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Friday, August 31st, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 08:14:37 pm
I'm eager to hear how it looked on ESPN? It struck me as pretty impressive. I thought Jake Locker was even better than his numbers indicated (those numbers are below). He was dominating enough that Syracuse had to account for him on every play, and I think that helped every other phase of the game, especially Louis Rankin, who also was dazzling. Syracuse may be one of the very worst teams in Division IA, and we'll get a much better read on these guys next week. But that was a very impressive start in a lot of ways. Some highlights: Player of the game Key stats Turning point Special play Newcomers Quote Extra points Next
Categories: Huskies
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Posted by Don Ruiz @ 07:42:47 pm
Utter domination right now, and the Syracuse fans have seen enough. They are filing to the exits ... muttering. If this margin holds up -- or, of course, grows -- it will be the biggest UW win of the Willingham era.
Categories: Huskies
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Posted by Don Ruiz @ 06:29:15 pm
Locker just took over in the second quarter, expecially running. For those 15 minutes, at least, he was everything he was billed to be. He was dangerous enough to change the Syracuse defense, as they kept a player spying on him and even that couldn't slow him. However, it's a game of adjustments, and it's clear that SU coach Greg Robinson had to halftime task more important that finding a way to slow Locker. It will be interesting to see what he came up with, and interesting then to see what UW/Willingham/Locker do to answer the Orange changes. The defense has looked solid. Also, we finally got the answer to a few of those lingering camp questions. Ben Ossai started at left tackle. Vonzell McDowell has been impressive at corner. Nate Williams is playing as the nickle back (and broke up a would-be touchdown on Syracuse's final drive. A few stats: Locker eight carries for 67 yards. Ranking nine for 57. Locker passing: 7-of-11 for 47 tards. Receiving: Reece, Rankin and Russo two catches each. Tackles: Mesphin Forrester, five.
Categories: Huskies
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Posted by Don Ruiz @ 05:39:10 pm
Huskies got off to a slow start. Locker's first pass was incomplete. His first run lost 2 yards. But they seem to be opening things up a bit now and have just moved into Syracuse territory for the first time.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 04:00:28 pm
Syracuse just came out on the field in uniforms that might make the Oregon Ducks gag: orange helmets, orange jerseys, orange pants. The school had announced previously that the team would debut new helmets: the traditional orange but with a new block "S." However, it was assumed they would go along with the usual uniform of last season: navy jerseys and orange pants. However, we have just received a note saying that the team last won all orange on Nov. 6, 2004 and they defeated Pitt in double-overtime. The time before that, they routed Temple, 41-7.
Categories: Huskies
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Posted by Don Ruiz @ 03:18:43 pm
I got to the dome just about the time the Huskies did. There were a few dozen fans in purple cheering them on as they took the trek from bus to dome. Then I walked into the building, which is as warm as billed. It's a near-perfect day outside, and certainly several degrees cooler than in here. The place looks like the little brother of BC Place up in Vancouver -- with the semi-transparent air-suspended roof -- but much smaller. It really feels about halfway in size between the Tacoma Dome and BC Place. It not high on charm or tradition, but they've done what they can. Some of the otherwise grey walls are decorated with orange-tinted tributes to Syracuse athletic achievements -- there's one to Jim Brown and to the school's national lacrosse championships, for example. And, of course, to the 1959 football champions. And above that, hands a large Syracuse football jersey with the No. 44, now retired in tribute to Brown, Ernie Davis and Floyd Little. Just after the gates were opened to the Syracuse students -- easy to spot in there purple – the Syracuse players ran across the field to interact a bit with the student section/. Now, a few Huskies are out on the field going through very light warm ups in their purple game pants and white T-shirts. 15 MINUTES TILL KICKOFF, the teams have left the field and been replaced by the Syracuse band. The crowd, however, is tiny as of now. The place seats about 50,000, and it seems less than half of that now. The locals day they're expecting about 30,000. However, a lot of Husky fans traveled. There are about three sections of purple low in one end zone of what will be the top left part of your TV screen. About 60 of them were expected to be the Locker traveling party, according to Jake's dad, Scott. FIVE MINUTES TILL KICKOFF: UW captains for the opener are UW captains were Dan Howell, Louis Rankin, Juan Garcia and Jordan Reffett.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 06:33:10 am
Game day has dawned here in Syracuse, and with all fall camp and all the build up behind us, it's time for the Huskies to to start the 2007 season. We've heard a lot about the heat inside the Carrier Dome, but it isn't expected to be a sizzling day here: A high around 74, and probably well below that by the 5 p.m. PDT start, which is 8 p.m. out here. I'm not expecting any more news to report until getting to the stadium, but I'll file as information comes in, then a little during the game, and then I hope you'll join in for some post-game discussion as we did last football season.
