Washington shows well in opener
by John Berkowitz on Sep 5, 2009 11:20 PM PDT
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31-23 isn't exactly a bad outcome in the opening game against a perenial top ten program like LSU. if you look at the final stats you might find it stunning that Washington lost this game. UW outgained LSU 478 to 321 yards! The difference in this one was big plays and penalties. The Pac 10 refs did their best SEC imitiation by questionably penalizing the Huskies for 11 penalties for 85 yards in comparison to 3 for 35 for the Tigers. The ofifciating as usual in the Pac 10 was bad and had a anti UW slant.
The keys to the game were a couple big plays by LSU and crucial UW turnovers. UW was in this one almost the entire game but the last LSU drive was a gamebreaker. LSU looked tired in the fourth quarter but the bottomline is they are a team that knows how to win and UW isn't quite there yet.
I think UW did better than anyone expected, We outplayed LSU most of the night and based on other Pac 10 games I saw this weekend we have a very good chance of finishing in the first division. Make no mistatke about it Husky football has turned the corner despite the loss.
The difference on the sidelines was obvious. The Husky staff was ready for this game and was very much involved and working with its players throughout the game. it was night and day in comparison the what we saw from Oregon on Thursday.
Washington is goiing to win more games then they lose this season...you can count on it.
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Damn the Dawgs looked good
Clearly our secondary (Walker in particular) blew coverage bigtime, but besides that our run D looked SICK… big boy Charles Scott did minimal damage and we played with a lotta fire.
James Johnson is a superstar in the making. C Polk and Fogerson are gonna be the s**t this year. One question, if I remember correctly our two big plays from Fogerson and Johnson seemed like they were screens that went for big yards… why didnt we do that in the second half?!
Overall I’m freaking pumped to see what our Dawgs will become under Sark and Co.
DAWGS
6 wins looks good
I think we can beat Stanford and UCLA on the road and maybe OSU and home victories should be Oregon, Idaho and WSU.
We’re on our way.
My two favorite plays
Locker threading the needle to complete a 3rd down and C Polk stiffarming 2 dudes. Damn that kid is shifty!
Couldnt watch the game (DVR'd it for when I get home to Philly tomorrow)
but two quick points I was hoping you guys could help me with…
First it seems we have a great punter on our hands in Mahan. 42 avg and did he get two inside the 20?
Second, the time of possesion and total plays paints a great picture. 36 minutes compared to 23 minutes…WOW. Locker is over 50% passing and threw for over 300 yards. Awesome to see.
Cant wait to see the game tomorrow night with my own eyes and really give my thoughts.
I kept telling myself...
3rd down and managable. In the first half we did manage 3rd down pretty good. We did get a little strung out in the 2nd half, but still within striking distance.
All I saw was purple
mahan didn't thrill
in fact, the field position kicking was one of the dawgs’ weaker aspects tonight. mahan didn’t look bad, per se, but not good either with only one kick sticking out in my mind as being “good.” likewise, although eric folk was very good on field goals, his efforts on the kickoffs were largely awful. it feels weird to say this, but i’ve never been more pleased with a husky loss as this game was lost on a pick six and a few questionable calls (but also a couple or three plays of outright bad coverage downfield as tiger receivers were able to coast into the end zone on more than one occasion). but in the end, tonight’s huskies team would have beat last year’s huskies team by about thirty and i will be surprised if the huskies finish the regular season with less than six wins. i’ll sleep well tonight is my bottom line.
Our leather lungs together...
Don't read too much into it.
He has a HUGE leg, and Sark was doing EVERYTHING possible to keep the ball away from LSU’s returner.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
clearly they were short-kicking on kickoffs to keep the ball away from Holiday.
Folk was fine. I would’ve loved to have that 42 yarder, as well – but the glaring issue to fix for week 2 is tackling in our secondary (with catching the ball being a close #2)
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
Are you serious?
Mahan was AWESOME last night.
I wouldn’t go that far – when Sark decided to punt on 4th and 4 from the LSU 40 in the 2nd quarter (correct decision by the way, play the field position game), Mahan drilled the punt well into the end zone for the touchback. We were playing field position, and Mahan did not deliver.
He was good, but when you make a big mistake like that you can’t be called “awesome”.
First punt as a D-1 punter...
will cause an adrenaline dump. The kid got excited, he settled down after that, found his groove and delivered. He had a couple of very nice kicks.
I can't wait for next week
Dawgs are back!
by B Money on Sep 5, 2009 11:53 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
i was very impressed
if washington puts as much effort in every game as they did tonight, 6 wins is a definite possibility.
Texas Football 09
Sounds like that is the case.
How did the defense look. I can look at stats but what about their passion and fire? Any sacks, TFL’s, big hits, etc?
Lots of good hits
Not really many TFL, to much speed on the option.
Ta’amu had a nice sack and our run D was killer. Secondary leaves a bit to be desired.
by B Money on Sep 6, 2009 12:01 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
If I am Wright, Shaw or Hill
I come to UW with the opportunity to start from day one and play for a great coaching staff.
i only got to see the first husky drive and the second half
but from what i saw, Washington was pumped. I saw a lot of big hits, on the huskys and by the huskys. To me it looked like they played with a chip on their shoulder.
But i do not watch every husky game, i watch my longhors first and if i get an opportunity i watch the huskys. So im sure that someone else could give you a better description on how well they played compared to how they have played in the past. But from what i saw, they looked about ten times better than they did last season, and the intensity and emotion was about a thousand times better.
As far as coaching goes, this is one of the better and more involved coaching staffs in the country. They were very involved in the game, and the kids seemed to have a lot more fun with this staff.
Texas Football 09
I hope they keep it rolling
We need to win next week and play USC tough (if not beat them) to get this thing going! We need a big win to hang our hats on. Im glad to hear that the emotion was there.
Right now...
The best defense is a good offense.
Sure we played better on defense, but we had too many guys out of position to make plays at times. All the LSU big plays were the result of personnel being out of position.
But this stuff we can fix by teaching defensive alignment.
All I saw was purple
Sacks and hits...
