The popular debate surrounding Husky Football lately seems to be whether the Huskies have “made it”. To that point, Steve Sarkisian’s squad is trying to be less Kevin Rudolph and more Jay-Z. Kevin Rudolph said he made it and has probably been avoiding tax collectors for the last three years while everyone knows Jay-Z is Jay-Z.
“I’m proud of our team. We have a good team. We just played a very good team. But we’re definitely one of the best teams in the country,” said a beleaguered Keith Price following UW’s 45-24 loss to Oregon on October 12th. The question remains whether Price’s last statement in that quote is self-motivation or honest analytical assessment.
It is difficult for Washington to measure themselves against the deadly fundamental Stanford Cardinal on the road and the relentlessly skilled Oregon squad the following week. However, Husky fans are still left with the hollow feeling of back-to-back losses dampening the otherwise flawless 4-0 start to the 2013 football season. Which leads us to every sportswriter’s dream: more conjecture. Here are your top 5 reasons why the Dawgs haven’t quite made it.
1) Turnovers
In Washington’s two losses this year the Huskies are down 1-3 in the all-important turnover battle. Defensive football in 2013 is as bend, but don’t break as it has ever been and getting the ball back is just about the only way to stop the other team. If Washington wants to be able to stop the nation’s top offenses, their defensive playmakers are going to have to come up with some big-time takeaways. Shaq Thompson and Travis Feeney aren’t wrecking as much havoc in the turnover game as the Husky defense probably needs them to.
2) KSJ
The poorly combined nickname for two of Washington’s biggest playmakers on offense, Kasen Williams and Austin Seferian-Jenkins, might as well be SOS. As in, where are these guys? Both are undoubtedly two of the top talents at their position within the conference, but their usage within the offense doesn’t reflect their talents. As evidenced by Washington’s first touchdown against Oregon, where ASJ hauled in a ball that had no business being caught, these guys can make plays when it matters most.
3) Marcus Mariota
Mariota eviscerated the Washington defense. The rest of the season for Mariota might as well be an extended preseason for his NFL campaign. Mariota is what people in San Francisco think Colin Kaepernick is: a wide receiver playing quarterback better than your quarterback plays quarterback. There is no shame in admitting that Oregon has an absolute game changer taking snaps.
4) Special Teams
If I ever return to Palo Alto, the land of Zuckerberg wannabes and staunch opponents of fun, my time there will be worsened by visions of Ty Montgomery running past an entire kick coverage unit like he was Pablo Sanchez. The Huskies were not much better against Oregon, as they allowed Josh Huff to run free for a 57 yard kick return of his own. Meanwhile, UW’s John Ross ranks last in average kick return yards for regular kick returners in the conference. The Huskies can’t afford to keep losing the return game by such a wide margin against good teams.
5) The Trenches
Somehow a line that can provide enough wiggle room for Bishop Sankey to churn out 160 yards a game like Walter White cranks out 40 lbs of the blue every week can’t keep their QB upright. Keith Price has hit the turf 12 times this season and he is far too pretty for that. An extra second to throw might be the key to getting KSJ involved and take this offense to the elite level it needs to be to compete with the titans of the conference.
There you have it. This pundit’s best guesses as to why expectations should be tempered just a smidge when dealing with the Dawgs.
