One Step Forward...

You have to wonder. Just when it looks like UCLA has found a quarterback, he gets hurt. That pretty much sums up the last decade of Bruin football.

If Kevin Prince didn't break his jaw against Tennessee, missing the next two games, where would this offense be right now? If Prince went for a slide instead of putting his head down and getting that helmet-to-helmet hit yesterday, where would the offense have finished yesterday?

It was great to get a win yesterday. It was even better watching the offense roll on it's first two drives of the game to touchdowns.

If we could just find some consistency and health at the quarterback position, that could be the regular state of affairs on Saturday.

Let's just hope that Kevin Prince gets a clean bill of health this week and can play out the rest of the season. If he can finish strong, it will really boost the confidence of this team for next season.

If he can't get back out there then this team might be starting over at QB. Again. For like the bazillionth time.

YouTubing the SC Defeat @ Seattle

I love watching the game from the fan's perspective:

The winning field goal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV_EUqy9_sg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1Wup1gwxXQ

Rushing the field:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiy-O5zk8kk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlo5ekrSYI4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GkPS0OZS0o

Celebrating on the field:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mib9RgPe6G8

Taking it all in:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzneB5ULI_4

Block that Kick

Wow, BYU is making a living off of blocked kicks. Just like they did in the footnote bowl last year against UCLA, the Cougars blocked a kick against the Huskies and won in dramatic fashion. That is probably a good thing for us, as we get a ranked BYU team next week. It stinks for Washington though, as that game really should have gone into OT. Excessive celebration for throwing a ball over your shoulder? Lame-0.

The Washington Lockers

I watched a couple of games on Saturday, but the one I looked forward to the most was Washington vs Oregon. Let me just say this, both teams (and Oregon played their 3rd string guy for most of the game) have pretty darn good quarterbacks. But Jake Locker is a stud. That dude can flat out play. I feel bad for him, though, being stuck on that team with that coaching staff. He might be competing for a national championship somewhere else, but at Washington he is running for his life every down.

Locker was basically the entire offense on Saturday. There were drives where he would gain almost every single yard, either running or throwing the ball. He had receivers dropping wide open passes. The freshman running back was getting something like 1.5 yards a carry. Add in a center who could barely get the ball back to him in the shotgun and the whole thing was a disaster. A complete and total disaster. I just hope Jake can make it through his college career intact because he could be a real player in the NFL.

After reading their fan's message boards, it reminded me of UCLA message boards this time last year. They are in complete melt down mode. That program needs to fire Tyrone Willingham ASAP. They've hit rock bottom at this point. Four years into Willingham's tenture and that team was absolutely attrocious. They were starting true freshman all over the place and they looked completely lost. There is no excuse for a coach to have that kind of situation in year four.

Crazy.

Opponent Spring Practices

Spring practice wrapped up last week and all our opponents have completed their sessions as well. Here is a look at the news stories coming out of those camps and what our boys might expect to face this fall.

Tennessee

The Vols have spent some time retooling their offense as well this April. Like the Bruins, Tennessee heads into the 2008 season with a new coordinator, three other new offensive assistants, a new scheme, new terminology and a new quarterback. Jonathan Crompton, a red-shirt junior, is the likely starter for the fall. He will be out of action for the next month after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his throwing elbow.

There will be more of an emphasis on the running game this time around and the Volunteers have a good one in Arian Foster. The Vols return all five offensive line starters from last season and they will provide a big front for Foster, who's closing in on Tennessee's all-time rushing record.

BYU

The Cougars return a very potent and experienced offense this season. One area to watch is their offensive line. A big and powerful group last season, they've been dinged by the injury bug this spring. BYU returns a lot of players at the skill positions including QB Max Hall who had good games against UCLA last season. Junior wide receiver Austin Collie had a good spring and he'll challenge the Bruin's inexperienced secondary this fall.

On defense, the Cougars lose standouts Kelly Popinga and Bryan Kehl. Following in their footsteps, junior Matt Bauman has asserted himself as the new leader of the linebacking corps. He had a good spring and the BYU defense is starting to gel despite not returning many players from last year's squad. Their secondary is young and there might be an opportunity for our offense to throw on them this year.


