SB Nation User Blog: John Berkowitz

Puppy Chow

John Berkowitz — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:37:14 -0000

More photos » by Francis Specker - AP

4 days ago: Washington kicker Erik Folk watches his field goal attempt miss the uprights against UCLA in the second half of a NCAA college football game in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009. UCLA won 24-23. (AP Photo/Francis Specker)

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I want to start off this morning by mentioning that "The Cassino" will be handling Husky basketball this season for the blog. I think he does a great job and most importantly since he is a basketball guy he brings more to the table on the subject than I do. I will be chipping in here and there throughout the basketball season as needed.

Recruiting

Next up is the story on Matt Mosley leaving the team yesterday. I don't really agree with leaving the team during the season but I can understand his frustration. He obviously had enough talent to contribute in some way but fell out of favor with the coaches. I am sure there are more than a couple other players in the same situation right now.

Rebuilding a football program under the 85 player limit rule is tough. Washington will bring in approximately 30 new players in 2010 so the coaches need to make room. Expect the Huskies to sign at least 25 or more frosh who will arrive in the fall. Two freshman who will arrive this spring (Cooper and Callier). You can also expect them to try to sign 3-5 JC players who will enter school for winter quarter. That would push the incoming numbers into the 30-32 range.

How does this all work since you can only for 25 players in each class?

Cooper, Callier, and whatever JC talent they sign will count against 2009. The Huskies also have committments from a couple of kids who may not qualify (Young and Davis). John Timu is guy they could end up defering enrollment on till winter quarter of 2011 because he is coming off knee surgery.

The Huskies currently have 22 commitments for the 2010 class so expect approximately 8-10 more players to be added before signing day if they can find the type of talent which fits there needs.

Condotta on Play Calling

Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times asked all the Pac 10 coaches in the weekly conference call if they call their own plays. Half of the coaches such as Steve Sarkisan do. Bob is one of the very best and I thought it was pretty creative on his part to ask the question since Husky fans are wondering if first year coach Steve Sarkisian may have a little too much on his plate during game day.

Sarkisian said he hasn't felt any extra time demands this year trying to handle both duties and thinks it has gone "extremely well.''

I hate to be critical but I don't think it has gone well at all to tell you the truth. I think it has contributed to three close losses against Notre Dame, ASU, and UCLA that could have been wins if managed more expertly.

Honestly things will get better for this program with the influx of new talent coming in and another full year of conditioning under Ivan Lewis. I also thing a 34 year old head coach in his first season has his own learning curve to deal with. I like what Sark brings tothe table and I think over time he will become a better game day coach. That being said in the off season he needs to take a closer look at how much he has on his plate.

Oregon State Perspective

Here is a link to an article in the Oregonian by Ken Goe who think the Beavers are getting the Huskies at the right time. Playing the Beavers in Novemeber is never a good thing for any team because as we all know Mike riley teams just keep getting better.

Washington on the other hand doesn't seem to be getting better right now. Last week they played down to the level of their opponent and lost by one point to UCLA. Teams that are getting better don't do that. We were hpoing for a resurgence after the bye week but the team looked just as tired as they did against Oregon.

Nicks, scratches, and injuries are starting to add up. If Washington has any chance of pulling off an upset on Saturday they need to hit the field fresh with lots of energy and gain some confidence early. This team hasn't had a lot of confidence since the punt block in the Oregon game.

Earlier this season, after Washington had hammered Idaho, upset USC and jumped into the national rankings, it looked like the Huskies might have turned the corner in coach Steve Sarkisian's first season.

It was a feel-good story, 0-12 in 2008 to contention in 2009.

Since, though, the Huskies have lost five of six. The victory came because of a fluky pick-six against Arizona that some believe should have been disallowed upon further review.

Matt Mosley leaves the team

John Berkowitz — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:41:23 -0000

CB Matt Mosley had a meeting with Coach Steve Sarkisian today and decided to leave the team. He will transfer to another school. Mosley hasn't played this season but started a number of games last year. Obviously it was a matter of playing time and a tough decision for Matt who is a third generation Husky legacy. He is the grandson of Husky great Luther Carr who was a star RB int he late 1950's. His mother was also a UW athlete.

You hate to see things like this happen but the writing is on the wall since Washington will bring in around 30 new players in 2010. Expect to hear similar stories between now and next fall as players make up their own minds or the coaches suggest they head elsewhere in search of playing time.

