by | September 18, 2010 · 7:14 pm

Nebraska v. Washington postmortem

I am a glutton for punishment, so I am typing out my thoughts after witnessing my favorite school get absolutely destroyed by a vastly superior football team, the Nebraska Cornhuskers. There are a million different directions to go with this, but I’ll just touch on a few things that I am steamed about:

Demeanor – The Huskies came out flat and emotionless. I was shocked by this. How on earth can a team come out this way in front of their home crowd on national TV? They all looked like deer in the headlights. Inexcusable.

Special Teams – Simply put, the kickoff coverage was an embarrassment. Throughout the first half, Nebraska had tremendous field position. This put undue pressure on the defense. The outcome was short fields for Nebraska, leading to scores.

Wide Receivers – Terrible. I don’t care how good Nebraska’s secondary is. 4 receptions. FOUR. I have been hearing for a while now that Jake and Huskies offense has so many great weapons at WR. Well, not today, and that is too bad. Today was an opportunity to step up and play on a big stage and prove they are ready for the bigtime. Instead they flopped.

Playcalling – I really hate to even go here, because I have been a huge fan of Coach Sark’s playcalling, even if it has been erratic over the past season. Today though, I have major issues. It was painfully clear early on the Huskies could not get a passing game going. They could run the ball. On the Huskies 3rd possession, the Dawgs ran the ball down Nebraska’s throat, en-route to an 80 yard drive for a touchdown. I realize defenses make adjustments, so I am sure there is a reason the Huskies went away from the run, but over the next 3 Husky possessions, the Dawgs ran 11 plays for a net 9 yards. Very few runs. Mostly disastrous passing attempts. Momentum swung back to Nebraska during these possessions. Would have loved to see the Dawgs run more early in the game.

Tackling – Beyond bad. Atrocious. There’s not much to say here. Anyone who watched the game knows what I am talking about. Whiffs. Ole’s. Bad angles. You name it, the Dawgs botched it.

Of course Jake Locker had a bad game, and he is taking most of the heat for the loss, but he’s low on my list. It’s easy to take pot-shots at the high profile QB, and there are plenty of Locker haters out there having a fun time. The loss today was a team effort. Every aspect of the game was terrible. Everyone is responsible, top down. I think Coach Sark should take the most heat, he is getting paid, he is the face of the program, this is on he and the coaches. This is not a bad thing, I want my head coach to take the heat rather than the players. I still have a lot of hope in Sark and the coaches to rebuild this program. Yes, they are still rebuilding, games like today prove they are far from being an elite program again.

Right now, unfortunately, 6-6 is the best they will do. The Pac-10 is a grinder, and they have brutal road games waiting for them, starting in two weeks at USC. The next two weeks better be spent on the basics and self reflection. I think too many people around the program have been reading their own press clippings rather than playing with an earn everything mentality. Despite all of this, I am still hopeful this team can make a run in the unpredictable Pac-10. Anything can happen any week. The road ahead is a very difficult one, here’s hoping this group of Dawgs find themselves and play real, true Husky football.

-Joe

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by | September 17, 2010 · 8:39 pm

Husky Predictions: Week 3

The Dawgs face Nebraska at 12:30 tomorrow.  Go purple, be gold!  (One of these days I’m going to write about how bad Seattle teams are at making little slogans.  Or maybe that’s every team).