Categories: Huskies
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Thursday, August 30th, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 01:04:04 pm
At 2:20 this afternoon I'll be talking about the Huskies' opener at Syracuse with the Groz on KJR, 950-AM. The conversation also will be streamed over the Internet. Next week, I believe we'll slide back to the 2:20 p.m. Wednesday position, which out default slot for the rest of the football season.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 11:19:12 am
By the way, today is the day of The News Tribune's annual college football section. And we hope you'll grab a copy and use it all season. But there is a good version of most of the features online too.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 05:41:16 am
The Huskies arrived last night in Syracuse, land of Jim Brown, Ernie David and Floyd Little, and so did I. One of the odd little footnotes of UW camp the past couple of days has been Tyrone Willingham's contention that one element of playing in the Carrier Dome is that certain open doors might affect the wind currents inside. So, it was interested to arrive in Syracuse last night just in time to watch the local news, in which the Syracuse media asked coach Greg Robinson about that. Robinson gave mostly a "huh?" answer, finally adding that he's never noticed anything like that. However, there is one thing about the Carrier Dome that everyone seems to agree on, and that is that it is hot and humid. And that, unfortunately, could be a real issue in the game tomorrow, because it's in the '80s here now. They're predicting a "cold front" to move through today, but that's expected to bring rain and maybe even thunderstorms, but not notably lower temperatures. The Huskies are scheduled for a walk-though at the Dome today, but neither UW nor Syracuse plans any contact with the media, so I might not have much more to write today. However, I plan to swing by the campus today and get a look at the dome, and I'll post back is there's anything worth posting. And finally, I'm supposed to be on KJR again today, discussing the UW opener with the Groz. However, I'm not sure if that's the usual 2:20 p.m. time or not. I'll also try to post a note on that when the time is set.
Categories: Huskies
Tuesday, August 28th, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 04:34:01 pm
The Huskies leave for Syracuse this afternoon. Tuesday news: Cornerback Byron Davenport’s hamstring injury has made significant recent progress, and he is likely to travel with the team. However, true freshman will start against Syracuse regardless. Kicker Nick Folk (back) likely won’t travel, but the kicking/punting duties haven’t yet been assigned to either Ryan Perkins or Jared Ballman. Linebacker Donald Butler (knee) is improving, but if he can’t start Saturday, Willingham expressed confidence in Trenton Tuiasosopo. The left tackle competition between Cody Habben and Ben Ossai also remains unsettled. At Tuesday practice, Habben started with the No. 1 offense.
Categories: Huskies
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Posted by Don Ruiz @ 10:20:01 am
At this morning's Pac-10 Conference coaches teleconference, Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh announced that former Auburn quarterback Kellen Kiilsgaard has been moved to fullback. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound freshman isn't on the two-deep for the season (and Pac-10) opener Saturday against UCLA. Other notes from the non-Washington schools: OREGON STATE, the first Pac-10 team to begin the season, hosting Utah on Thursday: Coach Mike Riley said he explained his plan to start quarterback Sean Canfield in the first quarter and then use Lyle Moevao in second quarter, regardless of how Canfield performs. “These two guys haven’t separated enough to force a decision,” Riley said. “So I want each to have a chance to contribute in their own way.” … Riley also said that star receiver Sammie Stroughter “probably won’t play” in the opener and that even though he is back practice with the team, his “future remains his decision and family decision.” Stroughter left the team and planned to leave school, citing grief in dealing with the death of several people close to him. However, he quickly returned to practice and now apparently plans to stay. “We’re kind of going day by day,” Riley said. Riley also announced that kicker Alex Serna is now also handling the punting. OREGON, which hosts Houston on Saturday: Coach Mike Bellotti reports that starting quarterback Dennis Dixon has “looked very good, physically and with decision making.” He reports the heath of the Ducks is good health. Said the question mark defense is front seven, “but I think we have a chance to be solid inside.” ARIZONA, which visits BYU on Saturday: Coach Mike Stoops said quarterback Willie Tuitama and the rest of the team is dealing well with the new spread offense. “I think our kids have really grasped this system well and we have kids that fit this system really well,” he said. USC, which hosts a reluctant Idaho on Saturday. Coach Pete Carroll explained that this game was arranged when Nick Holt was coach at Idaho. After Hold left to join Carroll’s USC staff, Idaho tried to get out of the game. However, USC chose to hold the Vandals to their contract, citing the difficulty in finding an acceptable new opponent on that date. … Carroll also said that the starter from his crowded field of talented tailbacks won’t be named until game time. … He also gave a glowing progress report on sophomore free safety Taylor Mays of O’Dea in Seattle, calling him “a fantastic kid, a great competitor.” UCLA, which opens at Stanford. Coach Karl Dorrell starting guard Shannon Tevaga is coming along well in the rehabilitation of his shoulder and eager to play. ARIZONA STATE, which hosts San Jose State on Saturday: New coach Dennis Erickson said is goals at ASU are “to be competitive, try to win it, and try to get to the BCS. We have a way to go, but that’s what our plan is at this time.” … Erickson likened USC’s ongoing dynasty to his own at Miami. “You get the best players and if you lose one game that’s too much,” he said. CALIFORNIA, which is trying to play down the revenge and redemption angles of its rematch with Tennessee on Saturday. “It’s more about how we play,” coach Jeff Tedford said. “That’s how we’re going into the game, making sure that we reach our full potential and not so much about who we play.” He acknowledged, however, that fans are putting extra emphasis on avenging the 35-18 loss to the Vols, which opened Cal’s 2006 season. “It comes up constantly,” he said. “When you talk about last season, you win 10 games, and they remember the bowl game a lot (a 45-10 win over Texas A&M in the Holiday Bowl), but it seems it always comes back to Tennessee.”