Fresno State

One of the goals of the spring for Fresno State was to add some depth to a team that returns 10 starters on offense. To help fascilitate that, the veterans didn't see a lot of reps during the scrimmage. QB Tom Brandstater only had 5 pass attempts while his backup took most of the snaps behind center. The Bulldogs have a new offensive coordinator his season in Doug Nussmeier and it will be interesting to see if he opens up an FSU offense mainly known for a strong running game. They have a lot of experience along the line, though many of those starters missed time this spring with nagging injuries.

While the offense is mainly set, the defense has some had some holes to fill this spring. The Bulldogs lost Marcus Riley and Trevor Shamblee, two of their best linebackers. In their place, a host of young players are looking to fill those spots. They also have to fill the shoes of Tyler Clutts, one of their best defensive ends. They don't really have any super stars on this side of the ball and they lack a true leader.

Arizona

The Wildcats remind me a lot of our own team. An inconsistent offense. A defense without any big super stars. They're a work in progress that always seems to be rebuilding each and every season and this team is still struggling to learn the air-raid offense installed last season.

One area where the Wildcats will have some experience is at quarterback. Willie Tuitama is back for his third season and he had a decent spring. He threw for 231 yards on 20 completions out of 36 attempts and one touchdown during the spring game. The running game looks decent and their offense could be exciting if it really gets going.

The defensive side is going to struggle this season. They have a lot of new faces and not a lot of a talent. They lose two of the best corners in the league with Antoine Cason and Wilrey Fontenot departing. They do have some guys stepping up in Devin Ross and sophomore Mike Turner; both had good springs. Highly regarded recruit, Robert Golden, is coming in the fall to add some depth in the secondary.

Arizona State

ASU had a break-out season last year, but will they continue with that success in 2008? RB Shaun DeWitty adds some depth to the Sun Devil's running game. Along with Keegan Herring, this team should continue to perform well on the ground. Carpenter was only able to complete 7-of-21 passes for 88 yards in their spring game. They still have a lot of problems with their offensive line and it doesn't look like they've solved those problems yet.

Erickson looks to add more of a spread-element to his offensive strategy. The team practiced with more four and five-receiver sets and tailback screens this spring. ASU might be making a name for itself as a defensive team this season. The defense was impressive throughout spring and dominated the spring game.

USC

Across town, the Trojans are getting ready for another dominating season. They had a battle at quarterback that everyone knew would end in Mark Sanchez getting the starting job. So it was no surprise when he came out of the spring game as the leader. Mitch Mustain and Aaron Corp held their own, though, and the Trojans look loaded at the position for the foreseeable future.

One big piece of news was that Joe McKnight ended up missing the last week of practice because of eligibility problems. Those likely won't translate into him missing time this fall but it did give the other running backs a chance to shine. The leaders at running back for next season would be C.J. Gable, Staffon Johnson, and Allen Bradford.

On defense, junior cornerback Kevin Thomas, who missed the 2007 season because of a shoulder injury, has played well during the spring. He's already worked his way into the Trojans' third cornerback spot and he has the potential to take the job from starters Cary Harris and Shareece Wright.

California

The Bears had a lot of questions to answer this spring. The biggest one is who will be the starting quarterback? Nate Longshore has a lot of experience but he struggled mightily in Cal's downward spiral last season. Kevin Riley had his fair share of struggles as well, but he impressed in their bowl victory over Air Force. Unfortunately, Longshore missed the entire spring because of a pectoral injury. The decision, according to coach Tedford, could come as late as the week before their home opener.

Injures have also set back other skill positions on offense. Running back Javid Best is out with a hip injury. Which hurts because the Bears lost James Montgomery this off season when he transfered to WSU. Wide receiver Jeremy Ross is also sidelined with a sprained ankle. That leaves a lot of inexperienced guys getting playing time this spring and a lot of unresolved questions on the depth chart.

On defense, the Bears have been using a three man front during the spring. Redshirt freshman Bryan Anger has been wowing onlookers with his punting ability. He should help their special teams unit this fall.

Stanford

Like so many teams in the conference, the Cardinal are searching for a starting quarterback for the 2008 season. Tavita Pricthard, who lead them to their huge victory over the Trojans in the Coliseum last season, is the front runner at this point. He struggled, however, in their spring scrimmage where he only completed 12 of 28 passes for 106 yards. That leaves an opening for Alex Loukas and transfer Jason Forcier (Chris Forcier's brother).

