Washington vs Idaho Preview
by John Berkowitz on Sep 11, 2009 7:00 AM PDT
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PrintWashington meets Idaho in a matchup between two of the worst teams in the country in 2008. Both teams are improved in 2009 and the Vandals are sky high after winning its opener against New Mexico State on the road last weekend.
Washiington gave LSU all it could handle last week keeping with the Tigers late into the fourth quarter till the game was ultimately decided by a long LSU drive.
Washington is a 21 point favorite and as you can see below are superior on paper in every area to Idaho. As we saw last week paper is one thing and the playing field is quite another if you don't take your opponent seriously.
Position Match Ups
Quarterback - Washington...Both QB's have comparable experience but Locker is the superior athlete in about every possible way.
Tailbacks - Washington...UW's stable of running backs will have little trouble wearing down the Idaho defense. Think SJSU vs USC. Idaho has some good backs but the UW interior is going to neutralize them
Fullback - Washington...Paul Homer had mostly blocking duties against LSU but we should see him unveiled over the middle against Idaho.
Wide Receivers - Washington...James Johnson just may end up being the Pac 10 freshman of the year
Tight Ends - Washington...Kavario Middleton showed you waht he is capable of by outplaying an all SEC TE last weekend.
Offensive Line - Washington...Idaho had to rebuild their offensive line. Washington's surprised last week against a national power by helping the offense gain almost 500 yards of total offense.
Defensive Tackle...Washington...Alameda Ta'amu is a budding star. Cameron Elisara showed why the coaches think he is one of the most improved players on the team.
Defensive End...Washington...Danie Teo Neshiem is going to have a field day against Idaho. Darion Jones has a bruised knee but should be back. Kelani Aldrich had a very good game filling in for Jones.
Linebacker...Washington...Idaho doesn't have athletes on the roster that compares to Washington's starting three.
Cornerback...Washington...Desmond Trufant and David Batts are going to play quite a bit on Saturday to get them prepared for USC and the conference schedule. Washington wants physical size at the corners.
Safety...Washington...Idaho has a couple of good safeties. Washington obviously has better athletes but somebody needs to emerge beside Nate Williams.
Special Teams...Washington...We didn't see much from the return game against LSU. Folk is a work in progress at PK. Mahan is on the way to being special. Nansen was beilliant last week in the way he negated the LSU return game.
Game Matchups
Washington running game versus the Idaho defense
Washington put up good running numbers against a very good LSU defense even though they tired a bit in the second half. That won't happen against Idaho because Washington has the superior talent going into this one. I looke for the Huskies to be able to rush for over 200 yards against the Vandals without relying much on Jake Locker.
Washington Passing Game versus the Idaho defense
Jake Locker looked like a different player against LSU. He played within himself most of the game and the coaching he has received since Sark and company arrived was obvious. Idaho's defense isn't exactly a pushover but Washington should be able to physically dominate these guys in about every phase.
Idaho rushing game versus the Washington defense
Idaho lives by the running game and they have three good running backs. Washington was able to contain LSU last week and because of that they are going to be able to shut down the Vandals and force them into third and long situations for most of the game. Take away the Vandal running game and you beat the Vandals,
Idaho passing game versus the Washington Defense
Nathan Enderle is an experienced QB who has an average arm and less than average mobility. If he gets support from the running game he can be adequate as he was last weekend against New Mexico State. Washington is capable of shutting down the Vandal ruch and that means everything wil be on enderle's shoulders which is bad news for Idaho. Even with Washington's secondary in progress the Idaho receivers will have a problem getting to the ball because they simply aren't even close to being the type of athletes that the LSU group was.
The special teams battle
The player of the week last weekend for Washington special teams was coach Johnny Nansen. With sleight of hand he took away the LSU return game. Washington will get a chance to show its wheels in the return game this week and the results are going to be promising. Will Mahan is only going to get better every week. Keep an eye on Erik Folk this weekend. His improvement will be crucial as the season continues. The more confidence he develops the better.
The intangibles
The big intangible in this one is Washington's ability to come out with the same intensity they had against LSU. Washington isn't a great football team. UW is headed in the right direction but they need to be up for every game and every play. Washington's coaching staff is very aware of this and you can count on the fact that they are hammering it home this week.
Every player on the Idaho roster wanted to play for a Pac 10 team. Idaho is going to have no problem getting up for this one. Washington is Idaho's LSU!