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 10:16:51 am
We just got a brief interview with Syracuse coach Greg Robinson. He gave us an update on his team, including this overview on fall camp: "We were undefeated and now we’re looking forward to going to the regular season. Camp went well. I haven’t met a coach yet who didn’t think (preseason practices) went well. Our players are working hard and I think they’re very enthused about the idea of playing on national television, playing against the Huskies, playing an intersectional rivalry like thi. It’s a nice thing to be a part of. It’s exciting for us." We're also getting some time with all the Pac-10 coaches today, some Husky players, and of course coach Tyrone Willingham. I'll pop in with news as it develops.
Categories: Huskies
Monday, August 27th, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 12:20:48 pm
We got our first game-week briefing from coach Tyrone Willingham this morning, including a new set of two-deeps. The most interesting name was Vonzell McDowell, true freshman, who will start at cornerback Friday at Syracuse. And the most interesting missing name was that of Cory Nicol, who had been competing with McDowell for that spot. Willingham announced that Nicol had decided over the weekend to leave the team. Nicol later told reporters his departure was due to a nagging groin injury. Redshirt freshman Matt Mosley will back up McDowell. Elsewhere across the roster, a handful of depth chart decisions remain undecided. On offense, Cody Habben and Ben Ossai are still competing for the starting left tackle spot; and at tight end, Michael Gottlieb, Johnie Kirton and Robert Lewis remain in the running. At tailback, the reserve position behind Louis Rankin remains up for grabs between J.R. Hasty and true freshmen Curtis Shaw, Brandon Johnson and Willie Griffin. On special teams, Willingham indicated that Jared Ballman might have an edge on Ryan Perkins for the punting job, while Perkins may have the advantage on Ballman for the kicking job. However, neither of those responsibilities is yet settled.
Categories: Huskies
Sunday, August 26th, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 08:06:24 pm
UW reports that the Husky men's basketball team is still scheduled to depart Monday morning to Greece, despite the fires raging though that country. As of Sunday evening, the Huskies had received no information that any of the games will be cancelled.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 12:38:02 pm
In recent weeks, at least three books have come across my desk that I thought might be of interest to some of you. One is "A Football Band of Brothers: Forging the University of Washington's First National Championship" by Tom Porter. It tells the story of the 1960 Huskies, whose claim to at least a share of the national football title will be recognized by the univeristy Sept. 29 at halftime of this season's USC game. I'll take a much more detailed look at that team/book/issue in the week leading up to that game. Also out is "Husky Football in the Don James Era," by Derek Johnson. As you might have guessed from the title, the book details years 1975-1993 when Don James coached the Huskies to their most glorious of glory days. The book includes personal accounts from Huskies such as Warren Moon, Napoleon Kaufman, Steve Emtman, Chris Chandler, Ed Cunningham and others - even former Washington State Cougar coach Jim Walden. The book is available online through DerekJohnsonBooks.com. Finally, if you're interested is psyching up for the Huskies upcoming home opener, there's "Blue Magic," by Idaho Statesman reporter Chadd Cripe and columnist Brian Murphy, telling the story of Boise State's 2006 unbeaten run to and including their amazing win in the Fiesta Bowl.
Categories: Huskies
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Saturday, August 25th, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 05:26:44 pm
I got caught in the traffic from that nasty I-5 wreck today and missed the UW briefing. (Which is ironic. I had been fearing that huge predicted traffic mess in downtown Seattle, and that turned out to be almost nothing. Then, on the day when that construction project concludes, I get trapped in Fife.) However, I think I've picked up most of the highlights of what went on: For one, the Huskies officially broke camp, with players who live off campus departing the dorms. However, that's almost misleading because the last couple of days of camp were actually more like game-week practices because this will be a short week due to the long travel day on Wednesday and the unusual Friday night game. The injury list remains mostly unchanged: true freshman tailback Brandon Yakaboski (concussion) wore a red jersey in practice, indicating injury. Tailback J.R. Hasty (ankle), defensive end Darrion Jones (ankle), linebacker Donald Butler, receiver Cody Ellis (hamstring) and cornerback Byron Davenport (hamstring) were out again. What's new is that coach Tyrone Willingham indicated that long-injured Davenport may not be among the 66-70 players he intends to take to Syracuse. Erik Folk (back) also may not be ready, which would leave the kicking duties to Ryan Perkins and Jared Ballman. The team won't take the field Sunday, which is Willingham’s usual custom. Speaking of Sunday, my story for that day's paper will concentrate on the new NCAA rule that will push kickoffs back five yards to the 30. Coaches predict it will make more that five yards worth of difference.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 07:04:24 am
A week from right now, the Huskies will be off to a 1-0 or 0-1 start on their football season. With kickoff against Syracuse moving ever closer, we'll be shifting into our game-week coverage in the paper. And here, I wanted to pass along a few useful Web sites on the Orange. We'll start with this straight-shooting Syracuse blog and the Sports section from the city's main paper, The Post-Standard. And finally, a link to the official Syracuse site.