Matthew’s Prediction:
I want to pick the Huskies to win this game, but I just can’t quite do it. Still, a week or two ago, I gave them little chance, while now I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they won. Reasons for my change in perspective: I’m not so sure that Nebraska’s as good as their ranking, and they’re starting a freshman quarterback in front of the biggest Husky Stadium crowd in years. Unfortunately, those reasons are all about the Huskers. Part of that is because I know much more about the Huskies, but it’s mostly because I’m not convinced that UW can do enough to win this game. Can they stop a spread option offense similar to the Oregon offense that has run over them the last few years? Can the offensive line open enough holes to provide the rushing attack that will be necessary? Can Jake be accurate enough to work against a 7 man secondary? I can see the answer to any of those questions being “yes”, but I’m not willing to commit on any of them. This game is getting compared to the USC victory last year, but I think a win here would be different. That game, the Dawgs were huge underdogs who caught USC sleeping. That won’t happen Saturday. A win against Nebraska would be a statement rather than a surprise. I think they can make the statement, but I’m doubtful they will.
Nebraska 31, UW 24

Dan’s Prediction:
Watching the Holiday Bowl last year, and seeing the 20th ranked Huskers dismantle Arizona 33-0, I remember thinking NU may be a top 10 team by the time UW faces them. As it has turned out, Nebraska is #8 in the country and rightfully so. For Washington to compete in this game, it starts up front on both sides of the ball. On defense, UW must be effective stopping Nebraska’a potent rushing attack, and on offense, the O-line had better protect Jake against a stellar D-line. I don’t think Big Red knows exactly what it’s in for in terms of hostile atmosphere, similar to when LSU came to town last year. The crowd noise should rattle Martinez, their freshman QB, and some misty, overcast conditions will paint a perfect backdrop for a USC-esque upset. However, I just don’t have the confidence to pick UW in this one. Nebraska reminds me of Oregon with their mobile quarterback and zone read option attack. This deceptive style of offense has killed the Huskies in recent years. Keep Martinez under 250 total yards and I like our chances. On offense, the Huskies have the weapons, but Nebraska counters with a great secondary and given the pressure Jake will be under, he might start forcing some throws.
I have waited for this game for a while, but ultimately I see Nebraska winning, 31-20.

Joe’s Prediction:
This game is a brutal one for me.  I am picking Nebraska to win, but that is not what my heart says will happen.  I am a Husky through and through, so of course my soul says the Dawgs always win.  But throughout the day today, all I can think about is Taylor Martinez running all over the UW defense.  The Dawgs have been systematically unable over the past year to stop an opponent for all 4 quarters.  Every game, the opponent rips off a big play, or converts a 3rd and long, which breaks the Huskies backs.  I will say the UW defense has played better this year for sure, but a highly talented scrambling QB like Martinez will cause problems.  I have 100% confidence the Husky offense will score, no matter how good Nebraska’s defense is.  The Dawgs have too many weapons.  They will get their points (the BYU game was an aberration).  I just keep coming back to the dreaded “Big Play” that will invariably be the downfall of the Huskies.  I hope I am completely and utterly wrong on this prediction.
Nebraska 34 – Washington 31

Andrew’s Prediction:
This may be the biggest Husky game in years.  It definitely is the biggest since around 2003, since the Huskies have their best team since then.  Many people have compared this game to the USC one last year, but, like Matthew, I don’t see it that way.  If the Dawgs pull off the upset I see this game more like the Miami game in 2000.  If UW wins this game it could really jump-start them.  The Huskies will be ready and I don’t think they’ll get blown out.  I expect a competitive game but in the end I don’t see us winning this one.  It’s not out of the question by any means, as the week went on I started to believe more and more.  If the Huskies lose this it will be because of the battle on the lines.  Both lines need to step up against a superior opponent.  The skill positions are fine.  Our quarterback, receivers, and linebackers are better than theirs.  But, it’s lost on the lines I think.  It will be great to see Husky Stadium packed and hear it rock like it hasn’t in years.  I’m praying for a repeat of that 2000 Miami game, but I don’t think they can quite do it.
Nebraska 24 – Huskies 21

Go Dawgs!

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by | September 17, 2010 · 3:41 pm

Congratulations Storm

I’m all for championships in Seattle, even if it’s our women’s basketball team. I used to be pretty cynical towards the WNBA, and I’m still not a fan, but I do realize these women are pretty good. For the Storm, it’s their 2nd championship. However, Seattle is still a championship deprived city, and will be until the Mariners, Seahawks, or Huskies win a title. That being said, here are some pictures from last night. For as bad as women’s basketball can be, the fan shots are tremendous.





