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by | September 27, 2013 · 8:33 pm

UW vs. Arizona Predictions

Hello Husky fans.  Sorry for the lack of coverage this week.  Between company, life and Andrew getting a new job and having a birthday, it’s been a busy week.  Coming off the Idaho State beatdown, there wasn’t a lot to discuss anyway.  The Bengals were easily the worst team I ever remember the Huskies playing.  It seems a little pointless to play a game like that, but at least they get an easy win.  It was also good to see the Huskies not mess around and just take care of business.  They were able to play every eligible player on the roster as well.

The schedule gets much more interesting for everyone this week.  This game will tell a lot about both the Huskies and Wildcats.  It’s also a bit of a do or die game for Arizona St. and USC, at least if either want to stay in contention in the south.  We also might learn whether any of the past cellar-dwellars off to good starts (WSU, Colorado, etc.) are for real.  Colorado will have a tough time stopping OSU’s passing attack, but they might be able to put up enough points of their own to squeak to a 3-0 start.  WSU takes on Stanford at Century Link in a fascinating game.  The Cougar defense has looked greatly improved, but they haven’t faced much of a challenge.  I doubt they pull out the upset, but there are still a few doubts about Stanford as well.  It should be a fun Saturday.

I didn’t put out my weekly rankings of who had the best week, mostly because most of the games were so pathetic.  That will return next week, along with actual power rankings of the whole conference, now that we’re about a third of the way through the season.  I’m also planning to write on the Mariners, but every time I start to do that, some new fiasco happens.  As good as the football teams in Seattle look, the Mariners are that clueless right now.  Anyway, if you want to check back next week, we should have that and more up, and hopefully 4-0 starts to celebrate for both the Huskies and Hawks for the first time in… forever?  On to the predictions.

Joe

Joe’s out hiking the countryside and didn’t have time to write up anything, but he did send a score.  Happy hiking, Joe!

UW 33 – UA 20

Matthew

If the Huskies hadn’t been demolished in Tucson last year, I would think this would be a reasonably easy win.  It helps that the Wildcats lost QB Matt Scott and replaced him with BJ Denker, who has shown no ability to be a dangerous passing threat.  If the Dawgs can slow down Denker and All-American Ka’deem Carey, I don’t think Arizona can do enough through the air to win.  The Cats defense has been better, but I don’t think they’re good enough to stop Washington consistently.  This one might stay close, but I’m betting the Huskies eventually pull away for a double-digit win.  It’s hard to know what Arizona can do, and Carey and Rich Rodriguez should not be underestimated.  Still, if the Huskies are as good as I think they might be, they should win this one handily.

UW41 – UA 17

Danny

The Huskies lost to Arizona by 35 points last year, and yet, I think most Husky fans would be surprised if the Dawgs didn’t knock off the Cats tomorrow. Count me as one of those fans. Arizona has played 3 cupcakes, all at home, so the 3-0 record is deceiving and the jury is still out on them. On the other side, the Huskies have been tested and look like a good, if not great, football team. When these teams clash tomorrow night, 3 things stick out to me as reasons why I do not see a repeat of last year. First, the Huskies are at home, which is the biggest factor of all. Second, the QB matchup is not Matt Scott vs. a struggling Keith Price, but rather “Vanilla Vick” Denker vs. a red hot Keith Price. Finally, the revenge factor is an aspect of this game that I think has weighed on coaches’ and players’ minds all week. Losing 52-17 last year was embarrassing, particularly for the defense. Look for Wilcox to have his D locked in, and in all phases, I just think UW has the edge. Windy weather might be a factor in the pass game but I still predict a lot of points.

UW 38 – UA 20

Andrew

Husky:  “WOOF WOOF WOOF!!! I’M A DAAAWWWWG! BARK!”
Wildcat:  “Meow…”
Husky:  “That’s all you can say? Meow? Roooof! Grooowwwwll.”
Wildcat:  “Meow…”
Husky:  “You’re an idiot.”
Wildcat:  “Meow”
Husky:  “Oh, that’s right.  You’re a Wildcat.”
Wildcat:  “Meow”
Husky:  “Now, I must kill you.”

I have been a little bit out of the loop as of late but it seems like people are downplaying this game a little bit.  I don’t really understand why.  Last year, the Wildcats handed the Huskies their worst loss of the season.  The defense seemed to never have a chance and the offense never could get rolling.  Arizona just seemed to have our number.