Matt is a good athlete who never seemed to be a true fit at Washington at RB, WR, or CB. Kind of a classic tweener in my opinion. Look for him to land at Eastern, Portland State, or Central.

Looking ahead to Oregon State

John Berkowitz — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:21:41 -0000

More photos » by Greg Wahl-Stephens - AP

11 days ago: Oregon State's James Rodgers (8) runs in the winning touchdown against UCLA during the final seconds of the second half of NCAA college football in Corvallis, Ore., Saturday Oct 31, 2009. Oregon State beat UCLA 26-19. (AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens)

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Washington's post season hopes are hanging by a thread going into this encounter witht he Oregon State Beavers. Like all Mike Riley teams this squad keeps improving each week and most importantly keeps winning games. Last week it was on the road against Cal and this week it will be at home against Washington.

The Beavers are 4-2 in the Pac 10 race and 6-3 on the season. The losses were to Cincinnati, Arizona, and USC. Left on their slate is Washington, WSU, and Oregon so a finish as high as 9-3 is very possible this season. Even with only two losses the Rose bowl is unlikely. USC would have to lose one more time, Arizona would have to lose twice, and of course they would have to beat the hated Ducks.

The Beavers aren't what I would call a dominant team going into this one but Washington on paper doesn't match up well with these guys. Offensively the Beavers have a lot of firepower with the Rodgers brothers and Sean Canfield. Washington's defense hasn't been able to stop anyone lately and the Beavers sport one of the more explosive offenses in the Pac 10. The top passing team in the Pac 10 isn't a great match for a team ranked 7th in passing defense.

The Beavers lead the conference in passing averaging 279 ypg and balance it out with an average of 131 ypg on the ground. Jacquizz Rodgers averages 109 ypg which isn't that eye popping. What is eye popping is his 15 TD's this season which leads the league. The hidden ingredient in the Beaver's overall stats is all purpose yards. James Rodgers leads the league with an average of 179 ypg! Washington needs to be very careful when they kick the ball in James Rodgers direction.

Defensively the Beavers started the season young and challenged but the front seven has matured enough to start putting pressure on opposing QB's. The defensive backfield is still susceptible to giving up some big yards if you can get time to throw the ball. The Beavs give up an average of 264 ypg through the air and only 100 on the ground.

If Washington is going to pull off the upset they need to be able to run the ball to set up the pass. Chris Polk picked up 134 yards against UCLA on 15 carries. Coach Sarkisian says that when teams aren't expecting the run UW does fine. When teams are looking for the run the Huskies tend to get stuffed which has contributed to the problems scoring in the red zone this season. Washington needs to run the ball better to beat OSU.

Washington also needs to win the special teams battle in this game to have chance to win. James Johnson provided some spark to the return unit against UCLA which is something the staff has been looking for all season. The key in this one is containing James Rodgers on kick and punt returns. Washington can't allow him to get loose.

Jake Locker hasn't had a great game in some time. He is going to need one if Washington is going to have any chance of beating the Beavers in Corvallis. The quad bruise limited his mobility last week even though Sark called a few designed runs for him. Jake was still fast but you could tell he was running a little choppy. Another week of treatment in the training room should help with that.

Jake needs to take advantage of a Beaver secondary that has a propensity for being burned. The Beavs have some fast athletes back there so it isn't like he is going up against a bunch of stiffs. It is just a young secondary that is learning every game. Jake needs to take advantage of their mistakes. Despite the inexperience back there the Beavers play quit a bit man to man coverage. The Washington receivers need to expoit that early and make Oregon State play from behind.

Game Notes

Reggie Davis the Beavers’ first-year running backs coach, is a former Husky tight end and UW graduate.

Oregon State’s current roster includes 11 players that graduated from Washington high schools: PK Matt Barker (Sprague/Gonzaga Prep), OL Grant Enger (Seattle/O’Dea), TE Joe Halahuni (Orting), WR Garett Hall (Olympia), P Johnny Hekker (Bothell), OL, Colin Kelly (Kelso), C Alex Linnenkohl (Olympia/Capital), WR Geno Munoz (Tacoma/Mt. Tahoma), RB Dylan Parsons (Olympia), S Anthony (Burien/Highline) and CB Brian Watkins (Burien/Highline).

