Author Archives: Andrew Long

by Andrew Long | October 19, 2010 · 7:30 pm

When a Football Game Takes a Bigger Role

I’m completely exhausted. My shoulders hurt, my ears are plugged, and my voice is hoarse. Still. Last Saturday night was intense and I’m still paying the price for it. If you’ve been hiding a rock since last Saturday, the Huskies won a thrilling double-overtime game against Oregon State, 35-34.

I can’t do the game justice by retelling it. Thrilling really is the best adjective I can think of and I don’t want to write that word over and over again. I’ll put up a post with some observations from the game later. But, ever since the game a bigger question has been on my mind. Do I put too much into these games?

Now, my body hurting isn’t all from the Huskies game on Saturday. I did have an intramural game earlier in the day that beat me up a little bit. Still, when I was sitting on the couch with my brother on Sunday we were both remarking how we were physically and mentally tired. Also, Dan got a little bit sick at the game and Joe punched a hole in his wall.

Yes, this game was a little more intense than most but Husky games affect my mood quite a bit. With a loss, the weekend feels like a waste and the next week seems long. But, with a win, I’m happy. I’m more talkative, more outgoing, and generally a better version of myself.

After the game on Saturday, I was reading the free forums at Dawgman.com. This very subject was being addressed in one forum and an overall consensus was that the outcome of Husky games affected fans throughout the week. Is this too far? Is it sad?

My mother would say it’s sad and that I shouldn’t care so much. So would most girls in the world. But, I have a different view. It’s good to be passionate about certain things and the Huskies are one of the things I’ve decided to be passionate about. It makes me upset when they don’t play well but the reward is doubled when they win. I’m emotionally tied to the Huskies and am still drained from Saturday. But, it was worth it. Maybe my shoulders wouldn’t hurt as bad if I hadn’t picked up my brother twice (before they called the pass interference and when we actually won) and my roommate once. Maybe my voice wouldn’t be hoarse if I hadn’t yelled to the point where I got light-headed in the 4th quarter. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so invested in one game. Or, maybe I did it right because, once that two point conversion was dropped, I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

Andrew Long

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by Andrew Long | October 15, 2010 · 10:40 pm

Husky Predictions

Big game for the Dawgs! On to the predictions:

Dan

Desperation is a funny thing in sports. The good teams raise their level of play in the face of desperation, while bad teams wilt. Washington’s season is on the line when they take the field against OSU. I don’t mean to overstate the meaning of one game, but the Huskies must play desperate, fiery, and make a statement. I’m tired of the excuses, even the valid ones. It’s about time UW rises to the occasion, and plays lights out at home, under the lights. I trust both offenses will play well, despite the health concerns on both teams. I think it comes down to turnovers and defense in this one, and while I don’t feel good about the Husky D, I think they will do just enough to keep the game close. I’ll be at the game for the first time this season, and after going 3-0 last year (USC, Arizona, WSU), I’m hoping my luck continues. Oregon State is a proven road team, and have played in atmospheres just as, if not more hostile than Husky Stadium. But again, desperation being the theme, I think the Huskies find a way to get it done, and keep the bowl hopes alive. Win one for Jake!
OSU-30, UW-34

Matthew

I’ve been surprised at how many people are picking the Huskies this week. I hope they’re right. I have a hard time seeing UW winning this game. The Beavers have their number, are a better team, and are getting better every week. Maybe Locker will carry the Dawgs and the defense will play their best game of the season, but I’m not getting my hopes up.
OSU 35– UW 27

Andrew

I don’t think there’s a lot in favor of the Dawgs this week. They don’t have much momentum. They have several key players injured. They’re breaking in a new offensive line that seems to have quite a few holes. And, they’re playing a team that seems to beat them up every single year. So, I see the Dawgs winning by double digits. Yes, I know that contradicts everything I’ve said but I’m just trying to keep up with a frustrating, inconsistent team. I don’t know why I think the Huskies will win. But, throughout the week I’ve had the feeling that it might happen and this week I’m going with my gut over my head. Hey, the Beavers are pretty beat up too. Dawgs win on a cold night. It’s not even going to be that close. (This is the worst prediction I’ve made in a long time).
UW-42 OSU-21

