rack up some big yards on the ground.
Nathan Ware and I discuss the upcoming game in his PI blog. I asked him how many yards he expected the Beavers to put up on the ground this weekend.
Nathan: Yeah, let's see, in 2005, the Beavers ran for 127 yards against the Dawgs. In 2006, the Beavs ran for 180 yards against UW. This year, they are averaging 149 yards per game on the ground. I'd say they get around 200 yards this weekend.
Holding the Beavers to 200 yards or less may be a pretty good game for the Husky defense if they can control the Beavers through the air. The air by the way hasn't been friendly to the Beavers at all this year. Sean Canfield who may be out has been pretty much atrocious all year, the kid has been a turnover machine. force the Beavers into throwing the ball on Saturday and we just may come away with a victory.
A Close One
Washington opened the season last night with an exhibition against SPU. The Falcons showed why they are one of the best programs in Division II by giving the Huskies all they could handle. Local sharp shooter Rob Diedrich's lit up the Huskies from the outside last night for 36, and Washington turned the ball over twenty plus times.
One bright spot was the play of freshman Venoy Overton who finished with 16 points, 4 assists, and five rebounds. Added to those impressive totals were four turnovers which I wouldn't be immediately concerned about from a frosh point guard playing his first game.
Do the Huskies miss Ryan Appleby? They really do because he is the one sure guy they have that can light it up from outside even though he isn't very quick when it comes to defense.
One thing for sure after this one the Huskies need to play much better defense, and handle the ball better if they want to go to the tournament this year.
One bright spot was the play of freshman Venoy Overton who finished with 16 points, 4 assists, and five rebounds. Added to those impressive totals were four turnovers which I wouldn't be immediately concerned about from a frosh point guard playing his first game.
Do the Huskies miss Ryan Appleby? They really do because he is the one sure guy they have that can light it up from outside even though he isn't very quick when it comes to defense.
One thing for sure after this one the Huskies need to play much better defense, and handle the ball better if they want to go to the tournament this year.
Monday, November 05, 2007
The Monday Morning Wash
Let's wrap up Saturdays game by saying it is nice to win, and it is even nicer for the players, and staff to be able to practice this week with the confidence a win gives you. The Huskies are still in the thick of things as far as being bowl eligible is concerned. There are very four winnable games left on the schedule.
The next team on the schedule is Oregon State which has been losing players all season. This isn't one of those years where the Beavers have had the chance to jell for a late run. There is a very strong possibility that TB Yvenson Bernard, and QB Sean Canfield may not play next week. That would be a big plus for Washington. Las Vegas thinks so too, and they haven't issued a line for the game yet while they wait for the injury report today. Jake Locker also is hurting a bit after taking a big hit on his right shoulder late in the game, so that will figure in the odds makers decisions too. If Locker is out Washington is still in better shape since Carl Bonnell is more than just an adequate back up.
I feel for the Beavers late this season because the one team you want to avoid when you are banged up is a very physical USC team. The Trojans may be having a sub par season, but they still hit the crap out of you on every single play. OSU is probably a very sore team this Monday morning.
No matter who starts for the Beavers, Washington will have to do two things to beat the Oregon State and their stout defense next Saturday.
1. Stop the run
As we have seen it really doesn't matter who is in the backfield for the opposing team, we still have trouble stopping the run. Even if Bernard is out the Beavers will run all day till they are stopped by the Huskies. Stanford gained nearly 100 yards on Saturday with a fifth string running back. Bad things happen to OSU when they put the ball in the air, so they will attack the Huskies on the ground no matter who starts at TB. UW needs to find a way to stop them.
2. Run the ball
Louis Rankin had the game of his career last week in Palo Alto. He is still dancing way too much for my liking, and I can't believe he ran out of bounds when Locker was blocking a player down the field in front of him. That being said it is tough to knock a kid who is coming off one of the greatest running days in husky history. It really all comes down to the offensive line, they need to open holes in the Beaver defense.
Around the Pac Ten
Oregon won the game of the day against Arizona State. The Sun Devils were really never in this one as Oregon played it's "A" game and exposed the Sun Devils a bit on Saturday. It could have been different if this one was played in Sun Devil Stadium, but it wasn't. Erickson still has a chance to qualify his team for a BCS bowl and it will be interesting to see how they finish.
As for the Ducks I really think they are the best football team in the country right now. They are currently third in the rankings and it would be a shame if they can't move by LSU, or Ohio state by the end of the season to qualify for the BCS championship game. Michigan is rounding into shape and looks like a team that could handle Ohio State in the finale.
WSU gave California everything they could handle but fell short this weekend. The Cougars are a team that is getting better every single week and they will not be tough to beat in the Apple Cup. California on the other hand isn't getting better every week because of the toll injuries have taken. The Bears are very beatable each week.
USC put together a great second quarter against the Beavers than held OSU scoreless in the second half to cruise to the victory. Only three points for the Beavers in this one, and as I mentioned earlier Bernard, and Canfield are very questionable for next week.
Arizona 4-6 put what was probably the last nail in Karl's coffin with a dominating type of victory in the desert. Not sure how this affects the tenure of Mike Stoops at this point as the Wildcats face Oregon, and Arizona State to finish the season....ouch.
Boston College dropped out of the National Championship race by losing to Florida State on Saturday night. This was a tough one for my wife to take. She was however excited that Navy beat Notre Dame, like all BC grads, and most of the free world, she hates Notre Dame. The BC loss saved me a lot of money because if they had been in the national championship game she would have insisted we attend.
Pac Ten Power Ratings
1. Oregon....As I said earlier the Ducks are probably the best team in the country. They finish with Arizona, UCLA, and Oregon St.
2. Arizona State....Tough loss for Sparky. They finish with UCLA, USC, and Arizona. The game with USC will likely be for the Rose Bowl.
3. USC....These guys just aren't playing on all cylinders, but they do have a chance to win out and head to Pasadena. They finish up with Cal, ASU, and UCLA which is hardly a cakewalk.
4. California....The Bears are just holding on at this point. They finish with USC, Washington, and Stanford. Realistically the Bears will have to fight to not finish 1-2. Tough to play UW on the road after playing an emotional game with USC.
5. Arizona....Why is a 4-6 team rated #5 that is likely to finish 4-8? If you look at the teams behind them you can't say any are playing better than Arizona right now. The Wildcats finish with Oregon, and ASU.
6. WSU....They were oh so close last week to beating Cal. The Cougs finish with Stanford, Oregon St, Washington and could sweep all three to finish 6-6. By the way I am not in the fire Doba camp no matter how they finish.
7. Oregon State....These guys are beaten up right now and it could result in them losing the rest of the way. The Beavers finish with Washington, WSU, and the Mighty Ducks.
8. UCLA....The Bruins are just playing terrible right now and there is no excuse because they have too much talent. Bruin fans will get what they want this Christmas, a Neu head coach. the Bruins finish with ASU, Oregon, and USC...Ouch!
9. Washington....Beating Stanford does one thing, and that is you no longer are in the cellar by yourself. The Huskies finish with OSU, CAL, WSU, and Hawaii. Will all four and you could have an upper division finish and a minor bowl game. Lose all four and Jim Mora could be in the wings.
10. Stanford....You have to hand it to Stanford for beating USC earlier this year, but they are way too banged up to win another game this season unless the Leland Stanford Junior Band helps out. That's right, the Irish will win another game against a Pac Ten opponent or Charlie Weis is in big trouble. The Cards finish with WSU, Notre Dame, and California.
The next team on the schedule is Oregon State which has been losing players all season. This isn't one of those years where the Beavers have had the chance to jell for a late run. There is a very strong possibility that TB Yvenson Bernard, and QB Sean Canfield may not play next week. That would be a big plus for Washington. Las Vegas thinks so too, and they haven't issued a line for the game yet while they wait for the injury report today. Jake Locker also is hurting a bit after taking a big hit on his right shoulder late in the game, so that will figure in the odds makers decisions too. If Locker is out Washington is still in better shape since Carl Bonnell is more than just an adequate back up.
I feel for the Beavers late this season because the one team you want to avoid when you are banged up is a very physical USC team. The Trojans may be having a sub par season, but they still hit the crap out of you on every single play. OSU is probably a very sore team this Monday morning.
No matter who starts for the Beavers, Washington will have to do two things to beat the Oregon State and their stout defense next Saturday.
1. Stop the run
As we have seen it really doesn't matter who is in the backfield for the opposing team, we still have trouble stopping the run. Even if Bernard is out the Beavers will run all day till they are stopped by the Huskies. Stanford gained nearly 100 yards on Saturday with a fifth string running back. Bad things happen to OSU when they put the ball in the air, so they will attack the Huskies on the ground no matter who starts at TB. UW needs to find a way to stop them.
2. Run the ball
Louis Rankin had the game of his career last week in Palo Alto. He is still dancing way too much for my liking, and I can't believe he ran out of bounds when Locker was blocking a player down the field in front of him. That being said it is tough to knock a kid who is coming off one of the greatest running days in husky history. It really all comes down to the offensive line, they need to open holes in the Beaver defense.
Around the Pac Ten
Oregon won the game of the day against Arizona State. The Sun Devils were really never in this one as Oregon played it's "A" game and exposed the Sun Devils a bit on Saturday. It could have been different if this one was played in Sun Devil Stadium, but it wasn't. Erickson still has a chance to qualify his team for a BCS bowl and it will be interesting to see how they finish.
As for the Ducks I really think they are the best football team in the country right now. They are currently third in the rankings and it would be a shame if they can't move by LSU, or Ohio state by the end of the season to qualify for the BCS championship game. Michigan is rounding into shape and looks like a team that could handle Ohio State in the finale.
WSU gave California everything they could handle but fell short this weekend. The Cougars are a team that is getting better every single week and they will not be tough to beat in the Apple Cup. California on the other hand isn't getting better every week because of the toll injuries have taken. The Bears are very beatable each week.
USC put together a great second quarter against the Beavers than held OSU scoreless in the second half to cruise to the victory. Only three points for the Beavers in this one, and as I mentioned earlier Bernard, and Canfield are very questionable for next week.
Arizona 4-6 put what was probably the last nail in Karl's coffin with a dominating type of victory in the desert. Not sure how this affects the tenure of Mike Stoops at this point as the Wildcats face Oregon, and Arizona State to finish the season....ouch.
Boston College dropped out of the National Championship race by losing to Florida State on Saturday night. This was a tough one for my wife to take. She was however excited that Navy beat Notre Dame, like all BC grads, and most of the free world, she hates Notre Dame. The BC loss saved me a lot of money because if they had been in the national championship game she would have insisted we attend.
Pac Ten Power Ratings
1. Oregon....As I said earlier the Ducks are probably the best team in the country. They finish with Arizona, UCLA, and Oregon St.
2. Arizona State....Tough loss for Sparky. They finish with UCLA, USC, and Arizona. The game with USC will likely be for the Rose Bowl.
3. USC....These guys just aren't playing on all cylinders, but they do have a chance to win out and head to Pasadena. They finish up with Cal, ASU, and UCLA which is hardly a cakewalk.
4. California....The Bears are just holding on at this point. They finish with USC, Washington, and Stanford. Realistically the Bears will have to fight to not finish 1-2. Tough to play UW on the road after playing an emotional game with USC.
5. Arizona....Why is a 4-6 team rated #5 that is likely to finish 4-8? If you look at the teams behind them you can't say any are playing better than Arizona right now. The Wildcats finish with Oregon, and ASU.
6. WSU....They were oh so close last week to beating Cal. The Cougs finish with Stanford, Oregon St, Washington and could sweep all three to finish 6-6. By the way I am not in the fire Doba camp no matter how they finish.
7. Oregon State....These guys are beaten up right now and it could result in them losing the rest of the way. The Beavers finish with Washington, WSU, and the Mighty Ducks.
8. UCLA....The Bruins are just playing terrible right now and there is no excuse because they have too much talent. Bruin fans will get what they want this Christmas, a Neu head coach. the Bruins finish with ASU, Oregon, and USC...Ouch!
9. Washington....Beating Stanford does one thing, and that is you no longer are in the cellar by yourself. The Huskies finish with OSU, CAL, WSU, and Hawaii. Will all four and you could have an upper division finish and a minor bowl game. Lose all four and Jim Mora could be in the wings.
10. Stanford....You have to hand it to Stanford for beating USC earlier this year, but they are way too banged up to win another game this season unless the Leland Stanford Junior Band helps out. That's right, the Irish will win another game against a Pac Ten opponent or Charlie Weis is in big trouble. The Cards finish with WSU, Notre Dame, and California.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Not Exactly Artistic
It wasn't an artistic triumph, but if you looked at the film of yesterdays game, Washington dominated Stanford in about every single category on Saturday. The Husky offense is rounding into shape and should be able to be counted on to score at a serious enough clip to keep up in the Pac Ten over the next three years.
