SB Nation - E.J. Savannah

UCLA Preview

John Berkowitz — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:22:37 -0000

UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel faces is old team for the second time on Saturday in Pasadena. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

The Washington football team (3-5 overall, 2-3 in the Pac-10) returns to action this Saturday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena when the Huskies take on UCLA (3-5 overall, 0-5 in the Pac-10) in a 12:30 p.m. game boroadcast on FSN. The Dawgs, who have faced the nation’s second-toughest schedule to this point, come into the game after a weekend off while the Bruins’ comeback fell short in a 26-19 loss at Oregon State last weekend. UCLA went 3-0 in non-conference play to open the season, but have lost five straight, all against Pac-10 opposition, since then.

Washington was in desperate need of a bye week after the Oregon game and that rest after facing the nation's toughest schedule over the last eight weeks may be just what the doctor ordered to get this team ready for the last quarter of the season.

Postion Matchups

Quarterback....Washington....Jake Locker was declared ready to go on Thursday night and was seen zipping around practice with no visible lingering effects of his quad bruise. With Jake healthy Washington has a serious advanatage at the throttle. Kevin Prince will start for the Bruins and he is coming off a good fourth quarter against Oregon State.

Running Back....Washington....The Bruins and the Huskies are near the bottom of the Pac 10 in overall rushing totals this season. UW is led by Chris Polk who is averaging over 80 yards per game. Polk is a physical runner who breaks tackles and gets a lot of yards on his own. UCLA's Jonathan Franklin is a good looking back who doesn't get as many carries on average as Polk does.

Wide Receivers....Washington...The trio of Devin Aguilar, Jermaine Kearse, and Jermaine Johnson have performed well all season. UCLA has sports the dangerous 6'5 Nelosn Rosario and 6'3 Tylor Embree. That height just may be the reason UW started experimenting with Anthony Boyles at CB during the bye week. From a productivity standpoint this season the Washington receivers have better numbers. The UCLA receivers while talented have not benefitted fromt he stability at QB the UW receivers have.

Tight End...UCLA...Ryan Moya and Logan Paulsen are a couple of TE's who have the tane tto play on Sunday's. UW's Kavario Middleton also has that type of talent but you give the nod in this one to the experience and blocking ability of the Bruin duo.

Offensive Line...Washington...What we have here are two bottom division Pac 10 lines. The Washington offense has been more productive this season when it comes to protecting the QB and opening up holes for the rushing game so they get a slight nod going in.

Defensive Line...UCLA....Brian Price would get my vote as the top defensive lineman in the conference this season. He is a difference maker inside that is impossible to block which free's up his team mates to wreak a little havoc. Korey Bosworth and Datone do a nice job out on the ends.

Linebacker...UCLA....I really like UCLA's Reggie Carter , Akeem Meyers, and Kyle Bosworth. Washington counters with Mason, Butler, and Dennison. Dennison will be starting in place of EJ Savannah who is taking the week off with a thumb injury.

Secondary....UCLA...I would put UCLA's Rahim Moore, Alterraun Verner and Aaron Hester up against anyone in the conference. Moore leads the conference in interceptions this season. Hester is a little banged up and expected to play.

Special Teams...UCLA....UW has had a lot of problems with special teams over the past month. UCLA even though less than perfect has had less problems so I give them the nod going in. This is really a part of the game that will be up for grabs.

Washington running game versus the UCLA defense

This is where the game is going to be won on Saturday. UCLA is giving up over 157 yards per game this season and the Huskies goal going into this game is to pick up around 200 yards. That might be easier said than done because UW averages a shade under 120 yards per game on the ground and Sarkisan probably doesn't want to put too much of a load on Jake Locker who is recovering from a quad bruise. The staff is however treating this as the the must win that it truly is. If Locker can run they are going to unleash him if that what it takes to win this game. We all know what tye of running back Chris polk is. He gets the tough yards inside but is very capable of breaking some big one's. He needs to do that this week and have a career day.

Success rushing the football and winning go hand-in-hand for the Huskies. Since 1990, UW has rushed for 200 yards in a game 72 times. The Huskies’ record stands at 59-12-1 (.826) in those contests. Since the1995 season, Washington is 34-9-1 (.784) when rushing for 200 yards.