Daniel Teo Nesheim had a sack, as well as Ta Amu. Jordan Jefferson took a couple nasty hits! The first one took him out of the game for a play, I honestly didn’t think we would come back. He looked silly when he got up!
Actually...
DTN didn’t even have a tackle, but Ta’amu had one sack, nearly two, and Aldrich nearly had one as well.
So many things looked good
Obviously there were several plays we would want a do over on, like Jake’s one really bad pass. On D, the LSU receivers would have beaten the last years DBs many more times. Holt will work on ending the home runs, and things look good.
Chazz, do SICK and S**T mean good, like in “we be bad”? You need to write in English so the old guys can understand what you are saying.
Big Dave, the punter looked good. The kicker was OK. A shakey first extra point, then 2 FGs, followed by a long, but uglier attempt. The kickoffs were either terrible, or we were scared to kick it to them. The scrimmage I saw displayed either terrible coverage on kick offs or multiple All-American return men. I doubt if we have that many great kick off returners. If Folk can only kick it to the 30, maybe we should try the punter (Mahan) on kick offs.
Mistakes were made, but overall I think our optimism was proved correct. This will be a fun season. LSU will be a top 10 team next week and we should be proud.
sorry my man
i meant sick as in they looked really good and played with a lotta fire. According to LSU fans we were supposed to get absolutely steamrolled by Scott and just looking at it we shut him down.
there are two different meanings to s**t. for example “we are the s**t!” is good and “we looked like s**t” is bad. hope this helps.
DAWGS
by ChazzReinhold on Sep 6, 2009 1:08 AM PDT up reply actions
It was a great start
Hello, long time Husky fan, first time poster. I was excited by the Huskies today, and I have hope now for the future of the program!
I worry that the pass defense will be torched by a good passing offense, the offense is inconsistent and survived primarily by converting an insane number of third and longs (this is not a recipe for success), and the kick teams leave a lot to be desired. If the plan was for Folk to kickoff short, then that’s fine. But if that’s him kicking his maximum distance on kickoffs, then dawgdude is right, we’ll need a new specialist. I find it hard to believe he wasn’t kicking short on purpose, though.
But overall, it was a great effort. The team played with intensity and emotion. I felt the defensive line played great against the LSU offensive line, really forcing LSU to change their gameplan on offense by shutting down the run most of the game. With Polk, the Huskies have a star running back in the making. The offensive line had good protection but struggled to open up running lanes after the first quarter. And Locker looked better as a quarterback than he did the previous two seasons, which is encouraging.
Anyway, I look forward to the rest of the season and feel this team can compete against every team on the schedule the rest of the year!
fortunately, this is a down year for Pac 10 passing offenses.
the Huskies and the Ducks project as the best air attacks in the pac 10 this year.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
I was downright
http://www.spartyandfriends.com/
by thecassino on Sep 6, 2009 12:25 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
Stupid phone... Downright impreased
This game proved that the talent level is higher than thought to be, and combined with our new look, high energy coaching staff, we have the ability to beat any team we play this season, be it Idaho or USC. The performance on this game verified that Sark was the perfect choice for the program’s head coach, and after a few years of recruiting, there will be no ceiling for this program. I was thinking in the area of 4 wins this season, but after tonights showing I would not be surprised by 6, 7 or even as many as 8 wins this season.
Look out Pac Ten, the Dawgs are coming back in a hurry.
http://www.spartyandfriends.com/
by thecassino on Sep 6, 2009 12:36 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
One more thing
Would you guys rather be drubbed by a very average (at best) Stanford team or play one of the nation’s best teams close throughout the game wiith a top 10 recruiting class coming in next year and a coaching staff that is clearly one of the nations top up and coming (and not on probation)?
I know how Id answer.
http://www.spartyandfriends.com/
by thecassino on Sep 6, 2009 12:51 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
Hey
I’m a Bruin fan, but I was cheering for you guys tonight. You guys had a solid outing. Good job!
Please permit me to write an essay...
I got up this morning very excited to watch any and all of the college football on television. I was surprised by Navy sticking in ’til the end against THE Ohio State University, but what really energized my morning (despite my no-real-money bet on Minnesota plus the points at centsports.com …check it out) was that Syracuse, with their first-year coach, showed so much life against a favored opponent at home. They lost in overtime (like UW very well could have done tonight; of won), but they showed more spark than the Golden Gophers and really impressed me despite a few awful seasons the last few years.
I was in attendance tonight to see UW give LSU all they wanted. I enjoyed the pregame with some great Husky fans and met a few very kind and fun Tiger voyagers as well. I can’t say my expectations were high (I had any hopes of Husky resurgence pretty well stomped out after being humiliated in the stand at Autzen last year) but as always, I was cautiously optimistic.
Still, I couldn’t have been more pleased with the poise, composure, and overall gamesmanship with which UW displayed all night this Saturday evening. That’s my bottom line. No doubt about it. If the Huskies put up this kind of performance the rest of the year, I see seven wins in the future. I expect the Dawgs to get better, and I expect a slip up or two, but after tonight, I’ll be stunned if the Purple and Gold aren’t a bowl team this year, they were that good. That’s what I’m taking away from this game.
Why? Because Locker’s passes were crisp (and mostly caught when they should have been), because Chris Polk finally demonstrated evidence of his reputation, because the between-the-tackles run defense was smothering, and because the Dawgs showed the intangibles that they’ve been missing the last few seasons.
I have concerns, no doubt. LSU got around the corner in their run game and too many simple passes turned into long gains and TD’s. Special teams didn’t pin the Tigers deep in their end. Despite lopsided officiating, the Huskies deserved more flags than the Tigers.
In the end though, my optimism reigns supreme. The mistakes of tonight can largely be attributed to inexperience with a new system and a prevalence of young talent. With time, this team will only get better. I can’t imagine a better time to have scheduled Idaho.
Based on tonight, this team is a bowl team. With some breaks, this team cracks the top 25 and plays in the Holiday Bowl. This morning, Syracuse softened me to the idea that a new coach can make an immediate impact: after the Purple and Gold played passionate yet mistake-ridden football tonight, I’m convinced that a turnaround doesn’t need a whole year to complete.