Washington leads the overall series with Oregon State 57-32-4.

The teams first met on Dec. 4, 1897, with Oregon State earning a 16-0 home win.

The Monday Morning Wash

John Berkowitz — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:30:20 -0000

It wasn't a pretty game and Husky fans weren't very happy that the team went down to another loss in a game they could have won 24-23. The result brought up the usual questions about the coaching staff which have been reverberating ever since the Notre Dame loss. The major one is perhaps Steve Sarkisian should stick to managing the overall team and the game rather than having the extra burden of calling plays and running the offense next season.

The point has some validity because the head coach has a lot on his plate on game day and only so much time to get everything done. One of the things that didn't get done Saturday was a review of a questionable UCLA TD. First of all the Pac 10 officials should have automatically reviewed the play. Since they did not Washington should have called time out and requested the review. UCLA hurried to the line and kicked the PAT rendering any review moot.

Another point that has a lot of validity is this team even though it is 3-6 is much better than last years squad. We all complain that they should be 6-3 but in reality it is this coaching staff that has helped put the team in the position to be close enough in those games to come away with the win.

The 2009 squad is made up of the pretty much the same players that went 0-12 last season and were in the position to win at the end of only the BYU and WSU games in 2008. The 2009 edition is killing us because they have had a chance to win in the fourth quarter against every team but Oregon this season. That is progress and the only way things are going to turn those close losses into wins is having better talent and experience on the field.

A disturbing trend that I have picked up on inthe second half of the season has been a serious lack of depth and a lack of gas in the second half of games. This team is tired in the third quarter. an example of that was blowing a 9 point lead to UCLA in the second half. We can all the blame the coaches but a big part of the quotient is that this team is wearing down in the last quarter of the season.

I think the future of Husky football is bright and is in good hands. This is a major rebuilding project and the only thing that turns it around once and for all is a big influx of fresh talent. Sark intends to bring in a class of around thirty next season which would replace one third of the current roster. That is the type of class you can anchor your program with in coming seasons.

If you are a Husky fan that wait is excruciating. We all hoped that at the very least this team would become bowl eligible this season. With three games left that goal is still on the table but improbable because up next is the Oregon State Beavers on the road. Lose the next one and the team is just playing for respectability against WSU and California.

My advice is to not get too down on this team and its coaching staff. The wins are going to come and this staff is going to turn it around. Rebuilding a football program isn't an overnight process. Being competitive in almost every game is a huge step in that direction. None of us should be into moral victories and honestly this team should be 6-3 right now. The players, coaches, and fans know that. Lets see what happens over the next three weeks. There is lots of football still to be played.

Around the Pac Ten

Arizona 47 Washington State 7

The victory, combined with Oregon's loss at Stanford, moves the Wildcats (6-2, 4-1 Pac-10) within a half-game of the first-place Ducks. Arizona and Oregon are the only teams in the conference with just one loss.

Oregon State 31 California 14

Sean Canfield threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score Saturday night in Oregon State's 31-14 victory over California.

USC 14 Arizona State 9

Will Harris returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown -- one of four turnovers forced by the Trojans -- and No. 12 USC held on for a shaky 14-9 victory over Arizona State.

Stanford 51 Oregon 42

Gerhart ran for a school-record 223 yards and three scores, Andrew Luck threw for two touchdowns and Stanford held on to beat Oregon (No. 8 BCS, No. 7 AP) 51-42 Saturday to become bowl eligible for the first time in eight years. The loss drops Oregon into a tie for first place with Arizona in the Pac 10.

Pac Ten Power Ratings

1. Arizona...Mike Stoops has the Wildcats in a position to contend for the Rose Bowl. Up next is Cal on the road.

2. Oregon...The Ducks face ASU at home this coming weekend. The ASU defense will challenge the Duck offense.

3. Southern Cal...The Trojans are struggling on offense and next week they get a Stanford team at home that is very capable of beating them.

4. Oregon State...Riley teams get better as the season goes on. This team is no exception. Up next is Washington at home.

5. Stanford...The Cards are bowl eligible! Up next is a tough game with USC.

6. California...This is a hurting football team that hasn't performed that well. Up next is Arizona at home.

7. Arizona State...The defense is intimidating but the offense is very challenged. ASU might now win another game this season but they are going to make them all close and interesting.

