Room for Improvement--Part Two

It wasn't all bad for the Dawgs, statistically speaking

By: Richard Linde, 24 March 2002

 

 

This statistical snapshot is presented by Table 1 below.

Table 1. Categories where Dawgs finished 3rd or better

Let's look at some of the categories in more detail.

Pass Offense—second

• This is an amazing statistic when you consider that Washington quarterback, Cody Picket, made his debut as a starter against Michigan in the opening game and that he suffered a third-degree shoulder separation—injuring his throwing shoulder—against USC, in his fourth game of the season. Other than the UCLA game, played the following week, Pickett started in every game for the Dawgs.

  Being second in pass offense also meant that Washington’s young, inexperienced offensive line did an incredible job of blocking for Pickett and that its core of receivers (Reggie Williams, Paul Arnold, Todd Elstrom, Pat Reddick, et al) managed to get open, catch the ball and run for extra yardage. In the second game of the season, tight-end Jerramy Stevens suffered a broken foot against Idaho and missed most of the season. Pickett’s stats would have been even better if Stevens could have played more during the season.

  Cody finished second in total offense behind Jason Gesser of Washington State. He finished second to Gesser in passing yardage per game, averaging 240.3 yards. However, of the top ten quarterbacks in the conference, the Caldwell cowboy finished last in pass efficiency, which was affected by his poor touchdown to interception ratio (10 touchdowns, 16 interceptions). Partly this was due to the lack of a successful ground attack, which left Pickett in obvious throwing situations--too many times, in too many games.

  Pickett passed for a school record 455 yards against Arizona.

  After the season, Pickett had surgery on his right shoulder and is expected to take part in spring practices, which begin April fourth.

• Kickoff and punt returns--third

  With speed to burn, Washington had a puncher’s chance in every game it played last season, especially in games where it was overmatched, when its running game was taken away. That was especially true against Michigan, when Washington’s special teams and defense came to the fore, winning a game that looked hopelessly lost in the fourth quarter. Roc Alexander turned the game around against the Wolverines when he scooped up the ball after a blocked field goal attempt and raced 77 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

  The next week against Idaho, after Brian Pope had kicked a 38-yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3, Alexander ran the ensuing kickoff back 95 yards for a touchdown at the 11:39 mark in the first quarter.

  And then with 3:05 remaining in the second quarter against Idaho, Charles “ET” Frederick returned a punt 87 yards for a touchdown, his first of the year, the second time he’d touched the ball for Washington in a regular season game.

  Roc Alexander ended up second in the conference in kick returns, and Frederick finished second in punt returns.

• Fourth Down Conversions/Opponents--2nd/3rd
  
  Although the Huskies offensive line was maligned at times during the season, it managed to help the Huskies finish second in "Fourth Down Conversions," where they made 68.4% of their attempts. Conversely, the defense held opponents to 41.2% of their gambles on fourth down, finishing third in "Opponents Third Down Conversions."
  
  
• Red Zone Defense—third

  Although Washington finished fifth in the conference in total defense, it managed to put the brakes on a number of drives engineered by its opponents to finish third in Red Zone Defense—the defense bending but not breaking. The Huskies’ opponents had 51 chances, the most in the league, to score points against the Huskies inside their twenty-yard line, and they did so on 37 occasions.

  This statistic is tempered by the fact that the Huskies finished last in Red Zone Offense, a statistic in which they excelled the year before.

• Time of Possession—third

  The Huskies finished their season with an 8-4 record, losing to Texas in the Holiday Bowl. In time of possession, the Huskies had the better of it in eight of the twelve games they played. In two games they lost (against UCLA and Miami), they bettered their opponents in TOP. In both of those games, however, the Huskies gave UCLA and Miami too may short-field opportunities in which to score--and they did.

  Against Michigan and Stanford, in games they won, the Huskies had the worst of it in TOP.  However, both  Michigan and Stanford had the better of it on the ground,  out gaining the Dawgs by margins of 124 to 69 and 180 to 130 yards, respectively. 

  In four of its wins (against California, USC, Arizona and Arizona State), the Huskies won by 3 points or less, coming from behind in the fourth quarter. The team managed the clock very well in those games, especially in the fourth quarter, which is supported by the fact that the Huskies won the TOP battle in all four games. 

  Table 2. Time of Possession

  Opponent	Huskies' TOP	Outcome
  Michigan	27:26	Won
  Idaho	31:20	Won
  California	33:06	Won-squeaker
  USC	32:57	Won-squeaker
  UCLA	30:44	Lost
  Arizona	32:06	Won-squeaker
  Arizona State	31:27	Won-squeaker
  Stanford	27:57	Won
  OSU	23:50	Lost
  WSU	33:08	Won
  Miami	35:49	Lost
  Texas	28:05	Lost

Some individual statistics (not covered above) follow:

 
• Individual statistic, punting—second

  Derek McLaughlin finished second in the conference in punting, averaging 41.2 yards per punt.

• Individual statistic, pass receiving—third.

  Wide receiver Reggie Williams (freshman) finished third in pass receiving.
  
  Individual statistic, field goals per game--third
  
  John Anderson averaged 1.27 field goals per game. He won several close games by kicking field goals late in the fourth quarter.

 
• Individual statistic, fumbles recovered--tied first
  
  Linebacker Ben Mahdavi recovered four fumbles.

Click on the link for the companion article: There's always room for improvement