Joe

I am too optimistic for my own good. Maybe because I am a born and bred Seattle sports fan, I have adapted to handle losing by being positive and having fun with bad situations. The situation the Huskies find themselves in is a bad one, yet I feel good about their prospects against Oregon State. The way I feel about this game is the same way I felt about USC. Coming off devastating loses, the Huskies have had an uncanny ability under Sark to bounce back and play well. I expect this trend to continue. Locker will play better despite his quad injury. He won’t be puking on the sidelines. I think Sark knows he needs to run the ball more, so look for Polk and Callier to get more carries, thus helping the Dawgs win the clock/ball control battle. The Beavers are still very dangerous even without James Rodgers. Jacquizz scares the crap out of me. He’ll have a huge game. Katz has played well of late too. The Husky defense must not give up touchdowns. Hold them in the redzone and give the offense a chance. I think the Husky O will bounce back bigtime and carry the Dawgs to a win. Yup. Mr. Optimistic.
Dawgs 31 – Beavers 30

Go Huskies!

Andrew

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Tagged as Husky predictions, UW-OSU

by Andrew Long | October 14, 2010 · 2:20 pm

Scouting Oregon State – Defense

On to the defense today. I can’t remember the last time the Huskies offense had a good game against the Beavers defense. This year, it could be a little easier than prior years. Here we go!

Defensive Line:

The Beavers run defense has struggle this year and that is because they lost some stars in their front seven. With that being said, they might have the best defensive tackle in the conference, Stephen Paea. He’s a 6-1, 310 lb. beast up the middle and will give UW’s guards and center all they can handle. Last year, the Beavers defensive ends created havoc in the backfield. We haven’t seen them do that so far this year. They’ve created sacks, but not a huge amount and aren’t as big of a threat. The entire Beaver defense is stronger inside than they are on the corners, which is a nice change from Arizona State last week.

Linebackers:

This may be the weakest spot on the Oregon State team. Injuries and attrition have left this spot pretty open. Dwight Robertson is a steady player at the weak-side linebacker spot. He started last year and was very productive in doing so. But, the rest of the linebacking group may be the reason for the insane amount of yards being put up on the Beavers (456 yards/game). Of course, the strength of schedule might have had something to do with that also.

Secondary:

The secondary has seemed a little rough so far this year. This group returned several starters but they haven’t shown a ton yet. On paper, this is the best unit of the Beavers defense, but they haven’t come together completely. James Dockery is a good corner and has experience. Both safeties are returning starters who combined for 142 tackles last year. But, teams are still putting up quite a few passing yards on them. This situation reminds me of the Huskies secondary. It was thought to be a strength before the season but now it’s a question mark. They do have potential to be good in this area.

Special Teams:

I’m writing this only because of Alexis Serna. He’s one of the biggest reasons the Huskies haven’t beat the Beavers in the last 6 games. That guy never missed. Thankfully, he isn’t kicking for them anymore. Justin Kahut, is Oregon State’s kicker and he’s done a decent job. He really struggled last week, missing two PAT’s but before then was doing pretty well. The return game isn’t as dangerous now that James Rodgers is out but they still have a few guys who are more than capable of putting up some big returns.

Alright, thanks for reading. If you have any questions on the match-up put it in the comments and I’ll get to it.

Andrew

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Tagged as Oregon State defense, UW-Oregon State

by Andrew Long | October 13, 2010 · 6:46 pm

Scouting Oregon State – Offense

Saturday is fast approaching (too fast for the Huskies with the illness and injuries lingering) so that means it’s time to take a look at the Beavers of Oregon State. Here we go!

Quarterback

Ryan Katz had the impossible job of filling Sean Canfield’s shoes this year. He was adequate in the Beavers first couple games, but nothing more. But, he may be breaking out now. Last week, against what may be the best defense in the Pac-10, Katz threw for 393 yards. He has a very strong and accurate arm. He’s only thrown one interception on the season and is somewhat mobile in the backfield. It’s still his first year starting, so we can’t be sure that he’ll be consistent but Katz is looking like a really solid quarterback.

Running Back

The Beavs have one of the best running backs in the country, Jacquizz Rodgers. He’s a small, shifty, and very quick back. He’s ran for over 1,000 yards each of the last 2 seasons and is on pace to do it again. He hasn’t put up huge numbers yet, but he has faced a tougher task than any running back in the nation. It seems like he’s ready for a huge game any given week. Let’s hope it’s not this one. Oregon State doesn’t use many other backs besides Rodgers. They do use receivers in the fly sweep though. With James Rodgers out, Markus Wheaton will probably take over that role.