Washington's offense has been sub par ever since Pickett's senior year, and the coaches have done a great job rebuilding it over the last three years. Jake Locker of course is the major ingredient, but there was a lot of good blocking going on out there. Louis Rankin doesn't run for 249 yards without good blocking no matter who the opponent is.
The Huskies need to do a better job with turnovers which would have led to at least a couple of more touchdowns yesterday. Let's face it, when you have over 500 yards in total offense you should be scoring quite a bit more.
On defense the Huskies held the Cardinal to only nine points, and only 137 yards yards through the air. The depleted Cardinal did however pick up 116 on the ground which was way too many when you figure that they were down to their 5th string running back. So if you think the defense is fixed you guessed wrong, they still have a lot of work to do just to get to mediocre. The Huskies dodged the bullet because of Cardinal mistakes like fumbling at the one yard line, and being off with their kicking game. Those mistakes cost the Cardinal eleven points, and also a good chance to win this game.
A highlight for me was seeing Jordan Murchison out there playing for the first time in his career. I think the kid did a good job in his first outing and will contribute quite a bit if the coaches let him see action over the last four games.
Next week the Huskies travel to Oregon State, and they are going to have to do a much better job against the run to win that game. Yvenson Bernard sat out the USC game yesterday with a bruised shoulder, but he should be ready to go against Northwest rival Washington next Saturday.
Oregon State is a team this current Husky team should beat. The Beavers are banged up, and they have a QB who is having a terrible year throwing the ball to his own players. The Husky defense needs to be ready to take advantage of those miscues next week to pick up it's second victory in a row.
I have been saying all week that the Mantra is win the next five games. With Stanford out of the way the new Mantra is when the next four. all four of these games are winnable, even Cal who barely got by WSU last night at home. The Cougars probably would have beaten the Bears if James Tardy had been on the active roster this week. I like WSU right now, and I like Doba because his team is getting better over the course of the year and that indicates good coaching. Well coached teams get better, poorly coached teams do not, and banged up teams like Cal just find a way to hold on.
UW is pretty healthy going into the final four game stretch of the season, and that is why I am still optimistic that we can be bowling in December if they can perform at the level they are capable of. Like yesterday, it likely won't be artistic, but you can't diminish the importance of practicing all week as a winner for the first time since the second week of the season. Any way you slice it, yesterday was a big day for Washington.
Washington's offense has been sub par ever since Pickett's senior year, and the coaches have done a great job rebuilding it over the last three years. Jake Locker of course is the major ingredient, but there was a lot of good blocking going on out there. Louis Rankin doesn't run for 249 yards without good blocking no matter who the opponent is.
The Huskies need to do a better job with turnovers which would have led to at least a couple of more touchdowns yesterday. Let's face it, when you have over 500 yards in total offense you should be scoring quite a bit more.
On defense the Huskies held the Cardinal to only nine points, and only 137 yards yards through the air. The depleted Cardinal did however pick up 116 on the ground which was way too many when you figure that they were down to their 5th string running back. So if you think the defense is fixed you guessed wrong, they still have a lot of work to do just to get to mediocre. The Huskies dodged the bullet because of Cardinal mistakes like fumbling at the one yard line, and being off with their kicking game. Those mistakes cost the Cardinal eleven points, and also a good chance to win this game.
A highlight for me was seeing Jordan Murchison out there playing for the first time in his career. I think the kid did a good job in his first outing and will contribute quite a bit if the coaches let him see action over the last four games.
Next week the Huskies travel to Oregon State, and they are going to have to do a much better job against the run to win that game. Yvenson Bernard sat out the USC game yesterday with a bruised shoulder, but he should be ready to go against Northwest rival Washington next Saturday.
Oregon State is a team this current Husky team should beat. The Beavers are banged up, and they have a QB who is having a terrible year throwing the ball to his own players. The Husky defense needs to be ready to take advantage of those miscues next week to pick up it's second victory in a row.
I have been saying all week that the Mantra is win the next five games. With Stanford out of the way the new Mantra is when the next four. all four of these games are winnable, even Cal who barely got by WSU last night at home. The Cougars probably would have beaten the Bears if James Tardy had been on the active roster this week. I like WSU right now, and I like Doba because his team is getting better over the course of the year and that indicates good coaching. Well coached teams get better, poorly coached teams do not, and banged up teams like Cal just find a way to hold on.
UW is pretty healthy going into the final four game stretch of the season, and that is why I am still optimistic that we can be bowling in December if they can perform at the level they are capable of. Like yesterday, it likely won't be artistic, but you can't diminish the importance of practicing all week as a winner for the first time since the second week of the season. Any way you slice it, yesterday was a big day for Washington.
Saturday, November 03, 2007
One Down Four To Go
It is always nice to win even if it is less than impressive. Statistically we dominated Stanford today and even if the score wasn't as lobsided as it should have been it is a big step in the right direction.
Cheers to Louis Rankin for putting together one of the most impressive rushing days of any Husky in history with 254 yards. Did any of you see Locker blocking in front of Rankin on one of his long runs, it was a thing of beauty. Locker finished with 97 yards rushing, giving him 791 to break the mark set by Dennis Fitzpatrick in 1974. Jake is on a pace to gain over 1000 yards on the ground this year.
Rankin's total was the most for a Huskies back since Corey Dillon ran for 259 yards against Oregon in 1996 and fourth most since 1947. Jake Locker also ran for two scores and set the Washington single-season rushing record for a quarterback. Locker took a hard shot to the shoulder on that final TD but said he thinks he'll be fine. But he had a lot of ice on it after the game according to Bob Condotta of the Times.
The Huskies had six sacks and held the Cardinal to 253 yards.
Johnie Kirton gets his first catch of the year in the ninth game of the season, converting a third-and-eight with a 10-yard catch. On the next play Locker threw to him again and the ball bounced off his shoulder.
Jordan Murchison stepped in today substituting for Nate Williams in the nickel. He had some nice plays, nice to see him back.
Anthony Russo was robbed of a TD pass at the end of first half on the replay. I watched it quite a few times and it was a legit TD, poor call by the officials.
Cheers to Louis Rankin for putting together one of the most impressive rushing days of any Husky in history with 254 yards. Did any of you see Locker blocking in front of Rankin on one of his long runs, it was a thing of beauty. Locker finished with 97 yards rushing, giving him 791 to break the mark set by Dennis Fitzpatrick in 1974. Jake is on a pace to gain over 1000 yards on the ground this year.
Rankin's total was the most for a Huskies back since Corey Dillon ran for 259 yards against Oregon in 1996 and fourth most since 1947. Jake Locker also ran for two scores and set the Washington single-season rushing record for a quarterback. Locker took a hard shot to the shoulder on that final TD but said he thinks he'll be fine. But he had a lot of ice on it after the game according to Bob Condotta of the Times.
The Huskies had six sacks and held the Cardinal to 253 yards.
Johnie Kirton gets his first catch of the year in the ninth game of the season, converting a third-and-eight with a 10-yard catch. On the next play Locker threw to him again and the ball bounced off his shoulder.
Jordan Murchison stepped in today substituting for Nate Williams in the nickel. He had some nice plays, nice to see him back.
Anthony Russo was robbed of a TD pass at the end of first half on the replay. I watched it quite a few times and it was a legit TD, poor call by the officials.
Washington 27 Stanford 9
The Huskies meet Stanford today at 3:30 pm in Palo Alto. Check back through the day, and during the game as I update the blog.As you have all probably read this week the Cardinal are pretty banged up right now, and should be a pretty easy opponent for Washington. The main thing to worry about with these guys is their receivers who are good enough to burn Washington's DB's all day if we don't get pressure. Pressure should be an easy thing to apply since the Cardinal for all intents and purposes do not have a running game to worry about.
Defensively Harbaugh is going to gamble all day. The Cardinal blitz around 55% of the time and that could work for, or against them with a mobile QB like Jake Locker. The Cardinal need to get to Jake if they are going to have a chance. I don't think they have a chance of doing it, and Jake is going to have a lot of territory to lumber through today once he gets past the line of scrimmage. If I was Harbaugh I would be doing some corner blitzes early to see if I could get a good shot at Locker to rattle him. That type of stuff is risky because it gives the Huskies the opportunity to hit the long one, but sideline throws haven't been the strong part of Jakes reportoire yet so I would say it is worth the risk.
Word out of Montlake is the Huskies had some of the best practices of the year this week. Hard to analyze that one since the press is excused after stretching is done. You just have to depend on the remarks of a coach who will be in deep trouble if his team loses this one.
I was absolutely sure we would beat Arizona last week, I feel the same way about Stanford this week. What that means is i don't have a clue of what is going to happen today in the fourth quarter. Washington needs to put these guys away early, if they are hanging around in the fourth quarter watch out.
The New Stanford Stadium
Stanford took the bull by the horns and built a new stadium in under ten months for slightly under 100 million dollars. The new stadium seats only 50,000 which is much less than the old Stanford Stadium which seated around 80,000 fans. Reducing seating was a good idea since the Cal game is the only one which still can attract that amount of spectators. Stanford has their work cut out just filling up the 50,000 seat facility until they start winning consistently. The stadium was designed so additional capacity could be built on in the future if needed.
Here is a link with photos of the new stadium.
The New Stadium being built at Minnesota
The University of Minnesota is also building a new stadium. TCF Bank Stadium will have an open-air horseshoe design with a capacity of 50,000, including general seats as well as an array of club and suite seats. The stadium will complement the campus environment, have a collegiate look and feel, create two landscaped plazas, and accommodate other uses. The design allows for maximum flexibility, including potential expansion to 72,000 to 80,000 seats. The stadium cost is $288.5 million, which includes site preparation, district improvements, and the stadium itself.
Here is a link to the Minnesota Stadium site
A Question?
Why does it cost $188 million dollars less to build the same type of stadium at Stanford? If you look at the photos of the Stanford Stadium and compare it to the Minnesota layout there isn't a lot of difference. Perhaps the difference is site preparations and district improvements. Stanford Stadium was built in the existing bowl of the old stadium, and the Minnesota Stadium is starting completely from scratch.
USC 24 Oregon State 3
Yvenson Bernard could be out this week with a badly bruised shoulder but I think they will dress him up and play him today against the Trojans. If you are a Husky fan you have to root for the Trojans to beat up the Beavers physically today.
The Trojans have a 20-0 record in November games since Carroll became coach in 2001, and were 3-0 in regular-season December games as well before losing to UCLA 13-9 last year, knocking them out of the BCS national championship game.
Scoreless second half in this one as the Trojans coast with a big second quarter lead. Bernard didn't play and OSU was held under 100 yards rushing which was the key to the Trojan victory.
Oregon 35-23
ESPN Gameday goes to Autzen for the second time this year which is pretty cool if you are a Duck fan. I have been saying for quite some time that the Ducks are the best team in the country, and I really mean that. ASU? is going to give these guys a game, but I think the Oregon offense will be too much for the Devils.
21-13 Oregon late in the first half. Looks like I am initially right, the Ducks are moving the ball.
The Ducks just may be the best team in the country.
Arizona 34 UCLA 27
The Bruins travel to Arizona to try to get back on the winning side of the ledger after the disaster at WSU last week. Dorrell is probably on a hotter seat than Willingham right now because there isn't a coach in the country who does so little with so much.
Arizona is off to a 10-7 early first half lead against UCLA. Looks like this one is going to be another shootout as both teams have scored on a couple of big plays. 27-14 at the half with Arizona in the lead. 34-17 Arizona late in the third quarter. Arizona holds on to win 34-27.
California 13 WSU 3 Third Quarter
Win another one for the Doba? I will say this about WSU, they have been getting steadily better all season, and if they can beat UCLA they have a chance against the Bears. A loss to WSU today would really hurt the Bears who have lost three in a row. I don't think it will happen though, the Bears have too many tools to use at home against the Coug's. If WSU does win it will be another big shot in the arm of Coach Doba.
Cal takes an early 7-0 lead in this one. Cal has built on their lead in the second quarter leading 10-0. WSU really misses Tardy. Cal is beatable Husky fans. 10-3 in the early third quarter Cal.
This is a pretty close game and you have to wonder what it would be like for WSU if they had James Tardy.
Navy 48 Notre Dame 46 Triple Overtime
We have enjoyed watching Notre Dame lose almost every week this season. Navy hasn't beaten the Irish since back in the early 60's when a guy named Roger Staubach was the Midshipman QB. Navy wins it 48-46 on a gutsy call to go for two!
Washington 27 Stanford 9
Well it is 7-0 Washington last in the first quarter and I have to tell you that Jake Locker is the most impressive athlete in the Pac Ten. I think the guy is better than Reggie Bush. He may be the player of the decade, and it was a good decade, before he is through. As far as the Huskies go in the first quarter they were terrible except for the TD. Jake had an interception deep in Stanford territory, and the Cards are getting way too many yards against our defense.