My opinion? Worst case scenario I see you guys in the stand is Vegas this winter.
Our leather lungs together...
Vegas? I like that scenario
we make Vegas I’m there in a heartbeat! It’s a short drive for me
by ChazzReinhold on Sep 6, 2009 1:28 AM PDT up reply actions
i still feel crazi for this prediction
but i’ve never felt so good about putting down $90 to have the honor of sitting in the upper deck on the 10 yd line (lakeside) and watching the huskies lose.
there are problems w/ the secondary; the dawgs drew were too many flags. but lsu is definitely a top 20 team w/ far fewer issues to work through than the huskies had, but a nip her and a bud there, and the huskies have the biggest upset of the weekend. i not only see room for improvement, but i see ONLY room for improvement. the sark era will be a glorious one and i don’t think i’m punch drunk (or traditionally drunk) in this prediction.
the pac 10 has been served notice: don’t overlook the dawgs this year or you’re gonna pay.
for the first time in a long time they’ll be trembling at the feet of mighty washington!
Our leather lungs together...
Vegas
Looking at it more closely, Idaho is a lock and USC is likely a loss, but after that… @ Stanford could be a win, as well as @ Notre Dame (although if their offense is pass-first, then UW could have some problems). Zona at home could easily be a win, so is ASU on the road. A week ago I would have been concerned about Oregon, but who knows these days. At UCLA plays to the Huskies’ strengths as I don’t see a potent passing attack developing in Westwood. Next up is at Oregon State which is the one game I would pencil in as a likely loss, then WSU at home which should be a lock (but one never knows in rivalry games) and finally Cal, another likely loss.
Big picture, if you assume wins over Idaho and WSU, there is also a stretch of 6 games where I don’t see a likely loss, and, contrarily, can envision a streak without a loss. Assuming the Dawgs drop one of those conference games, though, and a 5th place conference finish still seems easily accomplished.
Our leather lungs together...
Vegas and Gekko
Party is at Gekko’s house if the Dawgs go bowling down this way.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
I liked what I saw tonight
This is a very different looking bunch of kids from last year.
I don’t know that I’m ready to declare this team as bowl ready but if they get invited the boss and I will be there.
Still a few too many drops by the receivers and Jake was, for the most part, on target.
The D had some fun and it was fun to watch…we tried to make enough noise to disrupt LSU but to their credit they only had on false start.
I think the Dawgs served notice to the rest of the Pac tonight.
I went to high school with Chris Polk
Ronnie Fouch and Marquise Persely. Polk was downright amazing back in school, and he showed off his signature move in the stiff arm tonight. He would literally stall in high school just so he could show off and put a guy on the turf. Brought back a lot of memories. I was literally screaming at my television set all night long.
While they may have lost, they showed MAJOR imrpovement. We should all be happy as hell right now. I’m excited to see what else they can bring this season. Hopefully we play USC tough, and really show the world that UW is coming back.
Good Looking Ball Club, UW has ...
some young talent and a bright future. I’ve stated a few times before that last year was “last year”. Ty Willingham may not have been able to coach or motivate these guys, but it appears that your cupboard is not bare when it comes to talent. I think that you guys suffered mostly due to a “perfect storm” of injuries and a tough schedule in 2008. However, UW is better than many thought and LSU is not as good as many thought. We (LSU) have some things to work on before conference play begins.
Anyway, you guys have a squad that played with much heart and your fans and “the stadium noise” was incredible. Hope continued success for you guys as you enter conference play in the near future. The nation saw a gutsy performance and I think you gained a few recruits ontop of a lot of respect.
All the best to you all. Beat USC! (Lol)
P.S. Cal looks really good as well.
I'll bet you didn't expect THAT kinda game
Welcome to the Pac 10, buddy!
"As for being a Raiders fan, I wouldn't wish that fucking shit on anybody." [the venerable OTS at Roll Bama Roll}
by BixBeiderbecke on Sep 6, 2009 6:54 AM PDT up reply actions
Read my earlier comments about UW.
I can’t speak about the Pac10 because I don’t see enough games. Also, teams and how they matchup vary more on that level than from conference or geographical location they hail from. My only interest was UW, not the Pac10, and never underestimated the energy and attitude they would come out with.
Good Luck the rest of the way and see you in 2012 in Baton Rouge! Should be an exciting game once again.
It dioesn't matter how many games you've seen in the Pac 10
That’s the way ALL THE TEAMS play each other, each and every week. AND . . . .we all have to play each other.
Oh, and. . . .thanks for NOT underestimating us. We ran up and down the field on you guys just didn’t come away with the win. We’ll have to clean up some of those mistakes we made against you guys and . . . .we’ll be alright.
Can’t wait for 2012, good luck this year. I’m not sure if you guys play Florida (cause the SEC scheduling sure is goofy) but. . . beat the Gators. Please.
"As for being a Raiders fan, I wouldn't wish that fucking shit on anybody." [the venerable OTS at Roll Bama Roll}
by BixBeiderbecke on Sep 6, 2009 7:19 AM PDT up reply actions
Officiating
I will wonder out loud if the new Pac 10 commish will work to straighten the leagues officiating. I would have sworn it was SEC officials calling the game last night.
The Pac-10 officiating continues to look bad on national TV
Wonder where all those LSU fans went?
Where was the blowout? And what about the crowd noise? The jet lag?
Hey Tigers? Y’all looked quite spooked being out on that field last night! Good luck in the SEC this year. You guys are gonna need it!
"As for being a Raiders fan, I wouldn't wish that fucking shit on anybody." [the venerable OTS at Roll Bama Roll}
I was told pregame
by a Tiger fan that their third team was pumped and ready to go.
I don’t think their third team made it on the field unless it was the third team D in garbage time, doesn’t matter though, Jake and co. still got a TD to finish the game
No reason to taunt the LSU fans
I mean do we taunt the USC fans when they visit here?
by John Berkowitz on Sep 6, 2009 9:11 AM PDT up reply actions
Exactly
In generel I think LSU showed a lot of class, both team and fans. I was truly impressed with how classy LSU was and I wish them well- beat Florida!
