At the start of the year we asked twenty questions about the Huskies. We are going to continue that tradition by asking Twenty Questions in an interview format to interact with various personalities who are somehow connected to the the Huskies.
The first person I have invited is Chris Fetters from Dawgman.com. I am sure most of you have listened to him on the radio, seen him on TV, and of course have read his articles in Dawgman, Scout.com, and Sports Washington.
Most of us know that Chris Fetters is from Bainbridge Island, attended High school there, is a graduate of Whitman College in Walla Walla, and is the editor in chief for Dawgman.com. Chris has been with Dawgman from the start as a reader, and soon after, a writer, then editor for the publication. Chris is a favorite of mine, and I think he is one of the top football reporters in the region, if not the best.
Hello Chris, thanks for letting me interview you for the Washington Husky Football Blog.
1. Where did you pick up your football talent evaluation knowledge?
RESPONSE - I really have to thank two people for really jump-starting my ability to evaluate talent and what to look for at the different positions, including what to also look for in body types. The first person is Jeff Carr - aka 'Sweetlou'. Jeff was the first one that let me tag along with him when going to combines and high school games when he was running his old Northwest Recruiting site (for the original Rivals network in the late 90's). He was the one who graciously opened his world up to me and allowed unlimited access to the world of recruiting, and most importantly - evaluating talent. And the other person that really lit a fire under me and got me going in the business was Dawgman.com's 'secret weapon' - the late Earl Nordtvedt. Earl was the ultimate 'guy behind the guy' when it came to recruiting - kind of like the local baseball scout that finds the diamond in the rough that eventually the GM takes credit for, but everyone in the organization knew who really did the legwork. Earl was that guy. It was known for years that Earl worked so closely with Don James and Jim Lambright that they would not offer a high school player unless the player first passed muster with Earl's critical eye. When I met Earl, I just shut my mouth and listened. And kept listening. After a few years, I started to get calls from Earl asking me about guys and what was going on with recruiting and what I thought. It was like getting the Don's blessing. That's when I really felt validated in what I was doing.
2. How do you guy's get along with the newspaper journalists, do they respect internet journalists?
RESPONSE - For us at Dawgman, we have made it a priority to have very strong ties with the local papers and their beat writers, because in the end - that's who we want to be associated with. Even though the daily newspaper is slowly becoming a communications dinosaur, they're still the standard - and we respect the hell out of what they do and how they do it. I guess I could be considered an 'internet journalist', but not having been trained in journalism I find that label somewhat odd for me. I'm a transcriber, a paraphraser, a meatball journalist of the lowest common denominator, but at the same time I feel very strongly in the beat writer's ethic and their approach in how they deal with a daily beat and I hope it comes across. Because whether I work for a newspaper or not, that is what I do. I'm just catering to a little different form and fan. Do the newspaper guys respect guys like me? Tolerate would probably be a better term, but I guess you'd have to ask them.
But I respect them.
3. There seems to be a lot more information out there this year on Dawgman. Is Ty making it easier for you this year, or have you just more, or less adjusted to Ty?
RESPONSE - To be honest, the groundrules for access are basically the same as they were last year. We've just learned to adjust and work smarter - which has allowed us to put out more content - or at least put out more of apparently what subscribers are looking for. It's always a continual work in progress...staying fresh and bringing new slants on the same beat. I think one reason we had to up our game a little bit this year is because of the strong competition created by the newspaper blogs and also the content that gohuskies.com is producing. They have all really stepped it up since last year, and as such we had to do things to make sure we stayed ahead of the curve. And I expect that is something that will continue to evolve, especially in regards to basketball. We feel that there's still a lot we can do there.
4. Have you always been a professional journalist?
RESPONSE - I'd argue that I've never been a professional journalist at all. I certainly don't have any formal training for it. I do cover a beat for a living, and it's one of a few things that I do to make sure I keep shoes on my feet and slurpees in my stomach. But I would say that 'journalism' per se is probably the last requirement I needed to cover what I do, just as long as I stick to the fundamental ethics involved.
I really caught the writing bug in college when I took a creative writing class taught by Irv Hashimoto at Whitman. He understood that I had a bit of a funky sense of humor and challenged me to explore that and really let go when I put paper to pen, and it was a revelation to me at the time. That's why, even though I graduated with a degree in History and still love that area of academia, I also knew that I wanted to write - at the very least - as an avocation. In fact, I was general manager for Whitman's radio station - KWCW - after the summer of my senior year, and that was the last year I really kept up correspondence with friends via the U.S. mail, so it allowed me a lot of time to be funny, creative and express myself on paper. And that just furthered my belief that I wanted to continue to write - at some level - in my 'real' life. And so it's no surprise that one of the first things I started to do when I worked with Dawgman was do opinion pieces. I've obviously strayed from that quite a bit, but it was an avenue for me to initially explore more of the creative side of the business.
5. How much film of HS players do you watch during the year?
RESPONSE - Not enough. You can never really watch enough, to be honest. Because, when a coach thoroughly evaluates a prospect, they may watch a bunch of highlights first, but then they may watch two or three full games to see what that player does over the course of a game. I just don't have that time. The beauty of being a recruiter is that their list is always getting smaller as their pool of talent becomes more and more defined the closer you get to Signing Day. For me, my list is always getting bigger, because I'm always getting tips on players and getting film from junior AND senior seasons. And watching film is part one...part two is putting that film up on the Scout.com network, which is not difficult, but it is time-consuming. And I find myself with less and less time to do all the evaluating I'd like to do - even with better time management on my part. I've learned to work smarter over the years, but the pool of talent continues to grow every season.
6. What is more important, the combines, watching the kid in a game, or on film, how do they all differ when you put together your evaluations?
RESPONSE - I'd say watching a kid in person is the biggest thing of all, and that means at combines and during games. Obviously during games you get to see how they play, warts and all. But at combines, even though the emphasis is on athleticism, you get to really see up close and personal a lot of the intangibles that will seperate players when rankings and ratings are compiled. You get to see their work ethic, you get to see their competitive nature, you get to see their leadership skills, you get to see how they react to getting beat, you get to see how socially adjusted they are and other things that may appear to be small in the overall evaluation of a prospect, but are big in helping us differentiate between two players that may appear to be the same kind of player on paper.
7. Which player are you most surprised about who has emerged this season for Washington?
RESPONSE - Quintin Daniels. I honestly thought Q's career was over with his knee injury, but he has rejuvenated his career and will be back at UW next year. I don't expect him to be a guy that blows up now ala Sonny Shackelford, but he's on a freeroll right now as far as I'm concerned and his 55-yard catch and run for six against Arizona showed me that he's still got some juice in his game.
8. Washington is currently 4-2 with a very good chance to reach 5-2 this weekend. Did you see it coming this quickly, or are you pretty surprised by the results so far?
RESPONSE - I'm dumbfounded. I have been on record with my 4-8 prediction for a while now, and the Huskies are making that prediction look pretty foolish. I think the thing I'm surprised with is that this team is finding ways to win the games they would have lost last year. And they've done it basically with every game like that. I still think traditionally good UW teams would have had problems beating teams like Oklahoma and USC on the road - but to think that they didn't play up to their potential in either game and was tied for thirty minutes in the first and one play away from possibly beating the No. 3 team in the second...that's truly mind-boggling. But it goes to show what winning will do for the attitude and morale of a program.
9. What was your Husky W/L prediction in the preseason?
RESPONSE - 4-8
10. Do you think Washington has a chance against California on the road to keep it at least respectable? (To me California is just plain frightening on both sides of the ball.)
RESPONSE - If they can hang with teams like Oklahoma and USC on the road, I think anything is possible. Clearly Nate Longshore is playing phenomenal football right now, and having weapons like Marshawn Lynch, Justin Forsett, Lavelle Hawkins and Desean Jackson makes his job very easy. If they can continue to play their patented 'bend-but-don't-break' style of defense, and limit scoring chances to field goals, they always have a chance. But everything would have to go their way to keep it within reach.
11. If you had your choice, where would you rather watch a game, the sidelines, down low in the stands, up high on one of the decks, or in the press box? (I grew up watching games high up in the South deck. I never liked it as much down lower because it was a lot harder to see what the line was doing. Now that my eyes aren't as good, I prefer lower.)
RESPONSE - I have a friend that has seats on the first row of the upper deck on the north side. I'll take either the north or south sides, but that first row view of the field at Husky Stadium is as breathtaking as they come, IMHO. It's high enough to get a great big sweeping view of everything, but you still feel close enough to watch things without feeling like you need to hit the binoculars every thirty seconds.
12. What year did you first go to a game at Husky Stadium, who did we play?
RESPONSE - My first game was Don James' first as coach in 1975. If I remember correctly, they lost to Texas.
13. What kind of food do you get in the press box, is it complimentary, is it good?
RESPONSE - With all due respect to the vendors at Husky Stadium, the food in the press box is pretty bad. Just standard fare; hot dogs, basic sandwiches, cookies, popcorn, chips. It's about as uncreative as it gets in the Pac-10.
14. What has been your favorite out of conference road trip, and why?
RESPONSE - It's interesting, because I've had better road trips - but I absolutely can't wait for 2009, the next time UW travels to Notre Dame. It has nothing to do with Notre Dame, it has nothing to do with anything resembling Notre Dame, South Bend, or even Indiana. It just means I get to go back to Chicago. And outside Seattle and Portland, my favorite city in the country is Chicago. Two words...Pizzeria Uno. Two more...Gino's East. And even two more...Rush Street. It's the one trip where we'll do things a lot differently the second time around...meaning we won't leave the windy city for the game any sooner than we have to.
(Reply-I think the Pan Pizza, and the ButterBurgers at Culver's made the best impression on you, but the Steak and Lobster at Gibson's on Rush Street (The Viagra Triangle) was just awesome. You have to come earlier next time and play a round at my new country club. With Northwestern, Iowa, Wisconsin, Purdue, Illinois, Notre Dame, Indiana, Michigan, and Michigan St all under four hours, or closer to Chicago there should be more opportunities in the near future.)
15. What is your favorite road trip in conference, and why?
RESPONSE - Even though it's a little out of the way, I enjoy the trip to Tucson for the Arizona game. Obviously the weather makes it enjoyable, but for food, the original El Charro Cafe on Court St. is worth the price of admission - some of the friendliest folks you'll find and the Mexican food is deliciously authentic.
(Reply- I would have to go with Cal, it's fun staying in Union Square, partying it up, and taking the BART to the game. I just love the ambience of Strawberry Canyon. ASU is good because I can golf some great courses and hang out on Front Street. The stadium while unique doesn't turn me on when inside.)
16. Who is your current favorite Husky, and of course why?
RESPONSE - I'll pick one on each side. On offense, I love Juan Garcia. I remember seeing him the fall of his senior year during the 2002 Apple Cup, not knowing who he was. He was just the big dude in the Ike letterman's jacket. Then we figured out who he was and also found out that he had committed to play for Washington. Ever since that time it's been a real treat seeing Garcia mature and grow into a man who truly understands how lucky he is to be doing what he's doing. On defense, it would have to be Dan Howell. He's always very engaging in interviews and always has something on his mind and something to say. And lately, to see him handle his father's passing with maturity beyond his years has been something I won't forget any time soon. You just can't help but want to root for both Juan and Dan to be very successful in life.
17. Can you describe your philosophy in contacting recruits during the year, and can you walk us through how you handle the various PSA's throughout the recruiting year.
RESPONSE - Wow, a loaded question. LOL
I'd say for the first part, that one is very easy. My philosophy is very simple...it's the golden rule. Treat them how you'd want to be treated. For the second part - the irony that is inherent in the process is that prospects, when you first contact them right after their junior years are wide-eyed and more than happy to accede to any demands that we would make on them (pictures, video, etc...). They can't wait to give out their phone numbers and all the rest. But I'm very clear with them at that point - especially the guys that I know will be bigtime kids and will have scores of offers by the time they sign - that they will love us now, but by then end they won't want to take our calls. They don't believe it, but when that time comes, they get it. So my philosophy has always been to treat them the way I would want to be treated and also make sure they understand as much of what's going to happen to them as possible up front. Of course you can't adequately let them know just how it's going to be, but you can at least give them and their parents a sense as to what it's going to be like, especially if they don't have any older brothers and haven't been through the recruiting process before.
Typically we won't contact a prospect until the February of their junior year, but we've already done a lot of work brhind the scenes to try and get the top guys to our national combine, or at the very least set up so that they know about our May combines. February through the end of May is our time to really throw ourselves on the phones and gather pictures and film to populate the database. After that point, there's a good chance that we've made face-to-face contact with a prospect, and for me that's absolutely critical. With so many people out there reporting on recruiting that never leave their houses, I make sure to take the time to get face time with as many of the top recruits in my region as possible. That way they know I exist, I'm a real person and I'm going to be there following their recruitment for the next year or so. That typically pays off because I can follow those personal contacts with phone calls and immediately they remember me and I have an in. By laying that kind of groundwork, the rest of the recruiting process should just be a matter of calling periodically for updates at key times (9/1, the first time coaches can re-establish contact with prospects; Oct-Nov-Dec, when they set up and take official visits; and Dec-Jan, when they typically make their college intentions known).
Now with texting happening so much, information from recruits comes much quicker. In fact, there are some prospects that ask us to text them first before calling.
18. What precautions do you take to protect the privacy of PSA's, and their families?
RESPONSE - Really, I don't take any precautions at all, because I would never ask a question or do something that would put a PSA in the position of having their privacy jeopardized. And when a PSA in in the throes of the decision-making process and they wish to not be contacted for a certain period of time, we'll always respect that. And if a PSA commits to a program but wishes to have the information held until they can tell the other coaches recruiting him first, we'll always do that too.
19. Who do you identify more with on the Husky Honk show as far as point of view goes, Millen, Baird, or Softy?
RESPONSE - Well, I was never a D1 player - so I can't really identify with Hugh. And I've never been a D1 coach - so I can't really identify with Dick. But I have been a fan that got into the professional media side of things, so I suppose I can relate more with Softy than the other two. And we're both fat, so that's another thing we have in common.
20. Dick's, Kidd Valley, or Burgermaster? Which is your favorite?
RESPONSE - Are you kidding? Dicks, and it's not even close.
(Reply- The first thing I do when I come to Seattle is drive to Dick's, and get two cheeseburgers, fries, tartar, onions, and a strawberry shake to wash it down. I usually pop in again before I go, and grab a deluxe, and a special for the ride out. In between I need some fish and chips at Spud's or Totem House.)
Thanks again Chris for taking the time for the interview. It really allows all of us to get to know you, and your job a lot better.
We will try to do more of these as time, and schedules allow during the upcoming months. I think Chris was a great choice for the first one because as you can tell he really gave us some great answers, and insights. I have no idea who I will ask next, so if you guys have some idea's just chirp in, and let me know. I have no idea of what type of access I can get, or who would be receptive, but I think we can come up with some good stuff over time.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Around The Pac Ten Blogs
It is that time of the week where we cruise among the Pac Ten blogs to see what they are writing about their respective teams. The UCLA blog is absolutely hilarious. Not much out of Oregon State which is a bummer, but they usually publish later in the week. Arizona St is coming off a bye week to face USC, so not much from the Devils as they are about to watch their team sink to the cellar of the league.
We found another Oregon Blog called "Addicted to Quack" pretty funny title, and a pretty decent blog. The question of the week is if Duck fans should go into panic mode.
"The question of the day on Primetime (KFXX, Portland) was Is it time for Duck fans to start panicking." Why would it be time to panic. Over one loss? I fully realize that it is the job of sports talk radio to try and create controversy so that people will have a reason to call in. However, I fail to see any reason why "panic" is something that Duck fans should be feeling."
The UCLA Blog reports that Ben Olson is going to be out 4-6 weeks.
"Before we go on to the news of the day we need to revisit the dirty, thuggish tactics of Mike Stoop's white trailer trash Arizona football program. If you haven't seen the video on Ben's injury check it out again. Now that the good news (no surgery) and bad news (MCL tear - out at least 4 weeks) on Ben Olson is out of the way, let's wish Ben a speedy and healthy recovery, and move forward. Let's also put rest to talks about transfer. Ben is not going anywhere neither is Pat. As Cowan and his coaches have said already he was more than prepared to go in. And now that he is in charge, the Bruins Nation can expect him to hold down the fort, and maintain the reasonable expectations of winning 9 games and beating Southern Cal."
"Well if Karl Dorrell wants to finally put together a break through win on the road this weekend, then his offense will have to step up. Because right now after 5 games into the season, there are still lots of doubts around anemic offense"
Michael Wines at the Duck Blog rehashes a Black Day At Strawberry Canyon.
"Dennis Dixon threw an interception on the first play from scrimmage. That led to a Bear touchdown and Cal never looked back. I think that pretty much set the tone for the rest of the game. It gave Cal a ton of confidence early and did just the opposite for Oregon."
The WSU Blog wonders what happened to the Coug offense.
"Where did the offense that scored 22 on USC go? The defense obviously played great* but man what happened to our offensive line. They couldn't get any holes opened for the Cougs to establish a running game and keep the Beavs honest."
The USC Blog ponders Kirk Herbstreit and his impact on the college football universe. They also have a preview of the up coming game with ASU.
"Should USC's Trojans apologize for the way they're playing, as ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit proclaimed Saturday? Maybe if they did so on a two-for-one "Apology GameDay" show, with Herbstreit offering his own "mea culpa" for punditry malpractice in touting Miami to make it to the BCS title game."
The California Blog is concerned about a cheap shot by Oregon last week. WSU is on tap next for the Bears and they are also talking about the Coug's Jason Hill being injured.
"Of all the big plays by Cal in a 45-24 win over Oregon on Saturday at Memorial Stadium, there is one being replayed over and over in the film room today. The subject of the play is Oregon tight end Dante Rosario, who stomped on a fallen Cal player during DeSean Jackson's 65-yard punt return. "
Stanford takes a little pride in not getting totaly blown out.
"Notre Dame, a 29 1/2-point favorite, didn't deliver the early knockout that everyone expected -- which was a sign of progress for Stanford. Stanford stayed within 7-3 for much of the first half, stunning considering the Cardinal defense is ranked 117th nationally and Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn is a Heisman Trophy candidate."
Arizona State has nothing new this week which is understandable. At least Arizona switched the focus to basketball. The Sun devils are in free fall as they head to visit USC.
The Oregon State blog actually simulates each game before it happens using X-Box. How scientific can you get? The Beavers are undefeated in X Box simulation this year.
Last weeks X-Box Simulation Results:
Oregon State 35, Washington State 30
The Arizona Blog has decided to move onto basketball this week. I am sure they will get back to cutting down the Wildcat football team later in the week.
