Author Archives: Matthew

by | October 29, 2011 · 8:47 am

UW vs. Arizona Predictions

This was a pretty horrible week for Seattle sports fans.  After bad losses for the Huskies, I tend to tune out the media for a few days.  I guess it’s an attempt to avoid depression.  Still, a week without sports seems empty and dumb, so I turned my attention elsewhere.

I figured I’d think about the Mariners for a while.  The baseball offseason is always fun, at least until players start signing and Prince Fielder goes to Texas.  Then I read this and I got depressed again, although Seattle Sports Insider came to the rescue with a more optimistic view later in the week (starting here, with hopefully more thoughts on this later this week from the Good Guys).  Regardless of any offseason hopes, the Mariners have a lot of work to do.

I don’t care about the Seahawks as much as the other local teams, but even if I did, they were no help.  A 6-3 loss might be the worst football score there is.  Maybe it’s 3-0, but at least someone’s getting a shutout there.  The NBA has gone to great lengths to make sure Seattleites hate professional basketball, first stealing our team and then going into a lockout with no end in sight.  Even Old Reliable, UW basketball, had slightly bad news, with freshman phenom Tony Wroten undergoing minor knee surgery over the weekend and the season still a few weeks away.

Here’s to hoping for a better week.  Until then, keep your head up, Seattle.  In the words of local boys Blue Scholars, “Anybody in the town into sports, God bless ’em.  We heard that all underdogs go to heaven.”

Dan

A month ago this game did not scare me. Arizona was a mess, Stoops was coaching his last games in Tucson, and the Huskies were exceeding expectations behind Keith Price. It’s too soon to tell, but Arizona seems to be rising, and Washington is facing real adversity for the first time this season. A common theme when analyzing a UW game is, the offense should be able to score, but the game will come down to how well the defense performs. Truth is, until the defense shows a consistent ability to stop the opposition, the team’s success will hinge on the offense putting up enough points to win the game. This is a big problem, and one that I didn’t think would so glaring yet again. As for tomorrow’s contest, Arizona does not exactly have a juggernaut defense either, and I think the offenses are about a wash (Foles may very well go for 400 yards). I’ll give the advantage to UW because of home field and a little more program stability, which should translate to the little things like tackling, penalties, and taking advantage of opportunities. Take the over in this shoot out!

Huskies-44, Wildcats-38

Andrew

I’ve come to realize that I have the worst record in predictions for the Good Guys.  I’m pretty shook up about it.  Anyway, I don’t see the Huskies losing tomorrow.  Arizona has been talked up more this week than any 2-5 team I can remember.  Yes, they are dangerous but, playing away from home without the energy, they don’t scare me.  The Huskies are too dangerous on offense and the defense won’t be great but it will at least answer some of the criticism that it’s rightfully received this week.  This game will be close for the first 2 and a half quarters and then the Dawgs will pull away.  Go Dawgs!

UW 48 – UA 31

Joe

After the butt whuppin Stanford put on UW last week, I don’t know what to expect vs Arizona. I do expect the Dawgs to come out focused and determined to put last week behind them, which they must. The next two games at home will make or break their season in many ways. Lose to Arizona and Oregon, and you are 5-4 going on the road to two hostile environments with a rivalry game on the back end. Things could get sketchy. Beat Arizona and they set up nicely no matter what happens v Oregon. 6-2 looks a whole lot better than 5-3 with the specter of 5-4. I realize Arizona beat down UCLA last week, but cmon, that was Doogie lost the Bruins a while ago. Arizona traditionally stinks on the road and I believe have quite a few suspensions from their brawl last week. I fully expect UW to win this game. I expect the D to play really well. Traditionally, under Sark, the Huskies play really well coming off losses. I see no reason this game will buck the trend.

UW 38 – UA 27

Matthew

This game is a little scarier than I would have ever anticipated a few weeks ago, but less scary than it probably should be.  Last Saturday’s results are getting slightly overblown for both teams, in my opinion.  Yes, UW’s defense is terrible.  You know who else’s defense is terrible?  Arizona’s, and they’re playing without most of their secondary for at least half of the game.  Nick Foles is phenomenal, and the Wildcat running game was much improved last week.  Keith Price isn’t significantly worse, and the Husky running game is significantly better.  Arizona was playing at home with the emotion of a few coach, who isn’t Mike Stoops.  That should be worth a few touchdowns right there.  Some of that emotion will likely wear off this week.  I still expect Arizona to look much better than they did a month ago, but the Huskies should handle them.  They might not hold them under 35 points, but this should be a win for the Dawgs.