Washington Passing Game versus the UCLA defense

Jake has looked good so far in practice this week. What he needs to do this week is improve his decision making. He is going up against a ballhawking secondary and will face some pressure from the UCLA line. If he makes mistakes against the UCLA corners they are going to pick him off. He needs to get outside more on the rollout to buy a little more time. Washington has a very good group of receivers and the hope is a strong running game will open up opportunities down field.

UCLA passing game versus the Washington Defense

UCLA has had trouble all season putting this part of the game together. Washington is a great team to work out those problems against. The Bruins have a big advantage in size when it comes to their WR's. Washington is countering by bringing in two guys that haven't played this season in Jason Wells and Anthony Boyles. Wells may start at safety but I am not sure how much Boyles will play even though his height matches up well with these huge WRs. UCLA is not going to go deep much against Washington. They are going to be throwin a lot of quick outs and high percentage passses to get some rythm going early and give Price some confidence. Chow has a reputation of taking what a defense will give him and Washington will do wht they ahve done all season and that is keep theball in front of them.

Game Notes

UCLA will be the Huskies’ first opponent this season with a sub-.500 record.

Rick Neuheisel was the Husky head coach from 1999 through 2002. Also on the Bruins staff are three former UW assistant coaches: Tim Hundley, Wayne Moses and Reggie Moore (who was a GA at Washington).

Defensive tackle Cameron Elisara (neck stinger) will not travel with the Huskies, marking his second consecutive missed game and prompting the question whether the team has seen the last of his services this season. Also, linebackers E.J. Savannah (broken left wrist) and Jordan Wallace (left knee), who tweaked his knee during a tackle in practice Wednesday, will stay in Seattle.

WR Jordan Polk (knee surgery) has been cleared to play.

Five safeties – Nate Williams, Nathan Fellner, Jason Wells, Victor Aiweya and Greg Walker – will likely see action Saturday, the first-year UW coach said. Williams and Fellner are expected to start.

The Huskies could have as many as three new starters on defense this week. Cort Dennison will start in place of Savannah, and freshman Andru Pulu looks ready to start at defensive end while Daniel T’eo-Nesheim moves inside. Senior Jason Wells could get his first start of the season at safety, although Sarkisian said he had yet to decide whether Wells or true freshman Nate Fellner would start.

An X-ray on UCLA cornerback Aaron Hester's right leg was negative for a fracture, but he has calcium deposits and loose cartilage. Hester, who suffered a broken fibula in the same leg in the season opener, was not in uniform for practice and is questionable for Saturday. Receiver Morrell Presley will be out at least one week because of a sprained left shoulder. . . . Randall Carroll, who has a groin injury, is doubtful for Saturday's game.

UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince threw for 198 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter while rallying the Bruins back from a 16-point deficit this past Saturday against Oregon State. Prince finished with a season-high 323 yards and 22 completions against the Beavers and nearly drove UCLA down the field for another game-tying drive in the closing seconds.

Washington has not beaten UCLA in Pasadena since 1995.

UW is 29-37-2 in the overall series with UCLA.

This Saturday, the Huskies will face a former UW head coach for the 14th time in history, and for the second time since 1975 (the other in that span was a loss last year vs. UCLA, coached by Rick Neuheisel). In ‘75, the Dawgs played the second of two games vs. Texas, coached by Darrell Royal, who was the Husky head man for one season (1956). The Huskies lost to Texas in both 1974 and 1975. In 1946 and 1947, the Huskies face a St. Mary’s team coached by James Phelan, who was the UW head man from 1930 to 1941. UW lost the first of those two, 24-20, but won the ‘47 meeting, 26-6. Lastly,the Huskies faced Cal teams coached by Leonard Allison (UW coach in 1920) nine times between 1935 and 1944, going 5-3-1. The UW is therefore 6-7-1 in games against teams led by former Washington head coaches.

Exploiting the Huskies Defense

JConant — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:13:55 -0000

More photos » by Don Ryan - AP

Oregon tight end Ed Dickson is one of several offensive threats the UW Huskies will have to defend. Chip Kelly's offense can attack any point on the field, making it difficult for a defense to load up to stop the run.

