The Good Guys Sports Blog

by Andrew Long | November 30, 2010 · 8:34 pm

Our Seniors – Nate Williams

Over the next couple days, I will be taking a look at 3 seniors (Nate Williams, Mason Foster, and Jake Locker) who have bled purple and gold. Feel free to chime in on the comments if you have something to say about these guys.

When people think of seniors on the 2010 Husky football team, they think of Jake Locker. Oh, you want me to name another one? That’s easy, Mason Foster. There is one guy who is regularly forgotten though, that’s Nate Williams.

Nate Williams came to the University of Washington in 2007 and played right away as a true freshman. He earned the honor of UW freshman defensive player of the year and showed promise throughout the season. Williams was an excellent running back in high school at Kennedy but came played safety from the get go for the Dawgs.

Just like Locker, Williams career started against Syracuse in 2007 and Locker wasn’t the only freshman who showed promise. In a play that was forgotten by many, Williams had a pass deflection in the end zone while that game was still close. It’s fitting that in his first game Nate Williams play was overshadowed by teammates.

Over his sophomore and junior seasons Nate Williams started 23 of 24 games. The only game he missed, due to injury, was last year against Arizona. It may not be a coincidence that the defense was pretty horrendous during that game and it took a miracle to win.

That brings us to this year. Nate is second on the team in tackles, and would be leading the conference in tackles if it wasn’t for that crazy linebacker playing in front of him. He is as solid as they can get on the Huskies defense.

Yet, why do we always forget him? He has been one of the three best players on the Husky defense for the last three years and his ovation on senior day was the same volume as Greg Christine’s (nothing against Greg Christine, it’s just that Nate Williams has played and succeeded in way more games).

It’s much overdue and far too little for you, Nate, but thank you. Thank you for bleeding purple and gold. Thank you for playing hard even through an 0-12 season. Even through a coaching turnover and fans ridiculing you and your team. You deserve a bowl game more than all these grumpy fans who can’t stop complaining about football in Seattle (myself included). I’ll miss seeing you at Husky Stadium next year and I hope an NFL team takes a flyer on a guy who plays his hardest even in the worst situations.

Thanks for being a Husky, Nate. You may have been overlooked quite often, but you won’t be forgotten.

Andrew

Update: Little did I know Steve Kelley, Seattle Times Columnist, would write a piece on Nate Williams today too. Here’s a link to his piece.

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by dpscansen | November 30, 2010 · 2:38 pm

Apple Cup – Rap Edition

-Dan

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by dpscansen | November 29, 2010 · 12:46 pm

Bowl Talk…Knock On Wood

Forgive me for discussing this, because I know without an Apple Cup win, none of this matters, but I just can’t help it. It’s been too long since we could entertain legitimate bowl talk, so allow me to put the cart ahead of the horse (did I get that right Matt?). Also, I doubt very much if anything written on this blog can jinx the football Gods.

2 weeks ago, in a previous post I stated

If UW beats UCLA and Cal, and Oregon and Stanford handle their remaining games, the Huskies will be playing for a Holiday Bowl bid in the Apple Cup on 12/4. Believe big!

Well, heading into the Apple Cup, everything has followed this script perfectly. And with a win on Saturday, the Washington Huskies will be invited to either the Holiday Bowl (Thursday, 12/30, 7 pm) or possibly the Alamo Bowl (Wednesday, 12/29, 6:15 pm). Either scenario would be terrific, and it couldn’t have happened without the Huskies climbing towards 6 wins, and also some good fortune in what has been a crazy 2010 season.

Let’s remember, the Alamo Bowl and Holiday Bowl are slated to be represented by the Pac-10 #2 and #3 teams respectively. In most years, 9 or 10 wins is usually required to play in either game. But this is no ordinary year. For starters, the conference is ultra competitive, and the fallout has been an unusually low number of bowl eligible teams. In addition, Oregon is undefeated and likely headed towards the championship game, which means they won’t fill any of the conference’s affiliated bowl slots. Mix in a 1 loss Stanford team that has also worked their way into the BCS, and suddenly the remaining eligible teams get to fill some pretty desirable bowl slots.

What we know is that in either case, the Huskies would be matched up against a Big 12 opponent—Alamo Bowl (Big 12 #3), Holiday Bowl (Big 12 #5). The Big 12 is no slouch, especially the conference’s top 5 teams. In fact, the BCS rankings have all 5 in the top 20. Oklahoma (#9), Missouri (#12), Nebraska (#13), Oklahoma St. (#14), Texas A&M (#18). Oklahoma faces Nebraska on Saturday to determine who gets the Fiesta Bowl bid. Conventional wisdom says the loser will be rewarded the Cotton Bowl, which is affiliated with the Big 12 #2 team. However, a little known fact is that the bowls actually have a lot of say in who they invite, and lots of factors play into their decision, so it’s tough to predict where each Big 12 team will land.

As for the Pac-10, I thought that if Arizona were to lose to Arizona State, the Huskies would claim the Alamo, until I learned that the bowls get to pick. It seems likely that the Alamo Bowl would prefer Arizona for a multitude of reasons. First, they beat the Huskies. Secondly, they have a better overall record, and were ranked for most of the year. On the downside, a loss to ASU would mean ‘Zona has lost 4 in a row, compared to a hot Washington team. If the Wildcats beat the Sun Devils, their Alamo ticket is sealed. With a loss, and some other factors playing out, it is possible that Washington is selected by the Alamo Bowl. No matter the fallout, I don’t see the Huskies facing Nebraska, because no bowl is going to want that re-match.