UW 45, UA 34

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by | October 22, 2011 · 10:15 am

UW vs. Stanford Predictions

A couple of quick thoughts before we get to the predictions:

Most people have probably heard about the Arizona-UCLA game Thursday night.  It had a lot of implications for a Thursday night game between two bad teams, namely that it’s probably the game that ensures Rick Neuheisel will be fired and it might signal a bit of an awakening for the Wildcats.  The most interesting part of the ingame action, though, came with 8 seconds left in the first half.  UCLA was lining up for a possible Hail Mary when someone ran on the field from the stands.  Like usual, the cameras didn’t show him, instead focusing on a shot of a referee and some players.  Suddenly, those players took off running and a full-scale brawl broke out.  When it was eventually broken up, two players were ejected, Kevin Prince threw an unsuccessful pass toward the end zone, and both teams walked off, the coaches looking disgusted.

I understand why they don’t show streakers or other people who get on the field.  I personally would rather see what’s going on, but the idea of not giving these people attention is fine.  However, I find it ironic that they won’t show some dummy running through the end zone, but they’ll show a fight between 100 college kids that perfectly embodies the poor sportsmanship that society discourages.  I’m not saying that TV should show the guy on the field or shouldn’t show a brawl.  I just think that if the choice is between having someone toilet paper my house or break in and beat me with a baseball bat because they don’t like how I care for my yard, I know which option I’m picking.

Moving on, I came across this article on WSU running back Carl Winston.  Winston has 224 yards rushing on the year, with a high of 47 in one game.  In the article, Paul Wulff names Winston as his offensive MVP so far this season.  I’m not trying to pick on Winston, and I honestly don’t remember seeing him play, so maybe I’m underrating him.  Still, let’s compare him to the Husky options for offensive MVP.  The clear choice is Keith Price, who is on pace to obliterate most UW season records for a quarterback.  He is currently fifth in the nation in passer efficiency and second in touchdown passes.  If not for that guy in Stanford, he’d be the clear choice for all-Pac-12 QB, in my opinion.  Even if you don’t want to go with him, Chris Polk has about 500 more yards than Winston and is second in the conference in rushing.  I’m not meaning to pick on the Cougars here; they are significantly improved this season.  Wulff’s comment just reminded me of the Huskies in the last few Willingham years.  I’m sure it’s at least partly coachspeak.  If he had to pick one offensive guy on his team, I’m guessing Winston would be at least third, behind Marquess Wilson and either quarterback.  Wulff’s reasons for calling Winston his MVP consist mainly of his excellent blocking and toughness.  Not sure where I was trying to go with this, but I guess I’m just glad that the Huskies can now recognize players for their incredible production, rather than for their incredible toughness.

On to the predictions!

Andrew

Well, this is an exciting game!  One team has only lost once in their last 10 games and the other has the longest winning streak in the nation.  The whole world thinks Stanford is the better team, and rightfully so.  They are older and the more proven team.  A writer for uwdawgpound.com pointed out that they execute extremely well and don’t make many mistakes.  But, he also pointed out that Stanford doesn’t have any absolute stars on the defensive side of the ball (especially now that Skov and Howell are out).  When you think of their offense you think of power running, tight-ends, and a quarterback who is the best in the nation.  Now, the Husky D isn’t set up to stop the quarterback, no one is, but it seems built to do well against the others.  Stanford will get yards, no doubt about it, but I see a little reason for optimism.  I don’t see any reason to doubt our offense won’t score either.  They are too good not to score.  Stanford has been incredible in the 3rd quarter though (and the 1st quarter but so have the Huskies), and that’s what scares me.  It’s what happened against Nebraska and I’m scared that the Dawgs won’t be ready for the fateful 3rd.  If they are, I see them winning to be honest.  There’s more NFL talent on the Husky roster in my honest opinion, it’s just young talent.  Maybe I’ve talked myself into something bad here.  The Huskies will either get blown out or win a close game, that’s what they do in these games.  But, I’m thinking that tomorrow we win.  This team has been doubted too much and, dang it, I’m ready to believe in them and believe that they’re going to win every single week.  Plus, they’re playing trees… While big, they aren’t agile.  Let’s do it Huskies!  Forget the Holiday or Alamo Bowl, after tomorrow lets be talking about the Rose Bowl!
Huskies – 42 Cardinal – 38

Dan

When I analyzed the schedule this past summer and tried to project outcomes, at Nebraska and at Stanford were my only lock losses.  I just could not envision a scenario, at the time, where the Huskies would march in and win either of those games.  I still don’t think Washigton has a great chance today, but I certainly feel better than 3 months ago, when I see Stanford on the schedule.  This game can be broken down a million ways.  The 41-0 loss last year seems like it should be part of the conversation, the fact that this game is on national tv is intriguing, luck vs. price, etc.  To me, it’s as simple as this: Stanford offense-GOOD, UW offense-GOOD, Stanford defense-GOOD, UW defense-BAD (maybe average).  I think UW is at a point where we can keep this game fairly close most of the way, but until our defense is top 25 good, we won’t win many of these games.  I just don’t see us stopping Stanford, not for 4 quarters anyway.  The only scenario where a win is possible, in my mind, is if the defense forces some turnovers, the offense scores TDs rather than FGs, and we get lucky…impossible to do this post without one luck pun.