Wide Receivers

OSU took a big hit last week when James Rodgers went down for the season. It’s a tough break for a great player. With that being said, Oregon State does have a good, deep receiving core. Jordan Bishop and Markus Wheaton are now the Beavers’ leading receivers. Bishop is tall, 6-3, and the teams deep threat. Wheaton has emerged over the last couple weeks, he had 7 catches against Arizona. Oregon State also has one of the best tight ends in the league, Joe Halahuni. He is a big threat when they get into the red zone.

Offensive Line

This has been the biggest weakness of the Beavers offense so far. This unit might be the biggest reason why Jacquizz hasn’t gone off yet. The offensive line only lost one player from last year, so there is plenty of experience up front. The Beavs’ also started 4 former walk-ons on the offensive line in their season opener. That’s a testament to great player development by Mike Reilly. The offensive line isn’t bad, they just haven’t been great thus far. That could change on Saturday.

The defensive scouting report will be up tomorrow. Thanks for reading!

Andrew

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Tagged as Orego State offense

by Andrew Long | October 11, 2010 · 7:08 pm

Pac-10 Outlook: Week 6

I can’t believe how fast this season is going. It’s sad. This conference looks better and more confusing every week. Anyway, on to the recaps. I didn’t get to watch many of these games but I’ll relay what I know.

Cal 35 – UCLA 7

Cal completely dominated this game from start to finish. Shane Vereen ran all over the Bruins defense and UCLA had no semblance of an offensive attack. Cal didn’t have to pass, Kevin Riley had 86 passing yards, because the Bruins had no answer for Vereen. So, Cal wins a game that it desperately needed. They are still a mystery but there’s no question that they can play with anyone when they feel like it. UCLA, on the other hand, looks as if that Texas game may have been false hope in an ugly season. They had won 3 straight before this game, but it’s hard to know if they’ll win any more this season. Their offense has disappeared once again and their defense isn’t performing at a high level. They have to get back on track fast if they want to get to a bowl. Unfortunately for Bruins fans, they play Oregon next.

Oregon 43 – WSU 23

Well, this was interesting! The Ducks show a few more kinks in the armor every week. The Cougs were close to cutting this to a 6 point game late but Tuel threw an interception in the red zone and, much like the week before against UCLA, it was over before WSU knew what happened. Darren Thomas was hurt in the game but it appears as if he’ll be back for their next game. The Oregon defense has given up 85 points in the last 3 games. WSU certainly looks to be improving and has a chance to actually knock someone off soon. They need to keep getting better each week. It will be interesting to watch. They put up a good fight in this game.

OSU 29 – Arizona 27

This was a huge win for the Beavers. They took an early lead and held on throughout the entire game. Ryan Katz has gotten better every game and finally had a complete breakout game. He passed for 393 yards against a good Arizona defense. Arizona suffered a loss that really hurt their Pac-10 championship chances. They haven’t looked nearly as good in their last 2 games than they did in their non-conference slate. Their defense wasn’t quite up to par. Oregon State did lose James Rodgers for the season which is a huge blow. He had his best game of the year, prior to his injury. They have played without him once this year, so it won’t be completely new territory. Still, he is one of the top receivers in the league and will be missed.

Stanford 37 – USC 35

USC lost on a last second field goal for the second week in a row. There wasn’t much defense in this game, as you can tell by the final score. Stanford wasn’t as dominating as we’d seen them, but they got a Pac-10 road win and that’s really what matters in these games. USC showed that they aren’t going to roll over this season, but they just aren’t at the talent level that we are all used to. USC receiver, Robert Woods, had a day to remember with 224 receiving yards. This was a good bounce back win for Stanford and keeps them in the Pac-10 race.

Games this week:

Arizona @ WSU
Cal @ USC
OSU @ UW

Power rankings after the jump. Continue reading →

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by Andrew Long | October 10, 2010 · 3:42 pm

UW-ASU Postgame

Well, that was annoying. Last night, the Huskies lost 24-14 to the Sun Devils of Arizona State. It was a wet, rainy night that produced a somewhat sloppy game from the Dawgs. The Huskies moved the ball, only one three and out, but had too many mistakes to ever keep the drive alive. It was like the Arizona State 35 yard line had a stop sign on it. One drive would stall because of a dropped pass, the next would be a holding penalty and so on throughout the night. It was frustrating, especially considering the outbreak the offense had last week.

