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Articles
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UW D caught between a rock and a hard place Will need some help against the Air Force Richard Linde, 7 August 2005
Coach Tyrone Willingham needs to rely on his defense, along with his kicking and running games, to keep the Huskies competitive at the start of the season. The talent is there. Washington returns a fine stable of running backs and its kickers are above average in ability. And 9 returning starters bring hope to the Washington defense. However, some defensive statistics from 2004 need improvement if the Huskies are to be competitive in their first few games in September and, most importantly, in the long run, if they are to make fools of the media brigade that predicted their last place finish. A humbled media will be more charitable the next time around, its oblique relationship with Willingham notwithstanding. These defensive stats are mostly retched, caught between a "toilet" and a "sewer," somewhere within the odiferous labyrinth an ex-beat writer talks about when regaling the Huskies. -- Although the Huskies led the Pac-10 in Pass Defense, they finished eighth in the conference in Pass Efficiency Defense because, in the main, their opponents completed 60% of their passes against them, the worst defensive percentage in the conference. -- The Dawgs' defense gave up an average of 30.4 points per game, the worst in the Pac-10 and 83rd worst in the country. In the conference, the Huskies finished ninth in Rushing Defense and seventh in Total Defense. -- The Huskies gave up 18 touchdowns that went for 20 yards or more. Eleven of the 18 touchdowns came on running plays, 5 on passing plays, 1 on an interception return and 1 on a fumble return. This doesn't include the big plays that didn't go for touchdowns. -- Curiously, the Huskies finished last in opponents’ third-down conversions and first in opponents’ fourth-down conversions. The defense was on the field too much last season: (1) because of an offense that had the worst turnover margin in the nation and (2) because the offense finished seventh in the conference in Time of Possession (28:26). The Dawgs' overworked defense needs to see less of the field this season; it's not being paid by the hour. This volunteer corps of defensemen will be led by senior tackle Manase Hopoi, who leads a passel of lettermen – 11 of them – that return to the defensive line. (See Table 1) Table 1. Defensive linemen led by Hopoi, who has started all of his 36 career games
* Milsten is recovering from a broken leg and dislocated ankle, which he suffered in the Oregon State game last season. Reportedly, White-Frisbee is also saddled with an injury that needs rehabilitation. As freshmen, Gunheim, Rayford, White-Frisbee and Lobos all played last season. Last season, Hopoi (photo above) had 22 tackles for a loss to lead the Pac-10. He ranked fifth in sacks with 9 and accounted for 54 tackles. He returns for his senior year faster than ever, having shed a few pounds. Although there is experience and depth on the defensive line, its ability to put pressure on the quarterback is questionable. Despite Hopoi's affinity for decking opposing helmsmen, the Dawgs finished 8th in the conference in registering sacks in 2004. Other than Manase, is their any "Hope-oi" for the rest of the UW defense? Without doubt, the linebacker position appears solid and talented. In registering tackles last season and, perhaps the strength of the 4-3 defense, linebackers Joe Lobendahn (SR*, 5-10, 230), Evan Benjamin (SR*, 6-0, 215), and Scott White (JR*, 6-1, 230) ranked 3rd, 4th and 6th in the conference, respectively, combining for 288 stops. Gaining valuable experience last season, all of them appearing in four or more games, Kyle Trew (9), Tahj Bomar (4) and Dan Howell (9) will back the speedy trio up. Losing Derrick Johnson and Sam Cunningham to graduation leaves a big question at cornerback, with Junior Matt Fontaine being the most experienced of the returnees. In the spring, the UW had just three scholarship cornerbacks available and this fall is counting on JC transfers Marion Wood and Qwenton Freeman to help fill the void. Nevada transfer Chris Handy needs to fulfill the promise of his surname at that position, like in "come in handy." Presumably, Junior Josh Okoebor will have recovered from knee surgery in the fall. Both starting safeties return: C. J. Wallace at strong safety and Dashon Goldson at free safety. In the Pac-10, they ranked 24th and 27th respectively in registering tackles last season. The coaches liked what they saw in Darin Harris who replaced Goldson during spring football. Goldson sat out the spring because of shoulder surgery and should be ready by fall. Unfortunately, the defense will have its work cut out for it when it faces the Air Force Academy in its first game on September 3. According to Willingham, none of his defensive players have faced an option attack before. Last season, the Falcons were the fourth best rushing team in the country, averaging 277.36 yards per game. Although they passed sparingly, they threw effectively, ranking 13th in the nation in passing efficiency. The Falcons' offense is not a good way to start the season for the Dawgs' defense. Although it is supposed to be the other way around, paradoxically the defense will need some help from the offense in its first game. Richard Linde (a.k.a., Malamute) can be reached at malamute@4malamute.com |
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Because
Washington averaged just 14 points per game in 2004, the worst in
Division IA football, cranking more points out of the offense this season could
take a few games, especially considering uncertainty at quarterback and the new
West Coast offense.