This season, the Huskies appear to be much improved but they have yet to face a team with the speed Arizona has.  Arizona hasn’t played anyone good in their non-conference portion of the schedule and somehow this has been a bit of an indictment of their talent level, even though they have handled their business with ease.  Their defense should be better than last season and they have one of the best players in the nation.  Needless to say, I’m a little bit concerned.

The amount of experts picking blowout for this game doesn’t seem quite right to me but I do think the Huskies will pull away.  They seem to be on a revenge kick this year and I imagine there is some motivation from last year’s disaster.  The Huskies have improved their speed on both sides of the ball and are now used to playing up-tempo.  Arizona’s QB may have some trouble in the rain and in his first intimidating road-start.  The Huskies should be able to run the ball at will and they need to limit Ka’Deem Carey’s yards.

It should be a fun game and the Huskies hope to get to 4-0.  There should be about 200 plays run total and the pace could be frantic.  With the rain and wind coming down, it will feel like a true Fall Saturday in Seattle.  All in all, I see the Huskies winning a game that is fairly close.

UW 42 – UA 31

Go Dawgs!

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by | September 20, 2013 · 8:46 pm

UW vs. Idaho State Predictions

tumblr_mqjxrzgzcx1rftit5o1_500Yep, that’s a shopping cart of Huskies.

Matthew

It’s been hard to muster a lot of excitement for this game.  There’s a reason the Huskies are 50+ point favorites.  Idaho State is a fairly bad FCS team.  The Huskies are a top 20 team in the nation.  The Huskies have played bad teams, and they’ve played FCS teams, in years past, but I don’t know if they’ve played anyone at Idaho State’s level.  This should be a game that is over in a quarter or less.  The Huskies need to come out with energy and execute immediately.  They need to dominate continuously and make it possible for the back-ups to play most of the second half.  This season is about the Huskies taking the next steps in their maturity, and a big part of that is dominating the teams they should dominate.  This is a game that should never be in doubt.  I don’t know if they Huskies will cover the massive spread, but only because Sark doesn’t like to run up the score.  I think the Huskies win this one easily and get some good rest for the starters before the schedule gets interesting next week.

UW52 – ISU 10

Dan

Few times can you go into a weekend knowing your 2 hometown teams will win barring a collapse or natural disaster or 35 injuries. But that’s the case this weekend, with the Huskies and Seahawks a combined 73 point favorites. In UW’s case, they are 53 point favs and the question is not if we will win the game, but by how much, and how much will we see from the backups. In essence, this is a preseason game played in season, that counts. So I guess it’s the opposite of a preseason game. But anyways, I know nothing of Idaho State other than they are 2-0 and probably hate the Vandals and Broncos. Over in Pullman, the Cougs will take on Idaho, so this really is a Washington vs. Idaho weekend. Here’s a question…if you combined the rosters of Idaho and Idaho State, would they be able to knock off Boise State? I tend to think not, but what say you?

UW 55 – ISU 10

Joe

Washington comes back home for two games, ISU and UA, that will feel very different from each other.  The Idaho State Bengals will not present a challenge to UW despite the mighty cats from Pocatello’s unblemished record of 2-0 (They hung 40 on Dixie State…).  I expect the Dawgs to score early and often, and to overwhelm ISU defensively.  My biggest concern here is injuries.

UW 46 – ISU 12  (Next week vs Arizona in the conf. opener is the real match up to be excited about. Enormous game for both programs!)

Andrew

The Huskies search for their first 3-0 start in over a decade on Saturday.  They should easily find it.  They play a team that is the third best football team in Idaho (and that might be generous).  Idaho State has really struggled in the past years and that is with playing FCS competition.  They lost to Portland State (the team the Huskies played last year) 77-10 last year.  While Idaho State looks a little more capable this year as their passing game has been pretty impressive and defense fairly stout, they just don’t have near enough weapons to keep up with the Huskies.  With there being zero questions about who the better team is, the storyline turns to the Huskies.  Here are some things that I will be keeping an eye on tomorrow:

Will the Huskies come out fired up and put the Bengals away in the first quarter?  It would be easy for the Huskies to look ahead and not take this game seriously.  If they do that, the Bengals could put up a score or two and some yards in the early going.  I don’t want that.

Will the penalties go away?  Another part of the focus aspect.  Against a team you are superior to, there is no reason for penalties (aside from officiating incompetence, which is all too likely).

How does ASJ fit in?  This is a question that I was mildly curious about last week and now I’m extremely curious.  ASJ struggled last week.  I look for Sark to get him involved early so he gets comfortable before an extremely important game next week.