Idaho is a scrappy team with a lot of life in them after opening the season with a win. Keep an eye on the Vandal safeties who were impressiv elast weekend. They had to be because the corners have a lot of work to do.
Game Notes
Idaho won its first opener in a decade last week and it was the Vandals first road win since 2006.
The Huskies are 34-2-2 all-time against Idaho, the last loss coming in 1905. Idaho was once a member of what is currently the Pac 10. The two teams last tied in 1938. In other words, this matchup has been all Washington in modern days, including wins of 34-6, 53-3 and 44-20 this decade.
Husky assistants Johnny Nansen, Joel Thomas, Doug Nussmeier, Mike Anderson, Nick Holt, Jeff Mills and Dan Cozzetto all have played or coached at Idaho.
Idaho WR coach Luther Carr Jr. was on Rick Neuheisel's staff at UW. His father Luther Sr. played at UW in the late 1950's. His Uncle David was an all Pac 10 performer in basketball in the 1960's. His other Uncle...Gary Carr was a top defensive back in the 1960's. The Carr family may have one of the largest sports legacies in the Pacific Northwest since so many of Luther's cousins on his fathers side have received athletic scholarships. UW CB Matt Mosley is the latest member of the Carr family to attend UW on scholarship. Luther Jr. told me that while his father's families athletic achivements are impressive his mother's extended family might even be better. Luther played football at Easter Washington but his blood has always been purple.
Idaho punter Bobby Cowan was named WAC special teams player of the week after averaging 49 yards per boot against NMSU.
With one game under their belts, Husky newcomers like wide receiver James Johnson, cornerback Desmond Trufant, punter Will Mahan and tight end Dorson Boyce are fair game for interviews beginning this week.
Sarkisian said that he wants to get wide receiver Jermaine Kearse on the field more, even if that means using him as a slot receiver.
“I don’t know,” Victor Aiyewa said when asked whether he expects to start against Idaho. “The coaches have a reason for whatever they want to do. When the coaches say go, I go!”
Washington's roster includes only one player from Idaho: offensive lineman Terance Thomas.
According to research conducted by Utah State's sports information department, Washington is one of only two Division I FBS schools this year with an entirely new staff, including GAs (Utah State is the other).
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do we show something new?
So, should we show a new wrinkle on a few plays this week against Idaho? By doing so, while eliminating the surprise factor against USC and forcing USC to adjust on game day if its succesful, also might force USC to plan against it and thus negate by having to cover and leave somebody home. Or should we be vanilla and just pound Idaho and let USC guess when we play?
James Johnson could be freshman of the year...
… but I think Matt Barkley, Kevin Prince, LaMichael James, Vontaze Burfict and Chris Polk have to be considered the favorites.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
The Spread Stuff could've been vanilla
In the eyes of Sark, could the spread we ran vs. LSU be considered vanilla? We ran a lot of spread stuff in the 2nd half vs. LSU and a lot of it was unsuccessful. So my question to you all is, did we go vanilla vs. LSU and still come close to winning?
Actually I’m not buing it. I think Sark is the sort of coach that puts stuff out there and your job is to stop it. Coach Sark has an endless playbook and everything is by design. I say throw it out there and see what happens. We need a win this weekend, so do whatever you think you need to do to get that done.
We may see a totally different scheme vs. USC anyway. I think Sark can be a magician, in the sense that we could look one way one week and come back completely different the next. One thing I do know for sure- stop calling the bubble screens- we haven’t been good at screens since Damon Huard played ball here.
All I saw was purple
I thought we ran the spread pretty damn well ...
… against LSU. There is a lot we should be able to do out of that offense with Jake’s skills.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
You're kidding right?
The spread stuff worked well. As for playing vanilla against LSU, you’d have to be a fool to truly believe that load of crap, and it doesn’t sound like you really believe it either.
As for Idaho, I doubt we show any part of the playbook that hasn’t already been shown, unless of course the game is much closer than we expect.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
What no comment on the bubble screen thing? I thought I’d have 20 rebuttles by now. No I don’t agree we went vanilla on LSU, yet I am very suspicious about the spread we saw vs. LSU and how much of it we’ll see down the road.
All I saw was purple
Sark seems to be a pretty smart guy.
And if he is half as smart as you say he is, he is going to do what is best for this team, and what gives us the best odds at winning football games. Needless to say, I’ve got bad news for you, with all the WR’s we have, and the fact that we have Jake Locker, I’m pretty sure you’re going to see some spread formations throughout the season. To get the best results, you MUST adapt your system to best use the talents of your players.