8. UCLA...The Bruins break a five game losing streak and this week extend to 2-0 on the road at WSU.

9. Washington...Missed opportunities are killing this team. Up next is Oregon State and they look pretty scary.

10. Washington State...Coug's can't wait till the Apple Cup.

Pac 10 Offensive Player of the Week

Stanford's Toby Gerhart who led the Cardinal in an upset against Oregon.

Pac 10 Defensive Player of the Week

UCLA's Rahim Moore intercepts Jake Locker in the final minutes of the game to seal a victory against the Huskies.

UW Offensive Player of the Week

Chris Polk rushed for a career high 134 yards against UCLA.

UW Defensive Player of the Week

Donald Butler knocked UCLA QB Kevin Prince out of the game with a jarring hit in the first half and played tough all day.

Quote of the Week

"There are three games right there that could go either way that really kind of makes your season, and we just didn't get those games," Holt said. "And here we are 3-6 and battling for the last three games of the year to have a good season. So I think we are still learning. There's a lot of transition still."

Grading the Game

John Berkowitz — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:56:38 -0000

More photos » by Francis Specker - AP

4 days ago: Washington quarterback Jake Locker, center, is grabbed from behind by UCLA's Reggie Carter in the second half of a NCAA college football game in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009. UCLA won 24-23. (AP Photo/Francis Specker)

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Quarterback

Jake had a serviceable day but to me he seemed a little off most of the game. The interception to end the game is completely on him. Jake had a few designed running plays but didn't break anything big. You could tell the leg was a little uncomfortable and he didn't have all of his speed. Even without all his speed he was the most mobie QB on the field. Jake had a couple of nice TD throws but he didn't lead his team to enough points in the red zone to win the game.

Grade C plus

Running back

Chris Polk picked up 132 yards on only 15 carries. He had 102 on 7 carries in the first half which makes you wonder why Washington didn't run the ball more. Sark seemed to get pass happy pretty early in this one which we will talk about later. Johri Fogerson saw more action than usual and had four receptions. Getting back to Polk this was a game he should have had 25 or more carries in. If the Washington staff commits to that they end up winning the game.

Grade A minus

Wide Receivers

Jermaine Kearse had the best night of his career with seven catches an two TD's. Devin Aguilar was also his steady self with six receptions. James Johnson had an early drop and wasn't much of a factor but had some nice kickoff returns. D'Andre Goodwin continues to not be factor. Kavario Middleton isn't being used in a way we would really like to see. For some reason the coaches aren't drifting him down the middle.

Grade B Minus

Offensive Line

Another serviceable game from this unit who played well enough to beat UCLA. Ossai and Kelemete did not start the game because they were late for a meeting last week. Ossai actually didn't end up playing much while Kelemete missed a series and played the rest of the way.

B minus

Defensive Line

Cameron Elisara was missed on the inside. Talia Chrichton and Andru Pulu really shouldn't be on the field. Daniel Teo Nesheim was double and triple teamed on the inside and out. Prince and Craft had all day to throw. I counted 12 seconds without pressure on one of Craft's pass plays. The Huskies did a nice job stopping the run but the sacks and pressure weren't there.

Grade F

Linebackers

Butler and Foster had good games but even though EJ Savannah has had a quiet season you do realize that it is a different unit out there when he is missing which doesn't bode well for next season with butler and EJ graduating. Butler knocked Price out of the game with a concussion late in the first half on an unintnetional helmet to helmet blow.

Grad B

Secondary

It wasn't a pretty game for these guys but when QB's are getting over six seconds the throw the ball without feeling pressure your DB's are not going to be able to make up for that. Jason Wells was a little rusty in his return but he had an interception and some thumping tackles. Trufant was picked on most of the night it seemed but he also picked up an interception. Nate Williams was silent again for the most part and i didn't remember seeing Anthony Boyles.

Grade D

Special Teams

Better return game than previous games. A lapse in kick coverage on one kickoff that jumpstarted a UCLA drive. a missed 38 yard FG that could have give Washington the win.

Grade C

Coaching

The first thing Steve Sarkisian needs to do in the off season is give control of playing calling to somebody else because he has looked terrible ever since the Notre Dame game. Clock management? He doesn't seem to have a concept of that. UW was headed for disaster in that area in the last two minutes of the game. Only a Locker interception took that off his hands.