-Dan

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by | September 17, 2010 · 3:03 pm

Pac-10 Picks: Week 3

Last Week: Andrew (8-0), Dan (8-0), Joe (8-0), Matthew (8-0)
Overall: Andrew (17-1), Dan (17-1), Joe (17-1), Matthew (16-2)

Week 3:

    Arizona-Iowa

Arizona—Andrew, Dan, Joe; Iowa—Matthew

    USC-Minnesota

USC—The Good Guys

    Arizona St.-Wisconsin

Wisconsin—The Good Guys

    Oregon-Portland St.

Oregon—The Good Guys

    Stanford-Wake Forest

Stanford—The Good Guys

    California-Nevada

California—The Good Guys

    Oregon St.-Louisville

Oregon St.—The Good Guys

    Washington St.-SMU

SMU—The Good Guys

    UCLA-Houston

Houston—Andrew, Dan, Joe; UCLA—Matthew

    UW-Nebraska Predictions Later!

-Dan

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by | September 16, 2010 · 11:11 am

The End of an Era

My family has had Husky season tickets for 13 years.  We started with 3 and then upgraded to 4 once I got older and my sister got interested.  Husky games became more than just football games, they became family events.  They were a chance to see my brother, who was here in Seattle while I was in Yakima.  They became a chance to hang out with my older siblings, as we walked from our bleachers to Dempsey Indoor to Hec. Ed and back before the band took the field.  Saturdays became day long events with the family and the Dawgs fit right in with family.  It became routine, but not the kind of routine that you take for granted, the kind you cherish.

My sister would miss a game here and there because of coaching gymnastics, still she was more faithful than almost all Husky fans during this time.  My friend Derek would come along whenever we found an extra ticket, which was often.  My dad was there all the time.  He loves the Dawgs, but something tells me he goes to these games more than just to watch football.  My brother and fellow Good Guy, Matthew, was a constant.  In fact, Matthew and I haven’t missed a home game since 2003.  That changes this week.

As Matthew goes back to school to pursue his masters in teaching, he has to miss a game this Saturday.  So, the streak of 46 games in a row together ends.  This streak has seen the full tenure of 3 head coaches for the Huskies.  The Seahawks have also gone through 3 head coaches during this span.  The Mariners have gone through 5.  We’ve seen some bad football together but we all kept showing up.

To make matters worse, my sister won’t be able to make the game this week either because of a gymnastics conference.  Frankly, I’ll be a little lost on Saturday.  I’m sure whoever takes the extra ticket will fill in just fine but they won’t have Matthew’s knowledge of the game or Rachel’s tenacity in walking straight into other opponent’s fans.  The person who fills in won’t know the routine.  I’ll be sure to teach it to them but it won’t feel quite right.

This week has the potential to be one of the greatest Husky games in the last decade.  It could vault the Dawgs into the top-25 and give them momentum heading into conference play.  I will be ecstatic if they win.  But, it won’t feel quite right.  It’ll feel better in a few weeks when we play Arizona State and each take our respective roles in the bleachers under the Husky-tron.

I know the saying, “streaks are meant to be broken.”  But, I’d rather this one wasn’t.  It’s the end of an era, just as the Huskies are trying to start a new era of winning.  Maybe it’s fitting that we’ll have to start a new streak, just as UW looks like they’re turning the program around.  In a time when the Huskies have gone through the worst spell in their history, loyal fans have been harder to come by.  That’s what makes my brothers streak even more impressive.

Matthew, we salute you.