By adapting his offense, Sark is proving to me that he knows what he is doing, and could be successful at it for a long time. I love the offense I saw last week, 478 yards of offense against LSU. If you don’t like an offense that puts up those numbers, you should become a rugby fan.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
It's all design
Theirs a ton of stuff to learn with the pro- to me it seems as if Sark is bringing in the po style offense slowly. What I found great about the offense we saw was that Locker and the offense looked crisp in what they were doing. I think Sark is going to bring it all in slowly. At the same time I think you’re right. I think Sark plans to keep portions of the spread that Jake had learned. Having both in the offense gives the opponent something else to consider when gameplanning us. Eventually the spread will be phased out, but it will be a process.
I do favor Locker under center then in shot gun. I personally thought when we ran pro stuff we moved the chains better. We saw more spread stuff in the 2nd half and didn’t quite get it done. Not saying that it was the offensive scheme, we just didn’t execute it to the best of our ability.
We’re going to be pro, don’t kid yourself. But it is wise to show spread to confuse the opponent- we’ll run spread but it’s not our bread and butter anymore- Thank God!
All I saw was purple
Eventually the spread will be phased out, but it will be a process.
I doubt it. Mobile QB’s are becoming the norm. If Keith Price wins the job in 2011, I’d bet the spread and some of the read-option plays out of the spread remain.
I agree that the spread and the read-option plays will no longer be the primary offense for the UW under Sark, but I really doubt he ditches it entirely. We saw last Saturday that he’s fully willing to run spread formations. I’m sure part of that is Jake – you spread the field wide with 5 receivers and that gives Jake lots of options to pass or run against a defense that is spread out.
Price is also a good runner, and Montana can move well enough that I think there will be some spread in his offense when he’s at QB.
Agree with kirkd
Is it painful Crazi? Is Sark letting you down? It must have been a shock seeing spread formations being run in your beloved pro style system!
As you said Crazi, having a little bit of spread mixed in with the pro style just gives the other team that much more to plan for. I think Sark will continue to adapt the offense to best suit his players, but remember, at BYU he played in a more pass happy offense. I expect Sark to use less of the spread formation in future years, but it will not disappear from the playbook.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
Look at the big picture fellas
we don’t have pro style talent right now, so it makes perfect sense to use a little of both and that is what you saw last week vs. LSU.
And I might add that we may see less of the spread from here on out. Why? Because in the first half we ran mostly pro stuff and our offense was clicking. In the second half a lot of spread and we simply didn’t get it done. Coincidence? Not hardly.
And if you think Sark is going to run spread to use Locker’s running talent you are sadly mistaken. Sark doesn’t want Locker to be the offense anymore. He (Sark) wants Locker to distribute the ball to key members of the offense. Running Locker running plays will only get him banged up, injured, and out for the season. We can’t afford that, especially in Sark’s very important first year on the job- with recruits lining up. We lose Locker to another season ending injury and it would be completely devastating.
What you are seeing involving the spread right now is a different look from our offense. We don’t have pro style talent yet so we have to offer the opposition a different look by scheming and the spread may or may not get that done. Everything we ran in the spread was “safe” plays. Translation: stuff that won’t get Jake hurt.
“Pass happy” refers to a one-demensional offense. You have to have balance between run and pass. If you merely run, the defense will stack the box and key the run. If you only pass and let it fly, the defense will key pass.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We saw some spread stuff in week 1, I thought we looked better in pro in the first half and we moved the chains better too. We can sit hit and go around the room on who’s right and who’s wrong. I just want the offense to keep moving the chains and hopefully we can get it done in the redzone. Pro or spread or both- let’s just score!
All I saw was purple
I didn't see any difference in pro/spread ration from first half to second
The spread is going to be part of the equation – Jake is simply too dangerous for it not to. This doesn’t mean that he necessarily runs it like Dennis Dixon did.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
Potentially better...
…but yeah Dixon took the execution of it to a very high level. His ball fakes were fantastic. He was a very fluid athlete.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
I think Sark is gonna use whatever offense he has to, for the job to get done. We saw the spread against LSU because pounding the rock up the gut against them every other play wasn’t gonna work so spreading them out was the best point of attack. I love it actually. I like the pro style better, but I like wins more than any preference to offense.
I’m down for whatever puts the Dawgs in the top 25 again!!!
by ChazzReinhold on Sep 11, 2009 3:20 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah I think...
