The Monday Morning Wash
by John Berkowitz on Oct 12, 2009 7:00 AM PDT
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PrintWashington's win over Arizona on Saturday was one of those games we will remember a long time. The timing was right on this one since it came on the heals of a major dissapointment a week ago in South Bend. Somehow the football gods finally smiled on a Washington program that has been struggling for six long years. The struggle isn't over either even though we received some smiles. This week the Huskies venture to Tempe to play in one of the conference's tougher venues.
Arizona State has been near the bottom of our conference ratings most of the season. The 3-2 Sun Devils loaded up on patsies to start the season and their lone Pac 10 win came last weekend against WSU. It wasn't a convincing win even though the game was never in doubt. The Devils turned the ball over six times against the tooothless Cougar defense which kept the score respectable at 27-14.
The ASU offense has struggled all season. Danny Sullivan is prone to errors and there doesn't seem to be an adequate replacement for him on the roster. The defense though is one of the better one's Washington will face this season. The Sun Devils are strong up front featuring some of the best pass rushers in the the conference. Mike Nixon is a 25 year old linebacker who has shined this season. He picked off three interceptions against Idaho State earlier this season and also blocked a punt.
DE Dexter Davis and DT Lawrence Guy are a couple of guys to keep an eye on Saturday night. Chances are they will play on Sunday's. ASU can put together a solid pass rush and also shut down the oppositions running game. The Washington offensive line really has to bring their "A" game to Tempe if Washington is going to come out of the desert with a victory.
The key for Washington this upcoming weekend is for the defense to exploit what seems to be the second worst offense in the Pac 10 and force some mistakes. ASU has one of the worst offensive lines we will face all season. Our defense should be able to handle the run and still put pressure on the beleagured Danny Sullivan. UW will still try to keep everything in front of them this week but Nick Foles was a much more talented QB than Sullivan who had better tools surrounding him.
Health wise the Huskies should be in better shape going into this game. Reserve RB Johri Fogerson who was out with the flu last week should return as will S Nate Williams and WR D'Andre Goodwin. OG Greg Christine is gone for the season with a broken fibula. Replacing him will be the surprising Nick Wood who moved over from defense earlier this season to provide depth to the offensive line.
Nick Wood is a feel good story because he was hopelessly buried on defense even though the coaches liked his attitude. He actually has picked up a lot of experience and was on the verge of beating out Christine for the starting job the last couple of weeks. The key for Washington with Christine out is to develop some more depth in case of injury. This offensive line cannot afford another injury this season.
Expect Jake Locker to spend a little more time in the whirlpool this weekend. He bruised a tailbone in the second half against Arizona. Sarkisian unleashed his legs for the first time this seaon but there are always consequences to doing that. Expect UW to live more by his arm this week in Tempe. The Sun Devil secondary is the weak link to an otherwise strong defensive unit.
Oregon game on ABC
The Pac 10 announced the Oregon at Washington football game will be on ABC with a 12:30 start time. Good news for us Midwest and East coast guys who were up till 2:00 am on Saturday night.
Around the Pac
Arizona State 27 Washington State 14
Danny Sullivan ran for one touchdown and threw for another as Arizona State relied one of the conferences best defenses to beat WSU. The hapless Cougars managed only 181 yards of offense, 99 of them on the longest touchdown pass in school history. ASU turned the ball over six times but still was able to get out of town with the win.
Oregon State 38 Stanford 28
Jacquizz Rodgers ran for a career-high 189 yards and four touchdowns in Oregon State's 38-28 victory over Stanford.Rodgers' four rushing touchdowns in the game matched a school record held by several others. His older brother, James Rodgers caught six passes for 78 yards and another score for the Beavers. Stanford's Toby Gerhart, who was just starting to grab some Heisman buzz, ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns.
Oregon 24 UCLA 10
With Oregon trailing 3-0 at halftime, Kenjon Barner returned the second-half kickoff for a 100-yard touchdown, and Talmadge Jackson returned an interception 32 yards for another score just 13 seconds later. After a fumble recovery, Jeff Maehl then took a short screen pass 20 yards through traffic for the Ducks' third TD just 3:54 after halftime.
Pac Ten Power Ratings
1. USC...The Trojans had the week off to prepare for Notre Dame. As we move into the second half of the season nobody has the depth to survive it like the Trojans do. The Trojans should romp all over the Irish.
2. Oregon...This was a big road win for the Ducks who relied on defense and special teams to put UCLA away. The Ducks are a different team offensively when Masoli is out of the game.
3. Oregon State...Once again Coach Mike Riley has the Beavers primed for a great second half. The Beavers exposed Stanford as the one dimensional team we all knew they were. The key was getting out to an early lead and force Stanford to pass to keep up. You can't stop Gephart but you can take the ball out of his hands when your offense clicks.
4. Washington...The Huskies lost one they shouldn't the previous week and won one they shouldn't have this week. I guess that is how the football gods even things out.