Stanford-45, UW-31

Matthew

It’s still really hard to predict what these Huskies will do on a weekly basis.  I think Stanford is still notably better, at least on defense.  The Husky offense is so balanced and creative, but this is the best defense they’ve played.  The UW offense is the best Stanford has played as well.  This might come down to who makes mistakes, which isn’t usually Stanford, but it isn’t really the Huskies either.  I really want to pick the Huskies, but when I think about this game, all I see is Andrew Luck throwing to his tight ends on third down.  Here’s guessing the UW defense isn’t quite ready to stop him.

Stanford 41, UW 31

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by | October 14, 2011 · 9:35 pm

UW vs. Colorado Predictions

Hello, and welcome to the Good Guys Sports Blog.  I’ll be your host this evening.

Here’s tonight’s question: Who is your favorite Pac-12 player to watch that is not on your favorite team?  That means no Chris Polk for Husky fans, no Marquess Wilson for Cougars, etc.

For me, LaMichael James is probably the guy.  He’s a Duck, and you can argue he’s a product of their system, but consider me skeptical that any of their other backs will be nearly as good as he is.  He’s out for at least this week though, so I’ll try for someone less obvious, if possibly just as talented.

Every year, the Good Guys plus a few others have a Pac-10/12 only fantasy draft.  It’s slightly ridiculous but a lot of fun, and we know as much about Utah’s fourth string running back as anyone outside of Kyle Whittingham, which, I guess that’s a good thing?  Anyway, last year, I was looking for late depth at wide receiver and grabbed California’s Keenan Allen, then a probable starter as a true freshman.  The first few weeks, I think he gave me more points on end-arounds than on receptions, but by the end of the year, he was a solid starter for my team.  This year, I think I grabbed him in the fourth round or so, which raised a few heckles from fellow drafters.  It was the best pick I made.

Allen and Cal QB Zach Maynard are half-brothers, and the hope for Bear fans was that the two would develop into a dynamic duo that would provide the passing attack Cal has mostly been missing the last couple of years.  That’s been the case at times, but Maynard has been extremely inconsistent, and just plain bad the last couple of weeks.  Allen has had no such issues.  He’s been solid to spectacular, with the Huskies getting most of the spectacular.  He went for 10 catches and 197 yards with a touchdown in Husky Stadium.  Last night against USC, he seemed like Cal’s only offensive weapon, ending with 13 catches for 160 yards.  He’s gone over 100 yards receiving in every game but one this year.

Allen’s a joy to watch, big and smooth.  He’s one of those guys who doesn’t seem like he’s that fast until he’s running away from you, like he did in the first series against the Huskies.  The Pac-12 has a bunch of great receivers.  Robert Woods is just ridiculous in all aspects.  Juron Criner is excellent when he can stay on the field, and Marquess Wilson is lightning, scary as can be.  If I were picking guys for a team though, my pick might be Keenan Allen.

So who do you like to watch?  Put it in the comments.  Onto the predictions:

Joe

Even though the line on this game says it will be a blow out and not noteworthy, I believe this game is intriguing and could be another defining moment for this program (Sark has had a few defining moments, both wins over USC, the Holiday Bowl and last week vs Utah…).  If the Huskies want to be elite and return to conference dominance like so many long time fans want, they must, I repeat, must destroy Colorado.  The Buffs are simply not good.  They lost home to Wazzu and haven’t won a road game in four years.  If UW claims to be good, and 4-1 says they are, they gotta play like it and come out and crush CU.  No sloppiness like they showed against lesser opponents earlier this year.  I want to see crisp, aggressive play right from the start.  The Huskies tend to play well in the underdog role, it gets them jacked up since a hallmark of Sark’s coaching is playing with emotion and a chip.  Against Utah they had all of this.  How do they handle the biggest in conference spread since the Neuheisal days?  I am very curious to see.  I like swagger, in fact I love it, but if you want to be hardcore you better go out and back things up.  Bury them from the start.  No detailed player or scheme breakdowns in this prediction, just the plain truth: Dawgs in a blowout, POW!