The second quarter is very stinky for both teams. Rankin fumbles the ball at the one and Stanford recovers. Stanford fumbles on the next play and gives it back to Washington. We are talking the bottom of the Pac today, a real toilet bowl so far, 10-3 Washington. On the last drive of the half Russo drops an open pass in the endzone that originally looks like a TD. On the next play Jake gets sacked and it takes us out of FG range. Ballman comes in rather than Perkins, and misses wide despite having plenty of distance.
The Huskies put up 303 yards on Stanford and only lead 10-3 at half.
Second Half
The Huskies drive down inside the Stanford ten, stall and have to kick a field goal. Reece caught a TD pass in the endzone but had a foot out of bounds.
Washington 13 Stanford 3
Stanford just drove down the field for a TD easily on the ground.
Washington 13 Stanford 9
The Huskies march right back.
Washington 20 Stanford 9
Locker runs one in for the icing.
Washington 27-9 Final
Hey, it's a win, we will take that even though for the yards we ran up we should have scored 60 points. Next week we play a much better team, and coming off a win it should help us.
Florida State Beats Boston College
Oregon is now officially in the national championship race and should be #3 behind LSU, and Ohio State next week. Kate took the BC loss pretty hard and was really cranky after the game.
Friday, November 02, 2007
Matt Hayes of Sporting News on Washington
1. Staff recruits players.
2. Staff coaches players.
3. Players perform how they are coached.
That's it, people. If Washington is struggling, it's coaching. Willingham has three recruiting seasons under him -- more than enough time to start a turnaround or at least become a respectable team that can beat the Arizona's of the world. If it weren't for Locker, this team would be winless.
Instead, the staff is spineless.
Well that is Matt Hayes reaction after he poured over the Internet, and local newspapers the past week. It just shows you can interpret anything anyway you want.
I think calling the staff spineless is a low blow. The coaches and players have their backs against the wall and are doing their best right now not to be torn apart. If you want to form your opinions based on a few quotes that have been analyzed to the tenth degree go right ahead Matt because you can make a good case either way.
Out here in Seattle we have a favored son coach in waiting by the name of Jim Mora Jr. Ever since he announced in a radio show that he would jump at the UW position if offered Husky fans have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to dump Ty for the favorite son.
I have mixed emotions about all this. I always said it would take five years to rebuild this program because of the fact that Ty took over a young bad team. It was going to take that long to recruit and mature the type of classes it would take to get back on top. It seems to me 2.5 years is a little early to be sending Ty down the river. That all changed in most of our minds, including mine, after the Arizona game.
Ty said this week that his team is close to winning, and winning a lot over the next few years, and I agree with him.
All that being said there are still five game left this season, win all five and the program is back on track. This has been a tough week at Washington, but maybe it was necessary to light a fire under the program, it's players, coaches, and athletic director.
2. Staff coaches players.
3. Players perform how they are coached.
That's it, people. If Washington is struggling, it's coaching. Willingham has three recruiting seasons under him -- more than enough time to start a turnaround or at least become a respectable team that can beat the Arizona's of the world. If it weren't for Locker, this team would be winless.
Instead, the staff is spineless.
Well that is Matt Hayes reaction after he poured over the Internet, and local newspapers the past week. It just shows you can interpret anything anyway you want.
I think calling the staff spineless is a low blow. The coaches and players have their backs against the wall and are doing their best right now not to be torn apart. If you want to form your opinions based on a few quotes that have been analyzed to the tenth degree go right ahead Matt because you can make a good case either way.
Out here in Seattle we have a favored son coach in waiting by the name of Jim Mora Jr. Ever since he announced in a radio show that he would jump at the UW position if offered Husky fans have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to dump Ty for the favorite son.
I have mixed emotions about all this. I always said it would take five years to rebuild this program because of the fact that Ty took over a young bad team. It was going to take that long to recruit and mature the type of classes it would take to get back on top. It seems to me 2.5 years is a little early to be sending Ty down the river. That all changed in most of our minds, including mine, after the Arizona game.
Ty said this week that his team is close to winning, and winning a lot over the next few years, and I agree with him.
All that being said there are still five game left this season, win all five and the program is back on track. This has been a tough week at Washington, but maybe it was necessary to light a fire under the program, it's players, coaches, and athletic director.
D - Day in Palo Alto
So it's Friday, and most UW fans have drawn some lines in the sand this week. Most of us are happy with the direction Locker and the offense is going, and I think we are getting to be close to a team that you have to outscore each week to beat. We aren't Oregon yet, but you can see some major steps in that direction with the way the Husky offense has been progressing.
Defensively everyone wants to fire Coach Baer even though if pressed, most fans and reporters couldn't diagram a basic two-deep zone, the cover two, or let alone a weak-side safety blitz. Kent Baer makes a lot of money to coordinate Washington's defense so the criticism that happens when things don't go right is just part of the job description.
We analyzed what we called the worst defense in the country this week. I came to the conclusion that health, depth, and talent were the main culprit in the mid season collapse of the unit. Sure the scheming could be better, sure they could do a better job of disguising what they are doing, and sure they could be playing a more aggressive type of defense. What it really comes down to is our best players are banged up, and they don't have enough quality behind them to pick up the slack.
We all talked about the offense in glowing terms this week despite the fact that they gave up the ball five times against Arizona. You can say what you want about the maligned defense and its very maligned coordinator but five turnovers is enough to kill any team on any day no matter how brilliant the QB played who made them. Those five turnovers cost us 21 points on offense, and at least seven of defense. That is quite a swing in a 48-41 loss.
I think the criticism and pitch fork waving served a purpose this week, it served notice to the Husky staff that no matter what the excuses were we all expected a better performance against a team we should have beaten in year three. That message was heard at the highest levels and it made an impression on President Emmert who ultimately will be making any decisions that have to be made in December.
So hopefully the team is going into Palo Alto with a D-Day type of mentality this week. Lose this one and the criticism last week will look like a hiccup. Lose this one and it becomes doubtful if the entire staff can survive beyond 2007 no matter how good their intentions.
I have made a concerted effort to try to keep it positive this week by still keeping it real. We know what the columnist's are thinking, we certainly know what Top Dawg is thinking, and we know that one of our readers only wishes is that you buy a Hire Mora T-Shirt so it can be seen on national TV. We also took an objective look at the defensive future and determined that if we don't have a tremendous recruiting year in 2008 it is going to be very difficult to turn around.
So in response to all that I have been urging the team, and it's fans to rally together to finish the season 5-0. Beat Stanford, Oregon St, California, WSU, and Hawaii, and it is that simple. Do that and the main goal of the season which was to finish with a winning record, and go to a bowl game is accomplished.
I think it is a very achievable goal for this football team. I look at our upcoming opponents and sense that they are just as battle worn as we are. If the team can rally, and focus they can finish 5-0 because they have a secret weapon by the name of Jake Locker.
Locker aside, I think the rest of the team is in good mental shape coming into this game, nobody has quit, and even JR Hasty has decided to rejoin the squad which brings a sigh of relief as far as local recruiting is concerned. His father's interview in the newspapers last week, followed by the loss ignited the simmering pile of discontentment.
I'm not sure if JR is going to make the trip this week, and I am not sure he deserves to, but it all starts in Palo Alto tomorrow afternoon, beat the Cardinal and everything is still possible.
Husky Poll
We keep asking the same question every week and that is if the Huskies will be able to beat their opponent. The answer has been almost the same all year. Our readers have predicted that our team would win every game other than the Oregon contest. This week the voting is very close with the people predicting a win holding a narrow 2 vote advantage over the fans who think we are going to lose.
Defensively everyone wants to fire Coach Baer even though if pressed, most fans and reporters couldn't diagram a basic two-deep zone, the cover two, or let alone a weak-side safety blitz. Kent Baer makes a lot of money to coordinate Washington's defense so the criticism that happens when things don't go right is just part of the job description.
We analyzed what we called the worst defense in the country this week. I came to the conclusion that health, depth, and talent were the main culprit in the mid season collapse of the unit. Sure the scheming could be better, sure they could do a better job of disguising what they are doing, and sure they could be playing a more aggressive type of defense. What it really comes down to is our best players are banged up, and they don't have enough quality behind them to pick up the slack.
We all talked about the offense in glowing terms this week despite the fact that they gave up the ball five times against Arizona. You can say what you want about the maligned defense and its very maligned coordinator but five turnovers is enough to kill any team on any day no matter how brilliant the QB played who made them. Those five turnovers cost us 21 points on offense, and at least seven of defense. That is quite a swing in a 48-41 loss.
I think the criticism and pitch fork waving served a purpose this week, it served notice to the Husky staff that no matter what the excuses were we all expected a better performance against a team we should have beaten in year three. That message was heard at the highest levels and it made an impression on President Emmert who ultimately will be making any decisions that have to be made in December.
So hopefully the team is going into Palo Alto with a D-Day type of mentality this week. Lose this one and the criticism last week will look like a hiccup. Lose this one and it becomes doubtful if the entire staff can survive beyond 2007 no matter how good their intentions.
I have made a concerted effort to try to keep it positive this week by still keeping it real. We know what the columnist's are thinking, we certainly know what Top Dawg is thinking, and we know that one of our readers only wishes is that you buy a Hire Mora T-Shirt so it can be seen on national TV. We also took an objective look at the defensive future and determined that if we don't have a tremendous recruiting year in 2008 it is going to be very difficult to turn around.
So in response to all that I have been urging the team, and it's fans to rally together to finish the season 5-0. Beat Stanford, Oregon St, California, WSU, and Hawaii, and it is that simple. Do that and the main goal of the season which was to finish with a winning record, and go to a bowl game is accomplished.
I think it is a very achievable goal for this football team. I look at our upcoming opponents and sense that they are just as battle worn as we are. If the team can rally, and focus they can finish 5-0 because they have a secret weapon by the name of Jake Locker.
Locker aside, I think the rest of the team is in good mental shape coming into this game, nobody has quit, and even JR Hasty has decided to rejoin the squad which brings a sigh of relief as far as local recruiting is concerned. His father's interview in the newspapers last week, followed by the loss ignited the simmering pile of discontentment.
I'm not sure if JR is going to make the trip this week, and I am not sure he deserves to, but it all starts in Palo Alto tomorrow afternoon, beat the Cardinal and everything is still possible.
Husky Poll
We keep asking the same question every week and that is if the Huskies will be able to beat their opponent. The answer has been almost the same all year. Our readers have predicted that our team would win every game other than the Oregon contest. This week the voting is very close with the people predicting a win holding a narrow 2 vote advantage over the fans who think we are going to lose.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Moore Calls Out the Idiots in Cyberspace
Jim Moore wrote a column defending Kent Baer today in the PI. I like the fact that Jim is taking a different angle by showing the human side of Coach Baer. If anyone ever needed some good PR this week it would be Kent Baer.
Jim also takes a shot at the idiots out in cyberspace. So I guess everyone who thinks we should start firing coaches is an idiot in his opinion.
Let me say this, a lot of people have been making the point that there are five games left in the season, and we should all reserve judgement till the end of the year. Until then we should all do our best to support the coaches, players, and support staff.
I think that is fair.
Did he get stupid overnight?
Did he somehow forget the coaching fundamentals that worked everywhere else?
Based on the screams for his head in chat rooms, apparently so.
But do any of the idiots in cyberspace know what Baer is dealing with here? A lack of talent. A lack of depth. A lack of experience. You see meltdowns against Oregon and Arizona and other second-half collapses, and blame it all on him?
What about UW defensive assistants Randy Hart, Chris Tormey and J.D. Williams? Are they suddenly dummies, too?
I want to make one more point, and that is that maybe Jim Moore, being a Cougar and Husky basher, has totally ulterior motives. Don James was asked what he thought of Joe Kapp as a head coach when he was at California, and James said he hoped Cal kept Kapp as head coach till the end of his career.
I am just telling you, Jim Moore can be tricky that way.
Jim also takes a shot at the idiots out in cyberspace. So I guess everyone who thinks we should start firing coaches is an idiot in his opinion.
Let me say this, a lot of people have been making the point that there are five games left in the season, and we should all reserve judgement till the end of the year. Until then we should all do our best to support the coaches, players, and support staff.
I think that is fair.
Did he get stupid overnight?
Did he somehow forget the coaching fundamentals that worked everywhere else?
Based on the screams for his head in chat rooms, apparently so.
But do any of the idiots in cyberspace know what Baer is dealing with here? A lack of talent. A lack of depth. A lack of experience. You see meltdowns against Oregon and Arizona and other second-half collapses, and blame it all on him?
What about UW defensive assistants Randy Hart, Chris Tormey and J.D. Williams? Are they suddenly dummies, too?