Which young guy will shine?  Assuming the Huskies get up big early (which they should), there is no reason to keep the starters in much past half time.  Some young guys I’ll be keeping an eye on are:  QB Cyler Miles, RB Dwayne Washington, WR Damore’ea Stringfellow, LT Jake Eldrenkamp, DE Jojo Mathis, S Brandon Beaver, and two freshmen DB’s, Kevin King and Trevor Walker.
All of the factors involved should lead to a Husky blowout.

UW 56 – ISU 6

 

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by | September 13, 2013 · 7:22 pm

UW vs. Illinois Predictions

Hey everybody, it’s Husky time!  Tomorrow, the Dawgs take on the Illinois Fighting Illini.  I’m realizing as I type this that the Fighting Illini is a strange nickname.  It just sounds strange, and it’s a weird one to type.  Andrew touched on the fuzzy origins of the name earlier this week.  Think about this, though: take out the “Fighting” and it’s just the Illinois Illini.  I don’t know if that’s better or worse.  I don’t know where I’m going with this, either.

Andrew pointed out a moderately fascinating observation to me today.  In his words:

“I wonder if the Huskies have ever opened up the season against two schools that have the school colors of blue and orange.  I mean, what are the chances?  I’m not a math major.  My wife is.  I asked her what the odds were and she ignored me.  But wait!  The last time the Huskies played Boise State was 2007.  Guess who they played the game before that?  Syracuse.  Syracuse’s colors are blue and orange.  Wow.  Groundbreaking stuff.  In 2007 and 2013 the Huskies played consecutive games against teams with blue and orange.  In between those years the Huskies played only two teams with those colors: Syracuse in 2010 and Boise State last year.”

Excellent research!  I’d also note the Huskies won all of those games except for last year against Boise State.  Seems like a good omen.

One more random note, if anyone is still reading this.  The game is in Chicago at Soldier Field, instead of on-campus in Champaign.  It’s the same idea as the Cougars playing in Seattle.  They get to reach a few more alumni and hopefully make a dent in a major recruiting hotbed.  For the Huskies, it’s a nice little benefit, in that it should be more of a neutral field.  They’re only expecting 45,000 at the most. Anyway, I was thinking about Chicago on the way home today, and I wondered if any city has both a prominent band and song named after it.  Chicago, the band, is on about the third tier of rock band stardom and is my father-in-law’s favorite. “Chicago“, the song by Sufjan Stevens, is one of the best songs of the 2000’s and the most notable track from one of the biggest influences on both the current indie rock and folk movements.  There are lots of songs named after cities, but not that many bands.  Boston comes to mind, but I can’t think of any major songs named Boston.  Any thoughts?  Add them in the comments.

Alright, that’s enough of this dumb intro.  On to the predictions!

Joe

UW rolls into Chicago coming off a bye week that probably wasn’t needed, but no doubt they are still on an emotional high after the thumping of Boise State a week earlier in the home opener. The Boise win validated, at least for a couple weeks, Sark’s new up-tempo fastbreak offense. The Dawgs wore out Boise, a team, coincidentally, that also runs an up-tempo offense. To be able to wear out a very athletic and well coached defense like the Broncos is a serious accomplishment.  In fact, the Huskies’ win over Boise was arguably Sark’s best overall win as UW’s coach. The Huskies played a complete game exhibiting speed and quickness, without committing costly penalties.  Boise was a very good opponent who came ready to play and UW stepped up to the challenge and won in all three phases of the game.  I think this type of win will help UW focus on Illinois since the Illini like to do the Star Wars thing on offense as well, spread the field out, huge gaps between linemen.  None of this will surprise UWs defense, which is as quick a defense as UW has had in two decades. I like the match up for the Huskies.  Sankey will pound the rock, and I expect to see a big performance from Kasen this week, since no doubt ASJ’s return and the emergence of Ross and Mickens will have the Illinois defensive staff on high alert.  It’s a road game, and UW under Sark hasn’t fared well on the road, so it will be close, but I expect UW to prevail.  They are the better, deeper team with a hunger to win on the road.

UW 32 – Illinois 24

Matthew

There are reasons to be concerned about this game.  It’s the Huskies first time on the road, and Illinois has thrown for a ton of yards in a chaotic offense so far.  Illinois also has a defense sure to be overmatched, and the Dawgs should be able to score often and easily if they execute like last week.  I’m most looking forward to seeing how Sark uses ASJ in his return.  Also intriguing is what form the next evolution of the offense will take.  Illinois will surely be looking to blow-up the bubble screens and flare passes.  Watch to see if they’re successful, and what UW does in response.  Ideally, the Huskies will have an easy enough time scoring that they’ll be able to save some wrinkles for future, tougher opponents, but if not, the offense could see some interesting permutations.  The secondary will get a tougher test this week, but if they can hold up and the line can get a bit more pressure, this could be a romp.  This Husky team feels different to me.  They seem like they’ve figured it out.  We’ll see if I’m right.  A road blow-out would be a solid next step in their maturation.