All I saw was purple
That was our experience as well
We checked out the Zone and sat with an older couple, they were at their 280th+ consecutive LSU game going back to 1985.
The Zone isn’t all that much IMHO, over priced food and lousy over priced beer choices.
I’ll stick to tailgating, the Husky Huddles at road games are much better deals than the Zone.
Thanks ...
For the compliments about our fans. We do have those that we’d rather not claim, but they make up a small portion of huge fanbase. I think every institution has some fans that embarrasses themselves and the team they root for at times. SEC fans as a whole have earned much of the criticism in the past, but the stereotype seems to remain and across the board. Just know that many of us respecful while being passionate at the same time. Glad that you guys had a good experience. Lol – our fans, mainly the younger ones, will much rowdier when we get into conference play.
Good luck to you guys!
I'm not taunting them John
You might think some of their fans were being “respectful” here before the game, guess what John- they weren’t. All their backhanded dismissiveness was grating on me.
Seriously John- they thought we were gonna be a cakewalk. You could tell in their tenor and tone.
“Taunting USC fans” isn’t a very good analogy by the way.
"As for being a Raiders fan, I wouldn't wish that fucking shit on anybody." [the venerable OTS at Roll Bama Roll}
by BixBeiderbecke on Sep 6, 2009 10:41 AM PDT up reply actions
I should have just said. . . .
. . . .Sorry John. (emotions from last night’s game have still carried over to today. I apologize)
"As for being a Raiders fan, I wouldn't wish that fucking shit on anybody." [the venerable OTS at Roll Bama Roll}
by BixBeiderbecke on Sep 6, 2009 11:24 AM PDT up reply actions
Thanks ...
…to you John for the write-ups about UW and the other posters that provided insight about your program. Because the region we’re from, we don’t get much exposure to Pac-10 teams other than what highlights we get on Sportscenter. And you don’t get a full picture from watching snippets/highlights.
You guys have much to be excited about this season and going forward.
When I came to your blog, it was solely because you were an unfamiliar opponent and I wanted to learn or hear more about yout program. I don’t believe that fans from schools that are so far apart and so unfamiliar can really speak about the state of the other program based on subjective media presentations. (Ex: the media had many thinking that LSU was suppose to blow you guys out. – - extremely wrong and a no-no in competitive sports. Many “young” LSU fans bought into this.) I prefer to connect with the people that aren’t being paid to follow a team and that are local to the institution. They usually carry more credibility. That’s why I tried to be an unbias LSU resource contributor.
Anyway, you have some cool fans/posters. I plan to drop in at times as the season progresses to see how things are going. Also, I think that we (LSU) will be pointing back to this game against UW as an important reference as we move through our season.
You are welcome back anytime!
We want Washington to be your favorite Pac 10 team!
by John Berkowitz on Sep 6, 2009 2:58 PM PDT up reply actions
Totally agree John...
I love when we can make a fan out of visitors to this site. And a big thank you to Bayou Bengal for being classy – I hope LSU has a great season!!!
Bix - we still lost the game ...
the difference between SEC fans and Pac 10 fans is that SEC fans don’t boast about their performance in losses.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
Gekko Mojo
“the difference between SEC fans and Pac 10 fans is that SEC fans don’t boast about their performance in losses.”
But if any of the SEC teams went 0-12 the last season, then come close to beating the #11 team in the country, then I am sure they would boast about it too. What we are boasting about is that how good we will be this season against all the other teams, and how we will probably make a bowl game. We outplayed LSU, but the mistakes and the big plays were the deciding factor.
Beginning of the Sarkisian ERA
by hportallstar on Sep 6, 2009 10:32 AM PDT up reply actions
Thanks Gekko
I’m trying not to be disrespectful here, but I don’t need any help from anyone in telling me how to lose. Cool?
"As for being a Raiders fan, I wouldn't wish that fucking shit on anybody." [the venerable OTS at Roll Bama Roll}
by BixBeiderbecke on Sep 6, 2009 10:46 AM PDT up reply actions
We were impressive on national TV, but a lot of work still to do
I had a feeling we were going to witness something awesome last night. Our sideline looked so packed that I don’t believe one more body could fit on it. The energy of the crowd? I’m willing to bet that many LSU fans came away thinking that HuskyNation could very well fit in with the SEC, we are the crown jewel of the Northwest and the Pac 10 needs us to be a championship contender year in and year out. Oregon and Cal cannot duplicate what we saw last night- it’s clear that only USC, Washington, Ucla, and Arizona State have the resources that can generate that much mojo for the league. Move over Cal and Oregon- Washington is legit, THIS YEAR! WOOF!!!
From what I saw we could be even better then that 6+ I predicted. For an 0-12er we had the look of contender in our eyes. Now we did make a few key mistakes. Every big play when LSU was on offense was due to us being out of position. Could it be that coach Holt called for a few defensive alignments that were too gutsy? Both those two big LSU TDs were due to single man coverage. I like Holt’s defense, but LSU won that game because someone spyed a couple single man coverage alignments and we got burned a couple times too many.
Now don’t read too much into this. Holt is arguably the best defensive coordinator in the land. Holt knows that if you are going to beat an LSU-type you’ve got to gamble a bit in certain situations. We did a masterful job of stopping a BIGTIME running game- that was HUGE for us. But we do have some issues in pass coverage and hopefully by the time we enter league play (week 3 vs. USC), we’ll have those things ironed out.
I was particularly surprised by how well our special teams played! We didn’t give them anything in the kicking game and that was great to see. Why so great? Because kickoff and punt team is the first line of defense. Give up a big return and it puts your defense in a bad sitation. Don’t kid yourselves, the punt return and kickoff return teams is apart of the offense, where they end is where our offense begins. And the punt team and kickoff team is apart of the defense. Where they make the tackle is where our defense begins to defend.
Loved what I saw last night- it was a HUGE statement and I loved how we were showcased on ESPN, that should draw in a lot of recruits, that and our performance last night on the field.
Go Huskies! WOOF!!!