"I'm done with football. I am a basketball fan first and since McKale Madness is just around the corner it means that it's time to take a look at what kind of team will be hitting the hardwood this winter. I decided to divide the team into two groups, known quantity and question mark."
We found another Oregon Blog called "Addicted to Quack" pretty funny title, and a pretty decent blog. The question of the week is if Duck fans should go into panic mode.
"The question of the day on Primetime (KFXX, Portland) was Is it time for Duck fans to start panicking." Why would it be time to panic. Over one loss? I fully realize that it is the job of sports talk radio to try and create controversy so that people will have a reason to call in. However, I fail to see any reason why "panic" is something that Duck fans should be feeling."
The UCLA Blog reports that Ben Olson is going to be out 4-6 weeks.
"Before we go on to the news of the day we need to revisit the dirty, thuggish tactics of Mike Stoop's white trailer trash Arizona football program. If you haven't seen the video on Ben's injury check it out again. Now that the good news (no surgery) and bad news (MCL tear - out at least 4 weeks) on Ben Olson is out of the way, let's wish Ben a speedy and healthy recovery, and move forward. Let's also put rest to talks about transfer. Ben is not going anywhere neither is Pat. As Cowan and his coaches have said already he was more than prepared to go in. And now that he is in charge, the Bruins Nation can expect him to hold down the fort, and maintain the reasonable expectations of winning 9 games and beating Southern Cal."
"Well if Karl Dorrell wants to finally put together a break through win on the road this weekend, then his offense will have to step up. Because right now after 5 games into the season, there are still lots of doubts around anemic offense"
Michael Wines at the Duck Blog rehashes a Black Day At Strawberry Canyon.
"Dennis Dixon threw an interception on the first play from scrimmage. That led to a Bear touchdown and Cal never looked back. I think that pretty much set the tone for the rest of the game. It gave Cal a ton of confidence early and did just the opposite for Oregon."
The WSU Blog wonders what happened to the Coug offense.
"Where did the offense that scored 22 on USC go? The defense obviously played great* but man what happened to our offensive line. They couldn't get any holes opened for the Cougs to establish a running game and keep the Beavs honest."
The USC Blog ponders Kirk Herbstreit and his impact on the college football universe. They also have a preview of the up coming game with ASU.
"Should USC's Trojans apologize for the way they're playing, as ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit proclaimed Saturday? Maybe if they did so on a two-for-one "Apology GameDay" show, with Herbstreit offering his own "mea culpa" for punditry malpractice in touting Miami to make it to the BCS title game."
The California Blog is concerned about a cheap shot by Oregon last week. WSU is on tap next for the Bears and they are also talking about the Coug's Jason Hill being injured.
"Of all the big plays by Cal in a 45-24 win over Oregon on Saturday at Memorial Stadium, there is one being replayed over and over in the film room today. The subject of the play is Oregon tight end Dante Rosario, who stomped on a fallen Cal player during DeSean Jackson's 65-yard punt return. "
Stanford takes a little pride in not getting totaly blown out.
"Notre Dame, a 29 1/2-point favorite, didn't deliver the early knockout that everyone expected -- which was a sign of progress for Stanford. Stanford stayed within 7-3 for much of the first half, stunning considering the Cardinal defense is ranked 117th nationally and Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn is a Heisman Trophy candidate."
Arizona State has nothing new this week which is understandable. At least Arizona switched the focus to basketball. The Sun devils are in free fall as they head to visit USC.
The Oregon State blog actually simulates each game before it happens using X-Box. How scientific can you get? The Beavers are undefeated in X Box simulation this year.
Last weeks X-Box Simulation Results:
Oregon State 35, Washington State 30
The Arizona Blog has decided to move onto basketball this week. I am sure they will get back to cutting down the Wildcat football team later in the week.
"I'm done with football. I am a basketball fan first and since McKale Madness is just around the corner it means that it's time to take a look at what kind of team will be hitting the hardwood this winter. I decided to divide the team into two groups, known quantity and question mark."
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Looking Back at the Preseason Predictions
By reader suggestion we are going to take a look back at my first half of the season predictions I made over the Summer. Thanks for the great suggestion!
First we start off with a post from July 18th where Athlon ranks the different positions of strength in the Pac Ten. Athlon like most publications picked UW for the cellar. It was pretty ridiculous inhindsight on Athlons part. Dan Raley from the PI is a contributor to Athlon is I am not mistaken. I wrote a rebuttal to it, let's find out who is right here.
We then follow with UW individual predictions which related back to a post from August 25th.
Finally we go over the game predictions made in June, and July. I don't think I am too far off from what I predicted, in fact it looks pretty close, but you be the judge.
Athlon's Pre Season UW PAC Ten Unit Rankings
QB 7
RB 6
WR/TE 8
OL 10
DL 10
LB 8
DB 10
John B's Pre Season UW Pac Ten Unit Ratings (New comments in italic's)
QB 3 ....just being conservative here because IS is one of only three returning QB's in the conference along with Brink at WSU, and Moore at OSU. I think IS is better than any of them. I think whoever starts at SC and Cal will have the edge because of returning talent, so I will give IS a 3 with an upside of a 1. You can't underestimate the importance of a SR QB with two years of experience who has the tools of IS. His mobility will help a green offensive line.
( I have to feel pretty good about rating the QB position as a three with an upside to one. Nobody in the media bought it, but it is happening as IS has evolved into one of the most feared players in the league. )
RB 6....They have us at 6 at Athlon too. I like all three of our backs, but they need to stay healthy because there is no depth behind them. Last year we went through more than three backs. If all stay healthy, and the offensive line surprises you have an upside of four.
(The backs haven't been spectacular, but Washington is in the top 30 for rushing, so I think we are beating the expectation and have moved up into the 3-4. The key has been to stay healthy, and productive, they have been that.)
4. WR/ 4. TE ....I think they are way off the mark here with an 8. Losing Chambers doesn't hurt much. With the new guys coming in it is addition by subtraction. I think we are more solid at TE then we have been since Lambo was here. The WR corps has had a year and a half of real coaching, and it will show this fall. I pick 4 because IS is going to get these guys the ball, and I also think after watching the last part of the year, and Spring that we can develop some deep threats.
( They were way off the mark as Kirton has evolved enough that Washington was able to overcome injuries to Gottleib and Lewis. Kirton still has too many drops, but he has also made some big plays. I am off the mark too because UW is still in the second division as far as TE's go. That will improve in the second half....Shackleford has developed into an All Pac Ten player, while Russo is having a great season. In a pass happy conference UW is easily in the top 4 when it comes to receiving units this season. Washington needs more weapons such as Reese, and Wood to get more touches in the last 6 games.)
OL 10....Athlon gives us a 10, and who can blame them on paper, we don't have a lot of experienced depth, and the senior starters while experienced are not all world. I had to go with the ten to start out too with. I can go with a very optimistic upside of a 6. We need to at least be a 6 to see a bowl, or get close to .500.
(The upside was a lot higher than 6 since since IS has had all the protection he has needed and we have had good rushing totals so far this year. This team will go as far as these five guys take them, and in the first half of the season they have looked pretty good. Depth is still a concern since they are not playing the backups.)
DL 4.....Athlon gives us another 10 for what may be the strongest part of the entire team. We have size depth, and experience, so I would I would place us near the top with an upside of #1. Gunheim, Mateaki, Afoa, JWF all match up with anyone in the conference. I wonder what they were drinking when they gave us a 10.
(Athlon was way wide right on this as we have done a pretty good job despite the fact that man child JWF has been moved to offense. My pick at 4 may be a little conservative. Saying it was the strongest part of the team was off base too, would have to side with the LB's in the first half.)
LB 5....Athlon tosses in an eight which is mostly due to graduation, but I think the guys replacing last years seniors have a way better upside. I think with better, and deeper DB's behind them, and veteran hosses in front, this unit should do well, at least the middle of the Pac Ten. What the new starters bring to the table is more sideline, to sideline speed. Speed was something that has been lacking.
(Once again they were off, and I may have been off too as the UW LB's have been playing like the Huskies of old. We have a great nucleus led by a couple of seniors having great seasons. UW definitely is near the top of the conference. The difference is speed makes quite a difference.)
DB 5....Athlon nails us with a 10 which is a good bet on paper since we haven't had a decent defensive backfield since CW went down. I strongly disagree, I saw a huge amount of improvement last year in the defensive backfield, and I think we will be much stronger this year. The biggest problem we had last year was simply depth, and we did a credible job in the off season picking up some bodies that can plug some holes. The addition of coach Williams, a man who played in four Super Bowls, and is known as one the brightest assistants on the West Coast has to be a plus. I picked a five with an upside of 3.In conclusion really think that our defense will end up being one of the top 4 in the league when it is all said and done.
(The Washington DB's have been good since having a bit of a slow start. Blame that on jelling, and having Goldson out. We are tougher with him out there. I have to move us up ...4-5 is about right. They will be severely tested by Cal.)
Twenty Preseason Questions
Who will be the most improved Offensive Lineman?
Morgan Rosborough
(Morgan hasn't played a down as all five starters have played every minute except when Berglund stepped in for a quarter against USC. I didn't see any drop off with Berglund in the game. Morgan will develop into a force.)
Which Tight End will have the best season?
Johnnie Kirton
(Kirton obviously has the edge after being the only healthy one for the first half of the season. He has made some clutch passes and dropped a few too. His blocking has improved. Kirton needs to hang onto the ball, he dropped three against SC last week.)
Who will lead the team in rushing?
Kenny James
(Rankin was the hot guy early, but James has been the hot hand lately. This one is still too close to call even though Kenny had a great game against SC while Rankin was mistake prone.)
Which receiver will have the most catches?
Sonny Shackleford
(Sonny is having an All Pac Ten year. No other receiver comes close on the squad.)
Which receiver will have the most total yards?
Marcel Reese
(He hasn't materialized quite yet, but that doesn't mean he won't get more touches in the second half of the year. I think he matches up very good against Cal. he dfinitely won't finish with the most yards, but wait till next year.)
Which receiver will have the most TD's?
Marlon Wood
(This kid is a big play waiting to happen and I think over the second half of the season he is going to get a lot more touches. Nobody will get close to Shackleford.)
Which player is most likely to emerge out of Gilby's offensive line class?
Mark Bulyca
(Nobody has emerged but the starters. We really won't know till next Spring, but Jordan White Frisbee is a lock to start if healthy next year.)
Which QB will be starting at the end of the season?
Stanback
(IS is having a good season, what he does over the next six weeks will determine how he is remembered as a Husky. The question now is not wheter he will continue as starter, but which bowl he will be starting in to end his career.)
Who will the offensive scout team player of the year?
Michael Houston
(By all reports Houston looks very good, and is the real deal, but Locker has impressed quite a bit too. Will be tough to keep him on the bench next year. Not much word on Hasty who is not allowed to talk to the press.)
Which Husky offensive players will be all Pac Ten?
None
(Blew that one as IS, and Sonny Shackleford are definitely in the running, and don't forget Stanley Daniels, and Clay Walker.)
Who will lead the team in sacks?
Greyson Gunheim
(A banged up knee and more attention has slowed him down, but he is still a good bet, he gets better as the season goes on. Washington only has 13 sacks as a team and Greyson has two of them. Scott White with 3 leads the team.)
How many yards will teams be able to rush against us per game?
125 per game ave
(112 per game average...not too shabby)
Which true freshman will have the most impact?
Donald Butler
(Butler and Homer are special teams fixtures, and Butler has stepped in a bit at LB in EJ Savannah's absence.)
Who will be the defensive scout team player of the year?
Elisara
(Tough to call since we really don't hear about the frosh till bowl practice, or after the season)
Who will lead us in interceptions?
Lewis
(Mesphin Forrester a reserve S/CB is the co leader with Scott White, both have two so far. The Huskies only have six so far this year.)
How many yards will teams be able to throw on us this year?
175 yards per game ave
(The pass defense has been tightening each week. Averaging 240 right now and you can bet it will go down against Oregon St, and back up against Cal. I think we end up with an average round 200 per game.)
Who will be the MVP of this defense?
Wallace
(Take your pick between Wallace, and White)
Which Husky Defensive players will be All Pac Ten?
Wallace, Lewis, Gunheim
(You have to add Scott White)
Who will be the top return threat?
Marlon Wood
(Need to get the ball in his hands more, like last year hitting his groove mid season. Funny that he wasn't the return amn)
What will UW's final record be?
7-5 with a bowl game
(I figured on 7-5 because the ASU, and WSU games seemed liked toss-ups pre season. I think we go 8-4, with an outside possibility of 9-3...Oregon doesn't scare me anymore.)
Game Predictions (Predictions in bold, and italic)
UW 42 San Jose St 6 (1-0)
UW 35 San Jose St 29 (1-0)
Obviously underestimated the Spartans and overestimated the Huskies in a game that was tighter than most expected. Tomey put a scare into the Huskies in the second half. SJS has gone on to prove that they arent a bad club. The most troubling aspect of the game was the pass defense, especially in the second half.
"I predict Washington will roll against a defense with too many newcomers, and an offense with a rookie QB. I think Stanback will have a big day, and we will be able to run at will."
UW ended up winning and I really never got a chance to get a good look at the game since I was married during the game. We expected to score points, but giving up 29 to SJSU?
Oklahoma 31 UW 17 (1-1)
Oklahoma 37 UW 20 (1-1)
This game was actually pretty close until Isaiah coughed it up on the goal line late in the third quarter. Oklahoma was up 37-13 soon after. Quite a viscous swing. Bonnell led a drive that scored late in the game.
"I am not going to go out on a limb and predict a Washington victory, I don't think we have the athletes to play 4 quarters with these guys on the road. I think UW will go down 31-17 in an interesting game that will tell us pretty much what Washington will do over the season."
It told us that Washington had the stuff to compete. It also told us that we had a better team that was still prone to hurting itself too.
Washington 31 Fresno State 24 (2-1)
Washington 21 Fresno State 20 (2-1)
The Huskies pull out a big win in a game that could have gone either way. For Washington it was a big confidence booster. For Fresno St it was the first of many nails. The game was bit closer than predicted.
"This is the type of game Ty needs to win to start building a little excitement in Seattle. Fresno has built a strong program, but this years team won't be one of their best. Washington should win. A victory here will be a major springboard leading into the conference season with UCLA, and Arizona up next. This is a three game string of winnable games, if Washington wants to go bowling it all starts here."
Ceasar Rayford blocks an extra point and Washington wins as time runs out. Predicting that this years Fresno St team would not be one of their best was pretty prophetic as things turn out.
UW 34 - UCLA 27 (3-1)
UW 29 - UCLA 19 ( 3-1 )
UCLA has had a curse on Washington for a long time, and it was nice to get this monkey off our backs at home. This game was a tale of two halves as UCLA looked like they were going to blow UW out early.
"I think offensively we will be able to move the ball like we did last year on these guys. You can bet there will be some fireworks out there as both teams try to stretch the field. The game will end up being a higher scoring affair, but Washington will score more points, and end the curse."
Dan Howell's interception and return for touchdown put the icing on the cake of the best two consecutive quarters UW has played since their last Rose Bowl visit. UCLA never did stretch the field which has led to a lot criticism in the Bruin Nation.
UW 27 Arizona 17 (4-1)
UW 21 Arizona 10 (4-1)
Washington came into desert and methodically took care of business. They never put Arizona away, but were never in danger either after a 21 point explosion in the second quarter.
"The key as always is the UW OL, can they give IS and the skill guys the time to do their thing? If the OL has come along it is a realistic prediction that we will be 4-1 headed into play USC. Overly optimistic, perhaps, but all these games are winnable. We could have won at least six last year if the chips had fallen correctly, same thing with this season. We need to win the winnable games"
One flaw in the game is that Washington didn't score as much as they should have. The offense still doesn't take advantage of everything it is given.
USC 37 - UW 21 (4-2)
USC 26 UW 20 (4-2)
What more can we say about last weeks game. Washington did better than most of us thought, but my prediction was actually pretty optimistic in pre season. The oddsmakers had us at plus 20 1/2.
"UW be in it for awhile, but they are likely to be worn down by bigger, faster, and more talented athletes. I do think we can score on them, we scored 24 last year. I don't think there offense will be anything like it has been in past years. So we are in for a much closer game. I predict the Trojans put it way sometime in the 3rd quarter and win 37 -21."
I didn't forsee that the Trojan offense would slow down as much as they have this year. I didn't see the game going down to the last play either. If you have bet Washington all year, and I bet Jim Moore has, you are ammassing a pretty tidy sum if you roll it over every week. I didn't see Washington worn down at the end of the game either, both tems were fighting for their lives.
First we start off with a post from July 18th where Athlon ranks the different positions of strength in the Pac Ten. Athlon like most publications picked UW for the cellar. It was pretty ridiculous inhindsight on Athlons part. Dan Raley from the PI is a contributor to Athlon is I am not mistaken. I wrote a rebuttal to it, let's find out who is right here.
We then follow with UW individual predictions which related back to a post from August 25th.
Finally we go over the game predictions made in June, and July. I don't think I am too far off from what I predicted, in fact it looks pretty close, but you be the judge.
Athlon's Pre Season UW PAC Ten Unit Rankings
QB 7
RB 6
WR/TE 8
OL 10
DL 10
LB 8
DB 10
John B's Pre Season UW Pac Ten Unit Ratings (New comments in italic's)
QB 3 ....just being conservative here because IS is one of only three returning QB's in the conference along with Brink at WSU, and Moore at OSU. I think IS is better than any of them. I think whoever starts at SC and Cal will have the edge because of returning talent, so I will give IS a 3 with an upside of a 1. You can't underestimate the importance of a SR QB with two years of experience who has the tools of IS. His mobility will help a green offensive line.
( I have to feel pretty good about rating the QB position as a three with an upside to one. Nobody in the media bought it, but it is happening as IS has evolved into one of the most feared players in the league. )
RB 6....They have us at 6 at Athlon too. I like all three of our backs, but they need to stay healthy because there is no depth behind them. Last year we went through more than three backs. If all stay healthy, and the offensive line surprises you have an upside of four.
(The backs haven't been spectacular, but Washington is in the top 30 for rushing, so I think we are beating the expectation and have moved up into the 3-4. The key has been to stay healthy, and productive, they have been that.)
4. WR/ 4. TE ....I think they are way off the mark here with an 8. Losing Chambers doesn't hurt much. With the new guys coming in it is addition by subtraction. I think we are more solid at TE then we have been since Lambo was here. The WR corps has had a year and a half of real coaching, and it will show this fall. I pick 4 because IS is going to get these guys the ball, and I also think after watching the last part of the year, and Spring that we can develop some deep threats.