Categories: Huskies
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Friday, August 24th, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 08:47:20 pm
Sometimes dumb questions get good answers. In these dog days of fall camp, I asked the four Huskies who go by their initials to explain how that happened. I thought the answers were all pretty interesting, and especially J.D Williams: E.J. Savannah, linebacker: “I think it was given to me by dad when I was younger – I mean like a baby. But it stuck with me until now, and now I’ve got it tattooed on my arm. I’ve got no middle name, so it’s Edward Savannah Junior – the ‘J’ for ‘Junior.’” J.R. Hasty, tailback: “When I was born, my grandmother called me that. It’s for James Ray. My dad is James Edwards, I’m J.R. I don’t know why that is, but it’s cool. It’s what I’ve been called all my life. Some people on my team call me James just to be funny, but it’s J.R.” T.J. Poe, linebacker: I’m a third. My grandpa is Thomas Poe, and my father is Tom, so I’m T.J. My mom didn’t want it originally, but it just took off that way. I’ve never been called Tom.” J.D. Williams, secondary coach: “My real name is James Earl. J.D. came from playing at Fresno State. When I was playing there was another James Williams – he was a running back – and he was James Edward Williams, and I was James Earl Williams. My older brother David used to play at Fresno State, and Coach (Jim) Sweeney used to call me ‘David’s brother.’ So he called me ‘James, David’s brother,’ and the J.D. kind of stuck, and here it is. … Everybody that ever knew me before Fresno State calls me James, and after Fresno State they call me J.D.”
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 04:11:06 pm
Washington center Artem Wallace won't accompany the basketball team on its tour of Greece next week, due to a passport problem. Wallace was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and holds dual U.S. and Russian citizenship. "Artem didn't receive a passport and won't be going to Greece with the team," coach Lorenzo Romar said. "It's so confusing, but the bottom line is that he won't be making the trip." That means only either veteran Huskies will take part in the five-game tour of Greece, for which the team departs Monday. The incoming true freshman class also is ineligible to go because the fall quarter at UW has not yet begun. Meanwhile, the Huskies also announced that the previously announced season-opening exhibition game against Concordia has been canceled. The Huskies will now begin their 2007-08 season at home on Nov. 5 with an exhibition game against Seattle Pacific.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 01:18:46 pm
I posted on Kent Baer earlier, and Tim Lappano just gave us a nice rundown on the offense. He seemed generally pleased with the first-team offense in yesterday's scrimmage, a tad disappointed in the No. 2s. But he might have sounded most fired up about true freshman Brandon Johnson (pictured), who apparently runs far harder than you might guess from his size: 5-11, 195. Lappano seems to think Johnson's power and his ability to hold onto the ball could make him the Huskies' long-sought solution for their short-yardage offense. In general, it seems that J.R. Hasty might remain the No. 2 back behind Louis Rankin, but that all of the freshmen tailbacks are doing good things. In the lone remaining battle on the offensive line, it sounds like Ben Ossai and Cody Habben will share time at tackle regardless of who starts. Lappano seemed most disappointed that none of the three tight ends have really claimed the job in fall. Michael Gottlieb seems to at least have scored points for consistency, as Johnie Kirton and Rob Lewis have dropped too many passes. On the outside, Anthony Russo seems back from his broken pinky and will be ready to go against Syracuse. Also Charles Hawkins just keeps catching most of what is thrown his way, and could have earned a brief appearance.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 12:19:09 pm
Baer said that Donald Butler and Trenton Tuiasosopo remain in competition at one spot, while E.J. Savannah and Chris Stevens are both in play at another. Meanwhile, the corner spot opposite Roy Lewis remains the undecided jumble between Cory Nicol, Matt Mosley and even freshman Vonzell McDowell that it's been all camp. However, UCLA-transfer Byron Davenport (pictured) is now out of the mix – at least for Syracuse. At safety, it looks to be Jason Wells and Mesphin Forrester, despite coach Tyrone Willingham's clearly implied interest in getting more out of Forrester. With the defensive line long settled, the only issue is depth. Look for Caesar Rayford to be used as a pass-rushing end, while some combination of Erick Lobos, Cameron Elisara and perhaps Jovon O'Connor could be rotate through on the inside.