…to completely take Locker out of the run is ridiculous. The guy has serious wheels and is a big time threat. I also believe he wants to run the ball. You’ve got to incorporate that into your offense.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Keep telling yourself that Crazi.
There was no difference between the halfs. Sark is smart, he’s going to do what works, and that means keeping the threat of Jake running alive and well. You might not like it, but it works and Sark knows it.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
Yes it does...
…you’ve got Jake Locker back there for heavens sake. When you can shift in and out of both of those looks you put SOOOOOOOO much pressure on a defense!
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
I have no issue with the bubble screens. We have guys that can make plays in space, so it makes sense to get the ball to them in space. Especially with the spread formations where guys like C. Polk and Homer get split wide. We all know Homer can block, we’ve seen Polk block well on James Johnson’s TD against LSU, and I saw multiple cases of Johnson himself blocking well against LSU. If you see the defense in a zone coverage against a spread formation and you have guys out wide that can block, why wouldn’t you run the bubble screen?
Love the Spread
Hate the Spread Option. The spread is a good way to create mismatches when you dont have the talent to run a pure Pro Style. Once Sark gets the pieces I think he will go more to USC style offense but if it aint broken why fix it? Lets talk after the USC to see if its an effective offense.
Exactly
Who cares what system we run, as long as it works. 487 yards of offense = A productive offense.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
487 yards of offense = A productive offense.
487 yards and 36 minutes TOP = A productive offense. Still, needed more than 23 points…
Couldn't agree more
487 yards + Mistakes/Turnovers = 23 points
487 yards + No mistakes = 42+ points
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
But remember...
…the saying, “jack of all trades and master of none”? That was a discussion we had before, do you go fully with the pro or have some spread added in there? I say why not, if you had 5 or 6 spread option plays just to go away from the pro and keep a defense off balance is a good thing. Bellotti didn’t believe in it but maybe that was because there is enough balance and diversity in that offense to not have to go that route.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
We can beat Idaho playing straight up
Nothing fancy just good ole running the ball on the ends and through the tackles and passing the ball will get is a victory.
I’m most excited about seeing the Defense step up and become a dominant force. They’ll need that confidence boost before playing USC.
Agreed; they probably need the reps in the run game more than anything
This would be a great game to exercise the new blocking schemes. They ran a bit against LSU but mostly it was Polk making things happen on the outside. Idaho gives the Dawgs a great chance to get a lot of zone blocking work in against a real opponent. Execute the basic runs, especially between the tackles like you said.
I’d also like to see a successful run game setting up a bit more play-action; we saw almost none of that against LSU. Again, Idaho is a good opponent to practice that against, to build up Jake’s confidence turning his back to the line of scrimmage and then looking downfield.
Anyway, that’s what I’d do. Run, run, run, rotate personnel and run, run, run some more. Then again, if the coaches want to try out some gimmicky passing stuff and run up the score, that’ll be fine with me, too.
Good we'll need him more for USC
And frankly I see Aldrich as being better by years end.
yes he looks faster to me
And I don’t think weight is too much of a problem …see Nick Reed
I know the coaches...
…were very high on him when he was signed. I’m not sure he’s better now but if he is the better athlete now is his chance.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Everette Thompson?
What happened to him? He was a budding star last season and the coaches saw a future starter. It’s just amazing to me how different coaching staffs can see or choose to see differences. I gotta tell ya though I trust this staff WAY more!
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Everette Thompson
they are trying to build individual depth at each position….Thompson is DTN’s backup, Aldrich is Darrion Jones backup. Instead of having one guy be the backup for every position..
I realize they say that but...
…he was raved about last season and I find it hard to believe he couldn’t make the switch to the opposite end position. Apparently he has slipped in the eyes of this staff compared to the TW administration. You could be right but I still wonder?
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
I’m not sure he’s necessarily slipped. I think it’s probably more accurate to say that Jones & Aldrich have really stepped up, and the staff doesn’t feel compelled to move Thompson over to the other side.
It should also be noted that Thompson was dealing with a bum foot/ankle (can’t recall exactly which it was) late in Fall Camp, so I’m sure the staff would rather not rush Thompson back on to the field if they don’t have to.
That would make sense...
…get him well so he can play 100%. GO DAWGS!!
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Where does the Chrichton (sp?)...
…fit into this mix? I heard he may see the field today.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
I think he’s 3rd behind Jones and Aldrich, and since Jones is out still with the bruised knee, Crichton will see action as Aldrich’s backup.