UW 41 – CU 17

Andrew

The last 2 games I’ve picked against the Huskies and what have the results yielded?  The Huskies have beaten teams by more than 7 points 2 weeks in a row!  You may think that’s not a big deal, but it hasn’t happened since (I’m looking back through the records now, wait for it) the last two games in 2009.  That’s pretty amazing seeing how the Huskies record is 13-7 in that span.  By the way, the Huskies have won 8 of their last 9 games.  That’s better than most teams in the country, pretty cool huh?  It’s because of those records that the Huskies should blow out Colorado.  The Buffaloes haven’t won a road game since 2007 (double check that for me), they are completely depleted in the secondary, and they are missing one of their top offensive weapons.  I know Colorado has been going through down years but these road woes are pretty ridiculous.  Why don’t they bring the buffalo on the road with them?  You can’t convince me that they wouldn’t win at least a couple of road games in that span if they brought their buffalo along.  I know picking the Huskies to lose has worked out for us the last few games, but now is the time to start believing that the Huskies will win.  Our Dawgs have a tendency to keep things close but, on Saturday, I think we’ll see domination.  The Dawgs will run away with this one.  The fans will party out in the rain and our team will show up in the top-25 on Monday.  That will set up a showdown for the Pac-12 North that has early Rose Bowl implications.  Yes, I’m getting way too ahead of myself but it sure does feel good to write that.  Go Dawgs!

Huskies – 42 Buffs – 17

Matthew

Like many Husky fans, I’m still trying to get used to a good UW team.  I keep looking for reasons that they’re not very good.  Their opponents haven’t exactly gone on to great success.  It’s just going to take a bit before I’ll be able to expect continued excellence from them.  A blowout win over a bad and beaten-up Colorado team would be a huge step in the right direction.  I think they’ll do it.  There’s not a whole lot else to say.  Colorado isn’t terrible offensively, but they’re missing Paul Richardson, who accounts for something like 25% of their offense so far, which seems extremely high for a wide receiver not named Robert Woods.  Their defense isn’t anything special, especially if you pick up their blitzes.  The only thing really scary about them is the buffalo, and as Andrew said, he’s not making the trip.  The mascot making every trip should have been a requirement of Colorado joining the Pac-12.  Have to say though, I saw them run the buffalo out recently, and I was disappointed that they didn’t just turn him loose.  They have 4 people running along beside him.  Let that guy run!  Andrew pointed out that that would be dangerous and crazy.  I pointed out that I didn’t care!

UW 45, Colorado 20

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by | October 9, 2011 · 12:38 pm

The Thousand Yard Game

Husky Stadium is a special place for us, and we’re guessing a lot of our readers feel the same.  Given that this is the last year for the stadium as we know it, we thought we’d offer up some of our favorite memories that came on Montlake.  With memories, there’s always the chance that they’re only special to the people involved, but hopefully with this series you’ll see something of the importance these memories hold to us.  With a few of them, maybe you were there as well.  The bye week seems like a good time to start, with more posts to come throughout the season.

******************************************************************

My first trip to Husky Stadium was the 1995 Apple Cup.  I was in the eighth grade, and as near as I can remember, I went with my dad and his two cousins, Dave and Steve.  Reading about that game now, it turns out that it was a pretty great game, with the Huskies winning on a late field goal.  I have vague recollections; we walked out talking about Ryan Leaf’s debut, how the Cougars had themselves a quarterback.  Mostly, I remember being excited to be at a Husky game at long last.

My first real memory at Husky Stadium came a year later.  We bought season tickets for the first time, along with Dave and Steve, but they decided to stay home for a late-season game against cupcake San Jose State.  My whole family decided to go, along with my friends Mike and Tyler.  My birthday was the next week, so my parents gave me an early present: a corduroy coat I had picked out earlier.  They thought I might want to wear it, and I did, but I decided to go with my ski coat instead, in case of rain.  It was a good move.

We got to the game early and found seats in the east end zone.  It was cold already, and in the open bleachers at that end of the stadium, the wind blows off the lake and right onto your legs and back and neck.  On cold days, you hope the section is full and that big people are sitting behind you, because that’s the only thing that blocks the wind.  When half the crowd leaves for concessions or the restroom at halftime, the temperature seems to drop twenty degrees instantly.

As the band was lining up to take the field, my dad looked toward the sky in front of us and said, “If this was Yakima, we’d have a hailstorm in about twenty minutes.”

The band played, and the flag was unfurled for the Star Spangled Banner.  The flag holders made their dash across the end zone to retrieve their instruments, and the tuba players donned jerseys for their weekly pre-game game of football before the players took the field.

