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How UW and Tree stat up
Tree D primed to stop the run in 3 dimensions By: Richard Linde, Posted 28 September 2004  Both
the Washington Huskies (0-3) and the Stanford Cardinal (2-1) will be looking
for a win this Saturday, as both teams come off losses. Stanford lost a
cliff-hanger to number-one USC, 31-28, while the UW was buried by Notre Dame
38-3. Against Stanford, the UW has won 16 of the last 17 games; the last time
the Cardinal beat Washington was in 1994.
So are the Dawgs up a tree or are the Tree going to the Dawgs once more? According to statistics (see the table below), the Tree's losing streak against the Dawgs will end on Saturday, during the match up at Palo Alto. As shown by the stats, Stanford leads in 16 of the 20 categories of measure, with one tied. It has an average Pac-10 ranking of 4.7 compared to Washington's 7.65, where smallest is best. In 9 of the 20 categories, the Huskies rank either penultimate or last place in the conference, posting numbers befitting of a cellar dweller. The three UW quarterbacks (Isaiah Stanback, Casey Paus, and Carl Bonnell), who have seen action this season, have combined for a mediocre pass-efficiency rating of 81.9, where PE is a function of pass attempts, total yards, touchdowns and interceptions, all per pass attempt. In contrast, Stanford's quarterback Trent Edwards' PE is 136.9, which ranks fourth in the conference. Thus far Edwards has thrown 7 touchdown passes, while being intercepted just once. Redshirt freshman Bonnell (PE=66.18) will start for the Huskies, replacing Paus (PE=91.07) who started the Dawgs' first three games. Bonnell sets up in the pocket rapidly, has a quick release and arguably has the best footwork of any QB in the Pac-10. The Huskies' pass defense, which ranks sixth in the conference, must focus on stopping Edwards and receivers Alex Smith (162 yards receiving, 5 catches per game) and Evan Moore (180 yards receiving, 4.33 catches per game). WR Moore stands 6-foot-7 and has the strong hands of an Arnold Schwarzenegger to go along with his Velcro fingers. Justin McCullum is another tall receiver at 6-foot-4. The Huskies' cornerbacks, Sam Cunningham (6-foot-0) and Derrick Johnson (6-foot-0), were burned badly by QB Brady Quinn in their game against Notre Dame. Quinn threw four touchdown passes that tied a school record. The Huskies' top receiver, Charles Frederick, is nursing a strained hamstring and most likely won't play. Starters FB Zach Tuiasosopo and WR Corey Williams are apparently lost for the season. Stanback is nursing a high-ankle sprain suffered in the first game of the season; notoriously, such injuries heal slowly. Free safety Oshiomogho Atogwe of Stanford leads a Stanford defense that features rotating cornerbacks Leigh Torrence, Stanley Wilson and T. J. Rushing. Not far behind in quality are its linebackers, Jared Newberry, David Bergeron and Jon Alston. Although Stanford ranks eighth in the conference in total defense, it ranks first in rushing defense, a stat that includes the USC game. The defensive front four is anchored by nose tackle Babatunde Oshinowo Jr. Seemingly, Washington's weaknesses play into Stanford's strengths, according to the statistics below. For example, the UW ranks seventh in turnover margin, while the Tree ranks third in the conference. Against BYU, Stanford capitalized on 7 Cougar turnovers on its way to a 37-10 victory. In rushing offense, the UW ranks fifth, while Stanford ranks first in rushing defense, as mentioned, giving up 83.7 yards per game. Last week, the Cards held the Trojans to 99 yards rushing on 34 attempts. A Washington warm up to be held at the Frost Amphitheater, starting three hours before game time, will be hosted by Husky legend Greg Lewis. Admission is ten dollars, 5 dollars to UWAA members. The band and cheerleaders will be there, along with beverages, food and some Husky spirit. The Stanford Tree is the mascot for the school's band and is not the Cardinal's official mascot. The tree symbol derives from the El Palo Alto pine tree on the Stanford and City of Palo Alto seals. The nickname Cardinal is for the color, not the bird. The Bottom Line: Washington needs to run the ball to give its young quarterback a chance at completing some passes. According to the stats, Stanford should stop the UW rushing attack. Most assuredly, the fact that TB Kenny James fumbled twice against Notre Dame has not been lost on Stanford's coach Buddy Teevens. Our Prediction: Stanford 35, UW 24
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