I want to make one more point, and that is that maybe Jim Moore, being a Cougar and Husky basher, has totally ulterior motives. Don James was asked what he thought of Joe Kapp as a head coach when he was at California, and James said he hoped Cal kept Kapp as head coach till the end of his career.
I am just telling you, Jim Moore can be tricky that way.
Stanford Preview
It's time to devote a day to talking about our upcoming opponent Stanford.
Stanford is coming off a 23-6 loss at Oregon State last week while the Huskies were beaten at home by Arizona, 48-41, to run their current losing streak to six ... Stanford has won the last two meetings with Washington, including a 20-3 victory last year in Seattle, which was the Cardinal's only win of the 2006 campaign ... A Stanford victory would give the Cardinal three straight wins in the series, a feat that hasn't been accomplished since Stanford won 10 straight from 1967-76. The series, which dates back to 1893, is led by the Huskies, 39-34-3.
We all know that Jim Harbaugh and his staff have done a marvelous job down on the farm this season, so marvelous that Jim's name is now being tossed around by Michigan as a replacement for Lloyd Carr. For Stanford the goal is simple, make sure you keep Harbaugh as your head coach because a lot of schools are going to come calling over the next couple of years.
Harbaugh of course is not an instant genius after doing an apprenticeship at University of San Diego before getting his first big time gig at Stanford. He spent a lot of time in the NFL, and the one thing he brings to a team is a lot of enthusiasm, and excitement. Stanford by the way is fueled on those two things this year, on paper they don't have a lot of talent left after a wave of injuries descended on the team almost from the get go.
Clover Park's Tavita Pritchard is the young QB leading this team. Tavita is the nephew of ex Cougar great Jack Thompson. Tavita could have been a Cougar, or a Husky but neither team recruited him. I did read a story this week that said he has hated the Huskies his entire life, and his father wouldn't allow anything Purple and Gold in the house while he was growing up. That being said I hope he spends a lot of Saturday on his back, and wakes up with Purple and Gold bruises on Sunday morning.
Sophomore WR Richard Sherman is attempting to become the first player to lead the Cardinal in receptions in back-to-back seasons since Brad Muster led the team three straight years from 1984-86 ... Sherman is also attempting to become the first wide receiver to lead the team in receptions in consecutive seasons since Andre Tyler in 1979-80 ...The second-year Cardinal from Compton, Calif., was Stanford's top receiver a year ago as a true freshman with 34 catches for 581 yards, three touchdowns and a 17.1 average ... He currently leads the team in all receiving categories: 36 receptions, 635 yards, 17.6 average and four touchdowns ... His career yards per catch average of 17.4 is currently sixth in the Cardinal record book ... Sherman's per game average of 79.3 receiving yards per game currently ranks second in the Pac-10 ... If he continues on that pace over the final four games of the season, Sherman could challenge to become only the fifth receiver in Stanford history to gain over 1,000 receiving yards in a season (the last one was Troy Walters in 1999) ... In his brief career on The Farm, Sherman already has 70 receptions for 1,216 yards and seven touchdowns.
Stanford's offensive numbers in 2007 are a significant improvement over last year's in every category ... A year ago, the Cardinal averaged 65 yards on the ground, 167 through the air, 232 yards in total offense and 10.6 points per game ... Fast forward to 2007 and those same numbers read: 101 rushing yards per game, 224 passing, 325 yards in total offense and 20.9 points scored per game ... A year ago, Stanford scored more than 20 points in just one of 12 games ... So far in 2007, the Cardinal has scored more than 20 points in five games, including three over 30 points ... In game two vs. San Jose State, the Cardinal offense accounted for 506 yards, the most on The Farm since the 2002 season (563 yards vs. SJS) ... Stanford also rushed for 276 yards against the Spartans, equaling the most for a Cardinal offense since the 2001 season ... In the season opener vs. UCLA, Stanford threw for 346 yards, the most since Nov. 26, 2005 when Stanford passed for 347 yards vs. Notre Dame in the final game of the "old" Stanford Stadium ... The Cardinal's 37 points scored vs. San Jose State in game two was the most by a Cardinal offense in the last 20 games - dating back to Oct. 22, 2005 (45 points vs. ASU).
Stanford has almost doubled the number of sacks it had all of last year - and there is still four more games to play in the regular season ... A year ago, the Cardinal had 14 total sacks and averaged a Pac-10 low 1.3 per game ... In 2007, the Cardinal is No. 2 in the conference and No,. 8 in the nation with 28 sacks and a per game average of 3.38 ... Stanford has also seen a similar increase in tackles for loss over a year ago ... The Cardinal recorded 4.2 tackles for loss per game in 2006; that number has increased to 8.0 in 2007 ... Stanford is third in the Pac-10 and 14th nationally in tackles for loss ... In defeating No. 1 ranked USC, the Cardinal defense accounted for four sacks (-29 yards), six tackles for loss (-34 yards), four interceptions, caused five turnovers, while recording two pass breakups, a forced fumble and fumble recovery ... Stanford also held the Trojans, 10th in the nation averaging 237 yards rushing per game, to just 95 net yards on the ground ... A week later against TCU, the Cardinal defense was credited with eight tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two pass break ups and four quarterback hurries ... In Stanford's 21-20 win at Arizona, Stanford recorded three sacks, eight tackles for loss, a forced fumble, fumble recovery, interception and two fourth down stops that were key to the Cardinal's win ... Stanford was effective again behind the line of scrimmage in its Oct. 27 game at Oregon State as the Cardinal registered six sacks and nine tackles for loss.
In his two seasons as one of the Cardinal's starting linebackers, sophomore Clinton Synder has made his presence known throughout the Pacific-10 Conference ... A year ago, he was 10th in the Pac-10 in tackles per game (6.9); this year, he is among the conference leaders in tackles (7.9), sacks, tackles for loss and forced fumbles ... He began this season battling injuries and saw his play limited in the first two games ... But, over the course of the last six games, he has averaged 10 tackles per game and been one of the team's most active and effective players on defense ... In the past two years, he has started 18, recorded nine of more tackles in 10 of those contests.
Why Stanford Will Win
Stanford will win by keeping the home crowd in the game and feasting on Husky offensive mistakes much like Arizona did last weekend. The Cardinal may be depleted and banged up but they have a tougher defense then the Arizona Wildcats and if they can use it to their advantage and hold Washington to under 21 points they have a very good chance of winning.
On offense the Cardinals have some very good receivers, and Tavita Pritchard keeps improving in his role as starting QB each week. The kid has proven himself a winner after leading his team to an upset of USC that has to be ranked as one of the most stunning upsets in college football history.
The Washington defense is the worst in the conference right now and while Stanford's offense is improved they are no exactly a point producing machine yet. If Stanford can simply play error free ball and keep it close they should be able to close things out in the latter stages if the game.
Why Washington Will Win
Stanford has big time troubles with mobile QB's, and Jake just may be at his best this week with a lot to prove down on the farm. Washington has the ability to put up 40 or more points on the Cardinal this weekend, and Stanford has proven up to this point that they can't score that many points so in a track meet you have to go with Washington this week.
Defensively the Huskies are reeling this week, but we all have the feeling that the coaches and players are going to rally together this week and push things in the right direction. I can't put u finger on it, but I think it all comes down to the fact that this team will not give up no matter what happened last week against Arizona in the fourth quarter.
What Do I Think?
I have to go with the Huskies in this one. I like how the team has circled the wagons this week, and I am pretty sure the team is ready for a breakout game on the road against the Cardinal. Let's face it, Stanford while playing their hearts out each week isn't a very good football team. Washington's offense continues to improve each week, and Locker should run wild against these guys.
Defensively I have have a hard time thinking that our team is dead, and won't start rebounding. I think the coaches have taken the right approach this week under heavy fire and are not conceding anything. this of course is just a feeling, but the Huskies are due to play their first complete game on both sides of the ball on Saturday.
I am going with a 42-24 Washington victory, and another near 500 yard day for Jake Locker. I was close on my prediction last week, at least from an offensive perspective, hopefully the defensive part of the prediction will be here this week.
Stanford is coming off a 23-6 loss at Oregon State last week while the Huskies were beaten at home by Arizona, 48-41, to run their current losing streak to six ... Stanford has won the last two meetings with Washington, including a 20-3 victory last year in Seattle, which was the Cardinal's only win of the 2006 campaign ... A Stanford victory would give the Cardinal three straight wins in the series, a feat that hasn't been accomplished since Stanford won 10 straight from 1967-76. The series, which dates back to 1893, is led by the Huskies, 39-34-3.
We all know that Jim Harbaugh and his staff have done a marvelous job down on the farm this season, so marvelous that Jim's name is now being tossed around by Michigan as a replacement for Lloyd Carr. For Stanford the goal is simple, make sure you keep Harbaugh as your head coach because a lot of schools are going to come calling over the next couple of years.
Harbaugh of course is not an instant genius after doing an apprenticeship at University of San Diego before getting his first big time gig at Stanford. He spent a lot of time in the NFL, and the one thing he brings to a team is a lot of enthusiasm, and excitement. Stanford by the way is fueled on those two things this year, on paper they don't have a lot of talent left after a wave of injuries descended on the team almost from the get go.
Clover Park's Tavita Pritchard is the young QB leading this team. Tavita is the nephew of ex Cougar great Jack Thompson. Tavita could have been a Cougar, or a Husky but neither team recruited him. I did read a story this week that said he has hated the Huskies his entire life, and his father wouldn't allow anything Purple and Gold in the house while he was growing up. That being said I hope he spends a lot of Saturday on his back, and wakes up with Purple and Gold bruises on Sunday morning.
Sophomore WR Richard Sherman is attempting to become the first player to lead the Cardinal in receptions in back-to-back seasons since Brad Muster led the team three straight years from 1984-86 ... Sherman is also attempting to become the first wide receiver to lead the team in receptions in consecutive seasons since Andre Tyler in 1979-80 ...The second-year Cardinal from Compton, Calif., was Stanford's top receiver a year ago as a true freshman with 34 catches for 581 yards, three touchdowns and a 17.1 average ... He currently leads the team in all receiving categories: 36 receptions, 635 yards, 17.6 average and four touchdowns ... His career yards per catch average of 17.4 is currently sixth in the Cardinal record book ... Sherman's per game average of 79.3 receiving yards per game currently ranks second in the Pac-10 ... If he continues on that pace over the final four games of the season, Sherman could challenge to become only the fifth receiver in Stanford history to gain over 1,000 receiving yards in a season (the last one was Troy Walters in 1999) ... In his brief career on The Farm, Sherman already has 70 receptions for 1,216 yards and seven touchdowns.
Stanford's offensive numbers in 2007 are a significant improvement over last year's in every category ... A year ago, the Cardinal averaged 65 yards on the ground, 167 through the air, 232 yards in total offense and 10.6 points per game ... Fast forward to 2007 and those same numbers read: 101 rushing yards per game, 224 passing, 325 yards in total offense and 20.9 points scored per game ... A year ago, Stanford scored more than 20 points in just one of 12 games ... So far in 2007, the Cardinal has scored more than 20 points in five games, including three over 30 points ... In game two vs. San Jose State, the Cardinal offense accounted for 506 yards, the most on The Farm since the 2002 season (563 yards vs. SJS) ... Stanford also rushed for 276 yards against the Spartans, equaling the most for a Cardinal offense since the 2001 season ... In the season opener vs. UCLA, Stanford threw for 346 yards, the most since Nov. 26, 2005 when Stanford passed for 347 yards vs. Notre Dame in the final game of the "old" Stanford Stadium ... The Cardinal's 37 points scored vs. San Jose State in game two was the most by a Cardinal offense in the last 20 games - dating back to Oct. 22, 2005 (45 points vs. ASU).
Stanford has almost doubled the number of sacks it had all of last year - and there is still four more games to play in the regular season ... A year ago, the Cardinal had 14 total sacks and averaged a Pac-10 low 1.3 per game ... In 2007, the Cardinal is No. 2 in the conference and No,. 8 in the nation with 28 sacks and a per game average of 3.38 ... Stanford has also seen a similar increase in tackles for loss over a year ago ... The Cardinal recorded 4.2 tackles for loss per game in 2006; that number has increased to 8.0 in 2007 ... Stanford is third in the Pac-10 and 14th nationally in tackles for loss ... In defeating No. 1 ranked USC, the Cardinal defense accounted for four sacks (-29 yards), six tackles for loss (-34 yards), four interceptions, caused five turnovers, while recording two pass breakups, a forced fumble and fumble recovery ... Stanford also held the Trojans, 10th in the nation averaging 237 yards rushing per game, to just 95 net yards on the ground ... A week later against TCU, the Cardinal defense was credited with eight tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two pass break ups and four quarterback hurries ... In Stanford's 21-20 win at Arizona, Stanford recorded three sacks, eight tackles for loss, a forced fumble, fumble recovery, interception and two fourth down stops that were key to the Cardinal's win ... Stanford was effective again behind the line of scrimmage in its Oct. 27 game at Oregon State as the Cardinal registered six sacks and nine tackles for loss.
