The game against Oregon State could be a pivotal game for the Huskies this season. After a potential 0-3 start in games against Oregon, BYU and Oklahoma, the Huskies play Stanford and Arizona. It’s certainly possible for the Huskies to be 2-3 going into the Oregon State game, which is to be played on October 18 in Seattle, with a bye week to prepare for the Beavers. A win over Oregon State could make the Huskies even-steven on the season – or better.

Last season:

Finishing 9-4 last season, with a 21-14 win over Maryland in the Emerald bowl, Oregon State led the nation in rushing defense, allowing 70.2 yards per game. The Beavers ranked eighth in total defense, fourth in sacks and sixth in tackles for a loss. However, they ranked seventy-eighth in total offense.

Only three starters return to that dominating defense, none of them being on the front seven. Seven starters return to offense, but no specialists are back.

RB Yvenson Bernard, third in rushing in the Pac-10 (110.4 yards per game), will be sorely missed by the Beavers. Equally missed will be punter/kicker Alexis Serna.

Last season, the Beavers beat the Huskies, 29-23, at Corvallis, in a game marred by a helmet-to-helmet collision that sent Washington quarterback Jake Locker to the hospital in an ambulance. Subsequently, the game was marked by poor officiating, fights among the players, cheap shots, four player ejections and six personal fouls. What appeared to be a serious injury to Locker was clearly the catalyst that triggered the emotional upheaval, and the outcome of his injury wasn't known until the game was almost over.

Bernard rushed for 149 yards against the Huskies, and RB James Rogers, who returns this season, added 75 yards more. Serna booted 5 field goals, with a long of 51 yards.

The Beavers’ spring game

WRs James Rodgers and Sammie Stroughter are expected to energize Danny Langsdorf's offense, its fecklessness from last season notwithstanding.

Redshirt freshman tailback Ryan McCants rushed 16 times for 57 yards and scored once for the White team. McCants (6-foot-1, 240) is a power runner who needs to develop Bernards’ instincts on the inside, although some are comparing him to Steven Jackson, who was the epitome of inside stuff for the Beavers at one time.

JUCO transfer Jeremy Francis (6-1, 217) of El Camino (Calif.) Community College has potential at running back, “H” back and receiving.

Exhibiting a strong leg, walkon Justin Kahut (5-foot-8, 157) kicked field goals of 42, 50, 55, and 31.

Rodgers had 98 yards on four catches, while Stroughter had 58 yards on three catches. Coach Mike Riley was quoted as saying he liked "the flow'' of the spring game and he liked the fact no one was injured. A dozen players sat out the game because of injuries or for other reasons.

The bountiful Lyle Moevao (5-11, 230) completed 13 of 30 passes for 226 yards and one touchdown. Last season, he floored DE Greyson Gunheim with a "bludgeoning" block.

What to expect, a side-by-side comparison:

Quarterback:

The nod goes to the Huskies and Jake Locker, who we think is the third best quarterback in the Pac-10, behind Rudy Carpenter (ASU) and Willie Tuitama (UA).

A healthy Sean Canfield will be battling Moevao for the starting job in the fall. Canfield sat out the spring game recovering from an operation to repair a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. Last season, Canfield completed 165 out of 286 passes for 1661 yards, with 15 picks and 9 touchdowns. He posted a passing efficiency rating of 106.37. Moevao was 77 out of 147, with 6 interceptions and 2 touchdowns. He threw for 876 yards and posted a PE of 99.76.

Running backs:

Slight edge goes to Washington because of Locker and his phenomenal running ability.

The Beavers must find a replacement for Bernard, while the Huskies are looking to replace Louis Rankin -- now graduated -- who rushed for 1294 yards last season and posted 99.5 yards per game. Locker (986 yards) is the conferences’ leading returning rusher.

OSU’s McCants and Thomas had nice springs, as did RBs Brandon Johnson (played at 75%), Curtis Shaw, Willie Griffin, and Chris Polk for UW. According to rumor, Polk’s elusiveness has been likened to a Higgs boson by the UW Physics Department, which wants to feed his DNA to a particle accelerator in search of a higher deity.