As the Huskies ran out of the tunnel, it started to hail.  Then, it started to rain. Continue reading →

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by | September 30, 2011 · 8:38 pm

UW vs. Utah Predictions

Here’s a joke:

A midget’s walking down the street.  As he’s turning a corner, he runs into Wilt Chamberlain.

The midget looks up and says, “Utah!”

Joe

This game is a tough read. The Dawgs are scoring points and moving the ball well. Keith Price is playing at an All-American level. With an offense as potent as UW’s, it’s hard to count them out of any game. The Huskies have already played one tough game on the road in Nebraska, so they will not be intimidated by the rowdy Utes crowd. They played at BYU last season in the altitude, so they should know what to expect. Nevertheless, they are 10 point dogs. I understand why. This is Utah’s Pac-12 home opener, it’s homecoming, the Utes are coming off a beat down of rival BYU, and they just had their bye. Those are all very good signs for Utah. I’ve watched Utah play a couple games this year vs USC and BYU. I wasn’t too impressed with them at USC, and I am not sure how good BYU is, so while the crushing of the Cougars is impressive, just how impressive is yet to be seen depending on how BYU ends up.

This game is very simple, if the Huskies defense plays well, and by well I mean get a few 3rd down stops and don’t give up bone headed plays in the secondary, the Dawgs have a very good chance to win because their offense cannot be stopped, I don’t care how good the Utes D is. My problem is I don’t trust the defense. I just simply have no faith they can put together four quarters of solid defense, and on the road, you can’t afford silly mistakes. They haven’t eliminated the mistakes, so until they do, these games will always be brutal, what could have been finals. Another heart-breaker:

Utah 35 – UW 31

Danny

I used to intern for David Locke at 950 KJR, and he is now a radio host for KFAN in Salt Lake City.  I follow him on twitter and I’ve learned this week that Utah is buzzing over this game.  In fact, ask a Utes fan and he will tell you this game is the most anticipated since the Fiesta Bowl in 2005.  This is not a rivalry, nor a matchup of ranked teams, but Utah is playing its first ever Pac 12 home game.  Apparently this is a really big deal; heck, even a pre-game fireworks show is planned.  In games like this, the first quarter is crucial.  If UW comes in and shuts up the 45,000 “mini” sea of red, then I like our chances to keep it close until the end.  It’s obvious that Utah’s strength is their defense, and their weakness is putting up points.  The Huskies are prolific on offense, but far from great on defense.  Home field advantage, turnovers, special teams, and weird stuff will all loom large, but I think the side that can elevate their weakness will win this game.  My guess is the bye week gives Utah’s offense an advantage, and the atmosphere inspires the defense.

Utah-38, UW-27

Andrew

Does anyone have any idea what’s going to happen in these games?  Why do we make predictions in the first place?  Why does the sun come up in the morning?  One of these has to do with science and the other two questions I’m truly looking for an answer to.  All this pressure of making a prediction just makes me so nervous for the game because I start to think about the game even more than I do in my everyday life (which is quite a lot), and then I get nervous a full 24 hours earlier than I would otherwise.  To summarize, these things are dumb!

But, you want my take on the game?  I think Utah has been talked up way too much.  They beat BYU by 44 points because BYU turned the ball over 8 times.  8 times!  That is ridiculous!  Their other games, they’ve looked solid but nothing more.  That sentence could have been said about the Huskies too.  The Utah offense is suspect, but so is the Husky defense.  The Husky offense is very good, but so is the Utah defense.  It’s a stalemate.  Does that mean it comes down to special teams?  That would mean the Huskies would have a slight edge.  But, I’m picking Utah because this is a game that top-20 teams in the nation win.  I don’t have the faith that the Huskies are quite there yet, but if they win then, for the first time since 2001 (or maybe 2002) I’ll truly believe the Huskies can win any game.  Go Dawgs.

Utah – 34  UW – 27

Matthew

The Huskies seem to be continually faced with games which could possibly come to define them as a football team.  Some, such as the Nebraska game, they’ve lost.  Some, they’ve won.  And still we’re not sure what this team is.  Tomorrow’s game seems like the latest and most definite of these defining contests.  If the Huskies are a better than mediocre team, they should beat Utah on the road.  At the very least, they should keep it competetive until the end.  The truth is, we have no idea what will happen in this game because the Huskies are still incredibly unpredictable, and until they can play well consistently, no single game is defining.