( They were way off the mark as Kirton has evolved enough that Washington was able to overcome injuries to Gottleib and Lewis. Kirton still has too many drops, but he has also made some big plays. I am off the mark too because UW is still in the second division as far as TE's go. That will improve in the second half....Shackleford has developed into an All Pac Ten player, while Russo is having a great season. In a pass happy conference UW is easily in the top 4 when it comes to receiving units this season. Washington needs more weapons such as Reese, and Wood to get more touches in the last 6 games.)
OL 10....Athlon gives us a 10, and who can blame them on paper, we don't have a lot of experienced depth, and the senior starters while experienced are not all world. I had to go with the ten to start out too with. I can go with a very optimistic upside of a 6. We need to at least be a 6 to see a bowl, or get close to .500.
(The upside was a lot higher than 6 since since IS has had all the protection he has needed and we have had good rushing totals so far this year. This team will go as far as these five guys take them, and in the first half of the season they have looked pretty good. Depth is still a concern since they are not playing the backups.)
DL 4.....Athlon gives us another 10 for what may be the strongest part of the entire team. We have size depth, and experience, so I would I would place us near the top with an upside of #1. Gunheim, Mateaki, Afoa, JWF all match up with anyone in the conference. I wonder what they were drinking when they gave us a 10.
(Athlon was way wide right on this as we have done a pretty good job despite the fact that man child JWF has been moved to offense. My pick at 4 may be a little conservative. Saying it was the strongest part of the team was off base too, would have to side with the LB's in the first half.)
LB 5....Athlon tosses in an eight which is mostly due to graduation, but I think the guys replacing last years seniors have a way better upside. I think with better, and deeper DB's behind them, and veteran hosses in front, this unit should do well, at least the middle of the Pac Ten. What the new starters bring to the table is more sideline, to sideline speed. Speed was something that has been lacking.
(Once again they were off, and I may have been off too as the UW LB's have been playing like the Huskies of old. We have a great nucleus led by a couple of seniors having great seasons. UW definitely is near the top of the conference. The difference is speed makes quite a difference.)
DB 5....Athlon nails us with a 10 which is a good bet on paper since we haven't had a decent defensive backfield since CW went down. I strongly disagree, I saw a huge amount of improvement last year in the defensive backfield, and I think we will be much stronger this year. The biggest problem we had last year was simply depth, and we did a credible job in the off season picking up some bodies that can plug some holes. The addition of coach Williams, a man who played in four Super Bowls, and is known as one the brightest assistants on the West Coast has to be a plus. I picked a five with an upside of 3.In conclusion really think that our defense will end up being one of the top 4 in the league when it is all said and done.
(The Washington DB's have been good since having a bit of a slow start. Blame that on jelling, and having Goldson out. We are tougher with him out there. I have to move us up ...4-5 is about right. They will be severely tested by Cal.)
Twenty Preseason Questions
Who will be the most improved Offensive Lineman?
Morgan Rosborough
(Morgan hasn't played a down as all five starters have played every minute except when Berglund stepped in for a quarter against USC. I didn't see any drop off with Berglund in the game. Morgan will develop into a force.)
Which Tight End will have the best season?
Johnnie Kirton
(Kirton obviously has the edge after being the only healthy one for the first half of the season. He has made some clutch passes and dropped a few too. His blocking has improved. Kirton needs to hang onto the ball, he dropped three against SC last week.)
Who will lead the team in rushing?
Kenny James
(Rankin was the hot guy early, but James has been the hot hand lately. This one is still too close to call even though Kenny had a great game against SC while Rankin was mistake prone.)
Which receiver will have the most catches?
Sonny Shackleford
(Sonny is having an All Pac Ten year. No other receiver comes close on the squad.)
Which receiver will have the most total yards?
Marcel Reese
(He hasn't materialized quite yet, but that doesn't mean he won't get more touches in the second half of the year. I think he matches up very good against Cal. he dfinitely won't finish with the most yards, but wait till next year.)
Which receiver will have the most TD's?
Marlon Wood
(This kid is a big play waiting to happen and I think over the second half of the season he is going to get a lot more touches. Nobody will get close to Shackleford.)
Which player is most likely to emerge out of Gilby's offensive line class?
Mark Bulyca
(Nobody has emerged but the starters. We really won't know till next Spring, but Jordan White Frisbee is a lock to start if healthy next year.)
Which QB will be starting at the end of the season?
Stanback
(IS is having a good season, what he does over the next six weeks will determine how he is remembered as a Husky. The question now is not wheter he will continue as starter, but which bowl he will be starting in to end his career.)
Who will the offensive scout team player of the year?
Michael Houston
(By all reports Houston looks very good, and is the real deal, but Locker has impressed quite a bit too. Will be tough to keep him on the bench next year. Not much word on Hasty who is not allowed to talk to the press.)
Which Husky offensive players will be all Pac Ten?
None
(Blew that one as IS, and Sonny Shackleford are definitely in the running, and don't forget Stanley Daniels, and Clay Walker.)
Who will lead the team in sacks?
Greyson Gunheim
(A banged up knee and more attention has slowed him down, but he is still a good bet, he gets better as the season goes on. Washington only has 13 sacks as a team and Greyson has two of them. Scott White with 3 leads the team.)
How many yards will teams be able to rush against us per game?
125 per game ave
(112 per game average...not too shabby)
Which true freshman will have the most impact?
Donald Butler
(Butler and Homer are special teams fixtures, and Butler has stepped in a bit at LB in EJ Savannah's absence.)
Who will be the defensive scout team player of the year?
Elisara
(Tough to call since we really don't hear about the frosh till bowl practice, or after the season)
Who will lead us in interceptions?
Lewis
(Mesphin Forrester a reserve S/CB is the co leader with Scott White, both have two so far. The Huskies only have six so far this year.)
How many yards will teams be able to throw on us this year?
175 yards per game ave
(The pass defense has been tightening each week. Averaging 240 right now and you can bet it will go down against Oregon St, and back up against Cal. I think we end up with an average round 200 per game.)
Who will be the MVP of this defense?
Wallace
(Take your pick between Wallace, and White)
Which Husky Defensive players will be All Pac Ten?
Wallace, Lewis, Gunheim
(You have to add Scott White)
Who will be the top return threat?
Marlon Wood
(Need to get the ball in his hands more, like last year hitting his groove mid season. Funny that he wasn't the return amn)
What will UW's final record be?
7-5 with a bowl game
(I figured on 7-5 because the ASU, and WSU games seemed liked toss-ups pre season. I think we go 8-4, with an outside possibility of 9-3...Oregon doesn't scare me anymore.)
Game Predictions (Predictions in bold, and italic)
UW 42 San Jose St 6 (1-0)
UW 35 San Jose St 29 (1-0)
Obviously underestimated the Spartans and overestimated the Huskies in a game that was tighter than most expected. Tomey put a scare into the Huskies in the second half. SJS has gone on to prove that they arent a bad club. The most troubling aspect of the game was the pass defense, especially in the second half.
"I predict Washington will roll against a defense with too many newcomers, and an offense with a rookie QB. I think Stanback will have a big day, and we will be able to run at will."
UW ended up winning and I really never got a chance to get a good look at the game since I was married during the game. We expected to score points, but giving up 29 to SJSU?
Oklahoma 31 UW 17 (1-1)
Oklahoma 37 UW 20 (1-1)
This game was actually pretty close until Isaiah coughed it up on the goal line late in the third quarter. Oklahoma was up 37-13 soon after. Quite a viscous swing. Bonnell led a drive that scored late in the game.
"I am not going to go out on a limb and predict a Washington victory, I don't think we have the athletes to play 4 quarters with these guys on the road. I think UW will go down 31-17 in an interesting game that will tell us pretty much what Washington will do over the season."
It told us that Washington had the stuff to compete. It also told us that we had a better team that was still prone to hurting itself too.
Washington 31 Fresno State 24 (2-1)
Washington 21 Fresno State 20 (2-1)
The Huskies pull out a big win in a game that could have gone either way. For Washington it was a big confidence booster. For Fresno St it was the first of many nails. The game was bit closer than predicted.
"This is the type of game Ty needs to win to start building a little excitement in Seattle. Fresno has built a strong program, but this years team won't be one of their best. Washington should win. A victory here will be a major springboard leading into the conference season with UCLA, and Arizona up next. This is a three game string of winnable games, if Washington wants to go bowling it all starts here."
Ceasar Rayford blocks an extra point and Washington wins as time runs out. Predicting that this years Fresno St team would not be one of their best was pretty prophetic as things turn out.
UW 34 - UCLA 27 (3-1)
UW 29 - UCLA 19 ( 3-1 )
UCLA has had a curse on Washington for a long time, and it was nice to get this monkey off our backs at home. This game was a tale of two halves as UCLA looked like they were going to blow UW out early.
"I think offensively we will be able to move the ball like we did last year on these guys. You can bet there will be some fireworks out there as both teams try to stretch the field. The game will end up being a higher scoring affair, but Washington will score more points, and end the curse."
Dan Howell's interception and return for touchdown put the icing on the cake of the best two consecutive quarters UW has played since their last Rose Bowl visit. UCLA never did stretch the field which has led to a lot criticism in the Bruin Nation.
UW 27 Arizona 17 (4-1)
UW 21 Arizona 10 (4-1)
Washington came into desert and methodically took care of business. They never put Arizona away, but were never in danger either after a 21 point explosion in the second quarter.
"The key as always is the UW OL, can they give IS and the skill guys the time to do their thing? If the OL has come along it is a realistic prediction that we will be 4-1 headed into play USC. Overly optimistic, perhaps, but all these games are winnable. We could have won at least six last year if the chips had fallen correctly, same thing with this season. We need to win the winnable games"
One flaw in the game is that Washington didn't score as much as they should have. The offense still doesn't take advantage of everything it is given.
USC 37 - UW 21 (4-2)
USC 26 UW 20 (4-2)
What more can we say about last weeks game. Washington did better than most of us thought, but my prediction was actually pretty optimistic in pre season. The oddsmakers had us at plus 20 1/2.
"UW be in it for awhile, but they are likely to be worn down by bigger, faster, and more talented athletes. I do think we can score on them, we scored 24 last year. I don't think there offense will be anything like it has been in past years. So we are in for a much closer game. I predict the Trojans put it way sometime in the 3rd quarter and win 37 -21."
I didn't forsee that the Trojan offense would slow down as much as they have this year. I didn't see the game going down to the last play either. If you have bet Washington all year, and I bet Jim Moore has, you are ammassing a pretty tidy sum if you roll it over every week. I didn't see Washington worn down at the end of the game either, both tems were fighting for their lives.
Oregon State isn't very good
Oregon State isn't a very good team, and they are rapidly losing the support of the local populace who attend games in the house Potato Salad built. The Beavers just don't lose, they aren't very entertaining, think the Huskies of two years ago when you could barely even watch them under Gilby because they were so badly coached. That of course brings up Riley in his second tenure at OSU, will he be able to survive the year? My guess is yes, no matter what happens, because what any program needs more than anything is continuity. Surprise, Oregon State isn't going to win every year, live with it, but if they keep changing coaches they aren't going to win any year. Perhaps being the second best team in Idaho is the Beavers true fate this season.
On offense the Beavers are led by Sr. Matt Moore a transfer from UCLA. The fans have been on him all year so maybe playing on the road in a less hostile environment will be good for him. Maybe his mom will come see him play after being driven from the stands of Reser by all the insults hurled at her son. The Beavers offensive line has been attrocious, WSU was able to rush at will last Saturday, and UW coaches are going to pin their ears back against the Beavers and go after the quarterback. Moore was 18-for-34 for 223 yards, no touchdowns, and one (end zone) interception in Saturday's 13-6 loss. He has thrown for just FOUR touchdown passes and ranks No. 9 in the conference in passing yards per game and passing efficiency. ... it was the first time in 50 games, or since the 1997 season that Oregon State had failed to score a TD in a home game.
Defensively the Beavers did a good job in holding WSU to only 13 points. "I mean, wow, those guys were all over the place. In the post-game it sounded like Mike Riley's voice was almost breaking up when he talked emotionally about how hard his team played, and how inspired the defense was. .. all for naught, as it turned out." The Beavers truth be told have a mediocre defense, and WSU inefficiencies had as much to do with the low score as did the attitude of the Beaver D. Sure they showed up, but they don't scare Washington. First of all the Huskies should be able to run the ball well on the Beav's, and that takes pressure off of IS. Stanback should also have enough mobility, and protection to make things happen with his arm. Look for Wood, and Reese to get more touches this week. Ellis didn't have a real good game, and Ty usually gives someone else a chance when that happens.
On special teams the Beavers still have Serna kicking field goals which gives them an edge. Braunstein recovered this week and hit a couple of chippies. Washington hasn't exactly won the special teams battle lately, Saturday would be a good start. Former UW verbal Coye Francies is returning kicks for the Beavers, I wonder how many regrets he currently has....he will have more on Saturday night.
Pac Ten Power Ratings
1. USC....We can't move the Trojans off the top till they lose, but that day may come in November as they run a four game gauntlet against Oregon, Cal, UCLA, and Notre Dame.
1. California....The Golden Bears are better than SC at this point, but come Novemeber the Trojans may make up quite a bit of ground.
3. Washington....Not often do you see a team coming off a loss move up in the power ratings, but that is what happens when Oregon gets obliterated by Cal. Washington is a team to reckon with as they have shown all season. They keep getting better.
3. Oregon....How do the Ducks bounce back from disasterous loss on the road at Cal where they weren't even in the game? That is the question because a decent 4-1 UCLA team is coming to town. The Duck's do own the Bruins in Eugene, but the Bruin defense can stop their running game.
5. UCLA....The Bruins have bounced back a bit with a couple wins since the debacle in Seattle. Beating the Ducks on the road would take a lot of heat off Dorrell. The Bruins match up well on paper with the Ducks. A team that was fighting with itself after the UW loss may have matured.
5. WSU....It is always good to get a win on the road, but when the host cough's up the ball four times you should score more than 13 points.
7. Arizona St....The Devils try to find some redemption against USC, while SC is waiting to explode on offense. What gives here? I think ASU is in big trouble.
8. Oregon St....The Beaver suck, and division among team members has Coach Riley in danger of losing his team.
9. Stanford....Walt Harris teams improve each week.
10. Arizona....Mike Stoops teams get worse each week.
On offense the Beavers are led by Sr. Matt Moore a transfer from UCLA. The fans have been on him all year so maybe playing on the road in a less hostile environment will be good for him. Maybe his mom will come see him play after being driven from the stands of Reser by all the insults hurled at her son. The Beavers offensive line has been attrocious, WSU was able to rush at will last Saturday, and UW coaches are going to pin their ears back against the Beavers and go after the quarterback. Moore was 18-for-34 for 223 yards, no touchdowns, and one (end zone) interception in Saturday's 13-6 loss. He has thrown for just FOUR touchdown passes and ranks No. 9 in the conference in passing yards per game and passing efficiency. ... it was the first time in 50 games, or since the 1997 season that Oregon State had failed to score a TD in a home game.
Defensively the Beavers did a good job in holding WSU to only 13 points. "I mean, wow, those guys were all over the place. In the post-game it sounded like Mike Riley's voice was almost breaking up when he talked emotionally about how hard his team played, and how inspired the defense was. .. all for naught, as it turned out." The Beavers truth be told have a mediocre defense, and WSU inefficiencies had as much to do with the low score as did the attitude of the Beaver D. Sure they showed up, but they don't scare Washington. First of all the Huskies should be able to run the ball well on the Beav's, and that takes pressure off of IS. Stanback should also have enough mobility, and protection to make things happen with his arm. Look for Wood, and Reese to get more touches this week. Ellis didn't have a real good game, and Ty usually gives someone else a chance when that happens.
On special teams the Beavers still have Serna kicking field goals which gives them an edge. Braunstein recovered this week and hit a couple of chippies. Washington hasn't exactly won the special teams battle lately, Saturday would be a good start. Former UW verbal Coye Francies is returning kicks for the Beavers, I wonder how many regrets he currently has....he will have more on Saturday night.
Pac Ten Power Ratings
1. USC....We can't move the Trojans off the top till they lose, but that day may come in November as they run a four game gauntlet against Oregon, Cal, UCLA, and Notre Dame.
1. California....The Golden Bears are better than SC at this point, but come Novemeber the Trojans may make up quite a bit of ground.
3. Washington....Not often do you see a team coming off a loss move up in the power ratings, but that is what happens when Oregon gets obliterated by Cal. Washington is a team to reckon with as they have shown all season. They keep getting better.
3. Oregon....How do the Ducks bounce back from disasterous loss on the road at Cal where they weren't even in the game? That is the question because a decent 4-1 UCLA team is coming to town. The Duck's do own the Bruins in Eugene, but the Bruin defense can stop their running game.
5. UCLA....The Bruins have bounced back a bit with a couple wins since the debacle in Seattle. Beating the Ducks on the road would take a lot of heat off Dorrell. The Bruins match up well on paper with the Ducks. A team that was fighting with itself after the UW loss may have matured.
5. WSU....It is always good to get a win on the road, but when the host cough's up the ball four times you should score more than 13 points.
7. Arizona St....The Devils try to find some redemption against USC, while SC is waiting to explode on offense. What gives here? I think ASU is in big trouble.
8. Oregon St....The Beaver suck, and division among team members has Coach Riley in danger of losing his team.
9. Stanford....Walt Harris teams improve each week.
10. Arizona....Mike Stoops teams get worse each week.
Monday, October 09, 2006
The Monday Morning Wash
The head of Pac Ten officiating has announced that there were no errors made in the last seconds of the game, and the fake field goal was perfectly legal after reviewing the films. Washington also decided not to lodge a formal protest, but even though they aren't exactly happy, they are just going with Ty's regular weekly report that is submitted to the league office on officiating. That is what is called taking the high road.
"I see nothing wrong with either of those two plays," said Pac Ten head of officials Verle Sorgen Sunday who was wearing a green, and yellow Nike leisure suit. "I consulted with Phil Knight, and he agree's too! We also took the extra step in consulting with the Fonze who was on the sidelines, and he also agreed we made the right decision."
Seriously, you can interpret it any way you want, but there should have been five seconds left on the clock, not two, and Washington should have been able to get the snap off with even only two seconds left if there was less confusion on the field. Even with two seconds left the officials were not consistent during the last snap. Sorgen was predictable in his comments, because the rules made it tough on all parties concerned.