In his two seasons as one of the Cardinal's starting linebackers, sophomore Clinton Synder has made his presence known throughout the Pacific-10 Conference ... A year ago, he was 10th in the Pac-10 in tackles per game (6.9); this year, he is among the conference leaders in tackles (7.9), sacks, tackles for loss and forced fumbles ... He began this season battling injuries and saw his play limited in the first two games ... But, over the course of the last six games, he has averaged 10 tackles per game and been one of the team's most active and effective players on defense ... In the past two years, he has started 18, recorded nine of more tackles in 10 of those contests.
Why Stanford Will Win
Stanford will win by keeping the home crowd in the game and feasting on Husky offensive mistakes much like Arizona did last weekend. The Cardinal may be depleted and banged up but they have a tougher defense then the Arizona Wildcats and if they can use it to their advantage and hold Washington to under 21 points they have a very good chance of winning.
On offense the Cardinals have some very good receivers, and Tavita Pritchard keeps improving in his role as starting QB each week. The kid has proven himself a winner after leading his team to an upset of USC that has to be ranked as one of the most stunning upsets in college football history.
The Washington defense is the worst in the conference right now and while Stanford's offense is improved they are no exactly a point producing machine yet. If Stanford can simply play error free ball and keep it close they should be able to close things out in the latter stages if the game.
Why Washington Will Win
Stanford has big time troubles with mobile QB's, and Jake just may be at his best this week with a lot to prove down on the farm. Washington has the ability to put up 40 or more points on the Cardinal this weekend, and Stanford has proven up to this point that they can't score that many points so in a track meet you have to go with Washington this week.
Defensively the Huskies are reeling this week, but we all have the feeling that the coaches and players are going to rally together this week and push things in the right direction. I can't put u finger on it, but I think it all comes down to the fact that this team will not give up no matter what happened last week against Arizona in the fourth quarter.
What Do I Think?
I have to go with the Huskies in this one. I like how the team has circled the wagons this week, and I am pretty sure the team is ready for a breakout game on the road against the Cardinal. Let's face it, Stanford while playing their hearts out each week isn't a very good football team. Washington's offense continues to improve each week, and Locker should run wild against these guys.
Defensively I have have a hard time thinking that our team is dead, and won't start rebounding. I think the coaches have taken the right approach this week under heavy fire and are not conceding anything. this of course is just a feeling, but the Huskies are due to play their first complete game on both sides of the ball on Saturday.
I am going with a 42-24 Washington victory, and another near 500 yard day for Jake Locker. I was close on my prediction last week, at least from an offensive perspective, hopefully the defensive part of the prediction will be here this week.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Quote of the Week
Willingham made an impassioned statement that he thinks the team is close to turning the corner.
"There has been no time in my career, for one reason or another, that the heat hasn't been on Tryone Willingham,'' he said. "When I took the job at Stanford, the heat was on. When I took the job at Notre Dame, the heat was on. Here, the heat is on. The only thing that solves any of those problems is just winning football games. We are a football team that is very close to doing that an awful lot. No matter how you cut it, no matter what statistics you look at, this team has played good football. Now, we may not have played it long enough to win particular ball games, but we have played good football and we have to shore up all those areas where we are weak at and we will do a lot of winning.''
If you look at it from an offensive point I have to agree, his Huskies have been turning a corner and getting better. Defensively I don't know what to say, something tells me (48 Arizona points) that they aren't very close at all. We have five games left this season, so lets see what they come up with.
"There has been no time in my career, for one reason or another, that the heat hasn't been on Tryone Willingham,'' he said. "When I took the job at Stanford, the heat was on. When I took the job at Notre Dame, the heat was on. Here, the heat is on. The only thing that solves any of those problems is just winning football games. We are a football team that is very close to doing that an awful lot. No matter how you cut it, no matter what statistics you look at, this team has played good football. Now, we may not have played it long enough to win particular ball games, but we have played good football and we have to shore up all those areas where we are weak at and we will do a lot of winning.''
If you look at it from an offensive point I have to agree, his Huskies have been turning a corner and getting better. Defensively I don't know what to say, something tells me (48 Arizona points) that they aren't very close at all. We have five games left this season, so lets see what they come up with.
Fixing the Worst Defense in the Country (2)
Another thing you can do when trying to help the defense is move some people around. Here are a couple idea's that may have some merit. It isn't like we have an overload of talent on offense, but there is no reason to stockpile a 4th string RB that could be your first string safety, or CB.
This team needs to make a committment to get the best 22 football players on the field each week. Don James was great at that, and he aslo was pretty good at putting his best players on defense since defense wins championships.
DT
Losing Kosub was a blow because you lose the time you invested in the kid. They could move an offensive lineman over here to fill the void but nobody really comes to mind. This is a pretty tough spot to fill.
DE
Lappano said some nice things about Kirton's blocking last week, but they still haven't thrown to him all year. Moving a guy in his 5th year and having him learn a new position isn't easy. Walt Winter has some time at DE and is buried at TE, but you would think that maybe he will graduate rather than come back for a 5th year.
LB
Quinton Richardson at WLB? I think that could be a possibilty depending on how he fills out over the Winter. What about Yakaboski? They loved him early, the kid can really hit, but they might like him better as a power back. The thing is Yak is a football player, he needs to see the field. If he isn't going to be one of your top three RB's he needs to play safety or LB. these are a couple of kids that need to play in 2008. I think Sylvester is headed to LB one of these days.
CB
The Huskies are bringing in a boat load of CB/RB type of guys this year. Depending on what they see this Spring, and during Fall camp they could potentially interchange quite a few young kids. Curtis Shaw is going to compete for the starting RB job, but what if he ends up buried in the depth? That speed would look good in the defensive backfield, or maybe even receiver. Matt Mosley is a kid I could see being moved back to WR.
Safety
Yakaboski comes to mind because he knocks the snot out of people when he hits them. I am not sure what this kid will grow into. Will he stay at RB, or grow into a FB, LB, or S?
A lot of people have talked about Chris Stevens making the transition to safety for his senior year. The kid has played well but is more of a situational player. Once again, it tough to move a guy his final year.
This team needs to make a committment to get the best 22 football players on the field each week. Don James was great at that, and he aslo was pretty good at putting his best players on defense since defense wins championships.
DT
Losing Kosub was a blow because you lose the time you invested in the kid. They could move an offensive lineman over here to fill the void but nobody really comes to mind. This is a pretty tough spot to fill.
DE
Lappano said some nice things about Kirton's blocking last week, but they still haven't thrown to him all year. Moving a guy in his 5th year and having him learn a new position isn't easy. Walt Winter has some time at DE and is buried at TE, but you would think that maybe he will graduate rather than come back for a 5th year.
LB
Quinton Richardson at WLB? I think that could be a possibilty depending on how he fills out over the Winter. What about Yakaboski? They loved him early, the kid can really hit, but they might like him better as a power back. The thing is Yak is a football player, he needs to see the field. If he isn't going to be one of your top three RB's he needs to play safety or LB. these are a couple of kids that need to play in 2008. I think Sylvester is headed to LB one of these days.
CB
The Huskies are bringing in a boat load of CB/RB type of guys this year. Depending on what they see this Spring, and during Fall camp they could potentially interchange quite a few young kids. Curtis Shaw is going to compete for the starting RB job, but what if he ends up buried in the depth? That speed would look good in the defensive backfield, or maybe even receiver. Matt Mosley is a kid I could see being moved back to WR.
Safety
Yakaboski comes to mind because he knocks the snot out of people when he hits them. I am not sure what this kid will grow into. Will he stay at RB, or grow into a FB, LB, or S?
A lot of people have talked about Chris Stevens making the transition to safety for his senior year. The kid has played well but is more of a situational player. Once again, it tough to move a guy his final year.
Fixing the Worst Defense in the Country (1)
The only way to fix the mess is to recruit out of it, and at last count the Huskies have around 27-28 spaces open on their team for next year. This is going to be a landmark class, the last one of these we had was Neu's 7 receiver class. That class by the way defined the program even into this season.
Thirteen or fourteen of these kids are going to end up on defense. I put together a best case scenario based on where we are now as far as verbals, and who is currently interested. We aren't off to a bad start, and if we can keep the best of the state home we should do ok. As Lappano says they need to start winning now to make recruiting easier in December.
Speaking of coaches, it would also help if they had some new coaches on defense next year, but since almost everyone in the Husky Nation feels that way I will save that for the end of the season.
Defensive Line
If you want to fix the defensive line it all starts with landing these big local guys. Ta'Amu seems to be pretty much a lock to go to UW, and Thompson is a good bet too. Rabe would jump on it if offered after being dumped by Oregon. Ta'amu could end up being an offensive guard, but he will get a look in the middle as a run plugger first. UW will take 4-6 defensive lineman this year with Ta'Amu being more of a swing guy that could count either way. I don't know much about Campbell other than he is good friends with Mesphin Forrester. Don't forget Kavario Middleton who could end up at DE or TE and play as a frosh if he comes to Washington. Kelemente has had a tremendous senior year and may be the best player in the state, that's right, even better than Middleton.
They could really use some immediate help if they were lucky enough to find a JC that could qualify. UW of course has been burned on this one more than once, and stud JC DT's that could get into UW, let alone consider UW are rare.
It would be great if they could convince Kosub who is still in school to come back next year, he had a good chance to start.
DT Craig Noble
DT Senio Kelemente
DT Alameda Ta' amu
DE Everett Thompson
DE Courtney Campbell
DE Jon Rabe
Linebacker
We have depth at linebacker, but as you have seen the last couple of weeks we need some better players. UW made surprising choices at LB in the past few years. Who had ever heard of Donald Butler, or Mason Foster? Panapa and Stuckey are good ones, but they are longshots to come here. Depth wise we only need one or two, talent wise it is a different story.
LB Ryan Panapa
LB Dewitt Stuckey
UW has been loading up on RB/DB's early this year in the effort to infuse more speed, depth, and athleticism on the roster. The guy that is the most intruiging is Golden who is the best corner in the West who recently backed away from Arizona. Glenn is the best corner in the Northwest.
Cornerback
CB David Freeman (Could play RB or WR)
CB John Tate
CB Anthony Gobern
CB Justin Glenn
CB Robert Golden
Safety
Everyone likes Vince Taylor and feels he could grow into something special. Walker is a LB who will play Safety in college. he wasn't exactly highly recruited. EJ Woods visited a couple of weeks ago and he is the best safety in the West. Woods of course is a pipe dream, but he did visit. He is taking some visits after backing off UCLA.
Hilton Dawson is a JC kid they have looked at out of high school, they may offer him if he can get in by Winter quarter. the coaches keep saying they are out of the JC business, but they could use some luck in this area.
S Vince Taylor
S Greg Walker
S EJ Woods
Thirteen or fourteen of these kids are going to end up on defense. I put together a best case scenario based on where we are now as far as verbals, and who is currently interested. We aren't off to a bad start, and if we can keep the best of the state home we should do ok. As Lappano says they need to start winning now to make recruiting easier in December.
Speaking of coaches, it would also help if they had some new coaches on defense next year, but since almost everyone in the Husky Nation feels that way I will save that for the end of the season.
Defensive Line
If you want to fix the defensive line it all starts with landing these big local guys. Ta'Amu seems to be pretty much a lock to go to UW, and Thompson is a good bet too. Rabe would jump on it if offered after being dumped by Oregon. Ta'amu could end up being an offensive guard, but he will get a look in the middle as a run plugger first. UW will take 4-6 defensive lineman this year with Ta'Amu being more of a swing guy that could count either way. I don't know much about Campbell other than he is good friends with Mesphin Forrester. Don't forget Kavario Middleton who could end up at DE or TE and play as a frosh if he comes to Washington. Kelemente has had a tremendous senior year and may be the best player in the state, that's right, even better than Middleton.
They could really use some immediate help if they were lucky enough to find a JC that could qualify. UW of course has been burned on this one more than once, and stud JC DT's that could get into UW, let alone consider UW are rare.
It would be great if they could convince Kosub who is still in school to come back next year, he had a good chance to start.
DT Craig Noble
DT Senio Kelemente
DT Alameda Ta' amu
DE Everett Thompson
DE Courtney Campbell
DE Jon Rabe
Linebacker
We have depth at linebacker, but as you have seen the last couple of weeks we need some better players. UW made surprising choices at LB in the past few years. Who had ever heard of Donald Butler, or Mason Foster? Panapa and Stuckey are good ones, but they are longshots to come here. Depth wise we only need one or two, talent wise it is a different story.