So, what went wrong with the offense? Several factors came into play. First off, we need to give Arizona State credit. Their defense is solid and may have finally showed what people were raving about before the season began. Their front 7 caused a lot of problems for the line and the secondary was quick to the ball all game long. They were attacking and looked a step faster all game long.

Then there was the health issue. Erik Kohler was out for the game with mono. Devin Aguilar was out with a hip flexor injury. Jake Locker was sick and at about 70% strength. These are players that are vital to the offense. With Aguilar out, Jordan Polk got more snaps than he had all season long. He was okay, but Aguilar is so much better. Why James Johnson or Cody Bruns didn’t get some of J. Polk’s snaps is a mystery to me. Erik Kohler might be the second best offensive lineman the Huskies have. That’s saying something about Kohler, a true freshman, but it’s saying more about the offensive line. His backup, Greg Christine, gives great effort but just doesn’t have the talent to be an every down player. He was called for 2 holding penalties last night and was bad in most aspects. Sark said that Jake being sick affected how he called the game because he couldn’t catch his breath after running games. I saw him on the bench after one drive and he looked gassed. That was in the first half. He didn’t look nearly as explosive as he usually does. With these 3 not at the level they usually are, our offense is not near the weapon it was against USC. These guys need to get healthy, and fast.

Still, the Dawgs were in the game and just couldn’t take advantage of any opportunities. Jermaine Kearse had more drops. Nate Fellner dropped an interception that he could have run back quite a ways. In the first half, there were 3 or 4 “almost” fumbles by Arizona State that came on backwards passes or passes that were dropped. If any of those close calls were ruled the other way they could have been defensive touchdowns. Unfortunately, they didn’t and the Huskies lost a game they desperately needed to win. The schedule doesn’t get any easier and a bowl becomes much less likely. This weeks game against Oregon State becomes a must-win. But, we can hope that offense that showed up for the USC game comes back. If they do they can play with just about anyone. For now, they’re nothing but an inconsistent football team.

More notes after the jump. Continue reading →

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Tagged as UW-ASU post-game

by Andrew Long | October 9, 2010 · 11:28 am

Husky Predictions

I’m sorry I didn’t get to a scouting report this week. It’s been a little busy. I’ll get back on schedule this week. On to the predictions!

Joe’s Prediction:

I think this game will be close, ultimately the Huskies win. I think the Dawgs, at least offensively, turned the corner verses USC. Locker, Polk, Callier, Kearse, all played well. The offensive line played well. The kicking game was vastly improved. Except for one return, the kick coverage was solid. Obviously, defensively, the Huskies are terrible in many ways. ASU has a solid running game, so I expect this to be a high scoring affair. The reason, ultimately, why I like the Dawgs is because they have more to play for. I think the Dawgs know this is a must win. The time of ups and downs is over, they must win against ASU and they must win next week against the Beavers. I believe they will step up to the challenge. No excuses. Defend your home field. A lot of people are picking ASU to win this game. Not me.
UW 35 – ASU 31

Matthew’s Prediction:

I’m coming to realize that nearly every Husky game will be hard to predict this year. The hope is that the Huskies found themselves last week, and everything kind of clicked into place, leading to a strong showing and fairly easy win against ASU. That could happen. They could also come out and be terrible and get beat fairly easily. I’m betting more on the former, which along with the Sun Devils killing themselves in the foot again, should mean the Dawgs third win of the year. ASU scares me a bit, but if the Huskies are going to make a bowl, this is a game they need to handle. I’m also predicting a better defensive showing. I don’t know why, but I’m sticking with it!
UW 38 ASU 27

Dan’s Prediction:

Heading into the season, I had practically already penciled in a W for this game. But the Pac-10 is deeper than I had expected, and ASU is no gimmie. In fact, the Huskies have a lot going against them in this game. For starters, you get the feeling ASU is on the verge of a big statement game. Steven Threet has thrown 7 picks in the past 2 games, but the Washinton D has just 1 INT on the season, so Threet may get away with a little more than usual. ASU also has the best return game in the conference, while UW has awful special teams coverage. Lewis and Marshall are formidable in the run game too. So while this reaks of a trap game for UW, I trust that Sark and staff will have the Dawgs in top form for tomorrow’s night game. The offense is beginning to click, and if the D can force a couple turnovers, and not give up anything big on special teams, the Huskies should win. There is the possibility of a letdown following last week’s emotional win, but I think UW realizes how important this game, plus there is the extra incentive of having lost the heartbreaker in Tempe last year, and also having been embarrased in its last home game 3 weeks ago.
Huskies-34, Sun Devils-28