UW 45 – Illinois 20

Andrew

This is kind of a strange game to predict.  As the Huskies and the Illini step out on the field tomorrow, the Dawgs appear to be the superior team.  They have way more speed and better playmakers.  They have equal (and probably much better) lines on both sides of the ball.  But, Illinois played a pretty good game last week and is gaining confidence.  As we’ve seen in the past few years, a young team with confidence can be very dangerous even when facing a superior opponent.  Not to mention, the Huskies are 2,000 miles away from home.  They haven’t exactly been a great team away from home.  So, there are things that concern me.

When looking for a game to compare this to, I think Syracuse a few years ago is a good one.  They weren’t a complete pushover but they have a few really nice players and may be able to stick with the Dawgs, at least for a little bit.  Illinois has a good quarterback.  Also, off topic, but the Illini coach seems like an easy guy to root for based on his interview with Softy a few days ago.  As Husky fans have watched our program grow, we’ve seen that a team with a couple of great players isn’t enough against the elite teams.  Here’s guessing that is true tomorrow and the Dawgs run away with the game in the second half.  If they do, I’m guessing that it’s about time to start calling the Huskies elite.

UW 42 – Illinois 17

Go Dawgs!

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by | September 10, 2013 · 9:23 pm

Head of the Pac: Week Two

This is a new thing I’m trying this season.  Last week it was just called Ranking the Pac-12.  Prepare yourself for a slew of bad “Pac” related titles until I find one I like.  Anyway, this is not a power ranking.  It is a subjective ranking of who had the best week the week before.  Teams who didn’t play will be left off unless something significant enough to merit a ranking happened. This week there was one interesting game and lots of blowouts of cupcakes.  The schedule gets a lot better in week 3.  Let’s do this.

1. WSU Cougars beat USC 10-7

I have some misgivings putting the Cougs at the top, because they really didn’t look too great, USC looked horrific, and they’re the Cougars.  Still, WSU got a road win over USC and is leading the Pac-12 North.  I would never have guessed either of those things would have happened this year.  WSU’s defense looked good, but there’s no arguing it was helped significantly by terrible quarterbacking and worse play-calling for USC.  The offense didn’t manage a touchdown, and was maybe worse than USC’s before the big catch and run that put them in field goal position.  The Cougars are certainly better than they were, but I’m unconvinced of how much.  Strangely, it’s the defense that has made the greatest strides under Mike Leach.

2. Oregon Ducks beat Virginia 59-10

The Ducks weren’t perfect, but any complaints are extremely minor when you beat an FBS  team on the road by 49 points.  I doubt Tennessee will fare much better this week.  The Ducks might not be challenged much before coming to Husky Stadium in a few weeks.

3. Utah Utes beat Weber State 70-7

Everything gets a little murky through the vast middle of these rankings.  No one played anyone good and most teams won big.  Extra points and the number three ranking to Utah for doing something I wouldn’t have believed them capable of before the season: putting up 70 points.  That’s a lot, regardless of the opponent.

4. ASU Sun Devils beat Sacramento St. 55-0

I like blowout shutouts.  This is an appropriate score given the teams involved, but it’s always encouraging to see a team nearly perfect on opening night.  This Saturday gets much tougher with Wisconsin coming to town.

5. Stanford Cardinal beat San Jose St. 34-13

Stanford wasn’t incredible, but they handled one of the week’s better opponents easily.  Offense is going to be the question for the Tree.  They’re lacking in established skill players outside of QB Kevin Hogan.  The defense and O Line will have to carry them until they can get clicking.

6. Arizona Wildcats beat UNLV 58-13

Another big win over a weak opponent. The passing game is struggling for the Cats.  Luckily they have All-American Kadeem Carey back from suspension.  Carey is one of the few players to ever be suspended for being an All-American.  The guy’s amazing in so many ways.

7. Oregon State Beavers beat Hawaii 33-14

We have reached the section: “Unimpressive wins against terrible opponents”.  Hawaii is terrible.  Even USC beat them handily.  OSU did too, but it took a while.  The game was in question for the first half before the Beavs pulled away.  They also lost the defense’s captain and maybe best player, LB Mike Doctor. At least he should heal quickly (Doctor joke).  Actually, probably not: 6-8 weeks out. The O Line is beat up as well.  We’ll see if the Beavers can rally, but it’s looking like a potentially long season.  Sean Mannion and Brandin Cooks are pretty great though.