The new rule is a bad rule, it is unfair to the players, and the officials. The clock should be stopped during the last two minutes of the half on first downs, and when the ball is out of bounds. It is too tough to call if you don't adjust the rules to do that. This was a TV rule simply made to speed up games. Ok fine, speed up the game, but let them play in the final two minutes of each half.
One final note on the game is Washington had plenty of chances to win. UW dropped a couple of possible interceptions on SC's final drive which would have dramatically changed the outcome. You have to play a little better to beat USC at home, but I thought it was a great game and I am very proud of how the team played. I really feel that if UW had gotten the last play off they would have won. USC had a player (Taylor "Traitor" Mays) down in the end zone injured. We would have been throwing against a 10 man team since they wouldn't have been able to get him off the field.
Oregon State
Oregon State is the next game on the Husky schedule and what distinguishes the Beavers is that they are probably the sloppiest team in the Pac Ten right now. The Beavers love to turn the ball over, and did that four times versus Washington State this past weekend. The Beav's kept it close in a 13-6 loss, played hard, but still came up with the loss because they found Cougar defenders more than the endzone last Saturday.
OSU is capable of beating Washington. There are no laughers for Washington this year. UW has to go out and play hard every Saturday to win, and the Beavers aren't going to lay down for the Dawgs. I can tell you one thing, OSU is going to show up ready to play Washington. The Beavers are down to playing for pride, and the second best team in Idaho is capable of pulling the upset.
Keys for beating Oregon St
1. Turnovers....UW has to keep the Beaver turnover machine working. The Beavers tend to self destruct, and Washington's defense needs to convert on those opportunities.
2. Avoid Letdown...Losing a game the way Washington did on Saturday can lead to a letdown for some teams. Just ask Michigan St. The Huskies need to focus on the next opponent rather than what shoulda, woulda happened last Saturday against USC. Ty choosing not to file a protest is a good sign that the team realizes that moving on and excepting the defeat graciously is the best way to move on.
3. Fix the punting game...UW arguably has the best punter in the country, but if he can't get the ball off, out kicks the coverage, or has to field a high snap the advantage is rapidly negated. Morovick just gets punded necause of his lack of size and strength, that is what is causing the bulk of the problems. Only a year in the weight room and taining table with solve that. Douglas has a great leg, but he isn't exactly the most mobile, or athletic guy on the field. He needs to get his punts off quicker when he has to go up for the high one.
4. Adapt to Isaiah's injury...We aren't going to see the same IS for at least a few weeks because of the hip pointer. Washington has to protect him to keep him from further injury. The kid is tough, but he won't be running as much the next couple weeks. The hook slide will be in vogue. UW needs to have a great game from their running backs, and the receivers need to hold on to the ball.
5. The Husky Stadium crowd...The stadium has rocked pretty good all year, and that is a big advantage for the home team. The 12th man needs to show up and shake up the sloppy OSU offense. Noise definitely leads to turnovers.
Odds and Ends
In the polls Florida has moved up to #2 after a solid win over LSU. USC's penchant for close games over the past few weeks kept them from moving up in the AP. It matters little, all the Trojans need to do is keep winning. California moved up to #10 with a bullet. The Golden Bears just may be the best team in the country right now. They have it going on both sides of the ball. the Oregon game was never in doubt. Washington is still hanging in the top 30, and should move into the Top 25 with a convincing win over OSU. Oregon fell to #18, and UCLA, like UW, is hanging around the top 30.
Arkansas stunned Auburn in the biggest upset of the 2006 season. This was an Arkansas team which was crushed by USC in the opening game. It would be easy in the immediate aftermath of this shocker to say that Arkansas got lucky. After all, Hog quarterback Mitch Mustain's one touchdown pass in this contest was a ball that should have been knocked down by an Auburn defender. Moreover, Courtney Taylor - a veteran receiver for Tommy Tuberville's Tigers - flat out biffed an accurate long ball from the left arm of Brandon Cox. Auburn was a body-snatched team that unconvincingly trotted through the motions on Saturday, and even then, Arkansas generated little sustained offense. One could say that the Hogs caught lightning in a bottle on three or four single plays, maximizing Auburn's breakdowns more than anything else.
Texas shut down Oklahoma 28-10 which means the Sooners are now out of the BCS and headed to the Holiday Bowl. This game was put to bed when the Sooners once again got victimized by instant replay in the most outrageous fashion imaginable. A forward pass by Sooner quarterback Paul Thompson - who clearly released the ball at his own 11 and a half yard line and hit Adrian Peterson at the OU 12 - was somehow ruled a lateral, for reasons that defy all logic... not to mention the gods, who are not smiling on a team and a coach who can only wonder how they could be so cruelly treated over and over again. There's no question that the blown call (and, once again, the blown replay) will leave a bad taste in Sooner fans' mouths.
Florida upended LSU 23-10. While Florida thrived with the help of great coaching, LSU drowed in a sea of foul-fingered fumbling and frequently foolish football follies. Whether it was JaMarcus Russell committing yet more big-game turnovers, or 12 men being on the field in the red zone, or kicks being botched, the Tigers continued the nasty habit of leaving gobs of points on the field in a high-profile, big-stakes ballgame.
Wake Forest showed that their team isn't a mirage in giving Clemson everything they could handle in a 27-17 loss. It's weird, Wake Forest showed a lot more quality and effort than Clemson for most of the afternoon, but the Deacons made the mistake of giving a sleepwalking opponent some smelling salts, and once that happened, the wake for Clemson turned into a funeral for Forest. No ACC team remains unbeaten, but Tommy Bowden's Tigers - thanks to a Temple of Doom - remain in the driver's seat for a division title.
Final Notes
Fresno State (1-4) is off to an uncharacteristic poor start, and in losing to Utah State (1-5) 13-12 the Bulldogs are off to worst start since Pat Hill took over. Idaho killed Utah St, just how bad is Frsno right now? It isn't talent, they played both UW, and Oregon to the last snap, somehow the teams spirit is broken. "Pat Hill, Steve Hagen, and Dan Brown are not getting the job done. Of course all of this will fall on Pat Hill because he is the head coach and he is not preparing the Dogs the way he has in the past. The Bulldogs do not look ready when they come out on the field anymore. Not only do they not look ready to play, they also have no fire."
NC State upset Florida St and retirement is looming for Bobby Bowden just in time for one of his son's to take over. Big game for Amato who just a few weeks ago was under siege. It just goes to show you that coaches don't turn things around overnight, it takes time. Patience is a virtue becaue as Coach Baird says continuity is the thing that helps your program the most.
Stanford has improved over the last two weeks giving both UCLA, and Notre Dame trouble in the first half. Walt Harris is a good coach, and if given the time will get things running smoothly on the Farm. I would take Stanford this week against Arizona because Mike Stoops teams get worse each week, while Walt Harris teams get better.
West Virginia and Louisville have kept the Big East in the forefront of college football, and don't forget that Rutgers who has been always a sleeping giant is now on track to go to a bowl. Pitt is 4-1 too. The ACC on the other hand seems to be eating it's own this year. The Big East has not slipped to mid major status, while the ACC has lost some of it's glitter in the confusion.
Missouri had no problem beating Texas Tech this week. coach Pinkel is on track for a defining season in Columbia. Everyone is talking Nebraska in the North, but Missouri is going to beat them soundly this year. The reward of course is losing to Texas in the championship game and heading to Dallas to play in the Cotton.
Ohio State is not going to win the Big Ten title, you read it here first. Even though they play Michigan at home I don't see the Buckeyes who were exposed a bit at Bowling Green beating them.
Boise State keeps winning....yawn...if you don't play a single ranked team during the year you shouldn't be ranked high enough to get a BCS bid.
Indiana beat Illinois a week after the Illini upset Michigan St. Just shows you how down MSU was after the Notre Dame loss. They didn't show up again yesterday against Michigan.
Colorado moved to 0-6 after losing to Baylor. Rough start for the Buffalo's who have been in every game only to come up on the short end of the stick. Hawkins will turn this around. Colorado is going through what Washington did the past two years. The culture must change.
Dennis Erickson is working his magic again in the Palouse. After a very slow start the Vandals are now 3-3 after beating New Mexico St 28-21. How long will he stay in Moscow? Will he be content to finish out his career at Idaho? Will he even stay 3 years?
"I see nothing wrong with either of those two plays," said Pac Ten head of officials Verle Sorgen Sunday who was wearing a green, and yellow Nike leisure suit. "I consulted with Phil Knight, and he agree's too! We also took the extra step in consulting with the Fonze who was on the sidelines, and he also agreed we made the right decision."
Seriously, you can interpret it any way you want, but there should have been five seconds left on the clock, not two, and Washington should have been able to get the snap off with even only two seconds left if there was less confusion on the field. Even with two seconds left the officials were not consistent during the last snap. Sorgen was predictable in his comments, because the rules made it tough on all parties concerned.
The new rule is a bad rule, it is unfair to the players, and the officials. The clock should be stopped during the last two minutes of the half on first downs, and when the ball is out of bounds. It is too tough to call if you don't adjust the rules to do that. This was a TV rule simply made to speed up games. Ok fine, speed up the game, but let them play in the final two minutes of each half.
One final note on the game is Washington had plenty of chances to win. UW dropped a couple of possible interceptions on SC's final drive which would have dramatically changed the outcome. You have to play a little better to beat USC at home, but I thought it was a great game and I am very proud of how the team played. I really feel that if UW had gotten the last play off they would have won. USC had a player (Taylor "Traitor" Mays) down in the end zone injured. We would have been throwing against a 10 man team since they wouldn't have been able to get him off the field.
Oregon State
Oregon State is the next game on the Husky schedule and what distinguishes the Beavers is that they are probably the sloppiest team in the Pac Ten right now. The Beavers love to turn the ball over, and did that four times versus Washington State this past weekend. The Beav's kept it close in a 13-6 loss, played hard, but still came up with the loss because they found Cougar defenders more than the endzone last Saturday.
OSU is capable of beating Washington. There are no laughers for Washington this year. UW has to go out and play hard every Saturday to win, and the Beavers aren't going to lay down for the Dawgs. I can tell you one thing, OSU is going to show up ready to play Washington. The Beavers are down to playing for pride, and the second best team in Idaho is capable of pulling the upset.
Keys for beating Oregon St
1. Turnovers....UW has to keep the Beaver turnover machine working. The Beavers tend to self destruct, and Washington's defense needs to convert on those opportunities.
2. Avoid Letdown...Losing a game the way Washington did on Saturday can lead to a letdown for some teams. Just ask Michigan St. The Huskies need to focus on the next opponent rather than what shoulda, woulda happened last Saturday against USC. Ty choosing not to file a protest is a good sign that the team realizes that moving on and excepting the defeat graciously is the best way to move on.
3. Fix the punting game...UW arguably has the best punter in the country, but if he can't get the ball off, out kicks the coverage, or has to field a high snap the advantage is rapidly negated. Morovick just gets punded necause of his lack of size and strength, that is what is causing the bulk of the problems. Only a year in the weight room and taining table with solve that. Douglas has a great leg, but he isn't exactly the most mobile, or athletic guy on the field. He needs to get his punts off quicker when he has to go up for the high one.
4. Adapt to Isaiah's injury...We aren't going to see the same IS for at least a few weeks because of the hip pointer. Washington has to protect him to keep him from further injury. The kid is tough, but he won't be running as much the next couple weeks. The hook slide will be in vogue. UW needs to have a great game from their running backs, and the receivers need to hold on to the ball.
5. The Husky Stadium crowd...The stadium has rocked pretty good all year, and that is a big advantage for the home team. The 12th man needs to show up and shake up the sloppy OSU offense. Noise definitely leads to turnovers.
Odds and Ends
In the polls Florida has moved up to #2 after a solid win over LSU. USC's penchant for close games over the past few weeks kept them from moving up in the AP. It matters little, all the Trojans need to do is keep winning. California moved up to #10 with a bullet. The Golden Bears just may be the best team in the country right now. They have it going on both sides of the ball. the Oregon game was never in doubt. Washington is still hanging in the top 30, and should move into the Top 25 with a convincing win over OSU. Oregon fell to #18, and UCLA, like UW, is hanging around the top 30.
Arkansas stunned Auburn in the biggest upset of the 2006 season. This was an Arkansas team which was crushed by USC in the opening game. It would be easy in the immediate aftermath of this shocker to say that Arkansas got lucky. After all, Hog quarterback Mitch Mustain's one touchdown pass in this contest was a ball that should have been knocked down by an Auburn defender. Moreover, Courtney Taylor - a veteran receiver for Tommy Tuberville's Tigers - flat out biffed an accurate long ball from the left arm of Brandon Cox. Auburn was a body-snatched team that unconvincingly trotted through the motions on Saturday, and even then, Arkansas generated little sustained offense. One could say that the Hogs caught lightning in a bottle on three or four single plays, maximizing Auburn's breakdowns more than anything else.
Texas shut down Oklahoma 28-10 which means the Sooners are now out of the BCS and headed to the Holiday Bowl. This game was put to bed when the Sooners once again got victimized by instant replay in the most outrageous fashion imaginable. A forward pass by Sooner quarterback Paul Thompson - who clearly released the ball at his own 11 and a half yard line and hit Adrian Peterson at the OU 12 - was somehow ruled a lateral, for reasons that defy all logic... not to mention the gods, who are not smiling on a team and a coach who can only wonder how they could be so cruelly treated over and over again. There's no question that the blown call (and, once again, the blown replay) will leave a bad taste in Sooner fans' mouths.
Florida upended LSU 23-10. While Florida thrived with the help of great coaching, LSU drowed in a sea of foul-fingered fumbling and frequently foolish football follies. Whether it was JaMarcus Russell committing yet more big-game turnovers, or 12 men being on the field in the red zone, or kicks being botched, the Tigers continued the nasty habit of leaving gobs of points on the field in a high-profile, big-stakes ballgame.
Wake Forest showed that their team isn't a mirage in giving Clemson everything they could handle in a 27-17 loss. It's weird, Wake Forest showed a lot more quality and effort than Clemson for most of the afternoon, but the Deacons made the mistake of giving a sleepwalking opponent some smelling salts, and once that happened, the wake for Clemson turned into a funeral for Forest. No ACC team remains unbeaten, but Tommy Bowden's Tigers - thanks to a Temple of Doom - remain in the driver's seat for a division title.
Final Notes
Fresno State (1-4) is off to an uncharacteristic poor start, and in losing to Utah State (1-5) 13-12 the Bulldogs are off to worst start since Pat Hill took over. Idaho killed Utah St, just how bad is Frsno right now? It isn't talent, they played both UW, and Oregon to the last snap, somehow the teams spirit is broken. "Pat Hill, Steve Hagen, and Dan Brown are not getting the job done. Of course all of this will fall on Pat Hill because he is the head coach and he is not preparing the Dogs the way he has in the past. The Bulldogs do not look ready when they come out on the field anymore. Not only do they not look ready to play, they also have no fire."
NC State upset Florida St and retirement is looming for Bobby Bowden just in time for one of his son's to take over. Big game for Amato who just a few weeks ago was under siege. It just goes to show you that coaches don't turn things around overnight, it takes time. Patience is a virtue becaue as Coach Baird says continuity is the thing that helps your program the most.
Stanford has improved over the last two weeks giving both UCLA, and Notre Dame trouble in the first half. Walt Harris is a good coach, and if given the time will get things running smoothly on the Farm. I would take Stanford this week against Arizona because Mike Stoops teams get worse each week, while Walt Harris teams get better.
West Virginia and Louisville have kept the Big East in the forefront of college football, and don't forget that Rutgers who has been always a sleeping giant is now on track to go to a bowl. Pitt is 4-1 too. The ACC on the other hand seems to be eating it's own this year. The Big East has not slipped to mid major status, while the ACC has lost some of it's glitter in the confusion.
Missouri had no problem beating Texas Tech this week. coach Pinkel is on track for a defining season in Columbia. Everyone is talking Nebraska in the North, but Missouri is going to beat them soundly this year. The reward of course is losing to Texas in the championship game and heading to Dallas to play in the Cotton.
Ohio State is not going to win the Big Ten title, you read it here first. Even though they play Michigan at home I don't see the Buckeyes who were exposed a bit at Bowling Green beating them.
Boise State keeps winning....yawn...if you don't play a single ranked team during the year you shouldn't be ranked high enough to get a BCS bid.
Indiana beat Illinois a week after the Illini upset Michigan St. Just shows you how down MSU was after the Notre Dame loss. They didn't show up again yesterday against Michigan.
Colorado moved to 0-6 after losing to Baylor. Rough start for the Buffalo's who have been in every game only to come up on the short end of the stick. Hawkins will turn this around. Colorado is going through what Washington did the past two years. The culture must change.
Dennis Erickson is working his magic again in the Palouse. After a very slow start the Vandals are now 3-3 after beating New Mexico St 28-21. How long will he stay in Moscow? Will he be content to finish out his career at Idaho? Will he even stay 3 years?
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Sunday Notes
Interesting week coming up in the conference
Cal, and USC have moved into the conference lead as the conference had a little seperation over the weekend. UW, UCLA, Oregon, and WSU are all still in the race too. The conference champ probably won't go through the nine game gauntlet undefeated this year.
The Huskies host turnover plauged Oregon St in Seattle this weekend. We will start previewing the game and the Beavers on Monday. Win this and we are 5-2 which means only one more win to clinch a bowl game.
Oregon has to bounce back at home against UCLA next week. The Bruins have had a couple of weeks to heal from the Washington loss. Last week I would say the Bruins had no chance, but as always they have talent, so can never be counted out. Oregon on the other hand is coming off a humiliation which makes them ripe again. UCLA has a goo defense, and they also have the ability to take away the Duck's running game which seems to be the key to beating the Ducks.
Arizona plays Stanford in what may be the only opportunity for either team to gain a conference win. I will root for Stanford because I think the Wildcats are more of a recruiting competitor than the Cards are. Neither team has show they can score. I guess this would be the Pac Ten version of the toilet bowl.
USC has the pleasure of hosting ASU at home. Was Koetter able to heal the Sun Devils problems over the bye week? I am sure he made some progress, but I am also sure a beating by SC will seal their fate for the rest of the year. This game was going to be a marquee matchup going into the season, intersting how things work.
California travels to Pullman next week. Will the real WSU Cougars please show up and give these guys a game? This contest will give you a pretty good contrast between USC, and the Bears. Can the Coug's give these guys a game at home?