All I saw was purple
Congratulations to you guys
I watched the game with interest (after Cal had put Maryland down for the count) and was very pleased to see that one of the Pac-10 teams with the most tradition is returning to respectability. Sarkisian and Holt are going to be very good coaches for you and I’m not thrilled with the idea of traveling up there on Dec. 5th.
All that said, as someone who very frequently succumbs to the temptations of optimism, this is probably too much:
the Pac 10 needs us to be a championship contender year in and year out. Oregon and Cal cannot duplicate what we saw last night- it’s clear that only USC, Washington, Ucla, and Arizona State have the resources that can generate that much mojo for the league. Move over Cal and Oregon- Washington is legit, THIS YEAR! WOOF!!!
I’m not sure how to interpret this. Cal and Oregon are certainly more talented than Washington. The average recruiting ranking, stars, and the total points for the three schools over the last 5 years aren’t even close according to Rivals. In fact, Cal and Oregon are 2nd and 3rd after USC while Washington is 7th. This doesn’t mean anything necessarily if the in-game coaching isn’t there (UCLA is 4th; conversely OrSt. is 8th) but it doesn’t mean nothing.
With how many road games in conference you all have, six wins is still going to be hard to come by. Compounding that, your home games, which you are more likely to win, are for the most part against the toughest in-conference opponents – assuming Oregon gets its act together. Calibrating expectations is going to be important to do so that a four or five win season, which is very possible, is viewed as the success that it is.
Assuming Sark gets Locker to stay for his senior season, you guys could gear up to make a run then.
Okay. I’m not a party to the Washington-Oregon rivalry and stoking that is not my aim.
Yet, ignoring the merits of their coaches, Oregon is a much more able squad going on the average of Rivals’ five year rankings. From 2004-2008, Oregon had 7,455 points, while Washington had over 2,000 less at 5,185. Now, you can be of the mind that such rankings mean nothing, and that’s fine, but if they do mean something then Oregon clearly has an upper hand. Their coaches might squander that talent, might not develop it, or the talent might not be superior at the most impact positions. But across the board, the talent is still better.
Oregon is dead
It all ends in 2009.
Coach Kelly has lost his team…they arein death spiral and Purdue is going to out a whooping on them at home next weekend,
by John Berkowitz on Sep 6, 2009 10:39 PM PDT up reply actions
I can hear a trumpet playing TAPS just for Oregon!
And it never sounded sweeter!
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
Nash
I agree with what your saying.
We are a work in progress but we are going to suprise some people this year.
by John Berkowitz on Sep 6, 2009 10:42 PM PDT up reply actions
I think crazi’s point is that (in his opinion) the Pac-10 schools with the resources to be legit National Championship contenders are USC, UCLA, UW and ASU. I think he’s downplaying Cal a bit – if you guys get your facilities upgrades and the upper campus continues to support athletics, I see no reason Cal can’t continue to be a championship contender.
Oregon on the other hand – they have Uncle Phil’s resources and have built great facilities, but I think that it will be hard for them to remain a strong program if the UW rises again, especially the way Sark recruits SoCal. I think Oregon is in danger of slipping right as the UW rises, and historically the UW has had first dibs on NW recruits and done a very good job in central Cali and doing well in SoCal after USC and UCLA get their pick.
This is all probably a little premature – the UW is still on a 15 game losing streak after all – but forgive us if we’re feeling very optimistic about the future under Sark.
Turning the corner
We are going to br bck playing at a top ten level within two years.
On the other hand it is all over for Oregon till the next coaching change. Anyone who witnessed the Boise game has t realize that Kelly was a poor choice….Chip Mackovick….not even willingham lost control of his program this early…Oregon by the way is headed to bringing in a dismal recruiting class because od Kelly’s diconected arrogance;
by John Berkowitz on Sep 6, 2009 10:54 PM PDT up reply actions
The transition appears to have been something other than smooth, but I’m not going to write off Kelly yet. This could well be a rocky year for him and Oregon, but I think we need more than 1 game as evidence and 1 season to write off the Kelly era.
I’d love to believe it’s true, but it seems quite early to be rendering a decisive verdict.
Early
Could be a bit early mixed in with some wishful thinking. Purdue had one of the best performances of any Big 10 team last weekend. I think they handle the Ducks.
by John Berkowitz on Sep 7, 2009 8:03 AM PDT up reply actions
Oh no mistake
Washington is rising. Those road games up there are going to become unpleasant for the visiting team in a hurry.
What I was really responding to was crazi’s comment about “this year” being the year. The UW is certainly the program with the most tradition in the NW, and there is definitely precedent for UW and UO having strong years at the same time (2000 for instance). But that is something that will reassert itself in the next 3-5 years, not this year.
I also think that Oregon is less reliant on NW/Cali recruits then they were even 10 years ago. See the Bryce Brown example. They are going across the country to find them. Nonetheless, it is the fact of 2-3 strong CA programs (in USC, Cal, and probably UCLA) that may ultimately make it impossible for both UW and UO to remain at the top given the reliance on CA recruits to supplement more regional talent.
Oregon is certainly trying to recruit more nationally, but their success in landing kids outside the western states is still limited – Stanford is much more successful nationally in recruiting than Oregon. They are still relying heavily on California kids and mixing in the best in Oregon and pulling kids here and there from Hawai’i, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Nevada and Arizona.
I don’t think they’re going to fall off the face of the map – not with Uncle Phil looking over things – but I do think the era of them ruling the NW is coming to a close. For that matter, I think Oregon State is on the verge of overtaking them in their own state.
One thing to consider
The Huskies got off an insane amount of plays tonight. I don’t have the number in front of me, but it was in the 80s. That sort of experience just can’t be had in practice, especially aginst one of the best teams in the country. That turns a team of youngsters into veterans real quick because that was a war against a goliath and they showed really well. It was penalties, turnovers and blown coverage – all young team issues. The more the team grows the less that will happen – the Huskies just became one of the better up and coming teams. They probably will not be consistent yet, but as they grow this team will hit a bowl game next year for sure. They had to “believe” the way they played LSU (ranked #11).
