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Gilby's future may ride on games with FSU and UCLA By Malamute, 20 July 2004
I wish football were so simple, but, of course, it is not. Last season, the Huskies rode both the experience of QB Cody Pickett and the pass-catching skills of first-round-pick-to-be Reggie Williams. Now that both stars are gone, along with the much underrated RB Rich Alexis, experts say the team lacks superstars, those five-star studs who secure wins playing on a field of parity. They say the offensive line is crippled, weakened by inexperience and injury, that during the spring practices none of the three quarterbacks distinguished themselves on the way to becoming an heir apparent to Pickett. They opine that the Huskies haven’t run the ball well since the 2000 season and that last season in the NUCed games -- an acronym for Nevada, UCLA and Cal, pronounced Nuked -- the playing field bore mushroom clouds of utter despair. The experts tell us that our three quarterbacks are flawed, that Casey Paus has a hitch in his throwing motion, that Isaiah Stanback lacks consistency and that Carl Bonnell is too slender. Most experts say the Dawgs will finish near the bottom of the Pac-10 and will go bowl-less, suffering their first losing season since 1976. Stop, the presses! Coach Keith Gilbertson might not be driving a Sooner schooner this season, but don’t expect him to mush a battered sled, either. The so-called experts could be wrong, as they have been before. Think Defense. Over at Realdawg.com, Ruth Robbins makes a cogent case for the Huskies’ defense. Defense wins ball games, as we all know and have been told. (See “Countdown to Fall Camp: The Husky 'D'”) Ms. Robbins quotes defensive coordinator Phil Snow as saying, "We’ve got to improve everything about our tackling…which includes angles to the ball – we’re supposed to play inside-out, we’ve got to stay inside-out. And then we’ve got to become better tacklers." Snow thinks the Huskies’ defense is going to get faster over the next two years, and the faster the defense, the more likely it is to avoid contact getting to the ball. Think fans The Huskies have the most supportive fans in the conference. The stifling noise at Husky Stadium can render an opposing offense inept, no matter its erstwhile, heralded reputation. Think Fresno State Over the last two seasons, the Huskies have started the season with losses on the road to Ohio State (2003) and Michigan 2002). This season, the UW opens at home with Fresno State on September 5. Although the Bulldogs will field a veteran team (39 players, who rotated against UCLA in last season’s Silicon Valley Classic, return), they are certainly a beatable team. (See: "Valley guys drive SUVs, not cattle"). A swarming defense aided by some fan noise should win that game. Meanwhile, the offense and one of three quarterbacks gain experience. Think UCLA After their win over FSU, the Huskies have a bye week before taking on UCLA at Husky Stadium. Having a bye week before the UCLA game is a reversal for the Dawgs, in that over the course of the last seven years, UCLA has had three games (wins for the Bruins) with the UW that were preceded by a bye week. The fact that the UW has lost six of its last seven games to the Bruins should be more than irritating to UW fans, the coaches and players. For one, I’m more than irritated. Properly enraged, I posted the following on an Internet message board the other day. ”Am I the only one hopped up about this series with UCLA? Do I have to do all the cheerleading around here? What happened to intensity, focus and kicking butt? Remember "Torchy" Torrance's fiery, locker room speech at the Coliseum before the UCLA game?” Well, I got carried away with that post. I admit that. Not surprisingly, not remembering the "Torch," no one responded. Another melancholy fan finally responded to a later post of mine, “If it's such a bitter rivalry (UCLA vs. UW) why did the Husky band combine with the UCLA band to mock USC back in '99? It's more a good even competition than a bitter rivalry.” That post blew my mind and I responded angrily. “…To ignore the bitterness of the rivalry means that one of us is going to get his butt kicked. For God's sake, we need some emotion in that game. And if our bands people are going to hold hands with Bruins' bands people to mock USC, then forget it. Our band needs to mock UCLA. It's a lost cause, otherwise. Somebody needs to get mad as hell in this game and win one for the Dub.” So, I got carried away again. Think the first two games Naturally, each game is important; however, winning the first two games before taking to the road against Notre Dame will set the stage for the remainder of the season, just as it did in 2001, when the Huskies beat Michigan and Idaho at home to start the season, finishing 8-4. With the stage properly set, it's not inconceivable for the UW to win the rest of its home games (San Jose State, Oregon State, Arizona and Cal). Yes, Cal. And on the road, Stanford. Say, we win one of these four road games: Oregon, Notre Dame, USC, and WSU. That's 8-3. Gilby secures his job, fans are happy, and the UW is on its way to a bowl game. ---------- Photo of Gilby above, courtesy of realdawg.com. Richard Linde (a.k.a., Malamute) can be reached at malamute@4malamute.com |
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Dear Coach. Please teach
the Purple and Gold to tackle and block. The rest will care for itself, that
being focus, dedication, and enthusiasm. The Purple and Gold cannonading up and
down the battlefield – your minions rolling to the Promised Land, the enemy
entrenched and hunkered down. No great warriors among them, just enlisted men spelled “team” --
without the proverbial “I” -- taught to tackle…and block.