Washington at USC
Fantastic game on Saturday against USC, one we all will remember for awhile. The one thing that struck me the entire game was how fast Washington played. We made mistakes, nothing completely fatal, but they all add up at the end of the game. Statistically the game was pretty much a draw with Washington actually outrushing the Trojans. I said you can't kick field goals and beat SC, and mistakes in the red zone led to our undoing more than the ref's at the end of the game. We didn't convert when we should have a couple of times. As Lappano said if you take care of business before that you aren't put into that position. We had plenty of opportunity.
I like the class the coaches and players had after the game even though they had been jobbed. Things like this are better handled in private after review than in the press conference. You can be sure that Ty, and Todd will be on the phone with the Pac Ten office Monday morning concerning the clock, and the fake FG.
A lot of people on Dawgman called Pete Carroll the new jerk of the Pac Ten. I don't see it that way, and his teams have always been classy. I think it is ok to celebrate after the game in a respectful manner, and they did that. The entire Trojan team was very complimentary of the Huskies. He treated it like the big win it was. I like Carroll, admire what he has done, and will happily wave goodbye to him when he heads to the NFL after USC goes on probation.
One thing I saw yesterday was a lot of improved tackling. A couple I saw were absolutely crushing and text book in form and technique. Nice to see Washington hitting and wrapping up again for the most part.
Special teams weren't exactly special. I think it is more of a component of depth than anything else and will take care of itself over the next couple of years. Morovick needs size, experience and strength, those things will happen.
One California paper called IS the goat of the game, I disagree, I don't think you get into a position to win without IS. I watched the game with some ex Wisconsin Badger players and they were pretty impressed with IS. People have to remember you are playing USC. We all felt like throwing our drinks at the Plasma TV after the game.
Washington should be able to build on this game even though it wasn't a victory.
Oregon at California
Surprise! Surprise! Surprise, as Gomer Pyle used to say. The Golden Bears wiped the field with a team that most figured to be their equal. The game was over at halftime, or maybe after the first quarter. The Bears treated the Duck's like they have recently treated the Huskies. I figured this would be a pretty tight game that would be high scoring and go down to the last minute, it wasn't. ASU must really suck, because Oregon looked like a Top Five team the previous week. Key to the victory was stopping the Duck running game. Only 69 yards for the Ducks. That put everything on Dixon who coughed up three interceptions. The running game contributed a fumble. When you turn the ball over four times chances are you lose against a quality opponent.
Stanford at Notre Dame
Notre Dame wasn't exactly impressive after needing a strong 3rd quarter to put space between them and the Tree. This is the second straight week the Tree has stayed in the game for the first half if you are a fan of the glass in half full theory. 31-10 I guess isn't an embarrasment to the Irish, but you would expect much better at home. For Stanford scoring 10 points is a minor victory.
Washington State at Oregon St
How good are the Cougars? Playing on the road is always tough, but you would think they would jump on the Beavers. Pretty ugly game, no style points for either school. Brink was 19-32 for 270 with 1 TD, and an interception, but obviously the Coug's couldn't find the endzone in Corvallis. The Huskies play the Beavers this week so we have another comparison to make between the two teams after the game. Right now I would say Washington has the edge. I guess you can say that Riley is moving closer to the hot seat.
Arizona at UCLA
Patrick Cowan got his first opportunity of the year and led UCLA to a nice 27-7 victory over Arizona. Arizona couldn't rush the ball and was held to negative rushing yards for a second consecutive week. UCLA scored once a quarter and UA couldn't keep up. It will be interesting when the Wildcats play Stanford who does not have a offense either. Cowan was 20-29 for 203 with two TD's. Olson was 3 for 4 when he went out so I am not sure if a QB controversy is next for the Bruins. UCLA moves to 4-1 which isn't a bad start and still keeps them in the race. I would love to see UCLA knock off Notre Dame.
Sunday Notes
The Daily News in LA has the Trojans take of the last few minutes of the game and understood the Huskies pain. Just shows you the type of class they have on that team.
Nose guard Sedrick Ellis probably put it best. "You never know what that play would turn out to be," he said. "I know their center was pretty mad. He threw his helmet and was running around."
"We should have ended it with one last play," linebacker Oscar Lua said. "It would be a lot more interesting for the fans and players."
Bob Condotta did a little research and has surmised that the fake FG which resulted in a TD was legal. Bob's blog is pretty good especially since they are letting people comment again.
Apparently, that is a legal play, and here is the section of the NCAA rule book I was referred to by a school official in the press box Saturday.
Oregon Live calls the UO/Cal game a meltdown pure and simple.
"It seemed like they were in every gap," said Stewart, who entered the game averaging 7.9 yards per carry.
Cal, and USC have moved into the conference lead as the conference had a little seperation over the weekend. UW, UCLA, Oregon, and WSU are all still in the race too. The conference champ probably won't go through the nine game gauntlet undefeated this year.
The Huskies host turnover plauged Oregon St in Seattle this weekend. We will start previewing the game and the Beavers on Monday. Win this and we are 5-2 which means only one more win to clinch a bowl game.
Oregon has to bounce back at home against UCLA next week. The Bruins have had a couple of weeks to heal from the Washington loss. Last week I would say the Bruins had no chance, but as always they have talent, so can never be counted out. Oregon on the other hand is coming off a humiliation which makes them ripe again. UCLA has a goo defense, and they also have the ability to take away the Duck's running game which seems to be the key to beating the Ducks.
Arizona plays Stanford in what may be the only opportunity for either team to gain a conference win. I will root for Stanford because I think the Wildcats are more of a recruiting competitor than the Cards are. Neither team has show they can score. I guess this would be the Pac Ten version of the toilet bowl.
USC has the pleasure of hosting ASU at home. Was Koetter able to heal the Sun Devils problems over the bye week? I am sure he made some progress, but I am also sure a beating by SC will seal their fate for the rest of the year. This game was going to be a marquee matchup going into the season, intersting how things work.
California travels to Pullman next week. Will the real WSU Cougars please show up and give these guys a game? This contest will give you a pretty good contrast between USC, and the Bears. Can the Coug's give these guys a game at home?
Washington at USC
Fantastic game on Saturday against USC, one we all will remember for awhile. The one thing that struck me the entire game was how fast Washington played. We made mistakes, nothing completely fatal, but they all add up at the end of the game. Statistically the game was pretty much a draw with Washington actually outrushing the Trojans. I said you can't kick field goals and beat SC, and mistakes in the red zone led to our undoing more than the ref's at the end of the game. We didn't convert when we should have a couple of times. As Lappano said if you take care of business before that you aren't put into that position. We had plenty of opportunity.
I like the class the coaches and players had after the game even though they had been jobbed. Things like this are better handled in private after review than in the press conference. You can be sure that Ty, and Todd will be on the phone with the Pac Ten office Monday morning concerning the clock, and the fake FG.
A lot of people on Dawgman called Pete Carroll the new jerk of the Pac Ten. I don't see it that way, and his teams have always been classy. I think it is ok to celebrate after the game in a respectful manner, and they did that. The entire Trojan team was very complimentary of the Huskies. He treated it like the big win it was. I like Carroll, admire what he has done, and will happily wave goodbye to him when he heads to the NFL after USC goes on probation.
One thing I saw yesterday was a lot of improved tackling. A couple I saw were absolutely crushing and text book in form and technique. Nice to see Washington hitting and wrapping up again for the most part.
Special teams weren't exactly special. I think it is more of a component of depth than anything else and will take care of itself over the next couple of years. Morovick needs size, experience and strength, those things will happen.
One California paper called IS the goat of the game, I disagree, I don't think you get into a position to win without IS. I watched the game with some ex Wisconsin Badger players and they were pretty impressed with IS. People have to remember you are playing USC. We all felt like throwing our drinks at the Plasma TV after the game.
Washington should be able to build on this game even though it wasn't a victory.
Oregon at California
Surprise! Surprise! Surprise, as Gomer Pyle used to say. The Golden Bears wiped the field with a team that most figured to be their equal. The game was over at halftime, or maybe after the first quarter. The Bears treated the Duck's like they have recently treated the Huskies. I figured this would be a pretty tight game that would be high scoring and go down to the last minute, it wasn't. ASU must really suck, because Oregon looked like a Top Five team the previous week. Key to the victory was stopping the Duck running game. Only 69 yards for the Ducks. That put everything on Dixon who coughed up three interceptions. The running game contributed a fumble. When you turn the ball over four times chances are you lose against a quality opponent.
Stanford at Notre Dame
Notre Dame wasn't exactly impressive after needing a strong 3rd quarter to put space between them and the Tree. This is the second straight week the Tree has stayed in the game for the first half if you are a fan of the glass in half full theory. 31-10 I guess isn't an embarrasment to the Irish, but you would expect much better at home. For Stanford scoring 10 points is a minor victory.
Washington State at Oregon St
How good are the Cougars? Playing on the road is always tough, but you would think they would jump on the Beavers. Pretty ugly game, no style points for either school. Brink was 19-32 for 270 with 1 TD, and an interception, but obviously the Coug's couldn't find the endzone in Corvallis. The Huskies play the Beavers this week so we have another comparison to make between the two teams after the game. Right now I would say Washington has the edge. I guess you can say that Riley is moving closer to the hot seat.
Arizona at UCLA
Patrick Cowan got his first opportunity of the year and led UCLA to a nice 27-7 victory over Arizona. Arizona couldn't rush the ball and was held to negative rushing yards for a second consecutive week. UCLA scored once a quarter and UA couldn't keep up. It will be interesting when the Wildcats play Stanford who does not have a offense either. Cowan was 20-29 for 203 with two TD's. Olson was 3 for 4 when he went out so I am not sure if a QB controversy is next for the Bruins. UCLA moves to 4-1 which isn't a bad start and still keeps them in the race. I would love to see UCLA knock off Notre Dame.
Sunday Notes
The Daily News in LA has the Trojans take of the last few minutes of the game and understood the Huskies pain. Just shows you the type of class they have on that team.
Nose guard Sedrick Ellis probably put it best. "You never know what that play would turn out to be," he said. "I know their center was pretty mad. He threw his helmet and was running around."
"We should have ended it with one last play," linebacker Oscar Lua said. "It would be a lot more interesting for the fans and players."
Bob Condotta did a little research and has surmised that the fake FG which resulted in a TD was legal. Bob's blog is pretty good especially since they are letting people comment again.
Apparently, that is a legal play, and here is the section of the NCAA rule book I was referred to by a school official in the press box Saturday.
Oregon Live calls the UO/Cal game a meltdown pure and simple.
"It seemed like they were in every gap," said Stewart, who entered the game averaging 7.9 yards per carry.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
UW takes USC to the wire.
Washington showed on Saturday that their 4-1 record was no mirage taking USC to the final play of the game and losing 26-20. USC had a lot of help from the referee's in keeping UW out of the endzone as the last 11 seconds were pretty much eliminated by the timekeeper. I have been watching college football for over 40 years and I have never seen such poor officiating in the last minute of a game. All Washington wanted was a fair chance to compete in their last drive, and all the ref's wanted to do was run seconds off the clock to protect conference champion USC. The final snap was a complete joke as the ref's called the play dead at Pete Carroll's urging with two seconds left in the game. Washington certainly was cheated out of the that last play, and probably couple more with the way the officials ran the clock during the last 30 seconds.
It is very tough to win on the road, it is very tough to beat the #2 team in the nation, but it is even tougher to beat poor officiating. The Pac Ten deserves a lot better. While it hurt Washington this week, who does it hurt next week? The Pac Ten needs to make some serious changes.
Washington had their chances before that, and they didn't help themselves with poor long snapping, and having a punt blocked, but despite that they gave the Trojans all they could handle and proved that the program is truly firmly back on track. Going into the game that was what we hoped for, of course coming out of it we all realize now how close we were to victory so a moral victory does not feel as good as we all thought it would.
I wrote on Thursday that if Washington was able to pick up 150 or more yards on the ground from our TB's we would probably win the game. We actually outrushed USC yesterday which was really something. IS didn't have his best game, but it was far from his worst playing against one of the best defenses in the country. I though Booty looked marvelous, much better that I thought he would. He really is poised and puts a lot of zing on the ball.
Washington played fast yesterday, faster than we have seen them play in five years. We matched up well with the Trojans and really laid the lumber throughout the game. It was a fine performance by Washington. Pete Carroll couldn't beat Washington straight up, he had to resort to some trickery in the first quarter, and depend on the refs at the end of the game.
What does this all mean?
Washington is back, this current team is good, and getting visibly better each week, once again we have a solid top 25 program. Ty Willingham and his staff have done an incredible job putting this team together over the last year and a half. He has proven to the world, what he never doubted, he can coach with the very best of them. You think recruits up and down the West Coast didn't notice yesterday's game? It was big, even without a victory it was big. UW went toe to toe in the old Husky style with USC. The recruits can be assured that if they go to UW they will play for championships in the future. The road to playing time at UW might be quite a bit quicker than in Los Angeles.
I was pretty surprised that California pounded Oregon. We listened to the game on the way home and it was over by half. California is really, really good right now. Arkansas beating Auburn was quite a shocker, and the Coug's struggling with OSU really surprised me as they went back to being the old Coug's this week, but a victory is a victory for the 4-2 Cougs.
Well anyway, it's late, I watched the game in a country club bar, then had to drive a few hours to get home. I will have more tomorrow as we review the game in depth, and get ready to move on to next week.
It is very tough to win on the road, it is very tough to beat the #2 team in the nation, but it is even tougher to beat poor officiating. The Pac Ten deserves a lot better. While it hurt Washington this week, who does it hurt next week? The Pac Ten needs to make some serious changes.
Washington had their chances before that, and they didn't help themselves with poor long snapping, and having a punt blocked, but despite that they gave the Trojans all they could handle and proved that the program is truly firmly back on track. Going into the game that was what we hoped for, of course coming out of it we all realize now how close we were to victory so a moral victory does not feel as good as we all thought it would.
I wrote on Thursday that if Washington was able to pick up 150 or more yards on the ground from our TB's we would probably win the game. We actually outrushed USC yesterday which was really something. IS didn't have his best game, but it was far from his worst playing against one of the best defenses in the country. I though Booty looked marvelous, much better that I thought he would. He really is poised and puts a lot of zing on the ball.
Washington played fast yesterday, faster than we have seen them play in five years. We matched up well with the Trojans and really laid the lumber throughout the game. It was a fine performance by Washington. Pete Carroll couldn't beat Washington straight up, he had to resort to some trickery in the first quarter, and depend on the refs at the end of the game.
What does this all mean?
Washington is back, this current team is good, and getting visibly better each week, once again we have a solid top 25 program. Ty Willingham and his staff have done an incredible job putting this team together over the last year and a half. He has proven to the world, what he never doubted, he can coach with the very best of them. You think recruits up and down the West Coast didn't notice yesterday's game? It was big, even without a victory it was big. UW went toe to toe in the old Husky style with USC. The recruits can be assured that if they go to UW they will play for championships in the future. The road to playing time at UW might be quite a bit quicker than in Los Angeles.
I was pretty surprised that California pounded Oregon. We listened to the game on the way home and it was over by half. California is really, really good right now. Arkansas beating Auburn was quite a shocker, and the Coug's struggling with OSU really surprised me as they went back to being the old Coug's this week, but a victory is a victory for the 4-2 Cougs.
Well anyway, it's late, I watched the game in a country club bar, then had to drive a few hours to get home. I will have more tomorrow as we review the game in depth, and get ready to move on to next week.
Friday, October 06, 2006
Fearless Friday Predictions
This is a much bigger week in college football, and eyes are turning West of the Mississippi for the the California vs Oregon matchup, and surprisingly the Washington vs USC game. Farther East the LSU VS Florida, and Oklahoma vs Texas games will also being drawing the attention of ESPN Gameday.
Washington's 4-1 resurgence is the surprise of the year since the Dawgs were heavily predicted for the Pac Ten cellar and a one win season by most of the pundits. I guess that is why they call them pundits. ESPN Gameday will be running a segment on the resurgence of Washington this Saturday.
I had a little more time this week and added the betting line to each game, and expand the coverage nationally since there are a lot of marquee matchup this week.
PAC TEN Predictions
Washington (plus 20 1/2) at No. 3 Southern California
The Huskies are going to give these guys a game but playing USC in the Coliseum is tough, just ask the last 28 teams that have played there. I have been saying all along that Washington has a chance and the Trojans are vulnerable, but there are a lot of what if's that haven't happened yet. What if we play four quarters? What if IS has the game of his life? What if we win the T/O margin? Do you really expect those things to happen against the Trojans at home? I think it is asking for a lot, and it is ok to ask, sometimes you get what you ask for, but probably not this week.
If you are a betting man you have to take Washington, no way do they beat us by three touchdowns unless we totally collapse. IS is is a potent weapon, and he will frankly be the best athlete on the field. If he is on for four quarters, watch out, UW can win But since neither he, nor Washington have been on for even three quarters, let alone four for most of this decade, it is very unlikely it is going to happen to the Mighty Trojans at home. I think it will be close, and Washington will have it's chances, but USC will pull away in the 4th quarter. ...USC 27 Washington 17
No. 11 Oregon (plus 5 1/2) at No. 16 California
Ducks coach Mike Bellotti is 7-1 against Cal. This is going to be a close one between two excellent teams. I just think Oregon has more balance team wide than California, but this will go down to the buzzer and be one of the best games of the season. Oregon can still lose and get into a BCS bowl game. If Cal goes down they will have two losses so they may be thinking Holiday....OREGON 35 California 31
Stanford (plus 31 1/2) at No. 12 Notre Dame
This will be a cakewalk for the Irish. Stanford is really down, and really banged up, not a good combo. Stanford simply can't score points which makes the upcoming Arizona vs Stanford tilt a poor candidate for TV. The Irish are playing much better as witnessed by their thrashing of Purdue last week..NOTRE DAME 52 Stanford 3
UCLA (minus 12) at Arizona
Bruins should be ready for revenge against the toothless Wildcats. Arizona can't score, and UCLA can. All you have to do is score 21 to beat Arizona, and UCLA will. Forget about last year, that was an aberation...UCLA 35 Arizona 10
Washington State (minus 3) at Oregon St
The Coug's head on to the road to see if last week was real. Chances are it was, and WSU has firmly anchored itself to contend with Washington for 4th place. Oregon St is the second best team in Idaho....WSU 35 OSU 21
Arizona St Bye
The SunDevils have a week off to contemplate getting the snot kicked out of them by USC. This bye week is crucial because it allows the Devils to chance to work the kinks out of their offense, and QB. ASU surprisingly has been able to move the ball on the ground, and their defense has 18 sacks so far this year. The problem is Carpenter, they have the wrong one, and Karen is dead.