Andrew

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by | September 15, 2010 · 6:41 pm

Scouting Nebraska

The Huskies face their toughest task yet this week in Husky Stadium, a top-ten Nebraska team.  We know a little more about Nebraska than the first two teams of the season just because they don’t have so many question marks.  That being said, there are still a few unknowns for the Huskers.  Nebraska hasn’t played anyone good yet.  They played Western Kentucky the first week and beat them 49-10.  Last week they beat Idaho 38-17 in a very sloppy game.  Let’s looks at this Good Guy’s style, position by position:

Quarterback: Taylor Martinez starts for Nebraska.  If you have read anything at all about this game you’ve probably heard Martinez’s name come up.  He’s a red-shirt freshman that surpassed last year’s starter, Zac Lee, during the off-season.  Martinez is fast.  Jake Locker fast.  He’s said to have 4.5 40 and has run up and down the field against his first two opponents.  Martinez is averaging 13.8 yards a carry and has the capability to break a huge run.  I could see him running right by the Huskies defensive ends the entire game.  Throwing may be a different story.  He’s said to be perfectly capable with his arm but hasn’t proved that yet.  Frankly, Nebraska hasn’t needed to throw the football very much yet.  Martinez is 22-34 on the season throwing the football.  That’s a good completion percentage, but keep in mind the competition.  Martinez, and the Nebraska offense as a whole, has been a little turnover-prone in the first couple games.  Last week, the Cornhuskers fumbled 8 times!  Yes, 8 times!  They lost 3 of them and Martinez also threw an interception.  All in all, the quarterback position seems to be in good hands at Nebraska.  Still, it’s the first road start for a freshman in a Husky Stadium that should be louder than it has in years.  Martinez is a stud but still unproven.

Running Back: Roy Helu Jr. and Rex Burkhead are Nebraska’s main backs.  Helu is supposedly the lightning to Burkhead’s thunder.  Burkhead is a very solid guy with a good burst but is lacking the big-play speed.  He is also a good receiver out of the backfield.  Helu is a lot the same except he isn’t used as a receiver quite as much.  Helu did rush for 1,147 yards last year.  Obviously, he’s a proven, good player.  He may have a little better overall speed, but Martinez is the big play guy in the Nebraska backfield.  The Huskers go without a fullback generally, because of their spread offense attack.  Think Oregon as far as formations go.  Burkhead has also lined up in the Wildcat quite a bit.  I don’t really understand why the Huskers would do this since they have Martinez now but don’t be surprised if you see that on Saturday.

Wide Receiver: This is probably the biggest question mark for Nebraska.  They have two really big guys, Niles Paul and Brandon Kinnie, who are both over 6’2″, 220.  Paul also runs a little bit in a fly-sweep type play.  The two guys I mentioned are possession type receivers, but given their size, it seems like they would be pretty good down-field, also. The Huskers don’t really have any proven deep threats, yet.  We’ll see if they take any chances this week.  Mike McNeil plays a tight end/receiver type role.  He’s another giant, standing at 6’4″, 230.  The rest of the receiving corps is an unknown and they seem to lack consistency as a whole.

Offensive Line: Nebraska returns 4 of 5 starters on the offensive line but did lose their best player to graduation.  The line doesn’t have any huge stars but they’ve been solid thus far, leading the Huskers to 324 rushing yards a game.  The line wasn’t great last year, but wasn’t bad either.  Their line might not be quite as good as BYU but it’ll be a tough match-up for the Dawgs up front.  The Huskies will most likely bring a lot of guys in the box to try to stop the rushing attack.  The Husker line is pretty strong, all in all.

We’ll get to the defensive side of the ball after the jump. Continue reading →

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by | September 13, 2010 · 9:53 pm

Around the Pac-10: Week 3

The Pac-10 had a much better week, going undefeated in non-conference games.  The schedule is a lot tougher this week.  Let’s jump right in:

Arizona
Last Week:  Arizona 52, The Citadel 6
Up Next: Home vs. Iowa
So, we still don’t know much about Arizona but they have been impressive in killing people.  Needless to say, The Citadel isn’t good and this score doesn’t really matter.  This week Arizona has Iowa coming in and we’ll know if the Wildcats are for real.  Iowa is a really good football team and it will be exciting to see if this team can stack up.  I think they can but will it be enough to win?  By the way, this was the game that should have gotten ESPN Gameday in my opinion.  Not that I care a whole lot.