Categories: Huskies
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Thursday, August 23rd, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 06:47:03 pm
The Huskies concluded their final significant fall scrimmage Thursday afternoon. The work was closed to the media, but coach Tyrone Willingham called it “a good session.” The team apparently played one-quarter of game conditions with an emphasis on rhythm and timing. Then they worked on special situations before giving younger players 10-12 plays. Willingham said his main concerns was coming out healthy, and he almost made it. The lone reported injury was to reserve defensive end Darrion Jones. Willingham wouldn’t reveal the injury but said he doesn’t think it will cost Jones extended time. A few other notes and quotes: *"I thought the execution is still not where I'd like it to be in all areas," Willingham said. "But still, we were able to have some big plays, some big runs, some big catches and some overall really good work for us." *All quarterbacks and tailbacks got "plenty of work," and the offensive linemen were rotated, indicating that the depth chart is still fluid there. *Pre-existing hamstring injuries kept receiver Cody Ellis and corner Byron Davenport out. *Willingham said that after watching the tapes, he might be ready to settle some of the position battles that have lingered this deep into camp. *The high-snap problem evident from the shotgun Saturday didn't reappear Thursday. *Fred Wiggs, a walk-on recently moved from defensive end to linebacker, "did some nice things." *Willingham said the place-kickers did fine, making all extra points although one field goal was missed in the red zone. Willingham didn't say who missed, but he said Erik Folk made all of his. *Willingham said all three quarterbacks "did a really nice job." He said receivers dropped some of freshman Ronnie Fouch's passes, but that Fouch's mechanics looked good. Willingham also repeated his often-repeated advice to his quarterbacks: "Take what the defense gives you." *Willingham acknowledged that the "question marks" at the cornerback opposite Roy Lewis and the safety spot opposite Jason Wells "still hasn't sorted itself out." Including the safety position in the mix was something of a surprise because Mesphin Forrester had been thought to have taken that job. Willingham implied that Forrester is at the top of the depth chart, but indicated he hasn't yet sealed the deal over Darin Harris or Nate Williams. "I'm very interested in seeing much improved leadership, much improved play from all the guys at that position," he said. *Anthony Russo had a 30- or 40-yard punt return, but it was called back due to penalty. *True freshmen Brandon Johnson and Curtis Shaw and D'Andre Goodwin were mentioned in the mix as a running game, with Willingham praising Johnson's explosiveness. "You need a guy that if he gets a gap, he just blows through it. And Brandon has a tendency to do that," he said. "He has a chance to maybe be that guy at the beginning of the season." *Bottom line: "The No. 1 thing I wanted was to get out healthy, and basically we did," Willingham said. "No. 2, I was looking at the mechanics: our game organization, our game flow, how well that went. And I thought ... everything went pretty well."
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 01:12:50 pm
Coach Tyrone Willingham said their gameplanning is limited in any first game because you're never certain what changes in personnel or philosophy an opponent might have undergone in the off-season. However, it doesn't seem that Syracuse offers any wildly atypical challenges, as with, say, Air Force a couple of seasons ago. In other notes, Willingham gave a health update not much different from yesterdays: receiver Cody Ellis (hamstring) day-to-day, cornerback Byron Davenport (hamstring) not ready, and most other key personnel available. Linebacker E.J. Savannah (pictured) clarified that the mysterious eligibility issue that hovered over him through most of camp was related to one lingering grade he was waiting on. He says he wasn't much worried, and now that he's cleared he's running with the ones and seems destined to start at Syracuse. Willingham also offered praise for defensive end Caesar Rayford, saying he has been "very very difficult for us to block" and could make an impact as a pass rusher this season. Rayford will be featured in my story for the Friday paper. This afternoon, the Huskies will conduct their final significant fall scrimmage. Willingham said it would be "somewhat" like the work his team did Saturday, but with more emphasis on situations that could relate to Syracuse. Also unlike Saturday, this one is closed to the media. However, we're scheduled for a briefing from Willingham after, and I'll pop back in with highlights then.