Big Games Nationally
No. 9 LSU (minus 2) at No. 5 Florida
Florida is due to lose one, they have won some close ones, and this will be a close one. Who here likes Urban Meyer, raise your hand, that's why we have to go with the Tigers...LSU 21 Florida 17.
Michigan State (plus 16) at No. 6 Michigan
The Spartans are done. The ND loss killed them, can they come back against Michigan? No! they want to bury John L. Smith, they want him to be fired, and the best way to insure that is to keep losing ... MICHIGAN 35 Michigan St 17.
No. 7 Texas (minus 5) vs. No. 14 Oklahoma
Sooners just not up to par after the personel losses. Texas seems to be a more complete team at this point. Ya, Oklahoma should be undefeated, but who really cares, if they can't get by Texas it really doesn't matter. ... TEXAS 35 Oklahoma 27.
No. 13 Tennessee (minus 2 1/2) at No. 10 Georgia
Bulldogs trying to go 6-0 for the third time under coach Mark Richt. Georgia may be 5-0, but they don't impress me, a last second win over Colorado? The Volunteers already took it to Cal, and lost in the last second to the Gators. ... TENNESSEE 20 Georgia 17.
No. 15 Clemson (minus 16 1/2) at Wake Forest
Wake has won two of last three meetings with Tigers. We all want Wake forest, but it is time or Cinderella to get her dress dirty. We are talking the Top Bowden this year in the ACC, Tommy is due, and so is Clemson. ... CLEMSON 35 Wake Forest 17.
No. 22 Nebraska (minus 7) at Iowa State
Cyclones have won two straight against Huskers in Ames, and why not make it three straight because I hate the Huskers. The Huskers are favored, but they haven't done anything but lose to USC so far in my book, and I think couldn't beat WSU. ... IOWA STATE 30 Nebraska 27.
No. 23 Missouri (plus 4) at Texas Tech
Pinkel needs this win to move to 6-0 and make a charge for a Northern Division title. Tech is tough, but Tech isn't as good. This is Pinkels year to really make something happen to insure long time job security in Columbia, he needs 9 wins to do that. these guys won't beat Texas, but they should handle BIG 12 North, anything less than a title is a dissapointment....MISSOURI 28 Texas Tech 27.
Washington's 4-1 resurgence is the surprise of the year since the Dawgs were heavily predicted for the Pac Ten cellar and a one win season by most of the pundits. I guess that is why they call them pundits. ESPN Gameday will be running a segment on the resurgence of Washington this Saturday.
I had a little more time this week and added the betting line to each game, and expand the coverage nationally since there are a lot of marquee matchup this week.
PAC TEN Predictions
Washington (plus 20 1/2) at No. 3 Southern California
The Huskies are going to give these guys a game but playing USC in the Coliseum is tough, just ask the last 28 teams that have played there. I have been saying all along that Washington has a chance and the Trojans are vulnerable, but there are a lot of what if's that haven't happened yet. What if we play four quarters? What if IS has the game of his life? What if we win the T/O margin? Do you really expect those things to happen against the Trojans at home? I think it is asking for a lot, and it is ok to ask, sometimes you get what you ask for, but probably not this week.
If you are a betting man you have to take Washington, no way do they beat us by three touchdowns unless we totally collapse. IS is is a potent weapon, and he will frankly be the best athlete on the field. If he is on for four quarters, watch out, UW can win But since neither he, nor Washington have been on for even three quarters, let alone four for most of this decade, it is very unlikely it is going to happen to the Mighty Trojans at home. I think it will be close, and Washington will have it's chances, but USC will pull away in the 4th quarter. ...USC 27 Washington 17
No. 11 Oregon (plus 5 1/2) at No. 16 California
Ducks coach Mike Bellotti is 7-1 against Cal. This is going to be a close one between two excellent teams. I just think Oregon has more balance team wide than California, but this will go down to the buzzer and be one of the best games of the season. Oregon can still lose and get into a BCS bowl game. If Cal goes down they will have two losses so they may be thinking Holiday....OREGON 35 California 31
Stanford (plus 31 1/2) at No. 12 Notre Dame
This will be a cakewalk for the Irish. Stanford is really down, and really banged up, not a good combo. Stanford simply can't score points which makes the upcoming Arizona vs Stanford tilt a poor candidate for TV. The Irish are playing much better as witnessed by their thrashing of Purdue last week..NOTRE DAME 52 Stanford 3
UCLA (minus 12) at Arizona
Bruins should be ready for revenge against the toothless Wildcats. Arizona can't score, and UCLA can. All you have to do is score 21 to beat Arizona, and UCLA will. Forget about last year, that was an aberation...UCLA 35 Arizona 10
Washington State (minus 3) at Oregon St
The Coug's head on to the road to see if last week was real. Chances are it was, and WSU has firmly anchored itself to contend with Washington for 4th place. Oregon St is the second best team in Idaho....WSU 35 OSU 21
Arizona St Bye
The SunDevils have a week off to contemplate getting the snot kicked out of them by USC. This bye week is crucial because it allows the Devils to chance to work the kinks out of their offense, and QB. ASU surprisingly has been able to move the ball on the ground, and their defense has 18 sacks so far this year. The problem is Carpenter, they have the wrong one, and Karen is dead.
Big Games Nationally
No. 9 LSU (minus 2) at No. 5 Florida
Florida is due to lose one, they have won some close ones, and this will be a close one. Who here likes Urban Meyer, raise your hand, that's why we have to go with the Tigers...LSU 21 Florida 17.
Michigan State (plus 16) at No. 6 Michigan
The Spartans are done. The ND loss killed them, can they come back against Michigan? No! they want to bury John L. Smith, they want him to be fired, and the best way to insure that is to keep losing ... MICHIGAN 35 Michigan St 17.
No. 7 Texas (minus 5) vs. No. 14 Oklahoma
Sooners just not up to par after the personel losses. Texas seems to be a more complete team at this point. Ya, Oklahoma should be undefeated, but who really cares, if they can't get by Texas it really doesn't matter. ... TEXAS 35 Oklahoma 27.
No. 13 Tennessee (minus 2 1/2) at No. 10 Georgia
Bulldogs trying to go 6-0 for the third time under coach Mark Richt. Georgia may be 5-0, but they don't impress me, a last second win over Colorado? The Volunteers already took it to Cal, and lost in the last second to the Gators. ... TENNESSEE 20 Georgia 17.
No. 15 Clemson (minus 16 1/2) at Wake Forest
Wake has won two of last three meetings with Tigers. We all want Wake forest, but it is time or Cinderella to get her dress dirty. We are talking the Top Bowden this year in the ACC, Tommy is due, and so is Clemson. ... CLEMSON 35 Wake Forest 17.
No. 22 Nebraska (minus 7) at Iowa State
Cyclones have won two straight against Huskers in Ames, and why not make it three straight because I hate the Huskers. The Huskers are favored, but they haven't done anything but lose to USC so far in my book, and I think couldn't beat WSU. ... IOWA STATE 30 Nebraska 27.
No. 23 Missouri (plus 4) at Texas Tech
Pinkel needs this win to move to 6-0 and make a charge for a Northern Division title. Tech is tough, but Tech isn't as good. This is Pinkels year to really make something happen to insure long time job security in Columbia, he needs 9 wins to do that. these guys won't beat Texas, but they should handle BIG 12 North, anything less than a title is a dissapointment....MISSOURI 28 Texas Tech 27.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Tid Bits
Fearless Friday Predictions
Well it is Thursday night, and the Huskies, led by Ty Willingham get on the plane in the morning to head down to Southern California to meet a date with destiny. Ty Willingham is the last coach to win in the Coliseum when he was head coach at Stanford. Can the Huskies win on Saturday? That prediction will be made in the Fearless Friday Predictions which will have a new look this week, and will be released Friday morning.
Compromise
One thing that happens when you have been married a month is that you get sucked into doing things you otherwise won't do, and for me it is going to a Couples Shower on Saturday in of all places Rockford, Illinois. Luckily it ends just as the game is starting, so I won't miss the game, but I also won't be able to watch it in the comfort of home which means I won't be present for Dawgman Chat which is always a bummer. One good thing though is we play a round of golf in the morning before this, so it won't be all bad.
Midnight Madness at UW
Friday Night October 13th 7 pm for the UW vs WSU for Husky Volleyball followed by the first annual Husky Midnight Madness which will begin after the Volleyball game. You need tickets for the Volleyball game, but admission is free to Midnight Madness after the game is in it's thrid period. Get tickets to the Volleyball game by calling 206-543-2200.
Join Master of Ceremonies Dave "Softy" Mahler of Sportsradio 950 KJR AM and other Dawg fans for the official tip-off of Husky basketball season! See your Huskies in action for the first time and get pumped up for another great year of hoops.
The event will include:
1. Scrimmages by the UW men's and women's hoop's teams
2. Slam dunk contest
3. Fan contests
4. Lots of prizes
Event will start approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the volleyball match and is FREE for all fans!
Oregon vs California
Ted Miller wrote a fine article on the upcoming clash for ESPN.
"The merest mention of California to a national college football audience elicits smirks that recall the Bears humiliating face plant in a 35-18 defeat at Tennessee to open the season. The inglorious defeat fed the widely held perception that the Pac-10 is USC and nine tulips of varying shades."
New ASU Blog found this week
We finally with the help of (Dick) Hair found a halfway decent blog on ASU football. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. Now if we could find something on Stanford we would be set.
Around the Pac Ten Blogs
The Bruins Nation contemplates if UCLA is a second tier Pac Ten team. Washington already has.
Are the Bruins a second-tier Pac-10 team or are they capable of contending for a Holiday Bowl invite? The answer lies in Ben Olson's left arm. After opening strong against Utah, the quarterback has slumped, throwing two touchdown passes and five interceptions, while averaging a measly five yards per attempt. Beginning this week against an underrated Arizona secondary, Olson needs to find his rhythm if UCLA is going to be more than just a six or seven win team.
At the WSU blog they are getting ready to play the second best team in Idaho, OSU.
The fate of this weekend's game rests on the two much maligned QBs, Moore and Brink. In this game, give WSU all the talent advantages that money can buy. Brink is obviously far superior to Moore in the moxy and execution department. You can give a slight edge to the Chipmumks on Bernard as an individual talent, but the Cougs winning the battle of the runnng game with a superior O-Line and running back depth...
The Duck Blog says Bellotti is looking to improve special teams play. That means there will be an extra Nike Official in the replay box this week.
Oregon will need to step up there special teams play this week if we intend to win on Saturday. The Ducks only punted three times against ASU, but two of the punts turned into adventures for Oregon. One punt by Matt Dragich (pictured) only went nine yards, while another was returned 21 yards by the Sun Devils.
On the Trojan Blog they think the Huskies are chokers.
The Huskies are certainly making strides in Willingham's second season in Seattle, but the team has not arrived yet. The Huskies will struggle in a game of this magnitude, while USC flourishes in such outings. Booty will do enough with his arm whether or not Jarrett plays and the Trojan defense will do the rest.
The Arizona Blog has put up the white flag.
Let's face it, Arizona football is done for the year. We won't be playing a meaningful game till early September of 2007. Sure we should still go to the games and cheer on our team and watch as they develop before our eyes. But a winning season? No. not this year. It's time to get next season started. So with that in mind, here are David's recommendations for the remainder of this season.
At the Arizona St Blog they want to salvage the season before Koetter is fired.
Arizona St been exposed. We're just not that good right now, and virtually every part of our game seems to be in shambles. We've had a chance to vent our utter frustration. Now what?
Dirk Koetter is not going to be fired in the middle of the season. We're going to sink or swim with Rudy Carpenter. We still have to play the remaining 7 games on the schedule. And we have to continue to recruit players for next year's team, even if they'll be playing for a different guy.
At Stanford they are trying to find some highlights.
Highlights practically have been non-existent for the Stanford football team, but Tim Sims provided a big one against UCLA.
At the California Blog they want it loud in Strawberry Canyon on Saturday.
The No. 16 Cal football team has played in two loud road environments in its first five games. This week the Bears are hoping their fans can create a similarly hostile environment for visiting Oregon at Memorial Stadium.
Nothing new from Oregon State Blog, but we have an article from the Oregonian on how the students are ragging on their QB.
No one will mistake Reser Stadium's decibel level for that of the Swamp in Florida, Louisiana State's Death Valley or even Boise State's Bronco Stadium. But the noise coming from the Oregon State student section -- the chants of "Canfield, Canfield!" and the insults directed at starting quarterback Matt Moore -- has become an issue.
UWAA Kick's off Homecoming 2006!
UWAA Kicks Off 2006 Homecoming
Whether you come by plane, boat, car, foot or Dawg sled, Homecoming Week 2006 at the University of Washington promises to be well worth the journey.
Beginning with the 21st Annual Dawg Dash and culminating in the Homecoming football game between the Huskies and Arizona State, Homecoming 2006 runs from October 22-29 and is packed with Husky spirit and rousing activities.
Homecoming is all about the UW's time-honored traditions-whether that means cheering on Football Coach Tyrone Willingham at the Homecoming Rally, racing through campus in the Dawg Dash, or watching a great football game. Everyone is invited.
Highlights of Homecoming Week include the 21st annual Dawg Dash and Post-Dash Bash, a popular 10K run/5K walk through campus and post-event celebration in Husky Stadium; as well as the second annual Homecoming Kickoff, a pre-rally rally for friends of the UW Alumni Association (That means everyone is invited!)
The centerpiece is the Homecoming Rally, in which Husky fans from all over converge on "Red Square" on Friday night, October 27.This year's rally will be emceed by KJR-AM radio personality Dave "Softy" Mahler. It will feature food, fun giveaways, the announcement of the Homecoming Court, the introduction of the Dawg Dash winners, performances by the Husky Marching Band and Cheer Squad and a pep talk from Coach Willingham.For more information about Homecoming, visit http://www.uwalum.com/
Whether you come by plane, boat, car, foot or Dawg sled, Homecoming Week 2006 at the University of Washington promises to be well worth the journey.
Beginning with the 21st Annual Dawg Dash and culminating in the Homecoming football game between the Huskies and Arizona State, Homecoming 2006 runs from October 22-29 and is packed with Husky spirit and rousing activities.
Homecoming is all about the UW's time-honored traditions-whether that means cheering on Football Coach Tyrone Willingham at the Homecoming Rally, racing through campus in the Dawg Dash, or watching a great football game. Everyone is invited.
Highlights of Homecoming Week include the 21st annual Dawg Dash and Post-Dash Bash, a popular 10K run/5K walk through campus and post-event celebration in Husky Stadium; as well as the second annual Homecoming Kickoff, a pre-rally rally for friends of the UW Alumni Association (That means everyone is invited!)
The centerpiece is the Homecoming Rally, in which Husky fans from all over converge on "Red Square" on Friday night, October 27.This year's rally will be emceed by KJR-AM radio personality Dave "Softy" Mahler. It will feature food, fun giveaways, the announcement of the Homecoming Court, the introduction of the Dawg Dash winners, performances by the Husky Marching Band and Cheer Squad and a pep talk from Coach Willingham.For more information about Homecoming, visit http://www.uwalum.com/
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Replay impressions, Stanback, 10 keys for USC, John L.Smith....
I watched the replay of the game last night on the internet and didn't come away as impressed as I did after listening to the game on the radio. The defense definitely bent some, but didn't break much, and the offense had that nice stretch in the second quarter which put enough points on the board to win the game. If you score 21 or more on Arizona chances are you are going to win this year if you have an average defense. Overall I was dissapointed that we didn't convert in the first quarter, and that we didn't get more points in the second half. You need to win each quarter. The score should have been at least 31-10 if Braunstein makes a kick and IS doesn't have to go out for a couple of plays in the last drive. Scott White was fun to watch, and it was nice to see Goldson rounding into full time status.
Championship teams however put the stake through the heart of the opponent they are playing, and we really haven't done that this year. That being said I am thrilled with a 4-1 record no matter if the wins were not blowouts. That will come in the future. A win on the road in the Pac Ten is a real bonus.
Talking about the future, the Huskies play USC this weekend and all eyes are going to be on Isaiah Stanback. IS is the guy that can make a difference if he can put together four full quarters. Based on what I saw last weekend he isn't consistent enough to do that. That explosion in the second quarter was special, but SC isn't going to roll over like that, it is going to take a sustained performance to do it. Everyone wants to see it happen this weekend, but he is going to need some help.
Ten Keys for Beating USC
1. Washington needs turnovers. SC wins a lot because of the plus turnover ratio, reverse it, Give IS a short field, and convert.
2. Shut down the Trojan running game. Put it all on Booty. He isn't exactly polished, and his statistics are more the result of the team that is built around him. Treat him the same way we treated Tuitama. Of course the talented SC OL will have a say in that.
3. Stretch the field. The Huskies need to continue to go for the long strike. Big plays are what makes this team go.
4. USC is vulnerable...They have great talent as usual, but they are young, really young, and really young teams can get rattle and make mistakes. Over 12 true Frosh will play for SC this weekend, and all are probably more talented than their Husky counterparts, but experience makes up for a lot of things. SC doesn't have a superstar. Jarrett was supposed to be that guy but because of off field problems, and injury he hasn't grabbed that mantle every game.
5. No special teams mistakes....you can't miss field goals against SC, and as WSU found out last week you need to score TD's rather than FG's to beat these guys. We need to cover on returns, we need to make big plays on our returns, and the kicking needs to click at 100%. DJ said special teams play made up 1/3 of the game.
6. USC is not scoring as much....The Trojans are averaging 31.5 per game, but have only been scoring 25.5 over the last three. The offense is a concern for them right now, they aren't as explosive as in the past, but then again what has been in the history of college football? UW needs to hold them under 20. You can do that with FG's.
7. Washington needs to score more...We are averaging 25 points a game and we are more than likely going to need to score over 30 to win. What that means for the offense is no more wasted opportunities like at Arizona.
8. Washington needs to establish a running game....We could really use 150 yards on the ground from someone other than IS. If you do that and add in Stanbacks numbers you should have a victory. USC has the best front we will play all year, so this is going to be a challenge.
9. Take the crowd out of the game....you can take the crowd out of the game in LA pretty easily. The problem is that damn band keeps playing. Come out and play well early, which we usually do against these guys, and it makes it easier. UW is always up for SC, motivation is not a problem with so many kids from California on the roster.
10. Isaiah Stanback has to have the game of his life....this kid is the best athlete on either side of the field. When he is on, he is Vince Young like, and the Trojans really have a history of not keeping guys like that under control. Brink played a great game last week, but we all know that IS is better when he is on. The biggest key to the game is his performance, he is the catalyst that leads Washington. USC doesn't have a player on their roster who has emerged yet that is that type of player.
