Quarterback
Jake started the season rated as one of the top college QB's in the country and an odds on favorite to be the first athlete picked in the 2011 NFL draft.
Statistically Jake hasn't done as well as expected. The Nebraska game is a big part of that equation from a statistical perspective.
Jake has a 132 overall QB efficiency rating which is climbing but he is still ranked in the bottom third among conference QB's based on overall efficiency. He averages 232 yards per game passing which ranks him as sixth. He is third in total offense at 284 per game.
The only stat that really matters is wins and losses. The Huskies have two impressive wins over ranked opponents over the last three weeks. Locker figured prominently in both wins. This team going forward will only go as far as Jake will take them. If he stays healthy the Huskies should be able to win enough games to qualify for a bowl game.
As far as the grade goes most feel that Jake hasn't performed as well as he is capable of over the first six games. The Huskies would be 5-1 if the offense had been more consistent. Losses to ASU and BYU are missed opportunities.
Mid Term Grade - B Minus
Running Back
Chris Polk grades out at or near the top of the squad every single week. He has 571 yards on the season which only ranks him 5th in the conference but nobody has the yards after contact he has accumulated. Jessie Callier has made the most of his opportunities this season and looks better every week. It is just a matter of time until he breaks a long one. The Huskies don't rely on the FB position for carries but Austin Sylvester grades out extremely high each week with his blocking.
Mid Term Grade - A
Receivers
Jermaine Kearse is putting together one of the best seasons ever statistically by a Husky receiver. He leads the league in most of the receiving categories. One area that has plagued him are drops. Those drops have cost us some ball games.
Devin Aguilar has missed two straight weeks with a hip flexor injury. Goodwin, Bruns, and Polk have filled in well while he has been out. James Johnson has been a non factor so far this season while recovering from a high ankle sprain.
This group can do better going forward in the second half by getting healthy and eliminating mistakes in the clutch.
Mid Term Grade - B
Offensive Line
The Huskies just finished reshuffling the OL after the loss to ASU. They will probably reshuffle it again once Erik Kohler gets back to full speed.
The key to grading these guys is to take into account how much the speed of Jake Locker aids them on every play and how many yards per carry after contact that Chris Polk picks up each week. This unit does have the ability to keep improving as the season goes on. Senio gets better every game at LT and the addition of Kohler and Porter who will improve each week are factors that can't be ignored.
Mid Term Grade - C Plus
Defensive Tackle
Alameda Taamu has had a pretty good season. You can see this kid getting better every week and it is a shame that he wasn't redshirted. Elisara hasn't recovered from his stingers so his time going forward will be limited. Everette Thompson who is coming back from a torn Achilles has been starting at three technique since the USC game.Tokolahi, Robinson, and Potoae have gotten their reps this season but haven't opened anyone's eyes yet.
At this point of the season I would give Taamu a B Plus and anyone that lines up next to him a C. The Huskies need two things going forward.
1. Better play out of the three technique position.
2. Solid reserve reps behind Taamu to keep him fresh.
Mid Term Grade - C Plus
Defensive End
This position was critically thin going into the season because of graduation, attrition, and injuries. Talia Chrichton suffered a knee injury last week and will be out for two to three weeks. Hauoli Jamora and Cameron Elisara will will be the starters going forward. Kelani Aldrich is available for a limited number of snaps per game. De'Shon Matthews is healthy and will continue to back up Elisara who isn't exactly healthy because of shoulder stingers.
The unit seemed to be making progress week to week with the OSU game being their best performance of the season. Crichton's injury is a set back. He isn't as talented as Jamora but he has an extra year of strength and experience which is really important.. The Huskies need to fill in till he comes back.
Mid Term Grade - C
Linebackers
Mason Foster leads the conference with 48 solo tackles, 72 total tackles, and 2 sacks. in other words he is having a special season and is everything the coaches envisioned when they moved him to WLB. Cort Dennison has had a solid season while shaking off the effects of a knee injury he suffered in camp. Vic Aiyewa keeps getting better every game. Depth and experience is a huge problem that is lurking behind the starters. The starters are in there almost every snap of the game.
Mid Term Grade - B Plus
Corner Backs
The unit as a whole seems to have regressed rather than progressed this season. Trufant isn't making the type of plays he made last season. He seems and weak at times going up against bigger receivers. Richardson has been inconsistent as he was in past seasons. Vonzell McDowell, Greg Ducre, and Adam Long have provided good depth.
Mid Term Grade - C
Safety
Nate Williams and Nate Fellner are among the team leaders in tackles but neither are what I would call true enforcer types patrolling the middle of the field. The coaches feel that Nate is having a great year. He isn't perfect but he leads a defense that is giving this team a chance to win each week. Fellner isn't the greatest coverage guy but he can lay a stick. Justin Glenn is playing more each week and he is going to be a big contributor over the last part of the season. Sean Parker is another guy that will make his presence known more over the last half of the season.
Mid Term Grade - B Minus
Special Teams
Will Mahan went down after the first week with a knee injury. Kiel Rasp has responded by becoming one of the better punters in the conference. Erik Folk was money early but has missed his last two FG attempts. The bad news is Washington is rated near the bottom in the conference in kickoff coverage, kickoff returns, and punt returns. the good news is we keep seeing improvement from week to week.
Mid Term Grade - C Minus
Coaching
Mid season is here and the 3-3 Huskies still control their own destiny in the Pac 10. Oregon and Washington are the only two teams that can say that. If Washington wins out they are headed to Pasadena. Winning the next six games in a row is pretty improbable but if UW at least splits they will be going to a bowl game somewhere.
The defense has played well enough for the Huskies to be 5-1 so naturally the offense took some heat in losses to BYU, Nebraska, and ASU. The offense is supposed to be the strength of this team but they have been up and down so far.
Overall I think the staff has done a good job getting this team to bounce back from adversity on an every other week basis. They key in the second half is to start stringing some wins together and pulling off a few upsets along the way.
Mid Term Grade - B Minus