Browse more photos »

Expecting another cakewalk Saturday? I'm not.

The Huskies should show up with a lot of emotion. They're back home by the lake - where they've played pretty well - after a stinging loss at Tempe. The Dawgs still have plenty to play for. It's an opportunity to get even at 4-4 heading into a bye week. It's an opportunity to keep a season afloat. It's yet another opportunity to make a statement about the resurrection of a program that had fallen to unbelievable lows.

Jared's post yesterday detailed what the Ducks need to do on defense. It's entirely possible that Oregon's defense will hold the Huskies well below their season averages. On the other hand, I think it's more likely that Oregon's offense will have to put up some points to lock up this road win. And I don't expect those points to come as easily as they did last year. Here's why:

Let's not kid ourselves, many of the UW defensive stats are not good. The Huskies are 9th among Pac-10 teams for scoring, at 27.9 per game. They're 9th in rushing defense at 162 a game, 8th in pass defense at 262 per game, 8th in opponents 3rd down conversion percentage. Now stop laughing for a minute and consider this... Washington is giving up 11 fewer points per game than they did last year. They're giving up 80 fewer rushing yards and 50 fewer passing yards.

Three Huskies linebackers - Donald Butler, Mason Foster and E.J. Savannah - are in the top 15 for tackles. That's about where the good news ends for Washington.

Much has been said about Washington's red zone prowess.

Washington does lead the conference with opponents converting only 35% of their trips into the red zone into touchdowns. Holding opponents to field goals more times than not has kept the Huskies close in their most of their games. There is something to be said for that. Problem is, no Pac-10 team allows more red zone visits (34 in seven games = nearly 5 visits per game) than the Huskies. Only WSU is even close to UW in that respect.

One Husky fan here on ATQ this week suggested the Dawgs might stack the box against Oregon and stuff the run in the red zone. Let 'em. In the red zone this season, the Huskies have given up TD runs of 4, 6, 7, 1, 9, 1, 12, 1 and 1. They've also given up six offensive TDs from outside 30 yards. It's not like Oregon is going to get shut out against Washington if they don't cross the 20.

From a talent and scheme perspective, this year's match-up of Oregon's O versus Washington's D is not so different from last season when Oregon won 44-10. Oregon comes in with questions at QB. Washington's defense is suspect. Oregon's offense has speed, everywhere. Washington has a few talented individuals on D, but overall that unit is not speedy or physical. All the coaching in the world doesn't change the fact that when your defense is a step slow, plays out of position, doesn't shed blocks and blows coverages, you give up a lot of big plays. Remember - six TDs of more than 30 yards this year, including pass plays covering 67, 50, 45, 39 and 32 yards.

Oregon leads the conference with 203 rushing yards per game and is last in passing yards. So the Huskies will load up against LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner, right? Not necessarily. Oregon will dictate otherwise by putting at least three receivers on the field, plus Ed Dickson at tight end. That could force UW to play a lot of nickle. The Huskies did that at times last year in Eugene and the Ducks not only ran at will, they also ran screen plays that resulted in big plays when UW defenders failed to make one-on-one plays in open space. Earlier this season, against LSU's spread, the Huskies we're fairly stout when they could sit in a 4-3 formation. When LSU dictated the Huskies utilize a 3-4 or nickle coverage, the boys from down south were fairly dominant. Expect the Ducks to follow LSU's lead.

I don't condone the exploitation of dawgs, but...

With more speed and talent, Oregon doesn't have to do a lot more than run its offense and avoid turnovers. Patience is key. Crisp execution is key. Zone-read option against a 6-man front. Effective. Play-action with misdirection and quick bubble screens. Effective. Why? Because no matter what alignment they're in, a defense cannot cheat against Oregon's offensive scheme. Opposing defenders have to defend the entire field against the Ducks. Because Oregon is a run-first team, all seven or eight DBs and LBs have to watch the action in the backfield. They cannot simply follow the offensive flow or overplay the weak side or strong side of Oregon's formation. Do so, or try to cheat as the QB is making his option read, and the ball will be going the other way. That's why so often we see an opponent's defense flat-footed, out of position and out-manned at the point of attack. Chip Kelly's offense allows the entire width of the field as a possible point of attack. When the Kelly spread is rockin', it is exploitation of a defense's weak points at its finest.