Thomas rushed for 586 yards last season, averaging 11.7 yards per carry. Johnson rushed for 196 yards and averaged 3.8 yards per carry. Johnson is not the breakaway threat that Thomas presents, at least this far in his young career.

JUCO transfer Jeremy Francis (6-foot-1, 217, El Camino) also looked good in the spring. Big things are expected from incoming freshman Jacquizz Rogers (5-foot-7, 193, four stars).

Once called a cow college in its days of yore, "OSC" lists six incoming JUCOs on its commits list (see scout.com). According to a former recruiting coordinator at UW, tough admission standards make it almost impossible for the Huskies to successfully invade the JC ranks.

Receivers and tight ends

Edge to OSU

Washington has lost five of its top receivers from last season. Only D’Andre Goodwin (6 passes, 29 yards) and Curtis Shaw (5 receptions, 29 yards) have posted catches in a game. Senior tight end Michael Gottlieb was 12 for 136 yards on the year. But there is help on the way. Freshmen WRs Devin Aguilar, Anthony Boyles and Chris Polk all had nice springs. Incoming 5-star-recruit Kavario Middleton is expected to make an impact at tight end.

Stroughter gives OSU a big-time receiver. But he missed most of last season because of physical problems and personal reasons. In 2006, Stroughter (6-foot-0, 189) led the Pac-10 with 92.4 receiving yards per game on 74 catches.

Add James Rogers to the receiving corps. Last season, as a freshman, he posted 19 catches for 208 yards and four TDs.

Table 1. OSU receivers in 2007

Name	GP	Pos	Rec	Yards	Status
Anthony Brown	13	FL	39	550	gone
Yvenson Bernard	11	TB	36	179	gone
Darrel Catchings	13	FL	33	386	returns
Brandon Powers	13	WR	31	312	gone
Howard Croom	13	TE	20	188	returns
James Rodgers	13	WR	31	312	returns
Shane Morales	13	WR	19	208	returns
Sammy Stroughter	3	WR	15	262	returns
Matt Sieverson	13	RB	11	70	gone
Gabe Miller	13	TE	8	124	returns
Chris Johnson	9	SE	7	93	returns
Brady Camp	12	TE	6	52	returns
Andy Steewart	12	FB	2	13	gone

Offensive line:

Even

The offensive lines are considered the strongest units on both teams. OSU returns three starters, LT Andy Levitre, LG Jeremy Perry, and RG Adam Speer. Perry (Sr., 6-foot-2, 334) is a candidate for the next level, but missed spring practice because of knee surgery. He is on the Outland Trophy Watch List; he missed most of 2007 due to a broken leg.

According to Cliff Kirkpatrick of the Corvallis Gazzette-Times, “…Perry (knee) sat out of practice (4 August) completely for the first time. ‘Our goal is to get him as ready as he can be for the season; there are going to be some days he can’t go,’” he quotes Coach Riley as saying.

OT Tavita Thompson is sitting out a one-year NCAA suspension that won’t allow him to play until November 1, in a game against ASU. According to the OSU website, he is a “beast” who “swats away defensive linemen like flies.”

Gregg Peat (Jr., 6-foot-3, 297) took Perry’s place during the practice of the fourth.

Likewise, Huskies’ sixth-year senior Juan Garcia -- at the pivot -- is rehabbing a severely sprained foot, what is called a Liz Franc injury. Thus far his rate of recovery promotes optimism among fans, and we’re all hoping for a mid-season return. Currently, Garcia is gunning for the BYU game, the second game of the season.

Defensive line:

Slight edge to OSU.

The Beavers lose 4 of their 6 top defensive linemen, while the Huskies lose 5 of their 6 top spots. The Beavers return 11 of their top 24 tacklers from last season, while the Huskies return 13 of their top 18 tacklers.

The Beavers rotated 10 defensive linemen last season to keep things fresh up front. So there’s experience on the DL. Kirkpatrick of the Gazzette-Times writes, “Defensive tackle has Pernnell Booth, Mitchel Hunt, Stephen Paea and Sioeli Nau battling for playing time. They are a mixture of players developed in the program and junior college players brought in to give the position an immediate boost.”

