What can go right or wrong in 2009
by John Berkowitz on Aug 9, 2009 7:00 AM PDT
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PrintEvery football season has an event or events were things take a turn for the better or the worse.
Take the year Washington was headed to a bowl berth after a good start under second year coach Ty Willingham only to see that go up in smoke when Isaiah Stanback suffered a Liz Franc injury. The Huskies finished 5-6 and only won one more game.
Jake Locker throws the ball in the air after what looks to be the tying score against BYU and is penalized. Washington misses the PAT and suffers a demoralizing loss. Jake is knocked for the season against OSU and the Huskies finish 0-12.
Rick Neuheisel was off to a clunky start at Washington when he asked Marques Tuiasosopo and Pat Coniff about the option they ran in HS. The coaches adjusted the offense and magic happened. Tuiasosopo became the only player in NCAA history to pass for over 300 yards and run for over 200 yards in a game, during a 35-30 victory over Stanford later that season. The Huskies finished 6-2 in conference and went to the Holiday Bowl. The next season the Dawgs went to the Rose Bowl and clobbered Purdue.
Things that can go seriously right in 2009
- Jake Locker stays healthy all season.
- Jake Locker starts delivering the ball with accuracy first and running second.
- The running backs stay healthy and produce over 100 yards per game.
- The young wide receivers grow up and take it to another level.
- The offensive line works together better in 2009 and does not wear down as much.
- The interior of the defense line improves freeing up Teo Nesheim, and Jones to harrass on the outside.
- The starting linebackers stay healthy all season.
- Dominique Gaisie locks down his side of the field at corner.
- The play at safety improves and become more enforcer like. Wells and Batts are tremendous additions.
- Kevin Folk is able to convert PAT's and FG's.
Things that can go seriously right or wrong in 2009
- Jake Locker gets injured.
- Locker's accuracy doesn't improve and he relies on his legs.
- Injuries and inconsistency at RB.
- The young wide receivers drop too many balls.
- The performance of the offensive line is the same as it was in 2008.
- The interior of the defensive line continues to struggle putting extra pressure on the LB's and limiting the effectiveness of Teo Nesheim to make big plays.
- Injuries hit two or mor eof the starting linebackers.
- UW isn't able to develop a lock down cornerback.
- Batts doesn't make it in. Wells does not come back in fall camp quick enough to contribute.
- Kevin Folk converts kicks like he did this past spring.
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what can go right?
I think that QRich and NWill both have the chops to become playmakers. If they both breakout this year under Holt’s adjusted defense, one of our biggest weaknesses gets shored up in a hurry.
Gekko is in Vegas .. Sin City will never be the same.
It appears Batts is...
…going to help solidy that unit too. If Wells is healthy we’ll have some needed depth back there. It’ll be interesting to see who takes the other corner position. I am just jacked to see Batts out there with number 25! Where it should be, out on the field, laying the lumber!
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
It's on Jake Locker
Not saying Jake Locker is above team, but if Locker goes down, the season will be tough to absorb. Sark knows this all too well. He knows he has to keep Locker healthy for the duration of the season- without Locker the team has very little chance to improve.
The coaches know it and the players know it. Lose Locker and it’s a tough pill to swollow. Right now Jake Locker is the life boat for this team. The players don’t have Sark and Holt in the huddle. Our players have Jake’s pressence in the huddle. Jake can will this team to wins, but he’s got to be a leader of men, first and foremost before assuming the role as quarterback. If the troops don’t trust the man calling the shots then nobodies going over that hill.
More then anything Jake has got to become a leader of men this season. He hasn’t shown me much trust of his receivers and fellow offensive players since arriving. Tebow? That dude get’s in the face of his defensive teammates. Not a big fan of Tim Tebow, but that guy is a field general! Seriously think the first attribute of QBing is being a “leader of men”. Without it, members of the offense won’t place much trust in the guy. It’s all on Jake Locker. He has no choice but to accept it. But being a better field general, leading the troops over that hill, and trusting your support personnel would/could build something special. Without it, the team will struggle offensively.
All I saw was purple
What can go right for the Huskies....
might also include what can go wrong for opponents. I know it’s obvious, and a kinda convoluted way of looking at it, but there it is.
what can go wrong
if sark does not find a way to use polk and shaw together, eather or in the slot to max speed and create bad match-ups
Sorry for being nit-picky, but this article needs a bit of editing love:
- It’s Eric Folk, not Kevin;
- The injury is a “lisfranc”, not “Liz Franc”;
- Locker was knocked out of action last year against Stanford, not Oregon State
Other than that, I agree with your points. I think we’ve got a really good shot at surprising a lot of people and winning 5+ games. I think there’s a lot more talent here than people give us credit for – it’s just that the team chemistry sucked last year and only got worse when Jake was lost for the year and it became clear Ty was a lame duck coach. A healthy Jake, a return of E.J., some infusion of immediate help from guys like Batts & Gaisie and a much better attitude and better coaching should equal a big turnaround this year, even with the tough schedule.
Yeah - I know Liz
Liz Franc? Went to college with her. She was known to get around the jock circles. I understand that she was with Stanback for a while. What a b*tch.
Gekko is in Vegas .. Sin City will never be the same.
Yeah, she's a total slut.
Donny Mateaki dated her during the spring and summer before his senior year, but dumped her at the start of fall. Doesn’t matter though – she messed with him so bad he just wasn’t right the whole year.
oh - and don't forget how she made a sugar daddy out of ...
… big Juan last year.
Gekko is in Vegas .. Sin City will never be the same.
Anybody read the Realdawg headlines this weekend?
They’re saying that Joshua Shaw almost committed to the Dawgs and then went on and unofficial to Blowhio state and now has them as his leader. I know the second part is true, but I’m wondering if he really almost committed. If he did…fuuuuuuuuhhhh!!! So close!
He’s still visiting on 9/5 though, so that’s good news
I put very little credence in what Realdawg says.
Besides, even if true, it wouldn’t have made much difference if Shaw had committed – he was probably going to take visits anyway. Remember, nothing is final until signing day…
I was thinking about the LSU game and all the guys that are visiting that day. You notice that pretty much all of them are the most sought after guys in this class? Great strategy… get the best guys in first so they have the first opportunity to commit and let the class fill out throughout the season.
As far as recruiting is concerned, I really wanna see good defensive backs in this class…some guys that will make you pay for throwing their direction.
by ChazzReinhold on Aug 9, 2009 11:16 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, Sark is putting a lot of chips in that LSU game basket. Easy to see why – should be a great atmosphere. I just hope the Huskies give them a good game and don’t get stomped. A win would obviously be huge.
I think the biggest need in this class is OL – Sark whiffed in the 2009 class and depth is non-existent. Gotta rebuild the trenches. And don’t think Montana won’t be paying attention…
Absolutely agree on OL. I hope Kohler, Rowland and Tanigawa commit. Along the DL I wanna see Sione Potoa’e and Happy Iona the most. Montana and Kohler’s buddy Fua is a DE that we could possibly pick up if Kohler ends up here.
by ChazzReinhold on Aug 10, 2009 9:16 AM PDT up reply actions
#11 in the seriously right category
we have a new much more dynamic coach
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