Recall the Terrence Scott screen pass TD last year. Let the d-line bust up field, a quick pass to Scott on the outside. Another WR cuts down the CB who is covering Scott, now there's a speedster on the edge with the ball and two blockers (a TE and a pulling lineman) against two remaining defenders. Three on two...it's just not fair! The lineman makes his block, Scott cuts back against the other defender, who ran himself out of position, and it's a sprint to the end zone.

The Huskies are improved. However, it takes a special defense to disrupt Oregon's offense. Or, it takes the Ducks shooting themselves in the foot over and over. We haven't seen the latter since the second half of the Purdue game. Whatever defensive game plan UW tries to throw at Kelly, Helfrich and Greatwood, Oregon's offensive gurus will have a response becoming of two weeks of preparation. Count on it.

Emotions will be high on the Huskies sideline, and it's worth recognizing that the Dawgs have gained the most valuable skill of all this season: they believe they can win. That alone gives them a legit shot to win any game in Seattle. Expect a tight contest for at least a half, then expect Oregon's talent, speed, offensive scheme and adjustments to win out over emotion in the end.

Washington At Notre Dame: The Preview

CW — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:54:58 -0000

More photos » by John Froschauer - AP

3 months ago: Washington quarterback Jake Locker (10) passes under pressure from LSU's Chad Jones during the first half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009, in Seattle, 2009. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Browse more photos »

When discussing the Washington Huskies, there are three things to clarify before you get to the heart of the issue. The first is that while it would be easy to dismiss this team as being the same group that Notre Dame stuffed into a burlap sack and beat senseless with a club for four quarters last year, there is one big, back nine-playing, one-finger-in-the-air difference Irish fans should be familiar with. The post-Ty Willingham bump - where all of a sudden a team has a purpose, a belief they can win and a coach who is actually around during the week - is a huge one. Steve Sarkisian has already led this team to two more wins than they had all of last year (the Huskies have two wins this year, so if you carry the seven, you'll see that Ty had zero victories in his final season).

The second thing to realize is that when we're looking at 2009 statistics for the Huskies, they are a little skewed due to one of the toughest opening schedules in country (LSU, USC, at Stanford and 3-1 Idaho, who is respectable as far as creampuffs go). Sort of like Notre Dame, they haven't had any 1-AA patsies to bump up the yards per game average. We can still learn things from those stats, but it's important to realize not all early October national rankings are created equal.

And finally, the most important thing for Irish fans to realize is that this year the Huskies have Jake Locker. He missed the game last year in Seattle, but Locker is a One Man Band capable of doing great things on the football field all by himself. After ending Boise State's win streak his freshman year, he finally notched the first big conference win of his career against USC, but before that he had given those same Trojans, Ohio State and BYU all they could handle. His accuracy leaves a little to be desired, but in regards to just putting a team on his back and carrying it, Locker has some broad, talented, mobile shoulders.

(The following video is a good snapshot of Locker's talents. You get to see him show off the big arm on a seam route, and then see just how much panic he can infuse in a defense when he rolls out and starts rumbling. Specifically note the amazing throw on the run at 3:50, the kid is very good. Not fun times.)

The one consistent theme for Washington this season is an inability to stop the opponent's running game. Although they beat Southern Cal, the Trojans ended up averaging eight yards a carry, while Stanford toted it fifty times for 321 yards (6.4 ypc). LSU even managed 5.1 yards per rush, and they haven't been able to run the ball very effectively all season. A lot of the Washington perspectives on this game I've read lead me to believe that Husky fans didn't watch the Notre Dame/Purdue game, as they don't imagine the Irish will just pound the ball down the throat of the opposition. Weis has already shown he's willing to just run it a dozen straight times, and with Armando Allen coming back healthy, that can only mean an even more dynamic rushing attack. Washington had good linebackers statistically coming back but it was from the second worst defense in the country last year, and second-leading tackler E.J. Savannah hasn't been practicing all week and is questionable for tomorrow's game.