Categories: Huskies
Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 03:10:53 pm
Coach Tyrone Willingham just gave up his afternoon update, and the good news for Husky fans was that receiver Anthony Russo participated fully in the morning practice, although with a splint on his broken finger. Also, Willingham said that linebacker E.J. Savannah "should be fine," regarding the mysterious eligibility issues Willingham has hinted at through most of camp. So fine, in fact, the Willingham said he expects Savannah to be in the starting lineup against Syracuse. The return of Russo could help the Huskies in two ways, because Willingham also listed him among the top kick return candidates for this season. However, Willingham also said he was leaning against using Roy Lewis as a return man this season because of the thin depth situation at cornerback. Now the Huskies are about to head out for their second practice of the day ... but they go with the happy knowledge that this will conclude their two-a-day practices. Finally, my story in the Thursday paper will be about the Huskies quest to turn more big plays in their favor: turnovers, returns, long passes. The two problems are that UW hasn't been very good in those areas recently. And turnovers, especially, often seem to depend less on practice than on whether the football fates are smiling your way.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 08:35:30 am
As mentioned below, we won't be getting any UW updates today until mid-afternoon. However, just before that -- at about 2:20 -- I'll talk Huskies football with the Groz on KJR, 950-AM. (Maybe a little Huskies hoops, too, with coach Lorenzo Romar's team now practing for its trip to Greece.) The conversation also will be streamed over the Internet. By the way, it looks like that 2:20 p.m. Wednesday position might be out default slot during the football season. However, we'll have to switch to Plan B next week, since -- amazingly enough -- next Wednesday will be the Huskies' travel day for the season-opener in Syracuse.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 07:14:45 am
We don't have any access to UW players at all today. And we won't be hearing from Coach Willingham until mid-afternoon. However, there are plenty of other interesting stories popping up around college football: Here is my story from this morning's paper on Roy Lewis and the UW secondary. Here is some UW basketball recruiting news from Eric Williams of the TNT staff. Here are a couple of interesting Pac-10 stories out of Oregon State and USC. And finally, a story out of Miami, which we can only hope is fully unrelated to the way the Huskies' stadium situation eventually plays out.
Categories: Huskies
Tuesday, August 21st, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 12:58:47 pm
We just received today's one and only briefing from Coach Willingham. His injury update was mostly good, with receiver Anthony Russo returning to work. Willingham said CB Byron Davenport "didn't do a whole lot," but he added that none of the injured guys have been ruled out for Syracuse (except defensive lineman Nick Wood, who hasn't practiced all fall because his arm is in a case). Willingham remained mysterious about linebacker E.J. Savannah's status, but implied a bit more optimism. The coach also said that the final scrimmage of camp will be held Thursday, and that -- after thinking about opening that practice to the media -- he has decided to make it a closed workout.
Categories: Huskies
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Posted by Don Ruiz @ 07:03:18 am
After a series of tries and 10-contracts in the NBA and in the D-League, former UW point guard Will Conroy has signed a contract in the Euroleague for the first time. On and off the floor, Conroy is one of my favorite guys to cover since I've been on the beat, and I sure wish him well. (And I still think he would have fit very well into a Sonics uniform. They have needs at the point, and they should could have used his competitive fires.)
Categories: Huskies
Monday, August 20th, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 05:17:08 pm
Defensive line coach Randy Hart is the only member of the current staff who was working at UW in 2001, when Matt Lingley earned his only letter as a Husky. Lingley was killed Friday when the flatbed truck he was driving crashed and burst into flames near McCleary in Grays Harbor County. “It’s a shame,” Hart said Monday. “He was a good kid. A fun guy to be around. He (transferred to Western Illinois) so he could play more. He did a nice job when he was there, from what I understand. I’m shocked. I don’t know what happened. I have a call in to his family – really nice people. Good kid. Too young: 26 is too young.” Hart came to know the family when he recruited Lingley, then a linebacker at Rogers High School in Puyallup.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 12:59:12 pm
Coach Tyrone Willingham said he wasn't surprised that his team came back a little sluggish this morning, their first time out on the field after their Saturday scrimmage and light Sunday. He added that his opinion of that Saturday work didn't change much after watching the tapes: the No. 1 offense and defense looked fairly even to him, while the No. 2 offense was ahead of the No. 2 defense, mostly due to an experience advantage along the lines. We also got a generally upbeat health report: Wilson Afoa was back at work, along with Caesar Rayford, Matt Sedillo and Donald Butler. Erik Folk was limited. Cody Ellis and Byron Davenport were out. Anthony Russo was the only Husky wearing the red injury jersey. The Huskies will return for a second practice this afternoon, which begins the final week of fall camp. In this final week, more depth chart issues will be settled as coaches begin wanting the playing units to start functioning as units. And finally, on another cool rainy day, Willingham noted that he wishes the month had been hotter, noting that there's noting like heat and humidity to improve conditioning.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 11:29:20 am
The Huskies were on the field this morning for the first of two practices today. We'll get a report from the coaches soon, and I'll file an update in the early afternoon. The Huskies return to the field at 4 p.m. Things shift a little bit this week, as Syracuse gets higher on radar and emphasis will shift a little more to using players in the same units they will man once the games begin.