John L. Smith
I saved this for last....careers tend to implode in East Lansing.
If you haven't seen the John L Smith press conference it is interesting to say the least when he slaps himself at the end and says "and I got hit", which was an off hand reference to Charlie Weiss who claims he was hit in the prior weeks fracas. A lot of frustration going on as this team veers out of control and heads for the toilet. Losing to Illinois is unexcusable, they are terrible. It is like losing to Stanford. The Notre Dame loss has cut the heart out of this team.
Championship teams however put the stake through the heart of the opponent they are playing, and we really haven't done that this year. That being said I am thrilled with a 4-1 record no matter if the wins were not blowouts. That will come in the future. A win on the road in the Pac Ten is a real bonus.
Talking about the future, the Huskies play USC this weekend and all eyes are going to be on Isaiah Stanback. IS is the guy that can make a difference if he can put together four full quarters. Based on what I saw last weekend he isn't consistent enough to do that. That explosion in the second quarter was special, but SC isn't going to roll over like that, it is going to take a sustained performance to do it. Everyone wants to see it happen this weekend, but he is going to need some help.
Ten Keys for Beating USC
1. Washington needs turnovers. SC wins a lot because of the plus turnover ratio, reverse it, Give IS a short field, and convert.
2. Shut down the Trojan running game. Put it all on Booty. He isn't exactly polished, and his statistics are more the result of the team that is built around him. Treat him the same way we treated Tuitama. Of course the talented SC OL will have a say in that.
3. Stretch the field. The Huskies need to continue to go for the long strike. Big plays are what makes this team go.
4. USC is vulnerable...They have great talent as usual, but they are young, really young, and really young teams can get rattle and make mistakes. Over 12 true Frosh will play for SC this weekend, and all are probably more talented than their Husky counterparts, but experience makes up for a lot of things. SC doesn't have a superstar. Jarrett was supposed to be that guy but because of off field problems, and injury he hasn't grabbed that mantle every game.
5. No special teams mistakes....you can't miss field goals against SC, and as WSU found out last week you need to score TD's rather than FG's to beat these guys. We need to cover on returns, we need to make big plays on our returns, and the kicking needs to click at 100%. DJ said special teams play made up 1/3 of the game.
6. USC is not scoring as much....The Trojans are averaging 31.5 per game, but have only been scoring 25.5 over the last three. The offense is a concern for them right now, they aren't as explosive as in the past, but then again what has been in the history of college football? UW needs to hold them under 20. You can do that with FG's.
7. Washington needs to score more...We are averaging 25 points a game and we are more than likely going to need to score over 30 to win. What that means for the offense is no more wasted opportunities like at Arizona.
8. Washington needs to establish a running game....We could really use 150 yards on the ground from someone other than IS. If you do that and add in Stanbacks numbers you should have a victory. USC has the best front we will play all year, so this is going to be a challenge.
9. Take the crowd out of the game....you can take the crowd out of the game in LA pretty easily. The problem is that damn band keeps playing. Come out and play well early, which we usually do against these guys, and it makes it easier. UW is always up for SC, motivation is not a problem with so many kids from California on the roster.
10. Isaiah Stanback has to have the game of his life....this kid is the best athlete on either side of the field. When he is on, he is Vince Young like, and the Trojans really have a history of not keeping guys like that under control. Brink played a great game last week, but we all know that IS is better when he is on. The biggest key to the game is his performance, he is the catalyst that leads Washington. USC doesn't have a player on their roster who has emerged yet that is that type of player.
John L. Smith
I saved this for last....careers tend to implode in East Lansing.
If you haven't seen the John L Smith press conference it is interesting to say the least when he slaps himself at the end and says "and I got hit", which was an off hand reference to Charlie Weiss who claims he was hit in the prior weeks fracas. A lot of frustration going on as this team veers out of control and heads for the toilet. Losing to Illinois is unexcusable, they are terrible. It is like losing to Stanford. The Notre Dame loss has cut the heart out of this team.
USC Tidbits
Here are a few good articles on USC by the people that know them best, the Los Angeles media. One thing seems evident and that is the Trojans are not as healthy as Washington. The Trojans could have such studs as DT Ellis, WR Mc Foy, WR Jarrett, OL Rachal, S Pinkard, and LB Brown missing the game on Saturday. USC has a lot of talent, but as injuries add up, the experience level goes down. USC is playing more than a dozen true frosh this year.
The Daily Trojan has a nice report on the current health of the team and the upcoming game with UW.
"Washington quarterback Isaiah Stanback's ability to both run and throw the football effectively are causes of concern for USC this weekend. Stanback ranks No. 20 in the NCAA in total offense, accounting for 251.4 yards a game. It will challenge a defense that has struggled with dual-threat quarterbacks in the past. And Stanback's elusiveness will make it difficult for the Trojans to get to him. But redshirt junior defensive lineman Lawrence Jackson said the key is to keep him in the pocket "It's really not that big a deal," Jackson said. "He's a good runner, but you got to trust the guys next to you, and if we do our job we can keep in him in the pocket."
From the LA Times
"USC is hoping that split end Dwayne Jarrett will be able to play this week against Washington, but nose tackle Sedrick Ellis' availability is perhaps even more pressing for the Trojans. "It was not nearly the pass rush we were hoping for," Coach Pete Carroll said Sunday. "We didn't get close to the quarterback much."
From the Daily News
"USC's defense ranks second in the Pacific-10 Conference in yards allowed, but if the Trojans lack anything, it might be a leader. "
The Gay USC Football Blog who would ever think there could be such a thing, not like there is anything wrong with that, but it's pretty unique.
"It's practically the only game this year featuring a Division 1-AA team that we're going to feature in the Gay Viewers' Guide Game of the Week. Why....Texas vs Sam Houston St? Well former Oklahoma quarterback Rhett Bomar is playing for SHSU. It's fitting that Sam Houston is located in Huntsville, as is the State Prison, as run in's with the NCAA forced Bomar to leave Oklahoma this summer."
The Daily Trojan has a nice report on the current health of the team and the upcoming game with UW.
"Washington quarterback Isaiah Stanback's ability to both run and throw the football effectively are causes of concern for USC this weekend. Stanback ranks No. 20 in the NCAA in total offense, accounting for 251.4 yards a game. It will challenge a defense that has struggled with dual-threat quarterbacks in the past. And Stanback's elusiveness will make it difficult for the Trojans to get to him. But redshirt junior defensive lineman Lawrence Jackson said the key is to keep him in the pocket "It's really not that big a deal," Jackson said. "He's a good runner, but you got to trust the guys next to you, and if we do our job we can keep in him in the pocket."
From the LA Times
"USC is hoping that split end Dwayne Jarrett will be able to play this week against Washington, but nose tackle Sedrick Ellis' availability is perhaps even more pressing for the Trojans. "It was not nearly the pass rush we were hoping for," Coach Pete Carroll said Sunday. "We didn't get close to the quarterback much."
From the Daily News
"USC's defense ranks second in the Pacific-10 Conference in yards allowed, but if the Trojans lack anything, it might be a leader. "
The Gay USC Football Blog who would ever think there could be such a thing, not like there is anything wrong with that, but it's pretty unique.
"It's practically the only game this year featuring a Division 1-AA team that we're going to feature in the Gay Viewers' Guide Game of the Week. Why....Texas vs Sam Houston St? Well former Oklahoma quarterback Rhett Bomar is playing for SHSU. It's fitting that Sam Houston is located in Huntsville, as is the State Prison, as run in's with the NCAA forced Bomar to leave Oklahoma this summer."
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Malamute's take on the USC Game
Going from a loud, raucous Martin Stadium in Pullman to the friendly confines of the Coliseum -- with a few "neighs" from Traveler and the familiar beat of Conquest -- will be welcome relief for Coach Pete Carroll (58-10) and his Trojans.
Malamute
Malamute
Around The Pac Ten Blogs
Let's take an early look at what is going on with the Pac Ten blogs and return later in the week to see what else they have cooked up.
The Bruin Blog licks their chops in anticipation of Arizona.
Their offense is a joke, and there defense is mediocre. Things are not looking good for Mildcats who are coming off a deflating loss against Huskies (who were of course reenergized by Dorrell's gift in Seattle). If UCLA coaches do their jobs this upcoming Saturday, these Mildcats should continue to spiral down the toilet.
The WSU Blog is celebrating the rebirth of their program after giving USC a tough time.
But tonight the program re-arrived and Alex Brink showed that while his talent is certainly limited, he played like a winner tonight as did the entire team. And that is what we've been looking for all along.
On the Cal Blog they keep it all in perspective by pointing out another recent Noble Prize won by a faculty member.
With No. 3 USC looking, well, somewhat ordinary the last two weeks against Arizona and Washington State, this weekend's game between No. 11 Oregon and No. 16 California in Berkeley takes on even greater importance.
The Arizona Blog never fails to dissapoint.
Talk is cheap. Saturday's 21-10 loss to Washington proves that point. Earlier this week, Mike Stoops said this was the biggest game since he'd been at Arizona. He was right. Too bad his team didn't get the memo. This game was not lost on the field as much as it was upstairs, in the minds of the players. Washington came out with a confident, almost cocky swagger that said, "We're here to win this game." Arizona looked as uninspired as. well, as they did the last time out against Washington. For all the talk we've heard over the last year about how this team is learning to win games and play with a winning attitude. this game proved again that all the talk is simply that - talk.
The USC Blog reports that the receiving corps are getting thinner.
USC's receiver corps got thinner and less experienced Monday after an MRI exam revealed that senior Chris McFoy fractured two bones in the shoulder area against Washington State. Jarrett feels better and is itching to play, but since he never even made the trip to WSU he is still doubtful.
The Oregon State Blog chimes in that the Cal game was just one of those days. I think it may be just one of those decades.
So my question is this... why after every game are we forcing ourselves to answer these questions? There is no doubt in my mind that Cal isn't that much better than Oregon State. Heck, Washington State hung with USC until the very end of the game. Could of beat them. We play Washington State next week. Will we be talking about these questions next week? What made us so much worse than the Bears?
At ASU they are't happy with Carpenter
RUDY CARPENTER had by far his worst showing as a Sun Devil. Carpenter, who led the nation last year in passing efficiency, finished 16 of 36 for 177 yards and four Int's. Longshore was on the money all day long and the ASU defense, who entered the game leading the nation with 18 sacks, could not get any pressure on Longshore.
Stanford offense scoreless which keeps them winless.
For nearly three quarters Saturday night, the Stanford defense took UCLA's best shots and didn't buckle. But it ultimately did little good because the Cardinal's injury-depleted offense was in over its head. In other words, the defense could have been perfect and Stanford still would have lost because the Bruins scored a touchdown on special teams and on defense.
On the Oregon Blog the exciting game of "What is it?" continues as the Might Ducks get ready to face California. I think it is a bud, or maybe a close up of a bean that is sprouting? Nope, it is a Pistachio!
The Bruin Blog licks their chops in anticipation of Arizona.
Their offense is a joke, and there defense is mediocre. Things are not looking good for Mildcats who are coming off a deflating loss against Huskies (who were of course reenergized by Dorrell's gift in Seattle). If UCLA coaches do their jobs this upcoming Saturday, these Mildcats should continue to spiral down the toilet.
The WSU Blog is celebrating the rebirth of their program after giving USC a tough time.
But tonight the program re-arrived and Alex Brink showed that while his talent is certainly limited, he played like a winner tonight as did the entire team. And that is what we've been looking for all along.
On the Cal Blog they keep it all in perspective by pointing out another recent Noble Prize won by a faculty member.
With No. 3 USC looking, well, somewhat ordinary the last two weeks against Arizona and Washington State, this weekend's game between No. 11 Oregon and No. 16 California in Berkeley takes on even greater importance.
The Arizona Blog never fails to dissapoint.
Talk is cheap. Saturday's 21-10 loss to Washington proves that point. Earlier this week, Mike Stoops said this was the biggest game since he'd been at Arizona. He was right. Too bad his team didn't get the memo. This game was not lost on the field as much as it was upstairs, in the minds of the players. Washington came out with a confident, almost cocky swagger that said, "We're here to win this game." Arizona looked as uninspired as. well, as they did the last time out against Washington. For all the talk we've heard over the last year about how this team is learning to win games and play with a winning attitude. this game proved again that all the talk is simply that - talk.
The USC Blog reports that the receiving corps are getting thinner.
USC's receiver corps got thinner and less experienced Monday after an MRI exam revealed that senior Chris McFoy fractured two bones in the shoulder area against Washington State. Jarrett feels better and is itching to play, but since he never even made the trip to WSU he is still doubtful.
The Oregon State Blog chimes in that the Cal game was just one of those days. I think it may be just one of those decades.
So my question is this... why after every game are we forcing ourselves to answer these questions? There is no doubt in my mind that Cal isn't that much better than Oregon State. Heck, Washington State hung with USC until the very end of the game. Could of beat them. We play Washington State next week. Will we be talking about these questions next week? What made us so much worse than the Bears?
At ASU they are't happy with Carpenter
RUDY CARPENTER had by far his worst showing as a Sun Devil. Carpenter, who led the nation last year in passing efficiency, finished 16 of 36 for 177 yards and four Int's. Longshore was on the money all day long and the ASU defense, who entered the game leading the nation with 18 sacks, could not get any pressure on Longshore.
Stanford offense scoreless which keeps them winless.
For nearly three quarters Saturday night, the Stanford defense took UCLA's best shots and didn't buckle. But it ultimately did little good because the Cardinal's injury-depleted offense was in over its head. In other words, the defense could have been perfect and Stanford still would have lost because the Bruins scored a touchdown on special teams and on defense.
On the Oregon Blog the exciting game of "What is it?" continues as the Might Ducks get ready to face California. I think it is a bud, or maybe a close up of a bean that is sprouting? Nope, it is a Pistachio!
USC is pretty good
USC is a pretty good team despite losing three superstar caliber offensive players from last years team. The main knock against the men from Troy is experience, they only have two seniors starting on a defense that is allowing 12.5 points per game so far this season. On offense they lose Bush, Leinhart, and White to replace them with Washington, Booty, and Jarrett. The offense has been averaging 31/5 points a game, but over the last 3 have only averaged 25.5. You can see why the last three games were closer than expected. The Trojans still have great talent, but you can never immediately replace three year starters so the Trojans won't be as powerful offensively as they have been over the last 3-4 years.
The area where the Trojans have little dropoff is on the offensive line, and at wide receiver. Duane Jarrett when healthy is the best receiver in the country and a sure first round draft pick. Like Mike Williams before him, he can take over a game. It is uncertain if he will play this weekend. Booty has had a decent start doing everything the Trojans have asked of him. He currently is second in passing in the Pac Ten. The key to Booty doing well is protection. UW drilled him last year when he was inserted in the game. I know Booty has improved, has more experience under his belt, but he isn't Leinhart who could just mercilessly pick you apart. The running backs haven't done as well as expected, and are going to have a problem running against the Washington defensive front which has been stingy against the run. Washington is the best of the group and is just rounding into shape after shaking off nagging injuries. What this all adds up to is a team that isn't scoring as many points as they did last season.
On defense the Trojans are made up of a who's who's list of HS All Americans, what they lack in experience they make up with talent. Taylor Mays from O'Dea is starting at Safety and he made the interception that ended the game and sealed the win against WSU. Guy's like Maualuga, Rivers, and Cushing, are all off to solid starts. You have speed, size, and athletic ability at every position. You also have a young defense that is going to be very challenged by Stanback.
On offense Washington needs to establish the running game. It would be nice if Rankin and James could pick up 150 to augmet Isaiah. IS needs to be able to work his magic, he is going to draw a pass rush just like Brink did last week, but his mobility will allow him to create out there. This is the biggest game IS has ever played in. It is the chance of a lifetime to pull off a major program changing upset. It is an achievable goal if the Huskies, especially IS can give us high level play for four quarters.
Defensively it will be interesting to see what Baer cooks up for the Trojans. Applying pressure to Booty will lead to Trojan mistakes. Defensive TD's are a good thing. We need to force some mistakes and turn them into TD's. The defense is more aggressive than it has ever been, and I expect them to leave it all out on the field this weekend. CJ Wallace, and Scott White are having great years and will compete for natonal honors. Do you realize that both are in the top three for tackles this year in the Pac Ten? This kind of leadership and experience will help fill the talent gap. For USC to win they need to be succesful throwing the ball, and the WR's are the most talented group. Not giving up the long one against some very speedy athletes is going to be a challenge. A solid pass rush will be needed.
Washington can beat USC, but the task will be much tougher on the road then it would be at Husky Stadium. Ty Willingham was the last coach to win in the Coliseum, and that was while he was at Stanford. This will be a tough game, and Washington needs four quarters of excellence to have a chance to win. The things to key on are that USC is not scoring as much as they have in the past, and Washington has a good defense that should control the run. The key will be pressure on Booty. IS needs to play like Vince Young, and he is capable of a performance liek that since he may be the most talented athlete on either side of the field.
This is going to be an interesting, and competitve game.
Tid Bits
Boise State and the WAC are starting a campaign for the Bronco's to go to a BCS bowl game this year if they go undefeated. I like the Bronco's and I think they are a good team, but who exactly have they played? Sacramento St, Oregon St, Wyoming, Hawaii, and Utah....sorry that isn't good enough to get a high enough ranking at the end of the year. You have to schedule at least one top 25 team, and the WAC is down this year with Fresno St, and Nevada being less than impressive. A weak schedule may keep the Bronco's out. Next year they take on Washington in Husky Stadium in the first game between the two schools.
Miami beat Houston 14-13 last weekend and all I have to say is what a trip....a victory is a victory for the 2-2 Cane's, but Coker is still on the hotseat down there. You can possibly see Miami playing a Pac Ten opponent in the Emerald Bowl.
A Heisman at Northern Illinois? Tailback Garrett Wolfe the other Huskies' sensational tailback, ran for a career-high 353 yards with three touchdowns on 31 attempts in Saturday night's 40-28 victory at Ball State. This kid is the real deal.
John L. Smith is melting down along with his team at Michigan St. The loss to the Irish just sucked all the spirit, desire and confidence out of the team. Losing to a poor Illinois is like losing to Stanford, it doesn't happen unless your team completely mails it in. "All week. That's the way we practiced, what you saw," Smith told reporters after the Illinois loss. "We can't get them to go. And apparently I don't have the answer. We can't get them to go hard in practice, so we've got to continue to look for the answer." I don't know what it is about Michigan State, but not many survive their.