Defensive ends Victor Butler (25 total tackles) and Slade Norris (16 total tackles), although not starters, played in 13 and 12 games, respectively. Butler registered 10.5 sacks last season and Norris accounted for 9 sacks, which were good for third and ninth place in the Pac-10. Ted Miller’s red-hot sizzling blog lists Butler as one of six Pac-10 impact players. JUCO Stephen Paea (6-foot-1, 301) will fill one of the inside spots. Paea is from Snow (Utah) Community College and played spring ball. Mitchel Hunt (So., 6-foot-2, 271) will fill the other inside position. 

Junior college transfer Simi Kuli (6-foot-4, 270, 5-stars) was brought in to spell Butler and Norris. He’s expected to arrive late and might be redshirted. Ben Terry is another JUCO who could help out at DE.

Linebackers

The Huskies trump this category, but with an asterisk.

Currently, UW’s leading tackler from last season, E. J. Savannah, is academically ineligible. He is also recovering from a broken right arm. Reportedly, Willingham says that if he gets his grades cleared up, there are other unspecified issues that must be addressed before he can return to the team. Savannah has been in and out of Willingham’s doghouse in the past. If lost for the season, it might be said in hindsight that Savannah could have been the catalyst that inured a three/four defense put in place because of the lack of depth and quality on the defensive line.

Walkon Joshua Gage (6 games, 6 tackles) is expected to replace Savannah.

For OSU, the expected starting unit includes senior Bryant Cornell (6-1, 245, 13 tackles), junior Keaton Kristick (6-3, 226, 15 tackles), and sophomore Keith Pankey (6-0, 210, 10 tackles); they will play the middle, strong side, and weak side, respectively, and were in and out of the lineup last season, in the main, to keep the linebacker unit as fresh as possible.

Their expected backups are Dwight Roberson (So., 6-0, 230, David Pa’aluhi (Fr*, 5-11, 219), Will Darkins (FR*, 6-1, 224) and Isaiah Cook (Sr., 6-2, 215). Cook registered nine tackles last season, the other three not figuring in the stats.

Defensive backfield:

Oregon State wins out here, as we defer to Ted Miller of ESPN, who waxes effusively about the Beaves’ corners.

Miller says that Brandon Hughes will lead the Beavers’ secondary. Miller ranks Hughes as the second best cornerback in the Pac-10 and says, “He’s started 31 games and was second-team All-Pac-10 a year ago. Seven tackles for a loss among his 57 total tackles, he also intercepted three passes and broke up 12 others.” Miller ranks Hughes’ sidekick, Keenen Lewis, as the seventh best corner in the conference and says, “A physical player who leads the Beavers with 34 career starts, he might end up a better NFL prospect than teammate Hughes…”

Miller ranks safety Al Afalava – he’s the guy who collided with Locker – as sixth best safety in the league. Miller ranks Washington’s Mesphin Forrester eighth best, though he notes that Forrester has been moved to corner.

At the other safety, Greg Laybourn (Sr., 5-10, 201) gives the Beavers a 1-2 punch at safety. Laybourn tallied 49 tackles last season.

Table 2. Beavers defensive leaders in 2007

Name	GB	Pos	Tackles	Status
Derrick Doggett	13	OLB	93	gone
Joey LaRocque	13	OLB	86	gone
Al Afalava	13	FS	64	returns
Alan Darlin	13	MLB	62	gone
Brandon Hughes	13	CB	57	returns
Greg Laybourn	13	S	49	returns
Jeff Van Orsow	13	DE	44	gone
Dorian Smith	11	DE	42	gone
Daniel Drayton	11	SS	35	gone
Tim Clark	13	CB	32	returns
Victor Butler	13	DE	25	returns
Bryan Payton	13	FS	23	gone
W. 'Akau'ola Vea	13	DT	23	gone
Gerard Lawson	13	CB	21	gone
Gerard Lee	13	DT	19	gone
Curtis Coker	13	DT	18	gone
Slade Norris	13	DE	16	returns
Keaton Kristick	13	MLB	15	returns
Keenan Lewis	13	CB	15	returns
Bryant Cornell	13	MLB	13	returns
Dwight Roberson	13	LB	12	returns
Pernell Booth	13	DT	12	returns
James Dockery	13	CB	12	returns
Keith Pankey	10	LB	10	returns

Table 2a. Washington's defensive leaders

Thirteen of UW's top eighteen defensive leaders return, including E. J. Savannah (status uncertain), who led the team in tackles last year, and Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, who led the team in sacks with 8.5.

