Washington Huskies

SEATTLE -- Washington’s defense forced three turnovers that led to two touchdowns, helping the Huskies hold off San Diego State 21-12 Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

It was over when: With 4:50 left in the game, San Diego State went for it on fourth-and-6 from the 8-yard line. Quarterback Ryan Katz’s pass fell incomplete, giving the ball back to the Huskies.

Game ball goes to: Will Shamburger. The junior safety returned a fumble 44 yards for a touchdown -- Washington’s only second-half score -- in the third quarter that gave the Huskies a 21-6 lead.

Stat of the game: Zero. After scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter, Washington’s offense was held scoreless the final three, putting pressure on its defense, which turned in a touchdown and helped the Huskies hang on.

What it means: Despite a strong start in the first quarter, the Huskies still have a lot of work to do if they plan on competing with LSU next week. While it is clear Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Kasen Williams have taken the next step as sophomores -- they combined for 15 catches for 157 yards and a touchdown -- the offense struggled for the better part of three quarters.

What we learned: The Huskies aren’t afraid to play their freshmen. Safety Shaq Thompson tallied his first tackle on the first play from scrimmage, and finished with two. Receivers Jaydon Mickens (two catches, 16 yards and three kick returns for 47 yards) and Kendyl Taylor (one catch, 6 yards) also contributed, while running back Erich Wilson II had two carries for 22 yards.

Who we should see more of: Running back Bishop Sankey. Not only did the sophomore play well, rushing for 66 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, but junior Jesse Callier suffered a right knee injury in the first quarter and didn’t return.

There are five new quarterbacks in the Pac-12 this season: Taylor Kelly at Arizona State, Jordan Webb at Colorado, Marcus Mariota at Oregon, Josh Nunes at Stanford and Brett Hundley at UCLA.

Our question this week: Which of them will have the most success this season?

Kevin Gemmell: Poor, poor Ted. I know your brain is mush right now. You've been grinding away so hard on the best-worst scenarios that you've got nothing left for a Take 2. Obviously, the easy choice here is Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.

I'll tell you what, buddy, since I'm going first this week, I'm going to leave the softball for you and take a different approach. No, no. You don't need to thank me now. Just buy me a Cuban sandwich when we're in Miami for the USC-Oregon national championship game and we'll call it even.

When you're measuring the success of a new quarterback, you have to first look at what's the definition of success. Because I think the measuring stick is going to be a lot different for Mariota than, let's say, UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley.

If Hundley wins eight games and takes his team to a mid-level bowl game, I'd call that a pretty successful debut season. If Mariota wins eight games and takes his team to a mid-level bowl game, Oregon would probably call 2012 a massive failure of a season. Teams that start the year ranked in the top five don't want to end up in San Diego in December -- no disrespect to this beautiful city I'm blessed to call home.

The Bruins, however, I think would be awfully pleased with an appearance in the Holiday Bowl.

Consider what Hundley is up against: a new head coach, who by the way has never coached in college (that's not a knock on Jim Mora, just a fact), a new offensive coordinator with an offense that is a complete 180 from what the Bruins were running previously, and while I think UCLA has some playmakers, Hundley doesn't have the weapons around him that Mariota does. Also, most would agree at this point that Oregon has the superior offensive line.

But I think Hundley overcomes all of that to lead his team to seven or eight wins and a pretty decent bowl game. The reason I think that -- aside from the fact that Hundley is a very talented player -- is because of UCLA offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone and the way he transforms quarterbacks. His system is proven, even if Hundley is not, and it's going to allow Hundley to do what he does best: sling the ball around to a lot of different receivers and make plays with his feet when it's needed.

This was the same offense that produced 33 points per game last year when Mazzone was with Arizona State and dropped 43 on the USC Trojans; the same offense that averaged 32 points per game in 2010 that went for more than 40 points four times. Some might remember the 55 they scored on the Bruins that year.