LSU
Lots of LSU fans here at Sea-Tac. I’m hoping to talk to one before I leave and see how they liked it. One quick observation though is the LSU women are very good looking from what I can tell…. I digress. Either way hope we got a commitment or two or three and can’t wait to watch this game via DVR
I hope
Rowland, Wright and Cooper make the call. Rowland and Kohler in this class would be huge. We obviously need Wright and Cooper just saw what freshmen do in Sark’s system firsthand
by ChazzReinhold on Sep 6, 2009 10:15 AM PDT up reply actions
We need depth and talent in the defensive backfield
You can never have enough guys that can cover. Now I know these kids did a pretty good job, but to go toe to toe vs. the best means you’ve got to come with the best.
Overall I give our effort an A+
Overall I give our game planning an A+
Overall I give our mindset an A+
Overall I give our coaching staff an A+
Did anyone catch that our defensive backs were stepping up on run support? Fans tend to forget that defensive backs have got to make the stops when runs spill out. They stepped up bigtime. I thought for the most part we played pretty good coverage. But the few defensive alignments that were sent into the game in a few situations left our guys in single man coverage. Other then that the secondary did a marvelous job!
A+’s across the board! A few minor things we need to clean up but overall that was the best we’ve looked in quite some time.
Boy, did Fogerson look good! Looking back Foggie isn’t a great defender, but has what it takes to be a great H-back. Our time has come! WOOF!!!
All I saw was purple
Gekko Mojo
"the difference between SEC fans and Pac 10 fans is that SEC fans don’t boast about their performance in losses."
But if any of the SEC teams went 0-12 the last season, then come close to beating the #11 team in the country, then I am sure they would boast about it too. What we are boasting about is that how good we will be this season against all the other teams, and how we will probably make a bowl game. We outplayed LSU, but the mistakes and the big plays were the deciding factor.
Beginning of the Sarkisian ERA
Let's not worry about the SEC
Hell let’s not worry about the Pac 10. Let’s just concentrate on what is really important. We’ve got a dam good coaching staff here and we’ve got a team buying into what the coaches are selling. Our team looked good last night on national television, the fans were freakin’ unreal and came with the noise.
I think we have everybodies attention last night in league and out. This team is on the way up. We hit rock bottom last season and already we look like contenders. Chill with the SEC & Pac 10 thing. Let’s keep all the hype on Washington! WOOF!!!
All I saw was purple
SHAW
I wonder why Shaw didnt get any carries? Polk had a nice game, but no game changing runs. They need to find a way too get Shaw some carries. Because with my own eyes this camp he was a big time play maker. One big play could have change the game outcome.
Shaw
I thought that was strange as well. His speed out of the back field, especially in passing plays could be huge. He should get his chance this week againist Idaho though.
I can't wait to win game!
We can look great all year but winnin is what matters. We need to find ways to score TDs in the redzone and Walker may get passed. Seems like he had a tough game. Either we are in the right direction but need to seal the deal! Feeling good about this week.
Walker killed me… 2 big plays for TD’s because of blown coverage is just bad
by ChazzReinhold on Sep 6, 2009 11:14 AM PDT up reply actions
need a win against Idaho
Don’t want to tie the record for most consecutive losses in pac-10 history. I am really sure that we will win against Idaho.
Beginning of the Sarkisian ERA
need a win against Idaho
Yes I agree, dont want to be in that class. Next week will be a big win for the team and the program. Confidents is the key after next weeks win the sky is the limit for this team. 2009 Huskies we finally have a very good team. I think a bowl game is not out of the question. Mark my words from UWFAN !!!
decent showing
We had a decent showing last night. With slightly better officiating and improvement, we could have won last night. We’ll beat the Vandals and could even beat the Cardinal. I know that we’ll beat the Cougs this year. With the loss of Blount, Oregon lacks punch in the running game so we can beat the Ugly Ducklings.
Josh Normand
Stanford didn't look good
I think we can rattle that true freshman QB Luck. WSU didn’t get anybody on him and he had all day vs. the cougie defense. We were able to get tremendous pressure on LSU’s QB and if we can get to LSU’s QB we certainly can wreck habic at Stanford.
Tobey Gareheart is a stud. He will roll up on you if you hit him high. To stop this tractor-trailer you have to flatten his tires (take out legs).
Personally I think WSU looked better then last season and Stanford looked pedestrian.
All I saw was purple
If your a safety recruit
Then how do you not have UW top your list? Come in ready to play from day one! Parker, Shaw, Wright, Hill, Riley all could play day one and I’m sure Sark said they would in the mix the second they step on campus.
Agree in part
This is what got Rick in trouble and it cost him. What you say to a kid is We’ve got more “available” playing time here then anywhere. But if you are a hard worker and can do everything we ask- we’ll make room for you. How bad you want it is strictly up to you. Do you want it during your first year or third year? Bust your ass in practice and show us coaches something- you’ll find yourself starting on saturdays. It’s really all up to the kids how bad they want to start.
But make no mistake, we’ve got more available playing time then anybody.
All I saw was purple
Washington is goiing to win more games then they lose this season…you can count on it.
I saw an improved team that played with a lot more fire than we’ve seen in over 4 years, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There’s a big danger of the team having gotten way up for this game (easy to imagine why) and then sleepwalking next week.
Sark needs to make sure these guys don’t take anything for granted and overlook Idaho. A team that has lost 15 straight can’t be overlooking anyone, and I think this staff will direct their attention appropriately, but it’s still a concern.
I do think this team proved it is capable of being a bowl team, but they have a lot of things to clean up first – the penalties, the blown tackles, the turnovers, the weak return game.
They also proved that the talent last year was not 0-12 – that was squarely on the coaching and the complete lack of motivation the team had.
Reflections of a Great Game played by the Huskies.
Coaching Staff is what I expected. They make great games day calls and can Coach on the run. Remember…other Teams we will play will not have the speed and quickness of LSU’s secondary and running backs. (Maybe except for USC, Cal, & UCLA) I see changes in our secondary coming for the Idaho game. Except for TWO plays, Washington beats LSU. I still stand by my predictions I made earlier…The Washington Huskies will be 6 and 6 or better. WOOF…WOOF…WOOF… GO DAWGS
BEAT IDAHO
PLEASE...DO NOT CALLOUT PLAYERS FOR THEIR PERFORMANCE!!!