5. Arizona...This had to be one of the toughest losses of Mike Stoops tenure. Why they didn't keep the ball on the ground late in the fourth quarter is a question Zona fans will be asking all week. Stoops went to the bubble screen well one too many times. The Wildcats need to get the bad taste out of their mouths next week against Stanford at home.
6. Stanford...The Cards were finally exposed by a gameplan that took them out of their ball control power offense. Finally a team was able to put the game in the hands of Andrew Luck. Nothing against Luck but he didn't have the tools on offense to compete to get in a track meet with Oregon State. Next up is a tough road game in Tucson.
7. UCLA...The Bruin defense played a great first half then imploded in the early minutes of the third quarter similar to what Washington did against Arizona. One big difference in this one...the Bruins don't have a guy like Jake Locker who can lead them back from the abyss.
8. California...The Bears had the week off to regroup. Cal goes up against a tough UCLA defense on the road this week. They should be able to muster the offense to beat UCLA. This game wil tell the story on this team. If they lose they are in perma-fold mode.
9. Arizona State...ASU just had enough firepower to hold on against the worst team in the BCS. Next up is a must win contest against UW in Tempe. Will Danny Sullivan continue to start or will Erickson try something else?
10. Washington State...ASU did everything they could in turning it over six times to give WSU the game. The WSU offense simply doesn't have the tools to do anything with it.
Pac 10 Offensive Player of the Week
Jacquizz Rodgers of Oregon State had ran for 189 yards and four TD's against Stanford.
Pac 10 Defensive Player of the Week
Mason Foster of Washington fourth quarter interception that was returned for a TD was the difference maker in a miracle win over Arizona.
Washington Offensive Player of the Week
Jake Locker was 12-23-1 with three TD passes. He also ran for 92 yards on eleven carries and had a 56 yard TD run in the first half.
Washington Defensive Player of the Week
Mason Foster of Washington fourth quarter interception that was returned for a TD was the difference maker in a miracle win over Arizona.
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ASU
We need to be efficient and productive against a tough devil defense. They appear to be strong up front but we have to be able to slow them down and get some production out of the running game? Quick misdirection draw plays and spreading them out should allow us to be successful enough in that department. Jake can be that extra big play running threat from a spread formation, empty backfield. I know the coaches don’t want him to run as much but this might be the game to give him some read options from that formation. If the pass is there throw it, if not and the run opens up take off!
On the other side of the ball the defense needs to step up and force Danny Sullivan into bad decision making. Pressure him and we force turnovers and win the game. If we let him sit back there like the ND quarterback we are going to struggle.
Special Teams-Obviously we HAVE to clean up the muffs and dropped snaps. We can’t win anymore games if we shoot ourselves in the foot like that. For the most part our kick coverage appears to be getting better and Folk has really made the kicking game a strength. GO DAWGS!!
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
24 hour rule for me too.
The miracle was great and just what this team needed, but its time to move on and think ASU. The team will not take ASU lightly as UA really had handed it to us up to then. Winning on the road is critical to any teams success, and this week provides us with our best chance to do that in the last two years. Our last road win Nov 3, 2007 against the Furds. ASU is very vulnerable and I like our matchups. Preseason, another game which I felt we could win, and even more confident now.
Tough to be a walkon awarded a deserving scholly this year. First Huppert, now Christine. We also have lost a lot to season ending circumstances more so than previous years when you add in Noble, Fancher, and Glenn. That and the disappearance of playing time for many who I thought would contribute this year, and I think its going to be an interesting off season when it comes after our Bowl game.
We really don’t need to do anything different in our looks for ASU. If the DL can finally get some pressure against a suspect OL and a shaky QB our chances look very good. Hopefully JL won’t have to expose his body as much this week to the beatings, we need Polk and Johri to do their job. WRs need to hang onto the ball, there will be open WRs this week in space. We need to come out with a W and also not get banged up anymore than we are, as UO has a bye week and will be very healthy. Dawgs 35-24. GO HUSKIES
Fancher?
Is he out for the season?
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Foster Effect
Not only was Mason’s decision to take a chance what brought victory home for us on Saturday, but I am hoping that this starts a much needed change in some of our defensive strategies. Very successful people are the ones of us who take chances with good results. Mr. Foster has shown that he is capable of that. Now if Nick Holt can only become more comfortable with allowing our very capable linebackers to stunt, fake & blitz, and I am pretty sure that he is, then we will stand a good chance to shut down the Devil’s offense and get out of Tempe with a convincing victory.
The offense looks good, and I think we have made enough mistakes on special teams and also with unwise & untimely penalties for this season and next. This week is the week for our young team to start putting it all together. If we can do that, Sun Devil Stadium will indeed seem like Hell for ASU! Go Dawgs!
Woof!
You are reading my mind.
That play was a great example, definitely need to take chances on defense, it will keep the opposing offense honest.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
Power rankings?
John, you ranked UCLA #7, and picked it to lose at home to #8 Cal. I think Cal will win also, but dropping from #8 in the nation to #8 in the Pac10 might be too much. If UCLA wins, its another dramatic collapse to a great team that we will have to play at the end of the season.