Categories: Huskies
Saturday, August 18th, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 08:41:26 pm
Jake Locker's team defeated Carl Bonnell's team, 14-12 in two quarters of scrimmaging this afternoon at Husky Stadium. But of course, the score wasn't the point. The point was to get the get the Huskies some experience in a game-like situation -- all kicking phases were used, game officials were brought in, and a crowd of about 1,500 showed up to watch -- and then judge what happens enough to help the coaches settle depth chart issues heading into the final week of fall camp. There were some highlights and lots of sloppy play, but for all that, coach Tyrone Willingham seemed pleased. “Overall, I thought it was good,” he said. “I thought we did a decent job in a lot of the places. ... "Part of the purpose of doing it was to have someone in the stands so we could create somewhat of a gamelike experience,” Willingham said. “And it was good for the officials, it was good for our football team, and hopefully it was good for our fans.” Among the highlights: *Receiver Charles Hawkins opened the scoring with an acrobatic sideline catch of a Carl Bonnell pass from 40 yards out. *Later Jake Locker connected with Marcel Reece, who had gotten between and behind Nate Williams and Cory Nicol for a 42-yard touchdown. *Locker also scored on a keeper from 7 yards out, showing good speed in racing to the outside. *Receiver Corey Williams continued his solid camp with six catches, including a one-handed grab on a sideline route. *Tailback Louis Rankin picked his holes aggressively except for one kickoff return in which he started right, reversed all the way left, before cutting back right and finally running out of steam in the middle of the field. *The four freshman tailbacks all showed flashes ... perhaps enough for at least one of them to pass J.R. Hasty on the depth chart. Among the lowlights: * Locker hit only two of his first nine passes before ending on a 7-of-9 flurry. *Kickers Jared Ballman and Ryan Perkins missed wide left on field goal attempts from 39 and 42 yards respectively. *Punts and kickoffs ranged from OK to terrible. *In shotgun formation, three balls were snapped over the quarterbacks’ heads, once resulting in a safety. *Receivers got their hands on several balls that they couldn’t snag.
A number of players including Cody Ellis, Caesar Rayford, Matt Sedillo, Tyrone Duncan and Wilson Afoa were kept out due to injuries. Willingham said most could have played in a real game, with the possible exceptions of Afoa and Duncan.
Categories: Huskies
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Posted by Don Ruiz @ 09:56:26 am
This will shock pretty much no one, but The Associated Press media preseason poll, which came out today, lists Southern California at the top. Popular pick LSU is No. 2. Other ranked Pac-10 teams are Cal (12) and UCLA (14). Other ranked UW opponents are Ohio State (11), Hawaii (23) and Boise State (24).
Categories: Huskies
Friday, August 17th, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 12:42:45 pm
Coach Tyrone Willingham said the Huskies had a good practice this morning, perhaps with the offense getting the upper hand on the defense. He added that the kicking game is coming around with the increasing health of Ryan Perkins and Erik Folk, and apparently the general improvement of Jared Ballman. Speaking of health, there was also good news involving cornerback Byron Davenport (hamstring) who did some work in practice today, and even Anthony Russo (broken finger on right hand) who is catching some passes lefthanded. However, defensive lineman Wilson Afoa remains out tomorrow when the public is invited to watch the Huskies practice at 2:30 p.m. in the stadium. Speaking of that, Willingham said the practice will begin with gamelike conditions. Then after a break, the team will switch to specific game situations such as two-minute offense, short-yardage situations, red-zone work and so forth. Practice and parking are both free.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 11:16:48 am
We just got to meet with basketball coach Lorenzo Romar and his team, and the hoops Huskies gather for their first practice leading up to their 5-game exhibition tour of Greece at the end of the month. The team is getting ready not just on the court, but in the classroom, as they will take part in a credited class on the classics, which will help them understand what they're seeing when they travel overseas. On the court, the team sounds optimistic and looks terrific. Most of the players seem bigger -- in a good way: muscular -- except for Justin Dentmon who looks smaller -- in a good way: lean and quick. That could come in handy, as Romar seems eager to return to the Huskies' running style. He stressed that will have to start on the defensive end. But it also could come from an increased reliance on interchangable athletic players in this post-Spencer-Hawes world. I'll have a story in tomorrow's paper, and I'll try to blog more details this afternoon. But now it's about time to turn my attention to today's football briefings. I'll get around to blogging on those too.
Categories: Huskies
Thursday, August 16th, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 06:27:48 pm
Sorry for the lack of UW news here today. We'll have some notes in the Friday paper from TNT reporter Wendy Carpenter, who filled in as I took the day off to drive up to Ferndale to do a few interviews for a Jake Locker feature we'll be running Aug. 30 in our special college football preseason section. I hadn't been to Ferndale before, but from my day here, the town certainly seems to bleed the blue and gold of the FHS Golden Eagles, and to take great pride in the accomplishments of the state championship team quarterbacked by Jake. And absolutely everyone I've met here seems unable to say enough good things about him. Here's a quick a sample of things I heard:
Meanwhile, I'll be back on campus Friday and should have update in both football and basketball.