LB Ryan Panapa
LB Dewitt Stuckey
UW has been loading up on RB/DB's early this year in the effort to infuse more speed, depth, and athleticism on the roster. The guy that is the most intruiging is Golden who is the best corner in the West who recently backed away from Arizona. Glenn is the best corner in the Northwest.
Cornerback
CB David Freeman (Could play RB or WR)
CB John Tate
CB Anthony Gobern
CB Justin Glenn
CB Robert Golden
Safety
Everyone likes Vince Taylor and feels he could grow into something special. Walker is a LB who will play Safety in college. he wasn't exactly highly recruited. EJ Woods visited a couple of weeks ago and he is the best safety in the West. Woods of course is a pipe dream, but he did visit. He is taking some visits after backing off UCLA.
Hilton Dawson is a JC kid they have looked at out of high school, they may offer him if he can get in by Winter quarter. the coaches keep saying they are out of the JC business, but they could use some luck in this area.
S Vince Taylor
S Greg Walker
S EJ Woods
Analyzing the Worst Defense in the Country
When you take a closer look at the way the team is constructed you realize what a huge project it is rebuilding this team.
Forget about schemes and coaching, let just look at bullets. How many bullets do you see on defense this year? Look a little further, how many for next year?
Willingham's guys are in red, and I have put a star next to any player whose loss, or injury has really hurt the defense's performance in 2007. I am counting five injury stars here including one kid that is out for the season in Wells, and another, Butler who probably should sit out the rest of the year and get healthy.
You can't even blame Rick Neuheisel for this defense because he has only two players left on this part of the squad. The defense has actually gotten worse rather than better as Neuheisel's players have left. You can however put the blame firmly on Gilby's only class, and Willingham's first class which was mostly just picking up the pieces Gilby left behind. Those two classes really put this part of the team in a hole. You can also point a finger at Willingham for picking too many JC's who did not qualify, but hey, he was gambling to fill holes.
If you are hoping for this defense to be better in 2008 it just might be wishful thinking no matter who the DC is. Washington needs an incredible defensive class in 2008 to start turning this around.
Safety
When Wells went down this year so did enforcement from this position. The future at Safety is very young and inexperienced. You are talking frosh, and kids that are still in high school. We will have two potential senior starters who would not be able to start at any other Pac Ten school.
2008 Outlook
I think Nate Williams is going to be a very good one. Put him back there with Wells and you have improvement over 2007. Keep an eye on Aiyewa, the kid may develop into an animal. If Forrester and Harris provide depth that is fine, but if they have to start again we are in trouble.
*Jr Wells (Willingham JC) Three year starter
Jr Forrester (Gilbertson) Has played out of neccesity, not a great talent
Jr Harris (Gilbertson) The kid is gamer but not a great talent
Fr Williams (Willingham) I would start him now, he is the future
Fr Aiyewa (Willingham) Playing on specialties as a true frosh
Fr Richardson (Willingham) RS that could move to LB
Cornerback
You want to pick one position that has plagued us the longest, this would be it. If you want to pick a legit area where the current staff has failed it has been recruiting for this position. Last year they addressed it well, and in 2008 they are addressing it well again. They blew it the first two years by relying on JC's who didn't get in, or didn't pan out. It takes time to develop these guys and we are back at ground zero in 2008.
2008 Outlook
Roy Lewis is hands down the best DB on the team and he will be missed in 2008. Davenport will man one side, and the best player available will man the other each week. We have depth, but it is young and undeveloped, I would say we won't be improved at CB next season unless we can bring in some better talent.
Sr Lewis (Gilbertson Transfer)
*Jr Davenport (Willingham JC) Good pick up, but injuries have held him back
RS Mosley (Willingham) Doesn't exactly have the tools for this position
Jr Murchison (Willingham JC) Hasn't seen the light of day
Fr McDowell (Willingham) Has started a few games and been eaten up
Fr Persley (Willingham) The coaches think he will be a player
Linebackers
They just aren't getting better from year to year are they? We keep hearing how much Tormey likes young guys, but it hasn't translated into anything. Injury, depth, and coaching have been the biggest problems. They are still young, but we need some better quality behind the starters, and some good health. A coaching change would help too. If Butler can come back to full strength next year, he and Foster are going to give us a very good looking middle. Same can be said if Savannah can go 100%. The problem is there isn't a lot of talent behind them.
2008 Outlook
I don't want to name names, but we have some dead wood in the depth. The young starters need to stay healthy. If that happens we will see improvement.
WLB
Savannah is the teams best linebacker but because of stingers we probably aren't going to be able to find out what type of player he is. Behind is a complete void, when Savannah isn't at 100% the defense suffers. Stevens is best as a situational player.
*So Savannah (Willingham) Injuries have held him back
Jr Stevens (Gilbertson) One dimensional player who isn't a fit as a true starter
Rs Houston (Willingham) One of those fill in guys who hasn't emerged
SLB
You have to love Howell's attitude, but injuries this year have taken away a couple of steps of speed. Foster is impressive and will be a three year starter at UW.
*Sr Howell (Gilbertson) Plays well when not injured
Fr Foster (Willingham If he stays healthy he is going to be a star
Sr Trew (Neuheisel) A classic tweener, not enough speed
Fr Dennison (Willingham) Redshirting this year
ILB
*So Butler (Willingham) Injuries have killed his year and robbed him of his speed
Jr Tuiasosopo (Gilberston)
Fr Sylvester (Willingham) this kid probably will end up at FB
DE
Gilbertson screwed the pooch of the future when he played Rayford, and Gunheim as freshmen. 95% of lineman need the full five years to develop, and they are at their best in their 4th, and 5th year. We have been hearing for almost a decade that we need a better rush off the edge, and it just hasn't happened.
2008 Outlook
I think we are actually going to be improved a bit at these spots. We won't miss Gunheim, but we will miss the continuing upside of Rayford.
Sr Gunheim (Gilbertson) He looked the part
Sr Rayford (Gilbertson) Too bad he doesn't have one more year
So Teo Nesheim (Willingham) Great motor
So Jones (Willingham) This kid could be real good if he stays healthy
RS Matthews (Willingham) I thought he would have played more this year
Fr Aldrich (Willingham) He reminds me of Gunheim, but in a good way
DT
We have seen a lot of numbers go through here, but we haven't seen a dominant lineman in some time at UW. Jordan White-Frisbee looked like he was going to be the guy but foot injuries sent him to offensive guard. We graduate three guys this year, and behind them are a group of guys who simply haven't played much. To make matters worse we lost one a couple of weeks ago who decided to transfer. You hate to lose a couple of years investment in a kid. Wood and Duncan came in injured so those guys lost a year of development. So we basically go into 2008 with three kids who haven't played, and a whatever true frosh we can dig up.
2008 Outlook
You want to pick the single area I am most worried about for 2008 and this is it. It will be Elisara who has limited experience flanked by some kids who have never played a down. If you are a defensive lineman that want to play as a true freshman this is the place. Losing Kosub hurts because that substracts a big body that would have been starting his third year.
Didn't I just say that Gilbertson screwed the pooch by playing Gunheim, and Rayford as true frosh? With Kosub leaving count on one or two true frosh to play in the rotation next year which will stunt their future development. Craig Noble if he comes could end up being a four year starter. O'Connor hasn't cracked the depth in the four years he has been here.
Sr Afoa (Neuheisel)
Sr Reffett (Neuheisel)
Sr Lobos (Gilbertson)
Jr O'Connor (Gilbertson)
Rs Elisara (Willingham)
Fr Wood (Willingham)
Fr Duncan (Willingham)
Forget about schemes and coaching, let just look at bullets. How many bullets do you see on defense this year? Look a little further, how many for next year?
Willingham's guys are in red, and I have put a star next to any player whose loss, or injury has really hurt the defense's performance in 2007. I am counting five injury stars here including one kid that is out for the season in Wells, and another, Butler who probably should sit out the rest of the year and get healthy.
You can't even blame Rick Neuheisel for this defense because he has only two players left on this part of the squad. The defense has actually gotten worse rather than better as Neuheisel's players have left. You can however put the blame firmly on Gilby's only class, and Willingham's first class which was mostly just picking up the pieces Gilby left behind. Those two classes really put this part of the team in a hole. You can also point a finger at Willingham for picking too many JC's who did not qualify, but hey, he was gambling to fill holes.
If you are hoping for this defense to be better in 2008 it just might be wishful thinking no matter who the DC is. Washington needs an incredible defensive class in 2008 to start turning this around.
Safety
When Wells went down this year so did enforcement from this position. The future at Safety is very young and inexperienced. You are talking frosh, and kids that are still in high school. We will have two potential senior starters who would not be able to start at any other Pac Ten school.
2008 Outlook
I think Nate Williams is going to be a very good one. Put him back there with Wells and you have improvement over 2007. Keep an eye on Aiyewa, the kid may develop into an animal. If Forrester and Harris provide depth that is fine, but if they have to start again we are in trouble.
*Jr Wells (Willingham JC) Three year starter
Jr Forrester (Gilbertson) Has played out of neccesity, not a great talent
Jr Harris (Gilbertson) The kid is gamer but not a great talent
Fr Williams (Willingham) I would start him now, he is the future
Fr Aiyewa (Willingham) Playing on specialties as a true frosh
Fr Richardson (Willingham) RS that could move to LB
Cornerback
You want to pick one position that has plagued us the longest, this would be it. If you want to pick a legit area where the current staff has failed it has been recruiting for this position. Last year they addressed it well, and in 2008 they are addressing it well again. They blew it the first two years by relying on JC's who didn't get in, or didn't pan out. It takes time to develop these guys and we are back at ground zero in 2008.
2008 Outlook
Roy Lewis is hands down the best DB on the team and he will be missed in 2008. Davenport will man one side, and the best player available will man the other each week. We have depth, but it is young and undeveloped, I would say we won't be improved at CB next season unless we can bring in some better talent.
Sr Lewis (Gilbertson Transfer)
*Jr Davenport (Willingham JC) Good pick up, but injuries have held him back
RS Mosley (Willingham) Doesn't exactly have the tools for this position
Jr Murchison (Willingham JC) Hasn't seen the light of day
Fr McDowell (Willingham) Has started a few games and been eaten up
Fr Persley (Willingham) The coaches think he will be a player
Linebackers
They just aren't getting better from year to year are they? We keep hearing how much Tormey likes young guys, but it hasn't translated into anything. Injury, depth, and coaching have been the biggest problems. They are still young, but we need some better quality behind the starters, and some good health. A coaching change would help too. If Butler can come back to full strength next year, he and Foster are going to give us a very good looking middle. Same can be said if Savannah can go 100%. The problem is there isn't a lot of talent behind them.
2008 Outlook
I don't want to name names, but we have some dead wood in the depth. The young starters need to stay healthy. If that happens we will see improvement.
WLB
Savannah is the teams best linebacker but because of stingers we probably aren't going to be able to find out what type of player he is. Behind is a complete void, when Savannah isn't at 100% the defense suffers. Stevens is best as a situational player.
*So Savannah (Willingham) Injuries have held him back
Jr Stevens (Gilbertson) One dimensional player who isn't a fit as a true starter
Rs Houston (Willingham) One of those fill in guys who hasn't emerged
SLB
You have to love Howell's attitude, but injuries this year have taken away a couple of steps of speed. Foster is impressive and will be a three year starter at UW.
*Sr Howell (Gilbertson) Plays well when not injured
Fr Foster (Willingham If he stays healthy he is going to be a star
Sr Trew (Neuheisel) A classic tweener, not enough speed
Fr Dennison (Willingham) Redshirting this year
ILB
*So Butler (Willingham) Injuries have killed his year and robbed him of his speed
Jr Tuiasosopo (Gilberston)
Fr Sylvester (Willingham) this kid probably will end up at FB
DE
Gilbertson screwed the pooch of the future when he played Rayford, and Gunheim as freshmen. 95% of lineman need the full five years to develop, and they are at their best in their 4th, and 5th year. We have been hearing for almost a decade that we need a better rush off the edge, and it just hasn't happened.
2008 Outlook
I think we are actually going to be improved a bit at these spots. We won't miss Gunheim, but we will miss the continuing upside of Rayford.
Sr Gunheim (Gilbertson) He looked the part
Sr Rayford (Gilbertson) Too bad he doesn't have one more year
So Teo Nesheim (Willingham) Great motor
So Jones (Willingham) This kid could be real good if he stays healthy
RS Matthews (Willingham) I thought he would have played more this year
Fr Aldrich (Willingham) He reminds me of Gunheim, but in a good way
DT
We have seen a lot of numbers go through here, but we haven't seen a dominant lineman in some time at UW. Jordan White-Frisbee looked like he was going to be the guy but foot injuries sent him to offensive guard. We graduate three guys this year, and behind them are a group of guys who simply haven't played much. To make matters worse we lost one a couple of weeks ago who decided to transfer. You hate to lose a couple of years investment in a kid. Wood and Duncan came in injured so those guys lost a year of development. So we basically go into 2008 with three kids who haven't played, and a whatever true frosh we can dig up.