The possibilities are endless, but if the Huskies win the Apple Cup, there’s a high probability they end up in the Holiday Bowl, against Missouri or Oklahoma State. If I had to pick today, my guess is a Washington-Missouri matchup.

-Dan

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by Andrew Long | November 28, 2010 · 6:36 pm

The Apple Cup Matters!

With the Huskies getting a dramatic, last second victory Saturday in Berkley, football fans in Washington can say something that they haven’t been able to say in years: The Apple Cup matters!

The Huskies have inched to within one win of a bowl game for the first time since 2002 and, with a win in the Apple Cup, the Dawgs will either be in the Holiday Bowl or Sun Bowl. Needless to say, this would be a huge accomplishment for a program that’s been in disarray since 2003.

While UW has been in the dumps, WSU has since followed in the same path. After a decent run in the beginning of the decade, the Cougars have since fallen about as low as a team can get. For 2 years in a row, they were historically bad (winning 3 games over 2 years). This year looked as if it’d be more of the same, but then the Cougars started to improve. They’ve gotten better every game and finally earned a Pac-10 win in their last game against Oregon State. Was that game an apparition that will be forgotten in a few years, or was it a turning point for the Cougars? A good performance in the Apple Cup would be a huge statement for Wazzu.

The Apple Cup has been a game between two crappy teams the last few years. It hasn’t had bowl implications since 2006. This year, that changes.

Rivalry games are special no matter what. But, when a rivalry game has a little something extra on the line, they become more fun. This game doesn’t just matter for Husky fans, it matters for Cougar fans because they don’t want us in a bowl. Hopefully, this game is a sign of better things to come for both programs. It feels like it is. But, for now, an Apple Cup that actually means something is a reason to celebrate.

Happy Apple Cup week, football fans! Go Huskies!

Andrew

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by Andrew Long | November 27, 2010 · 12:32 pm

Husky Predictions – Cal

I’m getting this up a little bit late, but here it is. This is the biggest Husky game in quite a few years and it’s nice to have a meaningful game in November. Here goes nothing!

Joe

This one is simple: It’s Cal. It’s after Thanksgiving. They will quit. Huskies have more to play for. Yes, Locker is still hurt, but the combo of Polk and Callier will run, run, and run again and again. The defense has played better over the past few games. Cal can’t throw, they will try to run Vereen, but the UW front seven has done a fine job of stopping the run lately. I like the Dawgs.
UW 20 – Cal 17

Dan

For the past couple weeks, I’ve been intrigued by the bowl possibilities that could await the Huskies, if they could get to 6 wins. As a fan, I’m allowed to think weeks ahead, make predictions, and dream a little. I don’t have to take it “one week at a time.” I would love to see UW play as well on Saturday as they did against Cal last year. It would be great to see this team win for Jake, similar to how the basketball team rallied for Quincy Pondexter last year. Unfortunately, I see a Cal victory. Unlike last year, the Bears have as much to play for as the Huskies, and it is not just Senior Day in Berkely, but also the final game at Memorial Stadium. That seems like a lot to overcome, and it’s had to imagine the Huskies stopping Vereen and the Cal running attack. I think the Dawgs play inspired ball, but the talent gap is just too big, and without Locker being 100% still, I see Cal winning 34-17.

Andrew

There’s quite a few reasons to like the Huskies in this game: Cal seems to be in a late season collapse, Locker is healthier, the Husky defense seems to be improving. With all that being said, it’s hard for me to see the Huskies winning this game. I hope I’m wrong but I think we’ll see the good Cal team show up today and that will be just too much for the Huskies.
Cal 35 – UW 24

Matthew

No prediction sent. Slacker.

I am a slacker, but I’m picking Huskies 27-24. We’re only 8 minutes into the game!

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by dpscansen | November 26, 2010 · 2:28 pm

Pac-10 Picks: Week 13

Last Week: Andrew (2-1), Dan (2-1), Joe (2-1), Matthew (2-1)
Overall: Dan (56-11), Matthew (55-12), Andrew (55-12), Joe (51-16)

Week 13:

UCLA-Arizona St.

Arizona St.—The Good Guys

Arizona-Oregon

Oregon—The Good Guys

Oregon St.-Stanford

Stanford—The Good Guys

Notre Dame-USC

Notre Dame—Joe, Dan, Andrew; USC—Matthew

UW-California Predictions Later!

-Dan

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by Joe Loughery | November 22, 2010 · 5:46 pm

Blake Griffin. Dunkmaster.

I am a huge fan of the slam dunk. I love seeing hoopsters throw down in games over helpless opponents. I’m not a fan of the slam dunk contest because the dunks are contrived and for show. (Old school contests with MJ and Dominique are sweet, I like those…). Dunks in games are legit because they simply happen. No script, just instinct. Blake Griffin has major instinct. I have never seen someone dunk like him. He jumps and slams with such ease, it doesn’t seem real. The video below is from ONE GAME alone last week. Griffin singlehandedly posterized the Knicks. The three dunks you will watch are beyond epic. They are legendary. They bring back memories of my all time favorite dunker, Shawn Kemp. Raw, vicious, without regard for his opponents feelings. I love it. Enjoy.