All that being said, this has the makings of a great game, and a win really could be a catalyst toward a big season.  As Joe said, it’s going to rest with the defense.  If they can figure out how to get off the field on third down even half the time, the Dawgs will run away with this game.  I’m not really sure what Utah is.  They are always well-coached, they have solid talent, but their offense is probably the least threatening UW has seen thus far.  Their defense is solid, but the Husky offense is better than that.  Utah is coming off a blowout of BYU followed by a bye.  As Andrew said, BYU had 8 turnovers and almost lost to Utah State tonight.  BYU isn’t very good.  That doesn’t mean Utah isn’t good, but I’m thinking the Dawgs grow up in Salt Lake City tomorrow and pull out the win.

UW 34, Utah 27

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by | September 23, 2011 · 10:46 pm

UW vs. California Predictions

Let me take you inside the absolutely fascinating inner workings of Good Guy Prediction posts.  I (being Matthew) send Danny, Andrew and Joe a text at some point on Friday that says, “Hey, send me your predictions when you get a second.”  They all send me an email, and when I get home that night, I combine them in a post, write an incredibly exciting intro, and that’s that.

Ideally, this process would happen on Wednesday or Thursday, so that people could read the predictions before gametime and so my fellow Good Guys have a little more time to respond.  Alas, I’m lucky if I think about this post before lunch on Friday, so occasionally you get a predictions post with two predictions instead of four, like today.  Joe’s off hiking somewhere, which sounds great if you’re into that sort of thing.  Andrew played a show tonight (which was great) and has his 21st birthday Saturday (happy birthday!), so he’s a little otherwise occupied.  Dan and I will hold the fort for this week.

Edit: And Andrew pulls through with his email as soon as I posted this.  Good job, the little guy! (That’s his nickname.)

Dan

After beating Cal on the road last season, it would seem unlikely that the Huskies would let the Bears return the favor tomorrow, especially considering UW appears to be improved from last year. But Cal may have finally found a playmaking quarterback, something they have lacked for the past couple years. Maynard is a dual threat QB whose game apparently resembles Keith Price. He has weapons to throw to in Keenan Allen and Marvin Jones, and I’d imagine the Bears will gobble up yards like most teams seem to do against UW. However, I have a hunch the Dawgs will yield less points than one might expect, if for no other reason than the defense is bound to come out hungry. This game is a virtual toss up in Vegas, but  for no good reason I think the Huskies put all 3 phases together tomorrow, and Sark can finally smile. Maybe the homer in me is talking, but I think Cal is catching UW at the wrong time.

UW-45, Cal-27

Matthew

It’s hard to be completely sure about anything Husky related right now, but I’m pretty sure that if Keith Price and Chris Polk are on the field, the offense will score at least 30 points against almost anyone.  The defense is anyone’s guess.  They have the talent, but I think there’s a lack of confidence in the new linebackers that’s affecting the whole unit.  Sarkisian’s comments about the defense were revelatory.  Hopefully they cut loose this week and let their athleticism take over.  I’d rather see big plays with a few mistakes than the steady drip of yards they’ve been surrendering.

The last two games between these two have been wins for the Dawgs, a blowout and last year’s game winning touchdown by Polk with no time on the clock.  I’d love another blowout, but I’m expecting a close one.  The Golden Bears are a talented team in almost exactly the same position as the Huskies, as an unproven team with talent.  The winner becomes the front runner for third in the tough northern division.  I think the Huskies pull it out.

UW 38, Cal 34

Andrew

I don’t know what to think of this game.  It’s a very important game in this season where we’re trying to figure out if the Dawgs have taken another step forward.  I have a lot of confidence in the offense, they are moving the ball very well the last 2 weeks.  But, Cal also scares me.  I’m not sure if they’ve earned me being scared of them (I’m not sure they care about me, in general so they are kind of jerks), but they have a strong defense and a decent offense.  Against the Huskies defense, a decent offense is all you need it seems.  But sooner or later, the defense will play better.  It might be the year 2017 or it might be in this game.  I have said almost nothing in this preview.  This game seems even and whoever wins the turnover battle will win the game.  Home field advantage will be a key.  For some reason it sure seems to me like Cal is going to win.  Maybe it’s because it’s my birthday and I’m not sure if the Huskies have ever won on my birthday.  I hope I’m wrong and I hope Chris Polk, Keith Price, and Ta’amu run up to me in the stands after a blow out and deliver me a game ball along with a million dollars.  But, for now I’m going to say Cal wins 35-27.  Prove me wrong Dawgs!  GOOOOOO!!!!! HUSKIES!!!!!

