No in-home visits: a blessing in disguise?
Fortunately, Nueheisel is not a “wide body”
By: Malamute, 21 October 2002

By nature and nurture, Rick Neuheisel wears a quarterback’s heart on his sleeve. He played quarterback for UCLA (1979-1983), set a passing record against the Huskies (1983) and was the most valuable player in the Rose Bowl (1984). As an assistant, walk-on coach at UCLA in 1986, he tutored Troy Aikman. Slick Rick went on to play quarterback in the NFL and the United States Football League.

Like most quarterbacks, Neuheisel is a scratch golfer and can shoot free throws like a Jerry West. He can work miracles with a round ball, both large and small. 

As a coach, you'd expect him to recruit the best quarterbacks in the nation. He has, but there's an irony here.

His early success as a head coach at Washington was due to Marques Tuiasosopo--but undeservedly so when you look at prior events.

When Neuheisel was at Colorado, he recruited Tuiasosopo as a defensive back, thinking he wasn’t a good enough passer to play quarterback. Jim Lambright promised him a quarterback's role at Washington and Marques accepted. 

After Neuheisel stepped on board in 1999, Tuiasosopo told him, "Thanks very much coach, but I believe I can play quarterback." "And you know what, he was right," Neuheisel finally admitted.

Using Marques Tuiasosopo's skills and robustness, Neuheisel was able to maintain ball control and take some pressure off a suspect offensive line--and himself. 

Without Tui and the option, the Huskies have turned into a one-dimensional football team on offense. It can pass the ball, but can’t run it. 

The Huskies are averaging 85-yards per-game rushing, which is 16 yards less than the worst per-game total in team history, according to Ted Miller (Seattle P-I). Washington is ranked 111th in the nation in rushing.

Without a running game and the threat of play action, quarterback Cody Pickett is forced to throw short passes and, on occasion, run for his life. In the Dawgs’ loss to USC last Saturday, 27 of Washington's 38 completions were for less than 10 yards.

The Huskies’ play calling is as predictable as an idiot's score on an ink block test: call it black and white, with no smoke and mirrors. 

It's Jim Owens and Sonny Sixkiller all over again. Pass, pass, pass.

The Don Heinrich teams had more pizzas and style, they had Hurrying Hugh and Roland Kirkby. They never went to the Rose Bowl, but they could run the ball.

At least, Kermit Jorgenson, when he wasn't fumbling the snap, could leg it to pay dirt and put six on the board. 

Charlie Mitchell ran into a few stone walls, but he knew how to break it to the outside and gain some yardage. And that was on a muddy field. 

Sure Bill Douglas was injured on the play, but at least he was pumping his legs towards the red zone. 

So much for reminiscing. Let's do some soul searching here, and, as usual, I'll be simple-minded.

It’s a cliché, but true: Football is won up front, on both sides of the ball. Once again, that’s where the Huskies need to focus on this recruiting season. 

Linemen who can both block for the run and protect the quarterback in the pocket are a must. On defense, a behemoth that can run down a quarterback and plug up the middle. A Winston Justice, a Shaun Cody, a Haloti Ngata, say, all players headed for the first round of future NFL drafts, linemen that the Huskies have lost out on in previous recruiting battles to other Pac-10 teams. 

Recruiting talented offensive and defensive linemen will have residual, positive effects on recruiting. The gifted running backs, cornerbacks, and safeties will show up by default.  

I'm talking about 5-star linemen, ones who will be  first-round NFL draft picks. 

I'll settle for one 5-star lineman per year, a guy who will leave the program after his Junior year and jump to the Pros.

The runners who can shake and bake, the corner backs who can blitz and do blanket coverage, the safeties who can effectively play cover-two all will come knocking on Neu's door.

Recognizing the deficiency, Neuheisel focused on recruiting wide bodies during this past recruiting season. However, for a variety of reasons, none of the recruits have stepped to the fore and helped out this season. The Dawgs, who needed instant help up front, especially on offense, didn’t get it. It’s especially important for freshman to help out in these days of limited scholarships.

Running the football is synonymous with Husky football. You can’t pass the ball effectively when it’s cold, windy and wet. Visiting teams from California, over the years, have learned to dread Husky football in November, something Husky fans remember.

Fans, who grew up during the Don James’ era are growing impatient. They are unwilling to except the fact that all teams in the Pac-10 are going to experience an off-season periodically—and that it’s the UW’s turn this season, due to its youth, inexperience and lack of extraordinary linemen.

The latest NCAA sanctions against Neuheisel may be a blessing in disguise for these fans.

Fortunately, Neuheisel can’t make any in-home visits this recruiting season. That's good. After all he’s a quarterback at heart, not a wide body.

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Pictured above are wide bodies: Ryan Brooks, Jonathan Kovis, Jason Simonson, Todd Bachert and Nick Newton.