2008 Outlook
You want to pick the single area I am most worried about for 2008 and this is it. It will be Elisara who has limited experience flanked by some kids who have never played a down. If you are a defensive lineman that want to play as a true freshman this is the place. Losing Kosub hurts because that substracts a big body that would have been starting his third year.
Didn't I just say that Gilbertson screwed the pooch by playing Gunheim, and Rayford as true frosh? With Kosub leaving count on one or two true frosh to play in the rotation next year which will stunt their future development. Craig Noble if he comes could end up being a four year starter. O'Connor hasn't cracked the depth in the four years he has been here.
Sr Afoa (Neuheisel)
Sr Reffett (Neuheisel)
Sr Lobos (Gilbertson)
Jr O'Connor (Gilbertson)
Rs Elisara (Willingham)
Fr Wood (Willingham)
Fr Duncan (Willingham)
Pac Ten Alley...Win Five In a Row Edition
This is the first edition of the Pac Ten Alley...."Win Five in a Row Edition".
When I look at our next five opponents I see five teams that we can beat. A 48-41 loss to Arizona isn't going to change my mind on that. It also isn't going to obscure the fact that even if all five are winnable, we could lose all five too.
With that being said lets think positive and think about winning the next five. The last half of the Pac Ten season is all about surviving, and when you have Jake Locker getting better every week it may just be enough t0 push you over the top.
We start off the week with our next opponent Stanford.
The Cardinal have surprised all year as Jim Harbaugh has done an excellent coaching and motivational job with his team. You may have forgotten, but the Cardinal lost a lot of key guys early this year. They weren't deep to begin with, so what Harbaugh has done so far is borederline amazing. Washington should beat Stanford this week simply because we should be able to outscore them with our offense. The question of course is whether the Husky defense can rebound, or if it will just continue sliding? Washington has a big edge on offense with Jake Locker running around back there, while Stanford has the edge in overall attitude. Jon wilner of the Merc takes the attitude this week that Stanford is Rodney Dangerfield, they just get no respect.
The Washington Huskies have lost six games in a row, they trail Stanford in the Pac-10 standings, and they just blew a fourth-quarter lead, at home, against Arizona. Their defense has given up more than 1,700 yards in the past three games. They have a freshman quarterback. They haven’t won a game on grass this season. Their coach is on the hot seat. Their defensive coordinator is on the scalding seat. Fans are howling. Media are pouncing. And yet … The Huskies are a three-point favorite at Stanford on Saturday, according to the line published in the Merc. Wow. The oddsmakers and betting public have zero respect for the Cardinal.Imagine what the line would be if Stanford hadn’t won at USC. Or if it hadn’t beaten UW last year in Seattle. But those results help explain the current line. Stanford has handled itself fairly well on the road in the last 12 months but has won just one home game in the past two years.
Mike Riley is a pretty good coach, and if you remember he was actually Barbara Hedges first choice to succeed Jim Lambright. He has his Oregon State Beavers headed in the right direction, and he even has been reducing Sean Canfield's turnovers. Still he runs into some major adversity this week because Yvenson Bernard may be out a week or two with a shoulder injury. If there is anything that can help the Huskies win on the road in two weeks it is the absence of Bernard in the lineup....stay tuned. I think the Beavers are going to get pounded by the Trojans this week, and it is going to hurt their depth further going into the Washington game. If Bernard plays against USC chances are he will be too banged up enough to go against UW.
According to Paul Buker, who is at the OSU Press Conference, Yvenson Bernard sprained his shoulder in OSU's 23-6 win over Stanford. If he plays or not against the Trojans will be a game-time decision, the same decision Yvenson and the Beavers were faced with last year.
He didn't play, and Clinton Polk did just fine as the Beavers went on to upset the Trojans 33-31.
"It's a sprained shoulder, which is good news,'' Riley said. "There's no separation, no break. ... it's basically a day to day thing.''
Just a few weeks ago Cal was perched at the #2 spot in the polls thinking about a Pac Ten title, and a national championship. Now after three losses in a row they are reeling with a limpy QB, and a suspect defense. The Cougars are coming to visit this week fresh off a crushing win over UCLA. I have to pick the Bears to rebound in this one, but root for the Cougars to soften them up for the Huskies. I picked a Husky upset over the Bears before the season began, and I still think it is a good possibilty. One scary thought though....DeSean Jackson isolated on Vonzell McDowell, or Meshin Forrester.
The Bears' run of 26 consecutive weeks in the top 25 has ended, as Cal fell out of the rankings for the first time since the late stages of the 2005 season. "It's kind of unbelievable," Cal offensive lineman Mike Gibson said after Saturday's loss in Tempe, Ariz. "I'm just speechless." A win Saturday would have kept Cal very much in the Rose Bowl picture, and the Bears held a 20-7 lead in the first half as they dominated the early going. But ASU scored the final 24 points of the game, and Cal's final seven possessions resulted in five punts and two turnovers. For the second straight week, Bears quarterback Nate Longshore, still limping from a sprained ankle, threw two second-half interceptions.
They gave the Cougars up for dead before the season started, but Coach Doba had at least a couple of more wins in him as his squad not only upset, but beat up UCLA at home last week. This week the Cougars get Cal on the road and we find out if this resurgence is for real. I really have to go with the Bears in this one. If WSU pulls off another upset Doba may not be going anywhere. As far as the Apple cup goes it is in Seattle this year, and the Huskies usually win this type of game at home. This game is going to be a fireworks show for these two teams, and who knows, maybe there will be a bowl bid on the line. Brinkhater is predicting victory for the Coug's.
As far as we're concerned, well, to be honest, we only have ONE team left on the schedule that will pose significant problems for us defensively and that, my friends, is the University of Washington. The rest of the teams that we play pretty much have pocket passers. And, if you look at two out of the last three weeks, you will see that we have stiffened up tremendously on the defensive side of the ball. Moreover, CAL, Stanford, and Oregon State look much more like UCLA and ASU than they do like Oregon--at least from the perspective of Quarterback tendencies.
Hawaii....imagine if UW closes out 4-0 in the Pac Ten. Imagine an ESPN game to close out the season with the Warriors playing the Huskies to get a BCS berth. Imagine the Huskies at an improbable 6-6 trying to knock out an undefeated Cinderella for the right to go to whatever bowl will take them.
Brennan, one of the most accurate passers in NCAA history, struggled his first games back from the ankle injury, throwing a flurry of interceptions."Because I struggled early on, everybody's kind of written me off," Brennan said. "I don't think people realize that I'm really hungry and I'm about to have a run that I'm really excited about."
USC has now lost two games this season, and they are playing another team this week that can beat them, in fact OSU beat the Trojans last year. For some reason this Pete Carroll team isn't clicking on all cylinders. You can bring up the QB change, but I think it is more than that, something has gotten stale.
A couple glaring things stand out on that fourth-and-1 play in the first quarter. Oregon’s defense shifted completely towards the side where the play went and no one was in front of the right guard, which meant a gaping hole existed.USC believes Oregon got confused by the formation and accidentally shifted into the perfect spot to tackle Joe McKnight.But offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian said he regretted not calling a timeout before the play. Sarkisian said he saw Oregon’s defense shift from the sideline.``When I look back at it, I should have called a timeout from the sideline,’’ Sarkisian said. Ironically, the shift created a hole because no one lined up against the right guard, but Sarkisian said the play USC ran did not really allow for an audible.
Is there a worse coach in the Pac Ten than Karl Dorrell? If you are a Husky fan you might debate that since Dorrell and crew outcoached the Huskies in the Rose Bowl last month. Let's face it, we blew the UCLA game, and it was very winnable. UCLA plays at Arizona this week and I think as terrible as the Wildcats are they just might have enough firepower and emotion to knock off the Bruins.
That got me thinking about the psychology of the Bruin faithful. You see, we're headed for a break up. And though I know some of you aren't as optimistic as myself, I firmly believe that KD is history. Sure, I'm literally knocking on wood while I write this, but dude is gone. You don't need me to tell you why. But, dude is gone. This past weekend was it. Sure, Wyoming or Arizona or Utah or Notre Dame were each enough to warrant it. But, until this weekend, there was some doubt. And don't give me any crazy talk about winning a share of the Pac-10 title. If you believe that will happen, you need to stop dipping into momma's Quaaludes.
How about the Sun Devils, and Dennis Erickson knocking on the door of a national championship? The guy can coach, but can he keep the team out of trouble in coming years? Well at Arizona State they really don't care right now because it is nice to be back in the limelight. The Ducks are up next for these guys, and I am predicting a loss for the Devils.
Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter wore a brace to protect his sprained right thumb when he held his weekly meeting with the media on Monday. The junior starter injured the thumb on his throwing hand with 11 minutes, 14 seconds left in the third quarter of a 31-20 win over California on Saturday. His availability to throw in practice this week for Saturday's game against Oregon remains in question."You'll have to come to practice to find out," said Carpenter, keeping his hands underneath a table so they couldn't be seen.
The Ducks face off against ASU, and as I said previously I give the edge to the Ducks in this one. I think Oregon is playing the best football in the country right now. Gameday in Eugene twice in one year? Say it isn't so!
It is confirmed. This mornings Eugene Register Guard reports that College Gameday will make a second appearance this year. They will be broadcasting live from Autzen stadium starting at 7:00 am local time this coming Saturday. If you plan to attend, get there early. A group of us arrived at about 6:30 am when they were here for the Cal game and it was tough to get a good vantage point.
Arizona may have come back to beat Washington last week, but they have to win a coule more before Mike Stoops is removed from that hot seat. Hot and cold UCLA visits the Wildcats this week fresh off a loss to WSU.
Arizona quarterback Willie Tuitama has been named the Pac-10 Player of the Week after his five-touchdown and school-record 510 yard performance against Washington. Receiver Mike Thomas garnered the special teams honors with six kickoffs for 173 yards, including a 45-yarder. Thomas also caught 10 passes for 165 yards and three scores. Tuitama completed 38 of 51 passes to set the passing yardage record, previously owned by Jason Johnson with 492.
When I look at our next five opponents I see five teams that we can beat. A 48-41 loss to Arizona isn't going to change my mind on that. It also isn't going to obscure the fact that even if all five are winnable, we could lose all five too.
With that being said lets think positive and think about winning the next five. The last half of the Pac Ten season is all about surviving, and when you have Jake Locker getting better every week it may just be enough t0 push you over the top.
We start off the week with our next opponent Stanford.
The Cardinal have surprised all year as Jim Harbaugh has done an excellent coaching and motivational job with his team. You may have forgotten, but the Cardinal lost a lot of key guys early this year. They weren't deep to begin with, so what Harbaugh has done so far is borederline amazing. Washington should beat Stanford this week simply because we should be able to outscore them with our offense. The question of course is whether the Husky defense can rebound, or if it will just continue sliding? Washington has a big edge on offense with Jake Locker running around back there, while Stanford has the edge in overall attitude. Jon wilner of the Merc takes the attitude this week that Stanford is Rodney Dangerfield, they just get no respect.
The Washington Huskies have lost six games in a row, they trail Stanford in the Pac-10 standings, and they just blew a fourth-quarter lead, at home, against Arizona. Their defense has given up more than 1,700 yards in the past three games. They have a freshman quarterback. They haven’t won a game on grass this season. Their coach is on the hot seat. Their defensive coordinator is on the scalding seat. Fans are howling. Media are pouncing. And yet … The Huskies are a three-point favorite at Stanford on Saturday, according to the line published in the Merc. Wow. The oddsmakers and betting public have zero respect for the Cardinal.Imagine what the line would be if Stanford hadn’t won at USC. Or if it hadn’t beaten UW last year in Seattle. But those results help explain the current line. Stanford has handled itself fairly well on the road in the last 12 months but has won just one home game in the past two years.
Mike Riley is a pretty good coach, and if you remember he was actually Barbara Hedges first choice to succeed Jim Lambright. He has his Oregon State Beavers headed in the right direction, and he even has been reducing Sean Canfield's turnovers. Still he runs into some major adversity this week because Yvenson Bernard may be out a week or two with a shoulder injury. If there is anything that can help the Huskies win on the road in two weeks it is the absence of Bernard in the lineup....stay tuned. I think the Beavers are going to get pounded by the Trojans this week, and it is going to hurt their depth further going into the Washington game. If Bernard plays against USC chances are he will be too banged up enough to go against UW.