Arizona State
Last Week:  ASU 41, Northern Arizona 20
Up Next:  @ Wisconsin
ASU survived a scare from Northern Arizona.  This game was a lot closer than the final score indicates; ASU didn’t pull away until the 4th quarter.  They could have been looking ahead to a tough match-up this week.  Or, they might not be very good.  I’m guessing it’s a mix of both.  Anyway, Wisconsin should kill ASU but who knows if the Big-10 is as good as people think.  This could be a game to keep an eye on.  I don’t really know what to expect.

Cal
Last Week:  Cal 52, Colorado 7
Up Next:  @ Nevada
Cal may have had the most impressive win this week, outside of Oregon.  I know Colorado sucks but they are still a Big-12, soon to be Pac-12, team.  So, is Cal any good?  We still don’t know for sure and this week will tell us much more.  Nevada is a much tougher opponent and it will be a good test for the Golden Bears defense.  If they win this game, count me in as a believer.

Oregon
Last Week:  Oregon 48, Tennessee 13
Up Next:  Home vs. Portland State
Oregon looks really good.  I don’t want to say much else because it drives me crazy.  They could win the national championship.  In brighter news, Portland State is probably a little better than New Mexico.  Oregon’s defense hasn’t really been tested yet.  Still, they’ve outscored opponents 120-13 so far.  Wow.

Oregon State
Last Week:  Bye week
Up Next:  Home vs. Louisville
The Beavers had the week off.  This week they play a team they should handle pretty easily.  Louisville isn’t a complete push over but are more like a solid tune-up before Boise next week.  Keep everyone healthy Beavs!  All the mid-major haters are counting on you!

Stanford
Last Week: Stanford 35, UCLA 0
Up Next:  Home vs. Wake Forest
The Cardinal demolished UCLA, but I’m left thinking this is more because the Bruins suck than it is the Cardinal being great.  Stanford has weapons but I want to see them against a good offense before I make a final judgment.  With that being said, I do think they are in the upper half of the Pac-10 and could challenge for the conference title.  The Demon Deacons of Wake Forest surprised the Cardinal last year with a second half comeback.  Expect revenge to be sweet this year for the Stanford, boys.  Wake Forest isn’t too great.

UCLA
Last Week:  Stanford 35, UCLA 0
Up Next:  Home vs. Houston
UCLA looks absolutely terrible.  If Wazzu wasn’t on their schedule I don’t know if they’d win a game.  This week they play a Houston team who may be missing their star quarterback.  If he isn’t playing they might stand a chance, if he is than I’d be surprised if it’s close.  UCLA’s offense looks terrible and their defense doesn’t look much better.  But, they have enough talent to play a good game or two.  Slick Rick may be job-hunting if they keep going at this pace.

USC
Last Week:  USC 17, Virginia 14
Up Next:  @ Minnesota
Who is this team?  Surely, they aren’t as bad as they have looked.  They are 2-0 but still.  A team with this talent should have won more convincingly than they have so far.  Maybe they put it together this week.  Even if they don’t, they should beat a Minnesota team that just lost to an FCS team.  But, Pac-10 play starts soon for the Trojans and they better figure a few things out before it does.

Wazzu
Last Week:  WSU 23, Montana St. 22
Up Next: @ SMU
They won.  Still, should Cougar fans be excited about that?  I don’t know.  A win is a win but that cliche doesn’t sit as easily when it’s a miracle win against Montana State.  In other words, a win sometimes is a little less than a win.  The Cougars will ride their momentum into a showdown with SMU.  Could any Pac-10 team in history ever be a 20 point underdog to this SMU team?  Probably not.  They look worse than last year.  Really.