8. (Tie) California Golden Bears beat Portland St. 37-30; Colorado Buffaloes beat Central Arkansas 38-24

Many similarities here.  Both teams struggled to beat bad opponents.  Both had some standout offensive performances: Jared Goff went over 450 yards for the second game in a row for Cal, with many of those yards going to WR Bryce Treggs; Buff WR Paul Richardson had his second straight 200 yard receiving game.  That’s never been done before in the Pac-12.  Good stuff.  Unfortunately, the rest of the team isn’t that great, for both squads.

10. USC Trojans lost to WSU 10-7

Oh, USC.  Where to even begin?  This was one of the worst offensive performances I have ever seen.  Both quarterbacks are bad and made worse by Lane Kiffin’s poor handling and ridiculously terrible play-calling.  Maybe my biggest question is why both quarterbacks are so bad.  Both guys were highly rated and possess obvious physical skills.  It’s no surprise if one of them doesn’t develop, but I find it quite strange that both are struggling so greatly.  One more strike against Kiffin.  Unfortunately for him, he’s already wearing a Golden Sombrero.  The defense is good enough to sustain them if they can show even the slightest threat on offense, but that’s looking like a lot to ask for at the moment. That sentence is really depressing if you simultaneously look at their roster.  They have so much talent it’s crazy.  This team is going to have to drastically improve if they want to save Kiffin’s job, let alone get to a bowl game.  I’d put Kiffin at about a 3% chance of returning next year.

-Matthew

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by | September 2, 2013 · 12:21 pm

A Few Thoughts on a Perfect Husky Win

HSThe Huskies christened the new Husky Stadium on Saturday with their best win in years.  They’ve had wins against better teams, like the upsets of USC and Stanford, but it’s been a long time since they dominated a good team so thoroughly.  I’m not sure how good Boise State will be this year, but they looked like a solid team and were still outclassed in every way by the Huskies.  I’m not going to give a full recap, but here are a few thoughts:

  • First, the stadium.  Simply put, it is everything fans could have asked for.  It’s not glitzy and opulent, but it’s classy and open and perfectly designed for the fans.  And it is so close.  The proximity to the field without the track is what grabbed me immediately.  It’s such a sizable difference, there’s no real way to describe it.  You really have to walk through the stands and see it for yourself.  If you weren’t there Saturday, I’d make every effort to see a game this season.  You won’t be disappointed.  There are also a full day’s worth of high school games there this Saturday, including some big-time local match-ups and quite a few Husky recruits. I can’t imagine a better place to watch a college football game.  The location has always been perfect.  Now there’s a building that not only doesn’t feel like it’s about to fall down, but is also up-to-date and beautiful and possessing all the amenities anyone could want.

    From Our East End Zone Seats

    From Our East End Zone Seats

  • Sean Parker may have saved the season.  The air had gone out of the stadium a bit after Price’s interception and BSU’s first few plays going for easy yardage.  Who knows what would have happened had BSU gone for a touchdown to start the game.  Luckily, Parker saved them with a beautiful interception that reignited the crowd.  The offense went straight down the field for a TD, and there was no looking back from there.
  • Speaking of Parker, the whole secondary looked excellent.  The two new starters, Greg Ducre and Will Shamburger, were solid, particularly Shamburger, who was everywhere.  Marcus Peters made multiple plays and showed a physicality unseen in a UW corner for a while. This group had questions before the year, but for one game, they looked fast, physical and good.
  • The defense was excellent and had a ton of guys make plays, but Danny Shelton really stood out to me.  BSU ran the ball decently, but that was to be expected.  It was quite noticeable when Shelton left the field.  He did a solid job all day moving the middle of the line.  By the third and fourth quarter, he had completely worn down his opposition and was getting pressure right in Joe Southwick’s face.  Shelton is the key to the defense, and the signs are very impressive after one game.
  • One last thing on the defense.  They gave up yards, but they came up huge when they had too.  Peters’ pass break-up in the back of the end zone  at the beginning of the third was huge.  So was the fourth down stop toward the end of the third.  My favorite play was the third down stop in the first before the blocked field goal.  Kikaha (great for his first game back) broke into the backfield to get the first hit, and then the Dawgs swarmed Ajayi.  He ended up going down in a pile of about eight Huskies.
  • I wrote on Friday that a key would be finding a receiver or two to contribute.  The Huskies did better than that.  Jaydon Mickens and John Ross were revelations.  The Broncos had no answers for them when they caught a screen or quick pass to the edge.  The Huskies had significantly better playmakers all day, and it feels like that might not change for much of the season.  Kevin Smith also had a solid day, and while the back-up tight ends didn’t do a lot in the receiving game, they blocked well and did get a touchdown on a beautiful play by a scrambling Price to Joshua Perkins.  I don’t think there was a Husky skill player getting regular minutes who didn’t do something impressive.
  • Keith Price and his offensive line were excellent as well.  Price shook off the interception to be nearly perfect.  He looked loose and confident, and he got more creative and exciting as the game progressed.  The quick throws are a good fit for him.  It helped to not be on his back every play.  The line did an excellent job in both pass and run blocking.  They need to clean up a few penalties, but they made a good case Saturday that they are night and day better than last year.  I’ll be curious to watch them improve as the season goes. It’s still a young group.  Also interesting will be seeing if the Huskies will start to throw deep more and how ASJ’s return will influence defenses.  In case you forgot, the Huskies were playing without an All-American.