Because of all the immediate factors working against Hundley, people are going to allow him a little more wiggle room to develop than they would Mariota.

And I think you can say the same thing for Josh Nunes at Stanford, Taylor Kelly at ASU or even an experienced newcomer like Jordan Webb at Colorado. They have the luxury of working their way into success, rather than instant success being demanded.

Huh, maybe Mariota isn't such a slam dunk after all. I guess the Cuban sandwiches are on me.

Ted Miller: Thanks for making things easy on me, Kevin.

I've been reading the tea leaves, and Marcus Mariota is going to be a revelation.

Now it's perfectly fair for someone to point out that I've only see Mariota in action once -- his much-ballyhooed performance in the 2012 spring game. So my -- and anyone else's -- sample size for extrapolating success is extremely limited.

Still, there are three things that make him the pick for immediate success.

First, he beat out Bryan Bennett, a guy who has long been touted and who played very well in relief of an injured Darron Thomas last year. If Mariota is better than Bennett, then he's got to be pretty darn good.

Second, his supporting cast will make him look good. He's got plenty of offensive weapons surrounding him as well as a top-notch offensive line. He doesn't have to throw it 40 yards to get a 40 yard completion. He merely needs to dump it to Kenjon Barner, De'Anthony Thomas or Josh Huff and let them do the legwork. The stat sheet doesn't make a distinction.

Third, who's the coach of this team? That's right, Chip Kelly. What's his track record with quarterbacks at Oregon? Let's review.

Oregon fans hated Dennis Dixon -- oh, yes you did! -- until Kelly arrived in 2007. Dixon went from being an infuriating underachiever who threw a lot of interceptions to the nation's top Heisman Trophy candidate until he blew out his knee.

Then, after Nate Costa blew out his knee before the 2008 season, Kelly was left with, well, just about nobody. Recall that Jeremiah Masoli was a summer addition to the roster whom no one had heard of. He led the Ducks to a Holiday Bowl victory and then to the first of three conference titles in 2009.

And when Masoli got the boot, Kelly surprised many when he tapped Thomas over Costa. Thomas then led the Ducks to the national title game and a Rose Bowl victory.

Think how good the Ducks' QB play has been since Kelly arrived in Eugene. Now, how many of these former Ducks quarterbacks had NFL success? It's obvious that Kelly finds ways to make his QB successful.

And guess what: Mariota is the most physically talented signal-caller Kelly has coached. He could become the first Kelly QB to become a high NFL draft pick and then a starter.

Sure, the bar has been set high. Anything less than another BCS bowl appearance would disappoint most Oregon fans. But, as things look at present, the odds are fairly good the Ducks will receive a fourth consecutive BCS bowl berth.

Finally, there is always this: Mariota is a redshirt freshman. He's, inevitably, going to have some boneheaded moments. But his youth also means the Ducks -- and Kelly -- will have him for at least three more seasons. (If he opted to leave for the NFL draft after his redshirt sophomore year, well, he'd probably be pretty darn good).

That's the consolation if he's merely pretty good this year: He's got plenty of time to become outstanding.

But the guess here is Mariota puts up plenty of numbers as a dual-threat this season. And leaves us with plenty of "Wow!" moments.

 

The Friday Four Downs segment looks at four main points of interest for the Pac-12's weekend games.

Washington receiver commit Sammie Long (Lakewood, Wash./Lakes) talks about where he is individually and his expectations for his team as the Lancers prepare for the 2012 season.

SEATTLE -- It was something Kevin Smith had done 100 times before.

The receiver was going through Washington’s first practice in San Antonio as the Huskies prepared for last year’s Alamo Bowl when, all of a sudden, his knee gave way.

“That one time it just happened,” Smith said.

(Read full post)

BELLEVUE, Wash. -- When Butch Goncharoff agreed to travel to play Katy (Texas) in 2009, the coach at Bellevue (Wash.) didn’t believe in “Friday Night Lights.”