Categories: Huskies
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Wednesday, August 15th, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 02:52:06 pm
The Huskies have finally and officially released their men's basketball schedule. If there is a surprise, it might be the presence of two exhibition games in advance of the preseason NIT games at Hec Ed. Then, among the other highlights, is the visit from Pittsburgh, and the trips to Oklahoma State and LSU. And then, of course, comes the conference schedule in a Pac-10 that appears to be loaded this season. Conference play, you'll note, begins and ends with those Washington State Cougars. Here's the schedule:
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 12:30:17 pm
We just got our only access to Coach Willingham, and let's just say that this isn't one of those big breaking news days. A few notes: •Four players practiced in the gold jerseys: receiver Corey Williams (yet again), cornerback Roy Lewis, safety Jason Wells and defensive end Daniel Te'o-Nesheim. Four players are the most honored so far this camp, and the latter three represent the first defensive players selected in fall. •No significant new injuries or returns, but an increasing number of bumps and bruises. Wilson Afoa (shoulder) sat out again. Erik Folk (back) continues to increase his kicking load. •Willingham praised fullbacks Luke Kravitz and Paul Homer, saying both will be used this season and that the fullbacks might have a larger role this season -- especially among certain defenses. He characterized Kravitz as the better runner, Homer as the better blocker. •Willingham said speed receiver D'Andre Goodwin is improving as expected so far in camp. •Willingham said Jordan White-Frisbee is about "No. 2 1/2" on the depth chart at left guard, competing with Ryan Tolar and Morgan Rosborough.
Categories: Huskies
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Posted by Don Ruiz @ 11:59:42 am
We're scheduled to get one briefing from Coach Willingham today around noon, and I'll post the highlights after that. Then, at about 2:20, I'll talk Huskies with the Groz on KJR, 950-AM. The conversation also will be streamed over the Internet. As of now, it looks like that 2:20 p.m. Wednesday position might be out default slot during the football season, but I'll continue to give a heads up here, too. Meanwhile over on the TV side, a series of Pac-10 football previews will begin airing on FSN starting tonight. The segment devoted to the Huskies will air at 8:30 p.m. and will be repeated at various days and times over the next couple of weeks.
Categories: Huskies
Tuesday, August 14th, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 04:08:18 pm
As noted earlier, Cal-Northridge has been lined up as that final home opponent that had been holding up the UW hoops schedule. Look for the schedule to be officially released tomorrow. With dates, although likely not times. And, of course, subject to change, TV, etc.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 02:48:42 pm
He noted confirmed that defensive tackle Wilson Afoa (pictured top) is wearing a red practice jersey signifying injury. Willingham called Afoa's status day-to-day but didn't have details on the injury, seeming to cite the release forms that limit what he can say publicly about some players' health. In the afternoon practice, Afoa seemed to be moving fine, so it doesn't seem to be lower-body related.
Other notes: Mesphin Forrester (bottom picture) is holding down the safety position opposite Jason Wells. "He’s having a good camp, but we have a higher expectation that he really elevate his game," Willingham said of Forrester.
Willingham said he has noticed that starting tailback Louis Rankin seems to have matured this season, is showing more leadership and is “a little more vocal” ... something generally lacking in past season. "Louis usually doesn’t say 10 words but I think among his teammates he’s more encouraging, more demanding,” Willingham said. Willingham said that the team has begun working "a little bit" with an eye to Syracuse, but that will increase this weekend and then, of course, much more in game week. The coach also fretted a bit about the muggy humid conditions of the Carrier Dome, which isn't air conditioned. So, I guess if the Huskies are turning more attention to the Orange, we should too, so I'll try to provide some Syracuse news and links over the next day or two.
Categories: Huskies
Monday, August 13th, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 03:13:33 pm
Coach Tyrone Willingham is opening next Saturday's practice to both fans and media. The practice -- likely to include scrimmaging, complete with game officials -- begins at 2:30 p.m. Admission and parking are free of charge. "We're going to see if we can open our practice up and give our fan base a chance to come out and watch practice on Saturday afternoon," Willingham said. "It will be a good time for the entire Husky family to come out and see the Huskies go through practice."
Categories: Huskies
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Posted by Don Ruiz @ 11:04:53 am
Senior receiver Corey Williams (pictured) wore the honorary gold jersey again, for the third straight practice. He could hang onto it another day as an apparently amazing diving catch on a long ball that seemed to amaze even Williams. "The ball was overthrown," he said. "When I seen it I knew it was overthrown, but I though, ‘Man, I’m just going to go get it.’ That’s all I said in my head: ‘Just go 100 percent and go get it.’ I threw out my arms and the ball stuck right in my hand. I don’t even know how to explain it. It was a good catch, though. I just wasn’t going to let it hit the ground." The catch highlighted what sounds like an otherwise sluggish practice. "We were sleep-walking a little bit," offensive coordinator Tim Lappano said. "We had great practices in my opinon until this morning. We didn’t have (Sunday) off, we did some things, but we didn’t play football and when you come out the next day and you haven’t palyed football in a day you see it a little bit. Coach Willingham warned us that might happen. It wasn’t a poor practice, but it wasn’t as good. There have been some really good practices the past couple of days. Really good practices. We didn’t quite get as much done as we needed to this morning." Then there will be a second practice at 4 p.m., but with no briefing to follow. |