Let Sark and his staff do that. We need to behind this team 100%. No trash talking our players.
Good game, dogs
I was reminded of the 1995 Rose Bowl where by beloved Ducks outgained #2 (some thought #1) and undefeated Penn State but lost due to mistakes and giving up a few big plays. I dont’ remember if officiating played a role.
Your guys looked good. I don’t give any credence to the “they travelled 2500 miles” argument. LSU arrived thurday right? I don’t remember anyone outside of the PAC 10 giving California that excuse at Tennessee a few years ago.
Maybe the rivalry between our schools will mean something again, a prospect I regard with mixed feelings but it should be interesting.
Yes your ass looks big, you need to lose weight. Sorry, had to vent.
Sorry old duck
I really don’t want to start anything up with you, because after what I witnessed over the weekend. Washington looked good and Oregon bottomed out. On top of that you have a real ugly sitation brewing, and I am not referring to the punch nor your ugly uniforms.
I think Sark plans on blowing off your doors and is targeting USC as Washington’s chief rival, along with the in-state game. As of right now, we could careless about Oregon and it is probably in our best interest to stay clear from anything remotely associated with Oregon at this point. What you saw in Boise is going to have a negative impact in terms of recruiting. Meanwhile what you saw in Seattle last night is going to elevate our recruiting efforts into a top 10 class.
Best to stay clear of anything Oregon right now! WOOF!!!
All I saw was purple
That's IT crazi!
From the beginning when I came over to you guys- that’s all I’ve been wanting to say. I wasn’t sure how it would all play out, but I know and I knew all along that Coach Sarkisian and Coach Holt have their eyes set squarely on Coach Carroll and national championships.
Now, if you look back on this all- it was a total uphill endeavor. Sure there were naysayers and there prolly still are, but after last night’s game (and I’ll admit, it’s just one game) you all HAVE SEEN WHAT I’VE BEEN TRYING TO TELL YOU GUYS.
Finally, I’m glad most of you guys are on board. In the beginning, it was only you and and dawgfan22 that had my back. Thank you both for being kind to me and my words. I wish nothing but the best for Husky Nation and success to all the players and coaches- not just this year, but as long as Coaches Nicky and Sark remain in Husky uniforms.
Bix
"As for being a Raiders fan, I wouldn't wish that fucking shit on anybody." [the venerable OTS at Roll Bama Roll}
by BixBeiderbecke on Sep 6, 2009 4:24 PM PDT up reply actions
I was onboard w/ the Sark Hire from the beginning
And ask anyone of these fellas. I kept saying “Get Holt”, we got him! Then I was like “Get Nuss”, we got him too!
I’ll tell you what Bix, coach Holt had the perfect defensive gameplan last night. You look at our defense and LSU’s daunting offensive personnel and WOW! We had a few problems in the secondary, mostly in single-man coverage on 3rd and short. Holt took the chance to stack the line to stop the run. LSU caught us in that alignment and we saw our single-man coverage corners being taken behind the wood shed. But I think Holt is going to work on cover 1 quite a bit leading up to USC in week 3. To beat USC will require us to stop the Trojan running game and in order to do that we need cover 1 (no safety help).
Holt knows defense, he learned it from the very best in Pete Carroll. For the most part I see our defensive gameplan quite simular between LSU and USC. Both are going to jam the football down our throats by running it. Our job is to stop the run and force Matt Barkley to beat us with his arm. One reason why USC has been dominating on defense is because they play exceptionally great cover 1- we can teach it! It’s all about proper cornerback alignment and knowing your priority reads out there on that island.
Do you take The Ohio State University or USC next week? I’m out … WOOF!!!
All I saw was purple
The Ohio State University
What? Are you kidding me?
USC all the way baby!
"As for being a Raiders fan, I wouldn't wish that fucking shit on anybody." [the venerable OTS at Roll Bama Roll}
by BixBeiderbecke on Sep 6, 2009 6:54 PM PDT up reply actions
Bix lighten up
You know what I am taking about.
by John Berkowitz on Sep 6, 2009 7:34 PM PDT up reply actions
John
I just tried to find out how to email you. I failed miserably.
Please, contact me about what you think I should know what you’re talking about. Whatever it is that I’ve done, please forgive me, as well as explain. This is totally from left field.
"As for being a Raiders fan, I wouldn't wish that fucking shit on anybody." [the venerable OTS at Roll Bama Roll}
by BixBeiderbecke on Sep 6, 2009 7:53 PM PDT up reply actions
I don't think you are in John's Hurt Locker
I just think John is talkin’ smack to you. At least that’s the way I took it.
Given the fact that Ohio State just barely beat Navy- I’m willing to believe that Ohio State is going to be geared for Southern Cal. One thing to remember about the cadet schools. Those guys come to play and their is no quit in them. Keep in mind that once they graduate, they don’t get the gravy boat of the NFL. They get a one way ticket to Iraq to fight a war. College football is not something those guys take for granted (umm … like Blount).
What I am saying is don’t think Ohio State’s near miss vs. Navy comes as a surprise. Ohio State will compete vs. USC- I think it could be a barn burner of a game. I have USC winning, but only because they have basically owned college football for the last 8 years and running.
All I saw was purple
Smack?
Put your helmet on Crazi because I am going to knock you into the stands and make your eyes go sideways you big sissy!
by John Berkowitz on Sep 6, 2009 10:30 PM PDT up reply actions
Sweet!!!!!
I want to be there to see that!!! I’ll even buy a ticket!!!
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
Some how...
I had a feeling Lear would chime in on this. How about Lear vs. Crazi?
All I saw was purple
I bet they could make some good money selling those tickets!
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
I'm in!
Quick, crazi! How’s your jab? You got a flying knee kick? (I wanna know how to place my wager!)