Player	GP	Pos	Tackles	Status
EJ Savannah	13	LB	111	Out??
Roy Lewis	13	CB	94	Gone
Mesphin Forrester	13	FS	93	Returns
Darrin Harrris	10	FS	73	Returns
D. Te'o-Nesheim	13	DE	57	Returns
Donald Butler	9	LB	52	Returns
Brian Davenport	11	CB	50	Returns
Greyson Gunheim	13	DE	41	Gone
Trenton Tuiasosopo	13	LB	39	Returns
Jordan Reffett	13	NT	36	Gone
Dan Howell	12	LB	34	Gone
Nate Williams	12	FS	32	Returns
Wilson Afoa	13	DT	29	Gone
Mason Foster	13	LB	25	Returns
Jason Wells	5	FS	24	Returns
Chris Stevens	13	LB	22	Returns
V. McDowell	7	CB	20	Returns
Matt Mosley	9	CB	12	Returns

Special teams, kickers and punters:

Slight edge to Washington

According to Kirkpatrick, “Junior transfer Sean Sehnem from Western New Mexico has been the most consistent (punter), while freshmen Johnny Hekker of Bothell, Wash., and Ryan Allen of West Salem High have big upsides.”

“I think Sean Sehnem has come back better from the spring, and the two new guys are pretty exciting,” Riley is quoted as saying. “They are not consistent enough, but they both have enough leg for height and distance. And we’ve been through some pretty good pressure periods when we put a pretty good rush on them, and they handled it pretty well.”

Washington is in good hands with punter Jared Ballman and place kickers Ryan Perkins and Erick Folk.

Table 3. Special Teams categories from 2007

Category (2007, Pac-10)	Beavers	Dawgs
Punt return average	7th	1st
Field goals	8th	6th
PAT kicking	1stT	5th
Kickoff coverage	3rd	9th
Kickoff returns	8th	9th
Punting	10th	6th

Coaching:

The Beavers trump the Dawgs, 2 to 1.

Coach Riley has Willingham's number, having beaten him the last three years.

Offensive coordinator Tim Lappano of Washington had a better number (60th in the country in total offense) last season than his counterpart at OSU, Danny Langsdorf (80th). Give the Huskies a win here.

However, defensive coordinator Mark Banker is considered one of the best defensive coaches in the country. Banker wins out over UW's newly hired defensive coordinator Ed Donatell.

PICK:

Each team wins in four categories of comparison with one even. Each team has suffered severe defensive losses. OSU has plugged some gaping holes with incoming JUCOs, while Washington is doing it the hard way, hoping to plug the dam with a splendid freshman class. (*) Washington is playing at home with vengeance from last season in mind, seeking revenge for a loss to the Beavers that saw its brilliant quarterback, Jake Locker, leave the field on a stretcher -- from what some fans thought was a cheap shot. The Huskies have a bye week to prepare for the Beavers, and if the Huskies want to go bowling, they must cop a win over the erstwhile cow college by hook or crook.

Huskies 35, Beavers 28

(*) Washington's academic casualties:

Beginning with the first fall practice, the following players have academic issues to resolve with the NCAA/and or the Washington office of administration. Behind Savannah are five incoming freshmen.

LB E. J. Savannah – out indefinitely because of academic issues and is mending a broken arm.

DL Craig Noble – Is academically ineligible. He needs to pass the California high school exit exam, which he took in July.

DL Senio Kelemete – has academic issues. Status is unresolved.

DB Vince Tayor – has academic issues. Status is unresolved.

QB Dominque Blackman – has academic issues; plans to enroll in January.

RB Demetrius Bronson – is working on academic issues. Status is unresolved.