Aldrich & Crichton
Saw even time today, Aldrich got the start, but playing time was split pretty even.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
Like murchy said
we need all our horses for $C.
I think the D line will do just fine without Jones for this game so let him rest the knee.
To be honest I'm not all that worried about Idaho.
I thought we actually played real well against LSU, maybe even out played them, but we were done in by turnovers and inefficiency in the red zone. We looked legit on defense for the most part, stilll had a few missed tackles that cost us but nothing too bad. We looked like a good team, which is something you couldn’t say last year. Unlike LSU, Idaho doesn’t have any superior athletes so we should be able to win easily.
by subliminalnirvanaist on Sep 11, 2009 4:58 PM PDT reply actions
Good point...
…I had forgotten about that. Our redzone efficiency has to improve. We can NOT turn the ball over! On defense the open field tackling needs to improve and we didn’t seem to be able to get consistent penetration to pressure the QB and to blow up those lateral running plays.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
I agree but...
…those comments make me nervous!
so we should be able to win easily.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Colorado is getting hammered...
…by Toledo. A great coach at BSU doesn’t necessarily cut it at the next level.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Still a very valid point
Colorado lost to Colorado State last week, Hawkins is definitely on the hot seat. I’m rather surprise at how many “good” coaches come out of Boise State, yet fail at their next school. Things that make you say, hhmmmm.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
The Bufs
I’m actually quite surprised by Dan Hawkins inability to turn the page at Colorado. But is it his fault? Not so sure. The Big 12 North is a wasteland! When the Big 12 originated out of the Big Eight and Southwest Conference the new Big 12 Conference looked great on paper. But since the inception, both Nebraska and Colorado have deteriorated into nothing.
The Big 12 North is wasteland. To a point that Mizzou and Kansas have become the kingpins. YIKES!!!
Colorado is in between recruiting corners on the map. They are in between hotbed Texas and hotbed California and their really not much in between or local. So there you go. Hawkins is sweating perfusely in trying to rebuild some of the recruiting trails and is not getting it done. I think the Colorado job was a good fit for Hawkins personally, but professionallly probably not so much. The Big 12 North is a wasteland.
All I saw was purple
Another reason why...
…Colorado might jump at the chance to play in the Pac-10. Not saying it’ll happen necessarily but if they think they can be more competitive? I think Idaho should have stayed in the Big Sky, Boise State is still small by BCS standards, I think they were lucky to have made a successful transition.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
I think Colorado would benefit from getting more exposure in California and the western states. I know there are a lot more factors than just football in that decision, but I agree – I think Colorado could benefit from being in the Pac-10. I guess the question is, in which conference would they be more competitive?
Yeah I thought...
…after watching that game that no way did they beat CSU. I really thought they were coming back but did you see that QB make that TD run? That kid is no Jake Locker but it shows how dangerous having that “option” is for an offense!
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Holy Toledo, could TW's Dawgs beat the 2009 Buffs?
Dan Hawkins was one of my top choices when we replaced Gilby. I wanted the BSU coach then, and I wanted him again for this year…but it was Peterson this time. No complaints about Sark being picked. In fact the coolest quote was when J Fogerson said the speed of the LSU game was actually slower than practice. I still have that blur in my mind from the Oregon game last year when the UW was thinking about lining up and the Zeros had already snapped the ball.
I’m amazed at how adults in WA know about high school kids in Cali, its just too deep for me. So what I want to know is…could TW’s team beat the current Colo Buffs? You can answer with or without Jake. I guess the other question would be if the game would be over/under 4 hours.
The streak dies tomorrow, whether you think its 0-1 or 0-15, GO DAWGS!
Loved that quote too...
..you go out and play the game and it’s slower! LOL!
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
2009 was a total meltdown...
…I think if Jake plays they win though. I think the team with Jake lost and Ty fired just went through the motions.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
The Buffs are this year's UW from 2008
Opelt is a nice QB – but that 61 yd TD run was a picture of a slow guy running through a herd of defeated players going virtually untouched. That is an embarrassment that will cost the entire team this season. I was shocked at how bad the Buffs were last night.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
Yeah I'm not sure...
…if Hawkins gets another season. I think he may be gone.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Unless of course...
…he beats most of the Big 12 competition later but don’t really see that happening.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
If he beats most of the Big 12
he deserves a raise. When Bob Davie added some comments to the game I was disappointed he didn’t tell us how many miles CU had traveled to Toledo.
that's cuz the game was at Toledo
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
by Gekko Mojo on Sep 12, 2009 12:01 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
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