"As for being a Raiders fan, I wouldn't wish that fucking shit on anybody." [the venerable OTS at Roll Bama Roll}
by BixBeiderbecke on Sep 7, 2009 6:18 PM PDT up reply actions
john@supremevalues.com
I want every visiting fan to be invited in the same spirit you were invited to participate in. I want the opposition to feel welcome here regardless of their introductory posts. I want this to be place where college football can be discussed on a wide intellectual forum. That means it isn’t all all about UW or the Pac Ten. I want this blog to be a welcome spot for all major college football fans from all programs. I want to retain all the LSU fans who visited this week, This blog is about a college football brotherhood. I don’t think I can be more clear than that. Bix you are a welcome additon…but I want a broader audience to feel welcome because it just enhances what I have been trying to achieve here.
Bottom line I want a a couple hundred Bix"s!
I want this special place to grow and I don’t want anyone to be intimidated not to contribute.
I thnk you get the idea. We have plenty of room!
by John Berkowitz on Sep 6, 2009 10:23 PM PDT up reply actions
I fail to see how this has anything to do with me
Please check you inbox later on today. Thank you.
"As for being a Raiders fan, I wouldn't wish that fucking shit on anybody." [the venerable OTS at Roll Bama Roll}
by BixBeiderbecke on Sep 7, 2009 6:00 AM PDT up reply actions
Bix
I don’t think John was calling a foul on you. But if anyone is counting I’ve been flagged numerous times.
All I saw was purple
We have a good concept
I only deleted one post this entire week which is pretty good. I want visitors to feel welcome here because they bring a lot of positives to the table which makes it more fun for all of us. When I get a feeling that a visitor isn’t being welcomed and respected I will step in. same thing goes for the visitors. I expect a little trash here and there but for the most part after you explain the rules it works out well for everybody.
by John Berkowitz on Sep 7, 2009 10:19 AM PDT up reply actions
John
No need for me to send you out an email later on today. I totally “get it”. I truly do. And I thank you for pointing something out that has not been pointed out to me (personally), but I fully understand what you’re talking about and where you’re coming from.
I respect the heck outta you John, I really and truly do. You’re the very reason why I got myself a Husky sweatshirt and cap. (man, that cap is stinking like something crazy now)
I get it and I’m on it. Have a good one!
"As for being a Raiders fan, I wouldn't wish that fucking shit on anybody." [the venerable OTS at Roll Bama Roll}
by BixBeiderbecke on Sep 7, 2009 11:01 AM PDT up reply actions
Thanks
I just want this to be a unique environment compared to the other sites and blogs out there.
The first post by the usual visitor is typically a little cocky…I get that…they are feeling us out…once they figure out what we do here it works really well for all of us.
Thanks for understanding.
by John Berkowitz on Sep 7, 2009 11:22 AM PDT up reply actions
You're welcome
And thank you to you and all your usuals for having me. I feel fortunate to belong to such a quality, high college football IQ blog.
"As for being a Raiders fan, I wouldn't wish that fucking shit on anybody." [the venerable OTS at Roll Bama Roll}
by BixBeiderbecke on Sep 7, 2009 11:36 AM PDT up reply actions
The only reason why the cap is smelly right now is. . .
. . .because I’ve been wearing it so gosh-darn much. (too lazy for gel or fixing my mop up, so. . . .just like a dude: I wear my cap!)
I didn’t realize how well purple goes with a lot of different colors. For clothes, that is. Amazing, really!
"As for being a Raiders fan, I wouldn't wish that fucking shit on anybody." [the venerable OTS at Roll Bama Roll}
by BixBeiderbecke on Sep 7, 2009 1:15 PM PDT up reply actions
Old Ducker
Thanks for visiting and providing great commentary.
by John Berkowitz on Sep 7, 2009 10:22 AM PDT up reply actions
Maybe the rivalry between our schools will mean something again, a prospect I regard with mixed feelings but it should be interesting.
I suspect the rivalry will mean something again as soon as this season, and I regard that as a good thing. Oregon earned respect with how they’ve risen up from 1994 onward, and beating the Ducks now means a lot more than it did back in the DJ years when it was expected.
Sideline Energy
As I sat up high in the south stands, I couldn’t believe the difference in energy level between this coaching staff and last years. Did you see those guys?!! Jumping all over the sideline, getting the players pumped up and excited, and clearly paying attention to every little bit of the game. It was fantastic to watch. I missed more than a couple of plays because I was watching the coaching staff.
Also, I can’t think of a single time last night that our players looked lost or were in danger of getting called for delay of game. A far cry from last year, when I was worried that every snap wasn’t going to get off on time. Hell, TW even started a game last year with a delay of game. That’s never going to happen with this staff.
Neuro that coaching staff will light up a room in a hurry! With Nick Holt, it’s all about the two facial lines on the bridge of his nose leading up to his forehead. When he talks “normal” they’re straight. But when that S.O.B. gets rivoted those lines bend any which way but straight.
I just cannot for the life of me see how Tyrone Willingham was able to be as successful as he was at Stanford and his short stint at Notre Dame. This game requires passion, energy, excitement, and a little nastiness can go along way. TW hand none of that.
Next week we’ll get win No.1 and I have a hunch all cylineders will be firing by week 3 (vs. USC).
Go Dawgs! WOOF!!!
All I saw was purple
Coach Holt
Crazi – what did you think of how they introduced coach Holt on the scoreboard video screen??
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
Coach Holt is Awesome!
I love the fact that all are players are being coached and loved. That is the traditional UW and DJ way. Do you feel the love?
I do!
My wife and I watched "The Way We Were" this afternoon.
Robert Redford is a a member of the UW rowing team at he beginning of the movie, It brings tears to my eyes…I love the UW!
Holt and his Defense
Remember guys, How I said the Defense would surprise people. Mark my words…the Best is yet to come. woof…woof…woof… GO DAWGS!!!
by bigdawgdaddy999 on Sep 6, 2009 10:47 PM PDT reply actions
We just need a few more pieces
This years recruiting class will provde the answers.
In Sark we trust!
by John Berkowitz on Sep 6, 2009 10:57 PM PDT up reply actions
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