There was nothing to dislike about this game.  The Huskies gave up yards, but they didn’t give up a play of more than 18 yards or a touchdown.  I wasn’t excited about the Husky pass rush while I was at the game, but it looks better rewatching it on TV.  Mostly, the Huskies looked like a team taking the next step.  They executed crisply, didn’t make mistakes, and didn’t let up at any point.  They were athletic and skilled.  This is what we’ve been waiting to see, and if the Dawgs keep playing like this, they’re going to win a lot of games.

-Matthew

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by | August 30, 2013 · 10:16 pm

UW vs. Boise State Predictions

Hello Dawg fans!  Husky football’s biggest night in over a decade is finally here.  It promises to be a magical night, full of the type of ceremony and occasion reserved for the uniquest of games.  Hopefully the pregame magic carries into the game.

I usually write something at the beginning of these predictions, but all of the Good Guys wrote novels this week, so I’ll keep it short. I did hear something this morning while listening to Rick Neuheisel that caught my attention, though.  He was giving an overview of the Pac-12, which he expects to be very strong.  He then said that the conference is loaded with talented young quarterbacks.  This caught me by surprise, because I kind of think of the conference as down in QBs right now.  Mariota and Hundley are elite. Taylor Kelly’s very good.  After that, there are a handful of veterans who are solid and could get better, and then a bunch of underclassmen in their first seasons as starters.  It doesn’t seem loaded to me.

Neuheisel didn’t elaborate, so he could have been referring mainly to Mariota, Hundley and Kelly.  Maybe he’s seen some of the young starters and thinks highly of them.  Whatever he meant, it will be an interesting year to watch the quarterbacks.  For years, the leaders of the conference could be determined by who had senior quarterbacks that year.  That’s changed slightly as offensive systems have changed and so forth, but it’s still the most important position and always will be.

The implications for the Huskies are obvious, and have been all off-season.  If Keith Price is good, the Huskies should be good.  If Price is great, the Huskies should be in for a special season.  It could be as simple as that.