But more important, we need to get the D line moving this week. Holt has a difficult balancing act, if he overloads one spot, then there’s too much pressure on the undermanned spot. I kept thinking we needed to blitz UA, and when we did, they ran a rushing play to the other side of the line. Hopefully the front 4 can apply pressure on their own this week.
Lack of Power Rankings
Cal is on a two game losing streak in which they have looked terrible against the conferences two best squads. UCLA has that win over Tennessee on the road which keeps looking better each week.
After watching the UCLA offense self destruct last week I will probably favor Cal by a FG. Cal on the other hand has a history of tanking it once they are out of the conference title hunt. This is going to be a very interesting game. UCLA has the defense to shut down Cal’s offense. The key is if they can put together enough offensive production to take advantage of it.
One thing we did last week was run some center blitzes that came oh so close to succeeding. There was no way they could do that from the outside or one of those bubble screens goes all the way. This team will be doing the bend and and try not to break for the rest of the year.
by John Berkowitz on Oct 12, 2009 10:04 AM PDT up reply actions
you deserved to win this game vs arizona the way you did
did you see that big apology coming from the ncaa about the referee’s calls that went against washington vs nd and the replay booth’s decisions. all i can say is karma and the colege football gods were on your side on saturday.
by wolfmanshowlforever on Oct 12, 2009 11:59 AM PDT reply actions
preseason bowl favorites
The NCAA and the Bowl committees pretty much know who they want in their bowls. ND has a huge travelling following. Home teams in the bowl cities draw bigger crowds and make for higher TV ratings. Each win gets a higher top 25 rating and closer to a top tier bowl.
A nightmare for them the cougars vs Northwestern or BYU vs anybody. Huskies, occasionally, but three times in a row and fruit baskets will get you three years probation and no bowls.
We all know that it’s not about the money. Don’t we? The referees couldn’t possibly be in on it. Could they?
With the millions....
of dollars of TV money every week, and even bigger money with the gambling betters, it is just as sure that there are some criminals with zebra shirts, as it with those corporate execs, politicians, lawyers, judges, investment bankers, etc….. Show me were a ton-O-money goes bye & through, and you can find some sociopaths there. Makes things all that much more fun when our Huskies overcome!
i already got washington huskies +6 and 1/2 vs arizona state.
i know what you guys are saying but i can’t imagine asu getting any help from the referee’s. i would want to watch jake locker play football than anyone on asu team. i think you win the game outright. asu looked terrible vs wazzou. btw toledo has a basketball and football scandal going on right now. i live in reno/tahoe area and every game has a line except northern illinois vs toledo game. i suppose it has something to do with university of toledo giving ten points to western michigan and wmu scoring over 50 points in that game. the mac is the most corrupt conference and i will tell you why. when all those wiseguy’s were running casino’s in las vegas until the mid 80’s when it all came crashing down. most of those wiseguy’s went to cleveland ohio. there are 6 teams in the mac conference from ohio. peace out. ramble on!
by wolfmanshowlforever on Oct 12, 2009 3:42 PM PDT up reply actions
rankings
… I’m loving what the Dawgs got going … but are they #4 in the conference? My rankings:
1) Oregon
2) USC
3) Stanford
4) Or St
5) Ariz
6) UW
7) Cal
8) UCLA
9) ASU
10) WSU
It’s a mix and mash between 2 & 9, but UW’s lack of overall lack of depth and specific deficiencies on the D-line make them hard to rank ahead of Stanford, OSU and UA.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
How do you have Or St behind Stanford
…they just beat the crap out of them…
well...
…Or St is one of those teams that is hard to peg. They opened against Portland St, then they barely beat a horrible (and I mean horrible) UNLV team (I watched that game – OSU would have lost it if they had not been bailed out by a poor pass interference call), then they went on to lose two in a row, including a home game against Arizona.
Stanford has lost twice, but both on the road and both to respectable foes. They haven’t put up any stinkers against bad teams and they’ve been perfect at home. That hints to me that they might be more consistent. It’s close, but I think Stanford is better and I think as Luck gets more games, he makes the overall team better and better.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
Oh Gekko
So we dispatch Arizona and you rank them higher than UW?
It is all about Scoreboard Baby from week to week.
Was Arizona better…sure…but did they win?
yeah - but Stanford dispatched us...and we dispatched USC. That logic gets difficult.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
The Logic
The logic used is to put a lot more emphasis on the most recent game for all teams.
by John Berkowitz on Oct 14, 2009 7:26 AM PDT up reply actions
Trivia question
During Tys 4 years as HC at UW (11-37 overall) , only 1 HC lost to him twice. Name that coach.
ans: Mike Stoops
Ouch!...
…what an accomplishment! I remember that Zona game where Stanback threw up a 70 yard pass and scored a TD baby! If I remember right that was like only one of two wins that season. I think he did that right before the half. Unreal…
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
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