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What I expect to see on Saturday
Seriously, Washington fans need to give Sark all the support he can get, especially if he suffers a blowout loss to the ninth-ranked Tigers on Saturday. Really, such an outcome should not be unexpected considering Washington’s performance against top-ten teams over the last few years. The Huskies have lost 14-straight games; they finished 0-12 last season, last in the conference, and their once proud football program has suffered 5-straight losing seasons and hasn’t been to a bowl game since 2002. In a fairer universe, the Huskies would be playing a non-BCS team in Sarkisian’s nascent game as a head coach. On paper, the game with LSU is mostly a mismatch, no matter how you examine or finagle the numbers, with one exception. Observation: Based on some number crunching I did, UW quarterback Jake Locker should have a good day throwing against the Tigers, posting a pass-efficiency rating of 120 or more, kind of like what he did against Oklahoma last season. Arguably, Locker is the best quarterback in the Pac-10, considering his athleticism, running skills and improved passing. Expectation: Last season against Oklahoma, Locker completed 16 of 24 passes for 154 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions. I expect him to equal or better those numbers against LSU, considering UW's improved receiving corps and pro-set offense. Also, the Tigers were a bit leaky on pass defense last season, finishing 73rd in FBS football. Observation: Putatively, Washington’s offensive line is its weakest link. It performed inconsistently in the one practice I attended, an observation that meshes with that of other fans who have attended practices. To shore up the OL, Sarkisian has brought in Dan Cozzetto to coach the offensive line and moved Senio Kelemete from defense to right guard. On the ground, the Huskies averaged just 99.3 yards per game last season, while LSU held its opponents to 110.15 yards per game, finishing 17th in the country. Expectation: It would be nice if the Huskies could move the chains on their first possession instead of going three-and-out, which they did a lot of last season. How about totaling more than 125 yards on the ground, say. Observation: Conversely, fans of Heisman candidate Charles Scott must be revving up their vocal cords in anticipation of playing a team like Washington. In 2008, Washington’s run defense gave up a school record 240.58 yards per game. Jahvid Best of Cal, another Heisman candidate this season, torched the Huskies for 311 rushing yards last season, scoring four touchdowns. Best’s performance gives LSU running back Scott a bogey to shoot at; however, Washington’s run defense looks to improve in 2009 under its new defensive coordinator, Nick Holt, who like Sarkisian, comes to Washington by way of USC. Washington's front seven, which offers some hope, is deeper and more experienced this season. Expectation: Keep Scott (5-11, 233) from taking it to the house on the Tigers' first offensive series, which should be a wakeup call for coach Les Miles. Keep him from gaining more than 150 yards on the ground. Observation: Playing in 7 games last season, LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson completed 36 of 73 passes for 282 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 pick. He posted a passing efficiency rating of 112.9. LSU’s passing offense ranked 71st in the country last season while Washington’s pass defense ranked 62nd. Expectation: Hold Jefferson’s completion percentage to 50% or so and keep him from running for more than 50 yards. Observation: The Tigers held their opponents to an average of 24.15 points per game last season, finishing 56th in the country. Motoring a feckless 2004 Gilby, the Huskies scored an average of just 13.25 points per game, ranking 116th best in the country. Expectation: Score at least 21 points, maybe even 28, which would be a moral victory of sorts. Posting a win against LSU would be out of sight, although it likely happens in the theoretical physicists' multiverse theory of reality. Observation: Unfortunately, the game won’t say anything about the strength of the SEC compared to the Pac-10. Realistically that question would best be answered by having a college football playoff system in place someday. Expectation: For LSU fans, a trip to the northwest will provide a splendid opportunity to enjoy some beautiful scenery, visit the Space Needle, along with Pike Place Market, and mix with the revelry of the lakefront stadium, which is somewhat quiet nowadays. With the enthusiasm and optimism “Sark” brings to the Dawgs – said with a drawl -- the venerable stadium is about to come alive again and, just maybe, for a couple of quarters on Saturday. In the spirit of college football, I think that’s the way LSU fans would want it too. ------------ That's tight end Kavario Middleton pictured above. If he's healthy, I expect him to have a good game catching the ball. (*) Playing an SEC team made me think of the Georgia Bulldogs, who are affectionately and rightfully called Dawgs, with a drawl. Where the heck did calling the Huskies "Dawgs" ever come from, and when? We never called the Huskies "Dawgs" in my youthful days growing up in Seattle. Why not call them "Mals" since most of the Huskies' canine mascots have been Alaskan Malamutes, including their current mascot Dubs. However, calling Don James the "Malfather" simply doesn't work. ;-) I can understand how the DNA molecules called “dogs” mutated successfully to “doWgs,” which makes sense because of the "W," but when and why did doWgs mutate to daWgs? That code word for that mutation is arbitrarily spoken with a drawl, which conflicts with Georgia’s DNA.
Richard Linde can be reached at malamute@4malamute.com |
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