Another big question is why didn't Washington call a timeout so the Austin TD in the third quarter could be reviewed? That was a pretty questionable reception and you have to wonder why the Pac 10 replay officials didn't do it anyway?

Why didn't Washington run the ball more? Your star running back is averaging 8.8 yards per carry and you only give him the ball 15 times? We all could see some adjustments in the second half on UCLA's part but Sark went pass happy early when he should have kept giving it to Polk. A cardinal rule in football is keep running the ball until they can figure out how to stop you. Sark ignored that rule and it was a major contributing factor to this defeat.

Why isn't Jake Locker running the ball more? He wasn't at 100% but when he does runearly it really puts pressure on the defense that opens up more stuff down field. I am a fan of the pro set offense but Sark has failed to really take advantage of what makes Jake special this season.

Play calling in the red zone as usual was questionable. Washington tried on more than one occasion to simply be cute rather than continue powering the ball up the middle which seemed to be a Bruin weakness to take advantage of. UW doesn't seem to have a clue on playing pwer football down close. Once again a potential weapon in Paul Homer is ignored.

On the defensive side of the field you have to wonder why Nick Holt refuses to load up one side of the defense and go after the QB? He did it once last night and it was one the only sack of the game. Nick looks agressive on the sidelines but his defensive play calls are pure Kent Baer. UW needs to take more chances to put an offense on their heals.

Another question is what happened to Darion Jones? Is he injured and I didn't miss it? Crichton and Pulu were seriously overmatched at the ends all night. No way these two should be regulars on the field at this point of their careers.

Youth obviously is a blessing and a problem for this team. 18 of 22 starters were underclassmen yesterday. You can honestly see that the team is making progress compared to the last two seasons but that progress should have included wins over Notre Dame, ASU, and now UCLA. Perhaps youth is a blessing and a problem with this coaching staff too. A steadier hand at the throttles and realistically this team is 6-3 rather than 3-6.

Grade D

UCLA 24 Washington 23

John Berkowitz — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:06:12 -0000

UCLA did everything they could to give Washington the game but the Huskies only scored 23 points despite being the beneficiaries of five turnovers and UW running back Chris Polk racked up up 132 yards on only 15 carries.

Erik Folk was 3-4 today in FGA's but missed a critical opportunity in the fourth quarter which would have given Washington the lead. Washington was driving again for the lead with less than two minutes left in the game when Jake Locker was picked off on the sidelines by Rahim Moore which pretty much ended the game.

The story in this one which we will rehash better in the morning is that Washington didn't play very well against a very mediocre UCLA squad. Washington left Kevin Craft beat them after knocking Kevin Prince in the first half with a concussion. The defense didn't play well today. They didn't get much pressure on the QB after shutting down the running game. UCLA outgained the Huskies 465 to 391. UCLA' two QB's were a combined 23 for 32 for 370 yards, 2 TD's, and two interceptions.

I will be back later with a complete wrap up and the game grades. Lets just say this was another one Washington should have won but I wouldn't call it a moral victory. This was a game they should have won and simply did not.

Washington at UCLA Game Thread

John Berkowitz — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:20:18 -0000

Come join on the thread during the game as the Huskies try to win for the first time against UCLA in Pasadena for the first time since 1995.

UCLA Preview

John Berkowitz — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:58:52 -0000

More photos » by Reed Saxon - AP

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

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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.

Bruin Nation Podcast Interview

John Berkowitz — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:26:54 -0000

I had the pleasure of being on the UCLA Bruin Nation Podcast tonight. I am on there for a good 15 minutes about 20 minutes into the program. Click on the link and enjoy.

DE Andrew Hudson is a Husky

John Berkowitz — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:34:28 -0000

6'3 225 lb Andrew Hudson from Redlands East Valley HS in Redlands, California has announced that he has decided to a be a Husky. Hudson is one of the better defensive end prospects on the West coast and Washington has been on him for quite some time. He joins Ronnie Fouch, Marquis Persley, and Chris Polk who all went to the same high school on the Washington roster. He picked UW over Oregon State and Arizona.

He is the 22nd known commit for the 2010 class. Hudson is a real good looking athlete who was an absolute priority for the Washington coaches this year. Scout has him rated as a three star and the # 93 DE in the country.