Pac Ten Power Ratings
1. USC....You can't dethrone the king till somebody beats him. You can however elevate the other two contenders to the same level after you have close ones at Arizona, and WSU. If the Trojans can get by UW it is easy sledding until November when they finish with Oregon, Cal, UCLA, and Notre Dame. Carroll hopes to use this time to steel his young troops to defend the title.
1. Oregon....The Ducks look like the best team in the conference after their dominating victory over Arizona State. They look great on both sides of the ball. Dixon has done a great job at QB, and he leads the conference in total offense. Jonathan Stewart is great when healthy. If the Duck's win this week they could be headed to their best season ever.
1. California.....California throttled the Beavers, and they get the Duck's at home this week in a must win situation as far as the conference championship, and BCS possibilities are concerned. Cal has their offense running on all cylinders. The loss to Tennessee to open the season still stings.
4. Washington....The 4-1 Huskies are the surprise of the conference. They meet USC who has been virtually unbeatable at home. The Trojans are mortal, and the Huskies are improved. Ty Willingham is the last head coach other than Carroll to win at the Coliseum.
5. Washington St....The Cougars are 3-2 and a good bet for a bowl game after the spirited game they gave USC last week. Just how good is WSU? The Beavers find out this week. A bowl game for Doba and the Coug's would be a good thing as long as we beat them to end the year.
6. UCLA....The Bruins are 3-2, and beat Stanford last week 31-0, but being up only 7-0 at halftime show that they had a tough time getting their shizzle together after the loss to UW. The Bruins are dysfunctional, they aren't getting along, and the wisdome of replacing half your staff after a 10-2 season is being questioned.
7. Arizona St....These guys were supposed to be contenders, but now they are simply looking for a team they can beat. They have a bye this week, then play USC...ouch! Koetter is in big trouble, this is his 6th year, he has talent, but he hasn't been able to make them perform. Adios!
8. Oregon St....The second best team in Idaho resumes it's quest for a Northwest championship by hosting the Cougars in Potato Salad Stadium. I am not really sure what the Beavers do well.
9. Arizona....If these guys could score some points they could be in the upper division. I am not a fan of Stoops because he had the audacity to beat us during his first year, and also he has been a pest by attracting good athletes to Tucson. It is a matter of time before the lightbulb goes on down there.
10. Stanford....The Tree is the worst team the league has seen in some time, perhaps even worse than Gilby's last squad because they have a decent coaching staff. Teevens didn't leave much in the cupboard. The Senior, Junior, and Sophmore classes are his, and of course you can always give a Mulligan to an incoming coaches first class. The Tree has alot of work to do.
The area where the Trojans have little dropoff is on the offensive line, and at wide receiver. Duane Jarrett when healthy is the best receiver in the country and a sure first round draft pick. Like Mike Williams before him, he can take over a game. It is uncertain if he will play this weekend. Booty has had a decent start doing everything the Trojans have asked of him. He currently is second in passing in the Pac Ten. The key to Booty doing well is protection. UW drilled him last year when he was inserted in the game. I know Booty has improved, has more experience under his belt, but he isn't Leinhart who could just mercilessly pick you apart. The running backs haven't done as well as expected, and are going to have a problem running against the Washington defensive front which has been stingy against the run. Washington is the best of the group and is just rounding into shape after shaking off nagging injuries. What this all adds up to is a team that isn't scoring as many points as they did last season.
On defense the Trojans are made up of a who's who's list of HS All Americans, what they lack in experience they make up with talent. Taylor Mays from O'Dea is starting at Safety and he made the interception that ended the game and sealed the win against WSU. Guy's like Maualuga, Rivers, and Cushing, are all off to solid starts. You have speed, size, and athletic ability at every position. You also have a young defense that is going to be very challenged by Stanback.
On offense Washington needs to establish the running game. It would be nice if Rankin and James could pick up 150 to augmet Isaiah. IS needs to be able to work his magic, he is going to draw a pass rush just like Brink did last week, but his mobility will allow him to create out there. This is the biggest game IS has ever played in. It is the chance of a lifetime to pull off a major program changing upset. It is an achievable goal if the Huskies, especially IS can give us high level play for four quarters.
Defensively it will be interesting to see what Baer cooks up for the Trojans. Applying pressure to Booty will lead to Trojan mistakes. Defensive TD's are a good thing. We need to force some mistakes and turn them into TD's. The defense is more aggressive than it has ever been, and I expect them to leave it all out on the field this weekend. CJ Wallace, and Scott White are having great years and will compete for natonal honors. Do you realize that both are in the top three for tackles this year in the Pac Ten? This kind of leadership and experience will help fill the talent gap. For USC to win they need to be succesful throwing the ball, and the WR's are the most talented group. Not giving up the long one against some very speedy athletes is going to be a challenge. A solid pass rush will be needed.
Washington can beat USC, but the task will be much tougher on the road then it would be at Husky Stadium. Ty Willingham was the last coach to win in the Coliseum, and that was while he was at Stanford. This will be a tough game, and Washington needs four quarters of excellence to have a chance to win. The things to key on are that USC is not scoring as much as they have in the past, and Washington has a good defense that should control the run. The key will be pressure on Booty. IS needs to play like Vince Young, and he is capable of a performance liek that since he may be the most talented athlete on either side of the field.
This is going to be an interesting, and competitve game.
Tid Bits
Boise State and the WAC are starting a campaign for the Bronco's to go to a BCS bowl game this year if they go undefeated. I like the Bronco's and I think they are a good team, but who exactly have they played? Sacramento St, Oregon St, Wyoming, Hawaii, and Utah....sorry that isn't good enough to get a high enough ranking at the end of the year. You have to schedule at least one top 25 team, and the WAC is down this year with Fresno St, and Nevada being less than impressive. A weak schedule may keep the Bronco's out. Next year they take on Washington in Husky Stadium in the first game between the two schools.
Miami beat Houston 14-13 last weekend and all I have to say is what a trip....a victory is a victory for the 2-2 Cane's, but Coker is still on the hotseat down there. You can possibly see Miami playing a Pac Ten opponent in the Emerald Bowl.
A Heisman at Northern Illinois? Tailback Garrett Wolfe the other Huskies' sensational tailback, ran for a career-high 353 yards with three touchdowns on 31 attempts in Saturday night's 40-28 victory at Ball State. This kid is the real deal.
John L. Smith is melting down along with his team at Michigan St. The loss to the Irish just sucked all the spirit, desire and confidence out of the team. Losing to a poor Illinois is like losing to Stanford, it doesn't happen unless your team completely mails it in. "All week. That's the way we practiced, what you saw," Smith told reporters after the Illinois loss. "We can't get them to go. And apparently I don't have the answer. We can't get them to go hard in practice, so we've got to continue to look for the answer." I don't know what it is about Michigan State, but not many survive their.
Pac Ten Power Ratings
1. USC....You can't dethrone the king till somebody beats him. You can however elevate the other two contenders to the same level after you have close ones at Arizona, and WSU. If the Trojans can get by UW it is easy sledding until November when they finish with Oregon, Cal, UCLA, and Notre Dame. Carroll hopes to use this time to steel his young troops to defend the title.
1. Oregon....The Ducks look like the best team in the conference after their dominating victory over Arizona State. They look great on both sides of the ball. Dixon has done a great job at QB, and he leads the conference in total offense. Jonathan Stewart is great when healthy. If the Duck's win this week they could be headed to their best season ever.
1. California.....California throttled the Beavers, and they get the Duck's at home this week in a must win situation as far as the conference championship, and BCS possibilities are concerned. Cal has their offense running on all cylinders. The loss to Tennessee to open the season still stings.
4. Washington....The 4-1 Huskies are the surprise of the conference. They meet USC who has been virtually unbeatable at home. The Trojans are mortal, and the Huskies are improved. Ty Willingham is the last head coach other than Carroll to win at the Coliseum.
5. Washington St....The Cougars are 3-2 and a good bet for a bowl game after the spirited game they gave USC last week. Just how good is WSU? The Beavers find out this week. A bowl game for Doba and the Coug's would be a good thing as long as we beat them to end the year.
6. UCLA....The Bruins are 3-2, and beat Stanford last week 31-0, but being up only 7-0 at halftime show that they had a tough time getting their shizzle together after the loss to UW. The Bruins are dysfunctional, they aren't getting along, and the wisdome of replacing half your staff after a 10-2 season is being questioned.
7. Arizona St....These guys were supposed to be contenders, but now they are simply looking for a team they can beat. They have a bye this week, then play USC...ouch! Koetter is in big trouble, this is his 6th year, he has talent, but he hasn't been able to make them perform. Adios!
8. Oregon St....The second best team in Idaho resumes it's quest for a Northwest championship by hosting the Cougars in Potato Salad Stadium. I am not really sure what the Beavers do well.
9. Arizona....If these guys could score some points they could be in the upper division. I am not a fan of Stoops because he had the audacity to beat us during his first year, and also he has been a pest by attracting good athletes to Tucson. It is a matter of time before the lightbulb goes on down there.
10. Stanford....The Tree is the worst team the league has seen in some time, perhaps even worse than Gilby's last squad because they have a decent coaching staff. Teevens didn't leave much in the cupboard. The Senior, Junior, and Sophmore classes are his, and of course you can always give a Mulligan to an incoming coaches first class. The Tree has alot of work to do.
Monday, October 02, 2006
The Monday Morning Wash
Hello Dawgfans!
Your University of Washington Huskies are now 4-1 and have exceeded their combined victory total of the last two seasons in less than the first half of this season. That is reason for a little celebration around the Northwest, and yes the fans still care as witnessed by 7000 showing up for a closed circuit broadcast of the game in Hec Edmundson Pavillion last Saturday night. It just shows you that if the program wins they will fill up the seats each week.
Next up is Southern California who has looked mortal in their two previous road outtings against WSU, and Arizona. I even was pretty convinced that we could handle the Trojan's next week after our victory in the desert, but as Lee Corso often says, not so fast.
Playing USC at home is a lot different than playing USC on the road. The Trojan's always have problems in Pullman, which means they usually win, but the game is closer than anticipated. USC has a young squad this year, and they don't have the experience they have had in the past few years, that adds up to more of a struggle even though they are physically superior to about any team they will face this season.
A question many will ask is just how good is Washington State? They gave the Trojan's all the could handle, and if they had turned a couple early FG's into TD's we would have been talking upset. IS WSU really better than Washington? Early returns up till last Saturday would have given UW the edge since the caliber of team WSU has beaten, and the margin of victory has not been impressive.
Last season USC had four Heisman Trophy caliber athletes in their backfield, and two actually won the award in back to back seasons. Leinhart, Bush, White, and Jarrett made up a backfield that most NFL teams were envious of, and even USC simply cannot reload that type of talent on a year to year basis even though they came pretty close while John McKay was coach. USC is still talented, but they lack experience, and the replacements while very good don't even come close to matching up. You take Jarrett out of the equation, and he will probably miss the UW game too, and the Trojans are beatable.
The question is can Washington beat them?
I think Washington can for a couple of reasons, and I never thought I would say that this year.
1. The USC defense is still the teams weak link. You can score on SC.
2. The offense lacks the firepower to overcome that defense in a tight game.
3. Stanback if he plays well all four quarters has the talent to beat these guys.
4. The Washington defense has been steady and improving each week.
Will Washington beat the USC?
1. We are talking about playing on the road against one of the most storied programs in NCAA history in their house with over 80,000 watching.
2. We are talking about a team made up of mostly highly ranked HS all americans despite the losses from last year.
3. Washington hasn't put together a complete game yet this year despite the 4-1 record. Last week wasn't exactly a complete game either.
4. I think the game will be close, and I have a good feeling going in, but my sober observation is that USC will win unless they turn the ball over and UW takes advantage.
Around the Conference
WSU gave SC everything they could handle but ran out of time as Taylor Mays intercepted a last gasp pass near the goal line. How good are the Coug's?
UCLA beat Stanford 31-0 but was only ahead 7-0 at halftime. UCLA has some problems, the least of it being talent.
Cal cruised over Oregon St. the Bears have it going right now and are hitting on all cylinders. They gave up more points than expected, but since the game was never in doubt attribute it to being on cruise control most of the game.
Oregon throttled ASU, and we can honestly say that ASU is going to have problems winning any more games this year. Carpenter was terrible, and you can bet that they wished that they had handled the Sam Keller situation better. Oregon looks like the best team in the league right now.
Next weeks Oregon/California game in Berkeley is a can't miss game. The Bears are favored, but I have to give the early nod to Oregon. the game is a tossup of course, and the winner may find themselves in a BCS Bowl game.
Nationally it was fun to see Georgia Tech explode and hand the Hokies there lunch in Lynchburg. You won't see that happen very often against a Beemer defense. Alabama faded in the 4th quarter against Florida. Notre Dame knocked the snot out of Purdue...Irish will keep winning till the SC game as they play cupcakes the rest of the way. BYU upset Texas Tech in a big surprise. Rutgers is 5-0! Georgia had another dissapointing performance in squeeking by Ole Miss. Kansas gave Nebraska everything they could handle losing in OT to Nebraska...the Cornhuskers are not back....finally in the marqee game of the day #1 Ohio St had little problem with Iowa on the road. Look for Auburn and Ohio St to play for all the marlbes at the end of the season.
The local writers, even Bud Withers have jumped on the husky bandwagon. Most feel that a bowl game is a certainty at this point. We should be able to handle OSU, and Stanford with little problems. ASU looks more like a win every week. WSU will be a tossup since it is on the road in Pullman, and the Coug's look like a different team than opened the season on the road at Auburn. Oregon and Cal scare me, and I think they are both the class of the Pac Ten right now. USC is having some growing pains, but until somebody knocks them off the pedestal it hard to dismiss them as title contender nationally, or in the Pac Ten.
This upcoming week will be a little more exciting as the schedule will offfer some bigger games. Stay tuned as we will preview the USC game, make predictions about coming games in conference and nationally. It should be a fun week, but it is always fun when you are 4-1 coming off a bog road victory.
Go Huskies!
Your University of Washington Huskies are now 4-1 and have exceeded their combined victory total of the last two seasons in less than the first half of this season. That is reason for a little celebration around the Northwest, and yes the fans still care as witnessed by 7000 showing up for a closed circuit broadcast of the game in Hec Edmundson Pavillion last Saturday night. It just shows you that if the program wins they will fill up the seats each week.
Next up is Southern California who has looked mortal in their two previous road outtings against WSU, and Arizona. I even was pretty convinced that we could handle the Trojan's next week after our victory in the desert, but as Lee Corso often says, not so fast.
Playing USC at home is a lot different than playing USC on the road. The Trojan's always have problems in Pullman, which means they usually win, but the game is closer than anticipated. USC has a young squad this year, and they don't have the experience they have had in the past few years, that adds up to more of a struggle even though they are physically superior to about any team they will face this season.
A question many will ask is just how good is Washington State? They gave the Trojan's all the could handle, and if they had turned a couple early FG's into TD's we would have been talking upset. IS WSU really better than Washington? Early returns up till last Saturday would have given UW the edge since the caliber of team WSU has beaten, and the margin of victory has not been impressive.
Last season USC had four Heisman Trophy caliber athletes in their backfield, and two actually won the award in back to back seasons. Leinhart, Bush, White, and Jarrett made up a backfield that most NFL teams were envious of, and even USC simply cannot reload that type of talent on a year to year basis even though they came pretty close while John McKay was coach. USC is still talented, but they lack experience, and the replacements while very good don't even come close to matching up. You take Jarrett out of the equation, and he will probably miss the UW game too, and the Trojans are beatable.
The question is can Washington beat them?
I think Washington can for a couple of reasons, and I never thought I would say that this year.
1. The USC defense is still the teams weak link. You can score on SC.
2. The offense lacks the firepower to overcome that defense in a tight game.
3. Stanback if he plays well all four quarters has the talent to beat these guys.
4. The Washington defense has been steady and improving each week.
Will Washington beat the USC?
1. We are talking about playing on the road against one of the most storied programs in NCAA history in their house with over 80,000 watching.
2. We are talking about a team made up of mostly highly ranked HS all americans despite the losses from last year.
3. Washington hasn't put together a complete game yet this year despite the 4-1 record. Last week wasn't exactly a complete game either.
4. I think the game will be close, and I have a good feeling going in, but my sober observation is that USC will win unless they turn the ball over and UW takes advantage.
Around the Conference
WSU gave SC everything they could handle but ran out of time as Taylor Mays intercepted a last gasp pass near the goal line. How good are the Coug's?
UCLA beat Stanford 31-0 but was only ahead 7-0 at halftime. UCLA has some problems, the least of it being talent.
Cal cruised over Oregon St. the Bears have it going right now and are hitting on all cylinders. They gave up more points than expected, but since the game was never in doubt attribute it to being on cruise control most of the game.
Oregon throttled ASU, and we can honestly say that ASU is going to have problems winning any more games this year. Carpenter was terrible, and you can bet that they wished that they had handled the Sam Keller situation better. Oregon looks like the best team in the league right now.
Next weeks Oregon/California game in Berkeley is a can't miss game. The Bears are favored, but I have to give the early nod to Oregon. the game is a tossup of course, and the winner may find themselves in a BCS Bowl game.
Nationally it was fun to see Georgia Tech explode and hand the Hokies there lunch in Lynchburg. You won't see that happen very often against a Beemer defense. Alabama faded in the 4th quarter against Florida. Notre Dame knocked the snot out of Purdue...Irish will keep winning till the SC game as they play cupcakes the rest of the way. BYU upset Texas Tech in a big surprise. Rutgers is 5-0! Georgia had another dissapointing performance in squeeking by Ole Miss. Kansas gave Nebraska everything they could handle losing in OT to Nebraska...the Cornhuskers are not back....finally in the marqee game of the day #1 Ohio St had little problem with Iowa on the road. Look for Auburn and Ohio St to play for all the marlbes at the end of the season.
The local writers, even Bud Withers have jumped on the husky bandwagon. Most feel that a bowl game is a certainty at this point. We should be able to handle OSU, and Stanford with little problems. ASU looks more like a win every week. WSU will be a tossup since it is on the road in Pullman, and the Coug's look like a different team than opened the season on the road at Auburn. Oregon and Cal scare me, and I think they are both the class of the Pac Ten right now. USC is having some growing pains, but until somebody knocks them off the pedestal it hard to dismiss them as title contender nationally, or in the Pac Ten.
This upcoming week will be a little more exciting as the schedule will offfer some bigger games. Stay tuned as we will preview the USC game, make predictions about coming games in conference and nationally. It should be a fun week, but it is always fun when you are 4-1 coming off a bog road victory.
Go Huskies!
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