Power Rankings after the jump.  Continue reading →

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by | September 12, 2010 · 6:14 pm

Seahawks smack 49ers 31-6

Coming into the Seahawks game today, I honestly had no idea what to expect. I have been supportive of the new direction Pete Carroll and John Schneider are taking the Hawks in. I really feel I have no choice. When a team wins 9 games in two years, and look really bad doing it, blowing up and starting over is a good course of action. Because of this, expectations are hard to gauge.

The 49ers have been the chic pick to win the division all off season. They have a stout defense, some nice skill position players, a solid offensive line, Frank Gore and, uh, oh yeah, Alex Smith. Somehow the fact that Alex Smith has done absolutely nothing in his pro career was lost all the experts. Maybe because the rest of the division is so bad, people figured he was the lesser of all QB evils. I have never been a believer in Smith, and have been vocal that the 49ers will go as far as Smith takes them, no matter how good their defense is. Today was a perfect example of this fact, even though the Niner defense wasn’t great either.

The shocking 31-6 waxing the Hawks put on SF was a joyful surprise. I thought all along the Hawks had a shot to win, simply by virtue of the home field advantage and first game adrenaline, but I never thought they would completely dominate in all areas of the game.

Defensively, the Hawks shined. Early in the game while the offense was still feeling out the Niners defense, the Seattle defense spent a lot of time on the field. Bending, bending, but not ultimately breaking. Three times SF was in the red zone, only coming away with 6 points. They held Frank Gore to only 38 yards on 17 carries, and forced Alex Smith into an interception. Because the defense was able to hold the 49ers down, they gained confidence and became extremely aggressive as the game wore on. Right off the bat in the 3rd quarter, Marcus Trufant picked off Smith for a TD, which in many ways was the finals straw for SF, they had no fight after that. The Seahawks sent blitzes from every conceivable angle. Chris Clemons and Red Bryant were in Smith’s face all day long, and the secondary did a great job covering and hiding looks. Mid way through the 3rd quarter, I had the distinct feeling the game was on ice, Smith had zero confidence in his line, Gore was constantly getting stuffed, the WRs were unable to get YAC and the 12th Man was bringing serious noise. The defense was my MVP for the game. They played with their hair on fire, all the while playing with discipline and control. That is a scary combo for opposing offenses.

Offensively, the Hawks warmed up as the minutes ticked by. The first play of the game, Matt Hasselbeck threw as bad an INT as you could throw. But, like the good veteran he is, Matt bounced back and made play after play, hitting Mike Williams, Butler, Carlson, Branch for various gains. The running game was efficient, not great by any means, but able to get small gains. Overall the offense was efficient, not making mistakes, gaining first downs, and exposing mismatches in the secondary. I would like to see the running game get better, but seeing Matt Hasselbeck look like his old self was so great to see. A healthy and aggressive Hasselbeck will spell success for the Hawks.

Having Lofa Tatupu, Matt Hasselbeck and Marcus Trufant healthy and fast makes this team a team that can indeed win the NFC West. That is not the kool aid talking either. Considering how bad the 49ers looked today, and how pathetic the Rams and Cards looked as well, the Hawks are sitting pretty after one week. Injuries are the key, they must stay healthy. Denver will be a very difficult game, Mile High is a brutal place to play for road teams. Can Seattle go in and win? If they play defense like they did today, they can be in any game in any venue.

Game 1 of the Pete Carroll era is a smashing success. I hope Seahawks fans (myself included) will enjoy this. Just take it all in and enjoy the week. Please don’t be the boo hoo naysayers you have been all off season. Put on your Hawks colors and get ready for Denver. Talk some smack, have fun, dream big. This is Seattle, bad things are always around the corner, so let’s get on the bandwagon now and have a blast!

-Joe

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