Andrew’s Prediction:

I can’t wait for the Wazzu game because then I’ll actually feel good about my prediction. As for this week, it’s another guess. Arizona State scares me, they have a defense that should break out and an offense that moves the ball. Their running back, Lewis, has rushed for over 100 yards in the last 3 games. He could rush for 200 today if our defense plays like they did last week. That being said, Arizona State’s offensive line isn’t near as good as USC. I think the key to this game is turnovers. Arizona State is very turnover-prone and the Husky defense doesn’t cause many turnovers. Burfict not starting for the Sun Devils is a good break, but he’ll play quite a bit. I really have no idea who’s going to win. Since I picked USC last week, and the Huskies won, I’ll pick ASU this week and hope for the same result. Good reasoning, I know.
ASU – 31, UW – 28

Go Dawgs!

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by Andrew Long | October 6, 2010 · 7:28 pm

Pac-10 Outlook: Week 5

I’m a few days late on this, forgive me. We’ve already covered the UW-USC game, so there’s only 3 to go over. Let’s do it!

Oregon 52 – Stanford 31

For a little while on Saturday it looked as if Stanford could win the national championship. They weren’t just beating, they were dominating the Ducks. It was 21-3. Then Oregon’s speed took over. Are these slow starts by the Ducks? Are they fast starts by their opponent? In 3 games, the Ducks have faced a double-digit deficit, but they’ve still beat everyone by double digits. Stanford’s stock didn’t fall in this game, at least it shouldn’t have. Oregon looks like they might be the best team in the nation outside of those guys down in Alabama. It’s amazing how explosive they are. One thing is clear, if you give Oregon any momentum then the game will be over before you know it. Just ask Stanford.

Oregon State 31 – Arizona State 28

Oregon State got back on the winning side in a game they should win. The Sun Devils put up another valiant effort but sooner or later close losses lose their meaning and winning becomes a necessity. ASU has reached that point. The Beavers defense played a solid game, giving up 364 yards (that’s good for a Pac-10 game this year). Jacquizz Rodgers ran all over the field, like people expected him to do at the start of the season. Also, Ryan Katz may have started to find some rhythm, which would make the Beavers offense very dangerous. As far as ASU goes, they are a good team that makes too many mistakes to win. They are the most penalized team in the nation. If they put together a full game, they’d beat just about anyone in the conference but right now there are just too many mistakes keeping them from winning. We’ll see if that changes, hopefully it won’t this week.

UCLA 42 – WSU 28

This game was weird. The Cougars have found a little something as far as a passing offense goes. But, I never really thought WSU was going to win the game even after they were ahead in the 4th quarter. UCLA seemed like they simply needed to wake up. When they did, midway through the 4th, it was game over. The Cougars gave up over 400 yards rushing. UCLA was playing with a backup quarterback, Brehaut, who is pretty bad. Kevin Prince should be back this week. The Bruins’ secondary should not be this bad. They have the best linebacker and safety in the league, but there have been several games this year where it seems as if they just forgot to show up. Even after beating Texas, I’m still not sold on the Bruins. The Cougars played competitively, which is more than they’ve been able to say in a Pac-10 game in about 2 years. We’ll see if they can keep it up at all.

This Week:

UCLA @ Cal- Two teams that are hard to figure out. It’s a big game for both of them if either of them want to make a bowl game.
Oregon @ WSU- After showing some hope last week, the Cougs play a game that they have absolutely no chance in. Oregon could put up 100 points if they wanted to.
OSU @ Arizona- This might be the most intriguing game of the week. OSU plays another tough road game and looks to get on the winning side. The Beavers have faced the top 3 defenses in the nation, statistically (Boise St, Arizona, and TCU). Arizona, meanwhile, tries to show they belong with Oregon.
Stanford @ USC- This is a game that I think most Husky fans will be curious about. It seems like USC has to put a game together sooner or later. But, Stanford is so tough. I think the Cardinal will be glad to be done with this road trip.
ASU @ UW- As always, we’ll have more on this later. But, can ASU finally turn the corner or will they finally roll over? Can UW’s offense be as good as it was last week? Will the defense show improvement? A huge game for both schools.

Power rankings after the jump! Continue reading →

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