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by | September 17, 2011 · 9:12 am

UW vs. Nebraska Predictions

A couple of weeks ago, we went to a local farmer’s market.  Corn was in season.  I bought 4 ears of corn for $1.50.  Several days later, I had maybe the worst day of my year thus far.  I went to work and by noon had a pretty good cold.  The afternoon was fairly miserable, and then I went to the dentist after work, who gave me less than great news.  When I finally got home at 8:00 that night, I lit up the barbecue to make a hamburger.  As I was waiting for it to cook, my dad called.  Our family dog, Monte, whom 11 years ago I had brought home from work where he was dropped off as a stray puppy, had died.  He was literally the best dog on the face of the earth.  It was a crappy day.

Know what else I did that day?  I husked some corn.  I like corn.  I especially like to barbecue corn on the cob, and that’s what I did that day.  It didn’t even taste good.

Anyone can be a corn husker, but few can be Dawgs.  Let’s win this one for Monte.

Andrew

I had meant to put up a preview of Nebraska and a recap of last week on the blog but never got around to it.  The Huskies left me feeling a bit more optimistic after last week but they still had quite a few problems.  The Cornhuskers seem to have holes too.  They blew out Chattanooga but took a while to get rolling in that one.  Last week, they struggled with Fresno State and held on for the win.  Fresno is close to even with Hawaii, if anything they’re a little bit worse.  I believe Nebraska is worse than they were last year, but not by much.  When they stomped the Huskies last September I thought they’d be the National Champion.  So, maybe these teams are a lot closer to even than the betting line suggests.  On defense, the Huskies have to stop Taylor Martinez from running all over them.  He’s the only thing that really scares me for the Huskers.  On offense, the challenge will be to run the ball even though Nebraska knows that the Huskies will be running.  If the Dawgs can get a few big pass plays to start the game, then I think the offense will have some success.  They have to tackle well, not lose any assignments, create turnovers, and play smart physical football.  Frankly, I’m excited for this game.  We can see how the Huskies truly measure up.  Last week we saw glimpses of what the Huskies could be (in the first quarter) and this week they’ll have to be that team for the whole game to win.  I don’t think they’re quite able to pull it off but I think they’ll keep it close, making it a fun game to watch.

Nebraska 31, Huskies 21

Dan

Of all the outcomes, I would only be surprised if the Huskies blowout the Huskers. Outside of this, anything seems possible. Before the season began, I was thinking we would get thumped in this game, because in some ways it really is a recipe for disaster. You have the unbelievable road environment in Lincoln, with its red sea and tradition. The revenge factor is there too, and the talent favors NU as well. Throw in a healthy Taylor Martinez, and a repeat of the 56-21 score last year seems possible. But the strength of the Huskies is their D-line, and nothing Nebraska throws (or runs) at them is going to be a surprise. I doubt Martinez gets bottled up all day, but I think the Dawgs will keep him in check, and force him to throw the ball. I also expect UW to score a little, especially with news that Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska’s stud cornerback, is likely out. Dennard is capable of shutting down one side of the field in the passing game, so his absence could be huge. Despite these reasons to be optimistic, I just see every call, and every bounce going the Cornhuskers way tomorrow. The players in red and white will be amped for this game, and I still think emotion plays a large factor in college football.

Nebraska 45, Washington 20

Joe

I just don’t like where the UW’s defense is at.  I realize Neb runs the ball primarily, and I think UW is much better suited to stop the run.  That said, I think Neb does throw and tries to exploit the Dawgs weakness.  UW  must throw the ball well, because Neb is going to key on Polk, so UW needs to flip conventional thinking: throw to set up the run.  Neb was embarrassed in the Holiday Bowl and they will be jacked up, crowd will be nuts, there’s nothing about this game I like on the road.  Neb simply because of the home field advantage and the revenge factor.  Close early, Neb pulls away late.

Neb 38 – UW 21

Matthew

This is such a strange game.  Everyone knows about the 3 games in a year, with the first two being as different as could possibly be.  Taking away the history, this is a pretty favorable game for the Huskies considering Nebraska is considered a possible top 10 team.  Nebraska is certainly talented, but passing isn’t their strength.  Their secondary, which was the major difference in the first game, has taken a step down, especially if Alfonzo Dennard doesn’t play (probably wishful thinking).  So far, Nebraska has shown themselves to be nowhere near the same team they were last September.

Even with that being the case, I still consider Nebraska the favorite.  They have more talent, they have more experience winning games, and they’re at home.  Plus, it’s not like the Huskies have been dominant this year.  It’s scary but easy to picture Keith Price interceptions, no holes for Chris Polk, and Taylor Martinez running for 200 yards and 4 touchdowns.

