Good Afternoon Cougar Fans.
This is your favorite UW commenter UWJasonUW. Last night LC asked me for some of my thoughts on this weekend’s game, as well as some of the strengths and weaknesses of this year’s UW squad.
Without further ado, please click the Jump for more!
I can tell you that all is not completely well in Montlake right now. The UW alums (and WWU, right Lucas?!) are not too happy.
As Bo Schembechler famously said, “Teams either get better each week, or they get worse. None stay the same.” If we’re going by the great Bo, then UW has definitely gotten worse this month. After starting 6-2, we’ve lost big to Oregon, USC, and Oregon State. Up until OSU, I would say that UW won all the games it should have (EWU, UH, Cal, Utah, CU, UA) and lost the games it should have (NikeU, Ferd, U$C, Neb). While this left us at 6-4, there was still unrest with the defense.
It really felt like we’ve been playing with house money since gaining bowl eligibility before November. That’s not how championship teams play. It also shows a lack of leadership after losing guys like Locker, Foster, Ryan Tolar, and Nate Williams. A lot of people are calling for Nick Holt’s bald head now, and rightfully so.
Defensively, we’ve regressed since Sark took over. While we play only FIVE juniors or seniors in our defensive rotation (Thompson, Ta’amu, Dennison, Trufant, Richardson), almost last in passing defense is inexcusable. However, there is still the Husky faith (see: delusion, if you are wearing crimson goggles) that we’re playing a Coug team without bowl motivation, a rash of injuries (my goodness, how many crazy QB injuries can fall upon the Palouse?), and a lame duck coach. Sark hasn’t lost to the Cougs, but he only controls 50% of the team. It’s the Holt-part that worries everyone.
My Francis Scott’s
–Win the line of scrimmage: Not only in the running game, but Keith Price needs his 5-step drop for this offense to work. – Minimize x-factor play. Wilson is going to get his 150 yds and 2tds. It’s guys like Karstetter and Galvin that need to be removed from the box score if UW will win.
-Intangibles: While it’s a UW home game, this team has never played at the CLink. The cougs are used to the bright lights, locker rooms, etc. of South Seattle. It concerns me that the cougs will come out firing (Wulff always calls a reverse, reverse pass, etc. against UW) and the Husky energy levelneeds to shine from the get-go against a coug team playing for their head coach.
Strengths
-Offense: Mid-range passing game. In Sark’s third year, the offense has been very fun to watch. Keith Price has 26tds, two shy of the UW season record. He has surpassed all expectations and will be at 85-90% on Saturday, which is how healthy he’s been all season. You’ll see a ton of motion, a lot of power sets shifting into five-wide, and the amazing freshman TE Austin Sefarian-Jenkins running 8-15 yards across the middle. Price’s efficiency is off the charts for a Sophomore. He’s ahead of players like Landry Jones, Aaron Murray, and Tahj Boyd in passer rating.
-Defense: Defensive Line. I’m writing this with a frown as there hasn’t been a defensive strength this year. At the very least, it’s the interior line play of Senior Alameda Ta’amu (340lbs) and the new starter, freshman and Auburn’s-own, Danny Shelton (337lbs). To quote cougfan’s headlines, that’s a lot of grade-a beef.
Weaknesses
-Offense: Offensive Line Protection. Until this week, we will have had the same starting five for all 11 games. However, in the OSU game, our starting LG (RsFr. Colin Tanigawa) tore his ACL. It’s the only part of our line that doesn’t have a solid backup. Price has been sacked 25 times which is the root of his sprained knees. Another weakness: Dropped balls. It’s a curse. And it’s apparently contagious. Jermaine Kearse must lead the nation in this non-stat.
Defense: Passing. If your grandmother is capable of running 15 yards upfield, turning around, and catching a hitch, then she’ll be able to do it against the Washington cornerbacks. Trufant, Richardson, and Ducre play 15-20 yards off the ball and when they press it’s a guaranteed PI. The Crustacean, or whatever the heck you call him, is a different player than 2009 when he couldn’t score in Seattle. I expect to see 40-45 passing attempts. He’ll complete 28-32 of those. The one bright spot has been Sean Parker at SS, but he is often out of position.
At the end of the day, tt’s going to be another Apple Cup shootout, but I can’t see this week’s version of the cougs, without Barton and Tuel, to keep up with Sark’s play-calling, I see it 37-24 UW. But, what do I know? I’m just a Husky.
Have a great day, thanks for letting me post over here. Hopefully it was insightful for you.
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