Joe

2013 is the dawning of a new era in Husky football:  the opening of new Husky Stadium.  Don’t underestimate the importance of this. When AD Scott Woodward took over in 2008, renovating Husky Stadium was number one on his to-do list. Coming from LSU and helping oversee renovations to their athletic facilities, as well as seeing first hand how Nick Saban won a national title in 2003, gave Woodward the blue print for success: find the right head coach and get the football facilities upgraded to first class.  With the hiring of Steve Sarkisian, Woodward went all in and gave the reigns of the program to Coach Sark, therefore freeing him up to focus on renovating Husky Stadium.  Five years later, on Aug 31, 2013, Husky Stadium will re-open to the public as arguably the most state-of-the-art college stadium in America.  This was the plan all along, to compete at the highest levels of CFB.  A lot has been made of the past four seasons under Sark.  Year one going 5-7, bringing respectability to the program after the darkness that was the Willingham era.  Then three straight 7-6 seasons have left some wondering if Sark has the ability to take the next step.  I say he does, but with a caveat:  let’s see how the next couple years play out with the new facilities as the recruiting tool we all think it can be.  This program has been in “facilities limbo” for the better part of three years, which doesn’t help recruiting.  Now being settled into home sweet home, let’s let this regime prove one way or another it belongs with the elite.
On the field, Saturday night’s game is the most important early season home game since hosting Miami in 2000. Short and simple, it’s a must win, for many reasons.  Obviously, it’s big because it’s the opening of the new stadium, it’s national TV, it’s a rematch against a team you probably should have beat in the Vegas Bowl nine months ago.  But for me it’s huge because of the toughness of UW’s schedule (we’ve been down this road before) and the perceived expectations put on the program by fans.  UW *must* go 3-0 in non conference, and then beat Arizona in their Pac-12 opener at Husky Stadium to move to 4-0.  The consensus is UW has to get to *at least* 8 wins, but probably 9, maybe 10.  In order for that to happen, their margin of error is nil.  A 7-0 home record is a must in light of their conference road games: Stanford, ASU, UCLA and Oregon State.  Have fun Googling the last time UW won at any of those road venues.  It’s been a while.  And with the mediocre road performances by Sark’s teams in the past, the “8-10” win confidence from UW fans leaves me a bit scared, but not upset; I love the high expectations.  So you can see the math here:  UW going 7-0 at home (includes beating Oregon which they haven’t done in nine straight tries, none of which were close), then 1-3 on the road gets them to 8-4.  Razor thin margin of error.  Hence, the importance of Saturdays game.  Throw in the fact UW’s last two games were total heart breakers to the abysmal Wazzu Cougars and Boise State, and this team has a healthy Mt. Rainier size chip on their shoulder.  Add all of this up and I see a UW victory Saturday night.
Prediction:  UW 30 – Boise St 21
Andrew
Finally, it’s here.  I’ve been counting down for 91 days.  I just spent half an hour watching Husky highlights and I have some other games in mind for later this evening.  This game comes with hype and no lack of story lines.  Last night, news broke that ASJ has been suspended for this game, met with the media’s approval.  We have Deontae Cooper’s first game in a Husky uniform after working back from 3 ACL tears.  We have two teams playing a rematch from last season’s bowl, which was a very close football game.  Not to mention, this is the first game of the year which holds it’s own excitement.  None of these really matter to me.
Tomorrow night, a new age of Husky Football begins.  A renovated Husky Stadium will be open after 20 months of Dawg fans being held out of it.  There have been only been rave reviews of this place from those that have gone inside and toured.  It’s expected that Husky Stadium will now be considered one of the very best stadiums in the nation.  With this new stadium comes a new team that is as talented as any team the Dawgs have had in a decade.  There is more depth, potential stars, and speed than Sark has ever had.
Boise State comes to play the Huskies tomorrow night and I can hardly focus on the game.  I’m just so excited to be back in one of the places that I grew up.  With that being said, how can I pick a Husky loss?  The renovated stadium brings hope and that hope transfers over to the feelings I have for this team.  Yes, I’m concerned about Boise State’s pass rush against our offensive line.  I’m concerned about the defensive line holding up against BSU’s up and coming running back.  Yes, I’m concerned about their tall receivers against our smaller cornerbacks.  Yes, I’m concerned about how efficiently Boise usually operates under Coach Petersen’s great coaching. But, that’s not enough for me to think even once about picking the Broncos.
I believe the crowd will be rocking and no amount of training will get Boise ready for the noise they’ll hear on that first third down. Like Green Bay at the Clink last year, it may take them a whole half to adjust to the noise.  I believe the Huskies will have some more playmakers step up in ASJ’s absence (if he is indeed suspended), notably John Ross and Kevin Smith.  I believe the defense will speed around like we haven’t seen in years.  I believe that Keith Price will finally be back to himself after a year hiatus.  I just believe in this team.  It’s good to be home.
Prediction: Huskies 31 – Boise 21
Dan
Anyone else sick of Boise? I won’t be heartbroken if we don’t play them for another decade, but for tomorrow, they are the perfect opponent. Boise commands respect, and the Huskies know it first hand, so whereas some opponents may get overlooked with all the hype surrounding this game, I am confident UW is focused on Boise. Speaking of the hype, all forms of mojo will be on Washington’s side. The stadium, night game, revenge from last year, you name it. Tomorrow really will be a special night, and I can’t envision a script that doesn’t end with the Huskies winning. The ASJ suspension hurts, but it is not a death blow by any stretch. These teams were as even as could be last December in the Vegas Bowl. Fast forward to now, and you have a Boise team bringing back 6 starters, the fewest in the country. UW brings back 20, and is playing at home. I think the defense will carry the Huskies, and the offense will have enough to send us all home happy.