While they may not be nearly as accomplished as Stanford or Southern Cal's rushing attacks (both top ten in yards per carry and top fifteen in yards per game), Notre Dame has made enough strides this year in the rushing attack that I'm comfortable in them staging long, prolonged drives with a flash of play-action deep to mix things up and take advantage of their burners on the outside. The longer the Irish offense stays on the field, the longer the Washington offense is on the sidelines, which is a great thing considering, again, Mr. Locker.

Sarkisian's offense has given new life to the top-tier QB prospect, but let's not forget how valiantly the Notre Dame defense slowed a considerably more talented Sarkisian offense in the Coliseum last year. Despite almost record-setting ineptitude from the offense, the first few Trojan drives being led by 2009 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Mark Sanchez went a little something like this:

2 plays, 4 yards, interception

12 plays, 79 yards, touchdown

5 plays, 2 yards, punt

3 plays, 6 yards, punt

After that last three -and-out, Clausen threw a pick and put the defense right back on the field where Joe McKnight popped a big run and the rout was on. But before they came to the startling realization that there was no way the offense scored - or perhaps even got a first down - on that somber November night, the defense handled the Sarkisian attack well. This year Sarkisian has considerably less talent across the board, save for the QB1 spot, where Locker adds an entirely new dimension to what Sanchez brought to the table in 2008.

I think the best way to approach this game is similar to how Coach Tenuta schemed against Purdue: limit the blitzing, focus on keeping everything in front of you. Locker is capable of making all kinds of plays, but he's completing less than 60 percent of his passes this season while the Husky running game hasn't done a whole lot of damage from the tailback position. (Chris Polk has some potential, but his numbers haven't been that great this season. But then again, schedule comes into play here.) If Notre Dame forces Washington to go on long, sustained drive and doesn't blitz seven guys right past Locker so he can comfortably stroll for thirty yards, they'll be in better shape. Sarkisian isn't calling a dozen designed runs for Locker like Willingham was, but that doesn't mean the legs still aren't lethal.

Considering how talented Locker is and how poor the Notre Dame defense has been playing, Washington is going to score points, but the Irish shouldn't help them any more than possible. For the sake of this game, let's pretend that Number Ten is communism and focus on a good ol' fashioned policy of containment. Let's sit back, make him read a defense and on occasion send a blitz, but mainly use a linebacker or safety in the spy capacity. The Irish offense will be able to move the ball, so as long as they don't embarrass themselves on defense, this could be a comfortable win going into the bye week.

However, if Locker springs a couple big plays early and Washington keeps hanging around, I can't imagine how tense things around Notre Dame Stadium are going to get. A loss to Washington isn't the worst thing in the world, but a loss to Washington before the bye week when everyone has way too much time to think about it and emo out? That might be the worst thing in the world. I have faith that the offense is going to chew up yardage, clock and the scoreboard, but the defense needs to continue the progress they started making last week in West Lafayette if Irish fans want to avoid a fourth straight last-second thriller.

Previewing the Season: Washington Huskies

PaulSF — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:01:32 -0000

More photos » by John Froschauer - AP

Jake Locker will have some targets this year. The big question is, can he actually get the ball to them if they're more than 10 yards down the field. (AP Photo/John Froschauer, File)

Browse more photos »

The deep-rooted interstate rivalry between the Washington Huskies and the Oregon Ducks could be on the verge of returning. Well, relatively speaking. Don't expect it to heat up much in 2009.

After an abysmal 0-12 season in 2008, the Huskies enter this fall with a brand new, bright, young coaching staff, and with it, a reinvigorated fan base. New coach Steve Sarkisian, who left USC's offensive coordinator post for the Huskies head job this summer, appears to be breathing new life into a program that has fallen by the wayside during the past decade. He was able to bring defensive coordinator Nick Holt with him from USC and hired Doug Nussmeier away from Fresno State to be his new offensive coordinator. Combine all of that with UW's 18 returning starters, including quarterback Jake "Hurt" Locker and linebacker E.J. Savannah, both of whom missed significant time last year, and Husky fans have reason enough for optimism.

However, that optimism deserves some qualification.

