For posidawgs ONLY (Eyes Only)
Major Mal, 13 November 2007

I have developed some positive thoughts about the program, all of which will be spun negatively by enemy forces, i.e., the negadawgs. I have thought of the spin that will be used against us. They are listed as examples of our foe’s negativity, so purge your mind of spin, lest you break ranks. I will delete this post  soon, so you have little time to react and spread the good word.

This is stuff from the OSU game and my thoughts in general. Mum's the word about the projected negative spin:

-- Credit Carl Bonnell for staying with the program once he found out he was not going to take over the starting role in the spring.

Spin: (Okay, but he’s soft; remember that Neuweasel recruited him).

-- Assuming he avoids interceptions and stays healthy, Carl’s better throwing capability (at this stage in Locker’s career) may partially make up for Locker’s better running. This assumes Jake doesn't suit up against Cal. The rest of the team needs to take up the slack for Carl’s relative shortcomings in Jake’s absence.

Spin: (Bonnell is injury prone and a former Cougar grey shirt).

-- Bonnell posted a passing efficiency of 144.69 on the OSU game; Lyle Moevao's PE was 92.98. Last season in the Apple Cup, Bonnell's PE was 145.8, for whatever it's worth.

Spin: (Some of Bonnell’s pass completions came off poorly thrown balls in both games. He threw 5 picks against Cal last season).

-- Despite the rust about him, Carl didn't pull one “Kermit Jorgenson” under center. Remember him, senior citizens? Owens roughed Kermit up pretty good for a muffed center exchange during one practice session, I remember.

Spin: (Who the hell is Kermit Jorgenson? Is Owens that statue out front? You old timers never get hoarse at a game).

-- In a reversal of Washington's previous games, where second half collapses ruled the roost, the Huskies outscored the Beavers in the second half, 23-13.

Spin: (Yeah, but UW lost and that’s the bottom line).

-- The Dawgs trumped the Beavers in total yardage, 334 to 328.

Spin: (ibid).

-- True freshman Curtis Shaw may be the real deal at WR.

Spin: (He’s just a mistake prone freshman. Once in a while a blind jeweler stumbles on a gem when he's searching out gold).

-- The OL’s propelling of Brandon Johnson towards the goal line was fun to watch and indicative of its continued improvement over the season. The OL hasn't been zapped with many holding calls this season.

Unofficially, the OL has been caught holding six times this season.

When Ryan Tolar was ejected from the game, his replacement (White-Frisbee) got caught holding -- which is what made me think of holding in general. It was the only holding penalty called against the OL on the game.

Spin: (The OL isn’t aggressive enough and the offense, in general, isn’t running enough plays to be caught holding that much).

-- UW leads the conference in the least amount of penalty yardage, giving up just 46.3 yards per game.

Spin: (The team isn’t aggressive and nasty enough).

-- UW’s pass defense ranks third in the conference.

Spin: (That’s because everyone runs on us).

-- UW's run offense ranks third in the conference.

Spin: (That's because of Jake. Duh. He's likely lost for the season, dimwit).

-- The defense played a good game until it wore down. The offense's 9 three and outs didn't help the defense, returning it to the field too quickly. The tenth 3-and-out led to the blocked punt and score.

Spin: (The defense sucks).

-- The defense only gave up one touchdown. Special teams gave up the other, the blocked punt TD return.  The offense was 1 out of 14 on third-down conversions and 0 for 4 on fourth-down conversions. I think the fans want to fire the wrong guy. :)

Spin: (Kent Baer needs to go; Lappano is a genius and hasn’t gone spread-happy like Bellotti).

-- Ryan Perkins’ 42-yard field goal that opened the scoring for UW.

Spin: ("My sister could make a 42-yard field goal." From Lieutenant DB, who sent me correspondence brought by courier. Lie low, Lieutenant. General Bannon's forces are racing through the woods looking for dissenters and deserters, while using flame throwers on our posts).

-- Tyrone Willingham's wry smile after some flag throwing. Does his body language inadvertently encourage his players to trash talk? Remember Roy Lewis and Richard Sherman from the Stanford game, and now the three OSU guys ejected on Saturday. Laid-back Tyrone is a gamer.

Spin: (Tyrone runs a clean program and encourages gentlemanly behavior on and off the field. That's what's wrong with him).

-- The somewhat effusive Petro Papadakis brought this thought to mind. I've never seen a player taken away in an ambulance return to the game, but Jake Locker did, lending his support to the game's later stages. His return was surreal, making me think of Jake’s anointment as “the savior.”

Spin: (Petro is a lousy color man that played for ‘ol ‘$C).

-- Holding penalties called on the OL this season (6) -- OSU (1); Stanford (0); Arizona (1); Oregon (0); ASU (0); USC (1); UCLA (1); tOSU (0); BSU (0); Syracuse (2).

Spin: (Major Mal, you don’t know how to count. You sound like General Dick "Homer" Baird. Now go play that funky music, white boy).