For the Huskies to win, I think they have to be balanced on offense and get to at least 27 points.  I think they can do this.  I expect more out of the receivers, and as long as Price doesn’t let the situation get to him, he should have some success.  The defense needs to play like they did in the Holiday Bowl.  Anything much short of that and they could be in trouble.  They can’t let Martinez run wild too often, and they have to consistently control the line of scrimmage.  Up until Friday morning I didn’t give the Huskies much chance, but I’ve talked myself into an upset.  Go Dawgs.

UW 30, Nebraska 24

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by | September 9, 2011 · 9:13 pm

UW vs. Hawaii Predictions

Another week, another game.  Today’s question: why are Hawaii, Pepperdine, and every school in San Diego not dominant in sports?  Given the choice between Pullman, Lubbock and Hawaii, I know which I’m choosing.

Matt

I expected the Huskies to roll last week, and I was way off.  I thought Sarkisian’s comments this week were fascinating, especially when he talked about the players needing to realize that they can play and can’t be tentative.  Against Eastern, they looked like they did early last season: tentative, unsure of themselves, lacking an identity.  Remember that game against Arizona (might have been in 2009) where Arizona kept throwing bubble screens until the Huskies finally stopped one?  That is kind of how last week was.  Eastern kept throwing and luckily Desmond Trufant finally stopped them.

Most of us assumed, or at least hoped, that the identity the Huskies established at the end of last year would carry over to this season.  In week one, it didn’t.  The physical playmaking was nowhere to be seen.  There’s no reason to think they won’t eventually get it back, unless Jake Locker was just an irreplaceable part of that identity.  I don’t think that’s the case, so the question is when they’ll flip the switch and dominate someone.  Here’s to hoping it’s this week, because they might not win this one otherwise.

UW 37, Hawaii 24

Dan

The last time Hawaii played in the state of Washington, they won. But that was against WSU, and typically the Warriors are awful away from the island. I really don’t see Washington losing this game, but they easily could if the same team that played Eastern shows up. Ta’Amu and the d-line have got to make things uncomfortable for Moniz, and the linebackers have got to disrupt the passing lanes. The secondary gets a boost with Richardson’s return, and having a nickel package all game will help. On offense, UW is going to open things up a bit, and 30+ points seems likely.

I’ll call it Huskies 33, Warriors 24

Joe

All week it has been DEFCON 1 surrounding UW football.  The amount of vitriol toward the Dawgs performance against EWU could fill the Grand Canyon.  No Husky fan in their right mind was happy with how they played last Saturday.  No coach or player, for that matter, was happy with how they played.  The saving grace is the Huskies did indeed survive and salvage a win, which at the end of the day, in sports, is all that matters.  Another saving grace is they get a home game versus Hawaii.  Yes, the Rainbow Warriors (I love to continue calling them that) run the run ‘n’ shoot, which will cause problems for the Huskies secondary, no doubt, but I think the Dawgs come out much more aggressive and focused for this game.  No way they play sluggish and uninspired like they did against Eastern.  I believe coach Holt will continue to dial up defenses to get the players in the right position to make the play.  It’s up to the players to execute, and I believe they will.  It’s a matter of survival at this point.  Step up, or lose.

Offensively, I expect coach Sark to open up the playbook and throw down field.  The lack of a deep passing game last week was unacceptable, and they know it.  Look for the UW to attack Hawaii deep, while pounding Polk up the middle, with Callier changing the pace outside.  I am fully expecting to see ASJ get targets and passes coming his way.  He’s too talented a weapon to only throw to once or twice in a game.  In the end I am going with UW if for no other reason they are the more desperate team, despite being 1-0.  They must prove last week was a fluke.  There is no other option if they want to go bowling again this year.

UW wins 33-27

Andrew

Last week was an embarrassment, but it was what the Huskies needed to be ready for this week.  It’s been a bit of a strange week around Husky Nation.  The players all seemed to be chewed out Monday afternoon and Sark gave one of the most honest press conference’s I’ve ever seen, even though it was after a win.  Most players then declined to do interviews this week and practice was closed to everyone on Thursday.  The level of intensity has definitely gone up, but will that mean an improvement?  I think so.  Maybe it’s because I never got down much after last week, but I think the Huskies are still an 8 win team in the Pac-12.  An 8 win team in the Pac-12 has to beat Hawaii at home.  Does Moniz (Hawaii’s QB) scare me?  Sure, but no one else on their offense does.  Their defense looked good against Colorado, but Colorado hasn’t won a road game since their Buffalo mascot was born it seems.  Tomorrow at this time I might be kicking myself for buying into all the things we’ve heard about the team being more intense, but for now I think it’ll mke a difference.  In fact, I think the Dawgs win more comfotably than last week.  Go Huskies!

UW 35, Hawaii 27

Go Dawgs!

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