He didn’t watch the movie. He didn’t see the TV show. The longtime coach thought high school football in Texas was more myth than reality.

“I thought it was a joke,” he said.

It didn’t take long for him to change his mind.

“It is real down there,” he said. “It is fanatical.”

The Wolverines practiced at Katy (Texas) Cinco Ranch and there was football being played on every corner -- powder puff, little league and middle school. Football was everything, all the time.

Then there was the game. On a humid September night, Bellevue kept the score close. But there was a point when "you could just see we had insulted somebody,” said Goncharoff, whose team lost 35-17.

That loss was the first of two defeats against out-of-state opponents that season -- the other came against Sacramento (Calif.) Grant, which featured current Washington safeties James Sample and Shaq Thompson. Those remain the only two out-of-state losses Bellevue has endured under Goncharoff, who was hired in 2000.

The Wolverines, ranked No. 7 in the ESPN 25 Power Rankings, are 5-2 against prominent, out-of-state competition, heading into Thursday’s 6 p.m. game against Euless (Texas) Trinity at Seattle Memorial Stadium. They snapped Concord (Calif.) De La Salle’s 151-game winning streak in 2004 and knocked off Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian last season.

Bellevue has never been a team that backs away from big games and, considering Texas teams don’t often travel, Goncharoff said this is the second-biggest matchup his program has played in behind the win over De La Salle.

“It means a lot, especially from a Texas team that we’ve heard has never traveled anywhere,” junior defensive back Bishard “Budda” Baker said. “This is the first time they’re getting to travel and I just feel like this is going to be a really fun game.

“State titles are great and all, but beating a team from out of state means a lot.”

Trinity heads to Seattle with a formidable line on both sides of the ball. Defensive end Gaius Vaenuku -- he has a Washington offer -- is 6-foot-6, 260 pounds, while Sam Tevi, the other defensive end -- a Utah commit -- is 6-5, 265.

Whether it’s Salesi Uhatafe, 6-5, 300, or Arizona State tight end commit Jason Reese (6-5, 222), Trinity is tall and talented with no shortage of size.

The Wolverines don’t have the same size, but Bellevue boasts big-game experience and Division-I talent, including Baker and linebackers Sean Constantine -- a Washington commit -- and Myles Jack -- a UCLA commit.

Baker said he started marking a calendar 180 days before the game. On Wednesday, he had one more to cross off. Bellevue has prepared all summer, but the true test comes when the lights are turned on and the teams take the field.

“You don’t know what you get in any game going under the lights,” Goncharoff said. “We’re hopeful experienced guys will come through and we’ll do the things we need to do, but I don’t know. Sometimes we look really good and, sometimes, we look awful, but that’s high school.

“You can be as prepped as you want, but when you’re trying to block 6-6, 6-7, 350 pounds, there’s only so many things you can do. I don’t know how it’s going to turn out. I don’t know. I’m as curious as everybody to find out.”

SEATTLE -- When Keith Heyward heard the question, he had to laugh.

It was simple, but not easily answered: How good is safety Shaq Thompson?

“Pretty good,” said Heyward, Washington's defensive backs coach, punctuating his understated response with a wry smile. “He’s pretty good.”

Thompson, rated the No. 16 prospect in the ESPN 150 coming out of Sacramento (Calif.) Grant this year, is good enough to crack the starting lineup as a freshman. He is good enough that the Huskies’ base defense is becoming their nickel package. He is good enough to make impressive plays in every practice.

“It showed up early on, picking the ball off, batting it down, making a tackle for a loss and not always 100 percent knowing exactly what’s going on, but just having some football instincts,” Washington defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox said. “The guy’s got a lot to learn, but he’s got really good tools.”

Heyward added, “He’s a great athlete. He’s big. He’s fast. He can run.”

Thompson has experienced the struggles all freshmen face while learning Division I defenses and adapting to the speed of the game, but he has done enough to force his way onto the field.

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ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach looked at which teams have the toughest schedules in 2012, and two of his top 10 are from the Pac-12.