Prediction: UW 24 – Boise 16

Matthew
I see three keys to this game.  First, the Husky defense must make Boise State one dimensional.  I don’t expect them to stop the run and the pass consistently, but they have to do a solid job against one of them.  Second, the offensive line has to make it’s presence felt, both in the run game and while protecting Keith Price.  Finally, a receiver (or two or three) need to make a difference, especially if ASJ is indeed out.
I have to admit, this game scares me.  BSU is talented and the type of team that doesn’t usually get rattled first game of the year.  They should be ready to go and well-prepared.  They’ve also likely never played in an environment like this game will have, so to some degree, this game will be a test of who better handles the moment.
Too often of late, we’ve watched the Huskies come out flat or inconsistent, losing games or making them closer than they need to be. It makes it hard to trust them.  If the Dawgs are going to take the next step this year, playing with consistent toughness and effort while minimizing mistakes will be key.  Ultimately, the Huskies just need to be better.  I think it will be readily apparent early on what type of team this will be.  They don’t have to blow out Boise State, but I expect a higher level of proficiency this season.  I’m crossing my fingers that UW is able to feed off the excitement rather than being distracted and burdened by the moment.  I think a magical night will end with a win.
Prediction: Huskies 30 – BSU 24

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by | August 27, 2013 · 9:19 pm

Good Guys Pac-12 Preview

The season is two days away, so let’s fire up a conference preview!  More comprehensive previews abound, so if you want a rundown of UCLA’s secondary, you’ll have to check somewhere else.  For this preview, I’m telling you two things: which player from each team I would want on the Huskies, and how scared I would be if the Dawgs were playing given team tomorrow.  I’ll rate that 1-10, with one being an almost certain win for the Dawgs and 10 an almost certain loss.  I’ll also go through the teams in the divisional order I’d expect them to finish.  So I guess you get three things!  Enjoy.

South Division

1. Arizona State

Player I Want (PIW): This is the easiest choice in the conference, because  DT Will Sutton might be the best player in the conference.  He’s one of the best pass rushing tackles in recent memory, and has a chance to win conference defensive player of the year for the second time in a row.  That hasn’t happened since Mr. Steve Emtman.  Sutton would fit perfectly next to Danny Shelton, transforming the Husky D Line from a bit of a worry to a huge strength.

Scare-o-meter: 7.  ASU took a big step forward last year, and I think they’ll continue to move up.  They have some issues, but they also have a ton of talent on both sides of the ball.  Taylor Kelly was one of the best QBs in the conference last year, and DJ Foster and Marion Grice is the top running back duo in the Pac-12.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see them finish as low as third in the south, but I’m betting they fight off a tough early schedule to make the Pac-12 Championship Game.

2. USC

PIW: Also an easy choice: Marquise Lee, the best receiver in all the land.  Lee brings me to an interesting point in deciding on these players.  The best player on a team isn’t always the guy who would help the Huskies the most.  Defensive lineman Morgan Breslin, for instance, plays at a position of greater need for UW.  In close calls, UW’s need wins out.  Sometimes the greatness of one player far outweighs the utility of another, though.  Anyone who would turn down a chance to see Marquise Lee on their side every Saturday is crazy.

Scare-o-meter: 6.  As usual, USC has as much talent as anyone in the conference.  They have three questions holding them back: 1. Who’s QB? Max Wittek and Cody Kessler are both expected to play on Thursday. 2. Running back is uncertain, with Silas Redd injured.  Lots of talent here though.  3. Lane Kiffin is still coach.  He’s a complete x-factor.  Still, aside from losing Matt Barkley and a few others, this is a roster that was expected to challenge for a national championship last year.  They could be a load if a QB emerges and Kiffin doesn’t sabotage them.

3. UCLA Continue reading →

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by | August 24, 2013 · 10:19 pm

Keys to a Breakout

Steve Sarkisian has done a solid job of transforming the Huskies from a winless and destitute program into a perfectly average squad.  They’ve won seven games for three straight years, marking 2013 as the time to step past average.  Realizing that it’s time for this to happen is easy, but actually accomplishing it is not.

While it’s not easy for bad teams to get back to mediocre or average, it’s also not terribly difficult.  When a team is terrible, especially as bad as the 2008 Huskies were, there are so many areas for improvement.  If every area of the team is bad, each area improved brings the team up.  The players brought in don’t have to be amazing, they just have to be better than the bad ones they’re replacing.  Often, just the change in coaching or attitude summons improvement from the holdovers.  Improving from terrible is not that hard.

Improving from average to good or great is hard.  Becoming good and then great requires good and great players, and unsurprisingly, those players are a lot harder to find.  Sometimes, coaching can elevate average players, and sometimes offensive or defensive schemes can neutralize talent disparities.  Most often, a team just needs to find better talent and better athletes.  Talent often underachieves, but poor talent rarely beats elite talent.  It’s just the way it is. Continue reading →

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