According to Paul Buker, who is at the OSU Press Conference, Yvenson Bernard sprained his shoulder in OSU's 23-6 win over Stanford. If he plays or not against the Trojans will be a game-time decision, the same decision Yvenson and the Beavers were faced with last year.
He didn't play, and Clinton Polk did just fine as the Beavers went on to upset the Trojans 33-31.
"It's a sprained shoulder, which is good news,'' Riley said. "There's no separation, no break. ... it's basically a day to day thing.''
Just a few weeks ago Cal was perched at the #2 spot in the polls thinking about a Pac Ten title, and a national championship. Now after three losses in a row they are reeling with a limpy QB, and a suspect defense. The Cougars are coming to visit this week fresh off a crushing win over UCLA. I have to pick the Bears to rebound in this one, but root for the Cougars to soften them up for the Huskies. I picked a Husky upset over the Bears before the season began, and I still think it is a good possibilty. One scary thought though....DeSean Jackson isolated on Vonzell McDowell, or Meshin Forrester.
The Bears' run of 26 consecutive weeks in the top 25 has ended, as Cal fell out of the rankings for the first time since the late stages of the 2005 season. "It's kind of unbelievable," Cal offensive lineman Mike Gibson said after Saturday's loss in Tempe, Ariz. "I'm just speechless." A win Saturday would have kept Cal very much in the Rose Bowl picture, and the Bears held a 20-7 lead in the first half as they dominated the early going. But ASU scored the final 24 points of the game, and Cal's final seven possessions resulted in five punts and two turnovers. For the second straight week, Bears quarterback Nate Longshore, still limping from a sprained ankle, threw two second-half interceptions.
They gave the Cougars up for dead before the season started, but Coach Doba had at least a couple of more wins in him as his squad not only upset, but beat up UCLA at home last week. This week the Cougars get Cal on the road and we find out if this resurgence is for real. I really have to go with the Bears in this one. If WSU pulls off another upset Doba may not be going anywhere. As far as the Apple cup goes it is in Seattle this year, and the Huskies usually win this type of game at home. This game is going to be a fireworks show for these two teams, and who knows, maybe there will be a bowl bid on the line. Brinkhater is predicting victory for the Coug's.
As far as we're concerned, well, to be honest, we only have ONE team left on the schedule that will pose significant problems for us defensively and that, my friends, is the University of Washington. The rest of the teams that we play pretty much have pocket passers. And, if you look at two out of the last three weeks, you will see that we have stiffened up tremendously on the defensive side of the ball. Moreover, CAL, Stanford, and Oregon State look much more like UCLA and ASU than they do like Oregon--at least from the perspective of Quarterback tendencies.
Hawaii....imagine if UW closes out 4-0 in the Pac Ten. Imagine an ESPN game to close out the season with the Warriors playing the Huskies to get a BCS berth. Imagine the Huskies at an improbable 6-6 trying to knock out an undefeated Cinderella for the right to go to whatever bowl will take them.
Brennan, one of the most accurate passers in NCAA history, struggled his first games back from the ankle injury, throwing a flurry of interceptions."Because I struggled early on, everybody's kind of written me off," Brennan said. "I don't think people realize that I'm really hungry and I'm about to have a run that I'm really excited about."
USC has now lost two games this season, and they are playing another team this week that can beat them, in fact OSU beat the Trojans last year. For some reason this Pete Carroll team isn't clicking on all cylinders. You can bring up the QB change, but I think it is more than that, something has gotten stale.
A couple glaring things stand out on that fourth-and-1 play in the first quarter. Oregon’s defense shifted completely towards the side where the play went and no one was in front of the right guard, which meant a gaping hole existed.USC believes Oregon got confused by the formation and accidentally shifted into the perfect spot to tackle Joe McKnight.But offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian said he regretted not calling a timeout before the play. Sarkisian said he saw Oregon’s defense shift from the sideline.``When I look back at it, I should have called a timeout from the sideline,’’ Sarkisian said. Ironically, the shift created a hole because no one lined up against the right guard, but Sarkisian said the play USC ran did not really allow for an audible.
Is there a worse coach in the Pac Ten than Karl Dorrell? If you are a Husky fan you might debate that since Dorrell and crew outcoached the Huskies in the Rose Bowl last month. Let's face it, we blew the UCLA game, and it was very winnable. UCLA plays at Arizona this week and I think as terrible as the Wildcats are they just might have enough firepower and emotion to knock off the Bruins.
That got me thinking about the psychology of the Bruin faithful. You see, we're headed for a break up. And though I know some of you aren't as optimistic as myself, I firmly believe that KD is history. Sure, I'm literally knocking on wood while I write this, but dude is gone. You don't need me to tell you why. But, dude is gone. This past weekend was it. Sure, Wyoming or Arizona or Utah or Notre Dame were each enough to warrant it. But, until this weekend, there was some doubt. And don't give me any crazy talk about winning a share of the Pac-10 title. If you believe that will happen, you need to stop dipping into momma's Quaaludes.
How about the Sun Devils, and Dennis Erickson knocking on the door of a national championship? The guy can coach, but can he keep the team out of trouble in coming years? Well at Arizona State they really don't care right now because it is nice to be back in the limelight. The Ducks are up next for these guys, and I am predicting a loss for the Devils.
Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter wore a brace to protect his sprained right thumb when he held his weekly meeting with the media on Monday. The junior starter injured the thumb on his throwing hand with 11 minutes, 14 seconds left in the third quarter of a 31-20 win over California on Saturday. His availability to throw in practice this week for Saturday's game against Oregon remains in question."You'll have to come to practice to find out," said Carpenter, keeping his hands underneath a table so they couldn't be seen.
The Ducks face off against ASU, and as I said previously I give the edge to the Ducks in this one. I think Oregon is playing the best football in the country right now. Gameday in Eugene twice in one year? Say it isn't so!
It is confirmed. This mornings Eugene Register Guard reports that College Gameday will make a second appearance this year. They will be broadcasting live from Autzen stadium starting at 7:00 am local time this coming Saturday. If you plan to attend, get there early. A group of us arrived at about 6:30 am when they were here for the Cal game and it was tough to get a good vantage point.
Arizona may have come back to beat Washington last week, but they have to win a coule more before Mike Stoops is removed from that hot seat. Hot and cold UCLA visits the Wildcats this week fresh off a loss to WSU.
Arizona quarterback Willie Tuitama has been named the Pac-10 Player of the Week after his five-touchdown and school-record 510 yard performance against Washington. Receiver Mike Thomas garnered the special teams honors with six kickoffs for 173 yards, including a 45-yarder. Thomas also caught 10 passes for 165 yards and three scores. Tuitama completed 38 of 51 passes to set the passing yardage record, previously owned by Jason Johnson with 492.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Whats wrong with Turner?
The question was raised on the Dawgman board about what was wrong with Todd Turner? Here are a couple of items that were raised by the posters over there followed by my rebuttal.
I can live with Todd Turner as long as we have a winning football team. I think he can accomplish his goals if he has a winning football team.
1. He has failed to raise any money in 3 years for stadium renovations, which should have been priority No. 1 for the AD.
(I would have expected a fund raising plan to have been released during the week of the USC game. So it isn't like he is way behind schedule raising funds for the project. I think the plans are wonderful, but we have been getting mixed messages over the past month. The suggestion that he was going to double ticket prices over the next five years went over like a lead balloon. His #1 priority as AD was never to rebuild the stadium, it was to rebuild the integrity, and fiscal responsibility of the department, and he has done a very good job doing that. I think there is more to the stadium story going on behind the scenes with the Board of Regents.)
2. He has defended an indefensible coaching staff, shifting the blame to the players (which directly contradicts comments he made at the beginning of the year).
(I think he was just stating the obvious, they need more players, and they need better players. I don't think for one second he was trying to demean the current players. I think a lot of people love jumping on whatever Ty, or Todd says and give it a little twist. Point is nobody is happy right now, especially the guy who is in charge of balancing the budgets and raising funds.)
4. His stubborness in defending Ty and Co. is becoming arrogant and smug--the "the fans don't know what they're talking about, I do" mentality.
(Do you really think any AD is going to throw their coach under the bus after 2 1/2 seasons? I haven't seen smugness, but I have seen disapointement. It is his job to stand up for his coach until he decides to move on and hire another coach. The only thing he is stressing to the fans is patience, and tha thas been his message all year long. I liked the way he tried to rally everyone for the last five games and I am following his lead.)
5. His comments regarding which programs Washington should emulate--Oregon and Kentucky--are unforgivable to a true Husky and shows that he knows nothing about the culture of which he is now "leading."
(Who really cares, Oregon and Kentucky are winning, and both schools have shown patience getting there. He was just using it as an example. What he should have done was give an example of what the Huskies were doing to reach that level in the next year, or two. Talk about what you are doing to get better, don't wish you are something else.)
6. Talks down to fans - we don't matter, plus we are ignorant internet half brains
(The internet half brain comment will be forever in the lore of Husky football, but I don't think he talks down to fans. I think he is simply bureacratic, and that is how it comes across. Todd actually returns unsolicited email when he isn't getting buried by thousands of Fire Ty emails.)
7. Disconnected from what it means to be a Husky
(I agree with this one. Even though he pushed for the Legends Center which is a good thing, he doesn't seem to be an extension of Husky tradition. They are trying to establish, or have established their own culture, and the Purple Curtain surroundng the football program has turned a lot of people off. I don't know if Todd has become Northwest enough. Jim Owens came from Oklahoma and he did it. Don James came from Ohio and he did it. Todd needs to do a better job of studying what is important to the fans. )
8. Hired a football coach whose staff is failing to develop players and blindly defends it with more platitudes.
(I think they develop players, but I don't think they have enough players. If you take a look at the roster most of his players are frosh, and redshirts. He has plugged in some JC's along the way, but the foundation of this team is very young, and also too early to judge. I would say this staff develops players better than the last two regimes at UW.)
I can live with Todd Turner as long as we have a winning football team. I think he can accomplish his goals if he has a winning football team.
1. He has failed to raise any money in 3 years for stadium renovations, which should have been priority No. 1 for the AD.
(I would have expected a fund raising plan to have been released during the week of the USC game. So it isn't like he is way behind schedule raising funds for the project. I think the plans are wonderful, but we have been getting mixed messages over the past month. The suggestion that he was going to double ticket prices over the next five years went over like a lead balloon. His #1 priority as AD was never to rebuild the stadium, it was to rebuild the integrity, and fiscal responsibility of the department, and he has done a very good job doing that. I think there is more to the stadium story going on behind the scenes with the Board of Regents.)
2. He has defended an indefensible coaching staff, shifting the blame to the players (which directly contradicts comments he made at the beginning of the year).
(I think he was just stating the obvious, they need more players, and they need better players. I don't think for one second he was trying to demean the current players. I think a lot of people love jumping on whatever Ty, or Todd says and give it a little twist. Point is nobody is happy right now, especially the guy who is in charge of balancing the budgets and raising funds.)
4. His stubborness in defending Ty and Co. is becoming arrogant and smug--the "the fans don't know what they're talking about, I do" mentality.
(Do you really think any AD is going to throw their coach under the bus after 2 1/2 seasons? I haven't seen smugness, but I have seen disapointement. It is his job to stand up for his coach until he decides to move on and hire another coach. The only thing he is stressing to the fans is patience, and tha thas been his message all year long. I liked the way he tried to rally everyone for the last five games and I am following his lead.)
5. His comments regarding which programs Washington should emulate--Oregon and Kentucky--are unforgivable to a true Husky and shows that he knows nothing about the culture of which he is now "leading."
(Who really cares, Oregon and Kentucky are winning, and both schools have shown patience getting there. He was just using it as an example. What he should have done was give an example of what the Huskies were doing to reach that level in the next year, or two. Talk about what you are doing to get better, don't wish you are something else.)
6. Talks down to fans - we don't matter, plus we are ignorant internet half brains
(The internet half brain comment will be forever in the lore of Husky football, but I don't think he talks down to fans. I think he is simply bureacratic, and that is how it comes across. Todd actually returns unsolicited email when he isn't getting buried by thousands of Fire Ty emails.)
7. Disconnected from what it means to be a Husky
(I agree with this one. Even though he pushed for the Legends Center which is a good thing, he doesn't seem to be an extension of Husky tradition. They are trying to establish, or have established their own culture, and the Purple Curtain surroundng the football program has turned a lot of people off. I don't know if Todd has become Northwest enough. Jim Owens came from Oklahoma and he did it. Don James came from Ohio and he did it. Todd needs to do a better job of studying what is important to the fans. )
8. Hired a football coach whose staff is failing to develop players and blindly defends it with more platitudes.
(I think they develop players, but I don't think they have enough players. If you take a look at the roster most of his players are frosh, and redshirts. He has plugged in some JC's along the way, but the foundation of this team is very young, and also too early to judge. I would say this staff develops players better than the last two regimes at UW.)
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