Schlabach ranks Washington No. 3 and California No. 10.

Here's what he says about Washington:

Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian might know his team's postseason fate after the first six weeks of the season. Between Sept. 8 and Oct. 13, the Huskies play four nationally ranked opponents: No. 3 LSU (road), No. 21 Stanford (home), No. 5 Oregon (road) and No. 1 USC (home). Then Washington plays four of its last six Pac-12 games on the road, including trips to Arizona and California.

And here are his thoughts on Cal:

If Cal coach Jeff Tedford is going to climb off the hot seat, the Bears might have to pull off an upset or two this season. Along with a difficult Pac-12 slate, the Bears play nonconference games against Nevada this Saturday and at Ohio State on Sept. 15. After playing the Buckeyes, the Bears open their Pac-12 schedule at No. 1 USC on Sept. 22. At least Cal gets to face No. 21 Stanford and No. 5 Oregon at home.

I think you could throw Arizona in there. It plays Oregon, Stanford and Washington in its North Division crossover games as well as a nonconference contest with Oklahoma State.

USC's schedule also is no cakewalk. It plays Oregon, Stanford and Washington in North Division crossover games, as well as California, and it's on the road at Utah. The Trojans miss Oregon State and Washington State. As far as the nonconference slate, it plays Hawaii, at Syracuse and Notre Dame.

SEATTLE -- While Justin Wilcox would like another month to prepare his defense before Washington takes the field for its season opener, the Huskies’ defensive coordinator doesn’t have that luxury.

After spring practice and three weeks of fall camp to install his defense, Washington is down to a final few practices before Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. PT season opener against San Diego State at CenturyLink Field.

After a little fine-tuning this week it will be time for the Huskies to “put our cards out there on the table,” as Wilcox put it.

“I think they’re excited for it," he said. "I know we are, too. We just need a couple more days of good work to make sure we can get as ready as we can possibly be.”

With a new system, injuries and players switching positions, it has taken time to develop the defense, but Washington’s players are ready to line up against some fresh faces.

“I think it’s definitely time,” Wilcox said. “They’re tired of beating up on each other. It’s time for them to go play somebody else. It’s important for us to make sure we’re getting the screws tightened this week and getting our alignments, all the things we’ve worked on all fall and now gearing toward another opponent.”

Tight end ready to make plays

Michael Hartvigson still remembers staying up late every night during his freshman season, memorizing the playbook.

The 6-foot-6, 255-pound tight end would sit down with receiver Kevin Smith, and they would quiz each other on routes and formations.

It took time, but now a redshirt sophomore, Hartvigson has settled into the system.

“Now I would say I have most of the playbook almost in the back of my head,” Hartvigson said. “From my freshman year until now, I would say I’ve definitely come a long way.”

While sophomore Austin Seferian-Jenkins receives the bulk of the headlines, Hartvigson will see plenty of playing time this season. He isn’t worried about attention or accolades. He simply wants to find ways to contribute.

“Whether it’s in the run game, in the pass game, whether it’s blocking, receiving, I’m just going to do whatever coach Sark (Steve Sarkisian) wants me to do, whatever’s best for the team,” he said.

Walk-on cornerback earns starting spot

In a perfect world, Washington’s cornerbacks would all be 6-1 -- and fast.

With that in mind, how did 5-9, 183-pound walk-on Tre Watson earn a starting job opposite senior Desmond Trufant?

“Tre makes up for it by playing a little bigger than he is, his instincts, finishing -- he never gives up on plays,” Wilcox said. “He’s earned it.”

Watson edged Greg Ducre and Marcus Peters in a three-player, fall-camp battle for the starting spot.

“All three of those guys will play,” Wilcox said. “Tre was a little more consistent throughout fall camp. The work he did in spring, we thought really started it and then he validated it this fall camp.”

Note:

• Washington receiver DiAndre Campbell was in a yellow, non-contact jersey during Tuesday’s practice.