There's no way around it: The Huskies were absolutely atrocious last year. Not only did they break a school record with 14 straight losses, they were also the only winless Football Bowl Subdivision team in the country. We already outlined how bad Washington State was last year. Well, that team beat the Huskies. They were that bad.

But when you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up. An Apple Cup win in late November would probably be enough to call the season an improvement, and maybe even a success. And with some solid pieces in place, Huskies fans finally have a program to be excited about. Well, maybe not excited about, but at least interested in.

Oregon Offense vs. Washington Defense:
Ten of Washington's 18 returning starters are on the defensive side of the ball. And I'm not convinced that's necessarily a good thing for the Dawgs. UW's defense ranked 112th out of a 120 FBS teams in 2008, giving up a whopping 451 yards per game and 38.6 points per game (ranked 117th nationally). That's bad, but the numbers get significantly worse when you factor in Oregon's rushing dominance last year. The Ducks finished the season ranked No. 2 in the country in rushing offense and No. 7 in total offense. Put simply, that's one of the worst rushing defenses stacking up against one of the best rushing offenses. And it showed. Despite it being Oregon's season opener, the Ducks tacked on 256 yards in a 44-10 route of the Huskies in Eugene last year.

Of course, new DC Holt will have a standout linebacker in Savannah, who was brought back after being all but dismissed from the program by Willingham in 2008. And he's likely the missing piece Washington needs to get back to defensive respectability. Savannah led the team in tackles in 2007, and should add much-needed help to stopping the run where the Huskies obviously need all the help they can get.

But as bad as the Dawgs were at stopping the ground game, they were actually somewhat decent at stopping the pass. Washington finished the season ranked 62nd nationally in passing defense, holding its opponents to 211 yards a game. Of course, that doesn't help much in a conference that's become known for its rushing attacks of late.

Overall, it helps Washington to have seven warm-up games before taking on the Ducks. But given the Ducks' offensive line concerns, the seven game warm-up could help Oregon as much, if not more. Bottom line for the Dawgs against the Ducks, and I'm borrowing Dan Patrick's old Sportscenter catchphrase: You can't stop 'em. You can only hope to contain 'em. That's likely Washington's defensive strategy in a nutshell.

Washington Offense vs. Oregon Defense:
The Huskies offense will improve in 2009. And although that's not saying much for a team who finished 118th nationally in total offense with 13.3 points per game, I think we'll see them improve significantly. Jake Locker, who sat out eight games in 2008 with an injury, is a man among boys, a poor man's Tim Tebow even, and has the ability to change a game with his size and athletic ability. And with a new coach who oversaw USC's offensive attack the past three seasons, there's a good chance Locker will be put in a better position to make plays.

We know Locker can run the ball, but this year he'll actually have targets. Junior wide receiver D’Andre Goodwin returns after leading the Huskies with 60 catches for 692 yards in 2008. Speedster sophomore Jermaine Kearse, who finished 2008 with 20 catches for 301 yards his freshman year, had a solid spring and should be one of Locker's big play targets this year. And at tight end, sophomore Kavario Middleton was one of Washington's top recruits a year ago, so there's a lot of potential here.

The Ducks' defense could actually have some trouble with the Dawgs. Oregon finished last in the Pac-10 in passing defense, and the Huskies will likely have a solid air attack. Given Oregon DC Nick Aliotti's bend-don't-break strategy, it's likely UW won't earn as a much of an advantage as you might think based on the numbers. After all, their offense isn't exactly top-notch, even with these improvements.

Overall, I think Washington sees a bit of success against the Ducks offensively. But it won't be enough to offset the drubbing the Ducks will put on the Dawgs' defense.

Conclusion:
Washington has reason to be optimistic about the future and could pump some much-needed momentum into the rebuilding process if they can give the interstate rival Ducks a run for their money. The game's in Seattle, and that's always a concern, but the odds of the Huskies winning this one aren't good. In fact, they're terrible. Don't be surprised if Washington puts up some good offensive numbers, but be very surprised if Oregon doesn't rack up 500+ yards of total offense and 40+ points. I'm willing to go as far to say that those numbers are inevitable.

Oregon 49, Washington 24