Oregon

No team in the PAC-10 lost more offensive weapons this past season than the Ducks. The dynamic duo of Dixon and Stewart won't be wearing their Oregon uniforms this season and that has left the Eugene faithful asking a lot of questions about their backfield. They may of gotten at least one answer in LeGarrette Blout. The Duck's running game got a boost from the big, 235 lb running back. He bulldozed his way to 68 yards on just 5 carries during their spring scrimmage and he's drawing high praise and favorable comparisons to Stewart.

Oregon State

Oregon State struggled on offense last year but their defense kept them in a lot of games. Unfortunately for the Beaver Believers, that sturdy defense front seven won't be back this season. They did have some depth at linebacker and it looks like some young talent, including Keaton Kristick, Bryant Cornell, and Dwight Roberson will be an adequate replacement.

On offense, the Orange and Black get back standout receiver and return-man Sammie Stroughter. He'll be a big boost to a passing attack that had it's ups and downs last season under first-year quarterback Sean Canfield. Also back from injury is guard Jeremy Perry who missed all but one game in 2007 because of a broken leg. The rest of the offense was hit pretty hard by graduation, including the loss of running back Yvenson Bernard. They'll have a lot to work out this fall if they want to stay in the top-half of the conference standings.

Washington

The Huskies were delt a tough blow when they lost their best offensive lineman in center Juan Garcia with a foot injury this spring. A 6th year senior, Garcia was a second-team, all-conference selection last year, starting every game at center for the second consecutive year. Their line will be young and inexperienced, so it makes the loss of a seasoned veteran hurt even more.

After missing on hiring DeWayne Walker away from UCLA, the Huskies hired Ed Donatell, who spent 12 of the previous 13 seasons coaching in the NFL. Their defense will likely be a work in progress this season as their defensive line losses many of their starters. The Huskies are hoping to tap into some of their true freshman who enroll this fall at defensive tackle. That's not a good sign for the Dawgs as freshman rarely make an impact on the line.

Washington State

One of the stars of the Cougar's spring scrimmage was Michael Willis. The converted defensive back has been moved to wide receiver for the 2008 season. Willis pulled down 6 receptions for 129 yards and a touchdown during the game and he could be a another big target along with talented receiver Bradnon Gibson. Of course the Cougs still need to find a quarterback who can throw to these guys. Fifth year senior Gary Rodgers is the heir apparent to Alex Brink but he could be challenged by junior Kevin Lopina, who had a solid spring.

Head coach Paul Wulff is also introducing a new no-huddle spread offense this season. He'll run that offense behind a veteran line that returns four starters but no stars at running back. Things are so thin at tail back that when the spring session ended, WSU only had one healthy player available. Chris Ivory missed part of the spring with injury and he has also struggled to stay academically eligible. Dwight Tardy also watched the rest of the team from the sidelines due to injury.

Wulff and his staff switched to a new 4-3 defense moving standout linebacker Andy Mattingly to defensive end. This squad has struggled with depth and injuries in the past and they still need to find players in their two deep after the spring. WSU' returns three returning senior starters at linebacker including Greg Trent but their secondary has a lot of holes.

(Photo Credit: AP Photo/Wade Payne. Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

2007 Preview: Washington Huskies

After their road trip to Salt Lake City, the Bruins come back home to take on a rebuilding Washington Husky squad. Every year this seems like a tough game for UCLA and last September a victory just slipped though our hands. The Huskies will be breaking in a new quarterback and have some key players to replace on both sides of the ball. Regardless of the personnel, this is a team the Bruins cannot take lightly. Head coach Tyrone Willingham still has a lot of work ahead of him but this program seems to be headed in the right direction.

Last year the Bruins struggled in the red zone and scoring touchdowns was particularly difficult against the Huskies. Finishing drives was an area of focus for UCLA this spring and I'm sure Norvell will have our team much more prepared this fall. The Bruin defense also had a hard time containing Isiah Stanbeck and the athletic, scrambling quarterback has finally wrapped up his career in Seattle. I'm sure the coaches are expecting a very different outcome in Pasadena this year.

Offense

A name you'll hear a lot this season is Jake Locker. He is the highly touted red-shirt freshman who has been tagged as the starting quarterback for the purple and gold. A lot of expectations have followed this youngster from his prep days and the future of Husky football, and maybe Willingham's career, ride on his shoulders. He'll be playing at the collegiate level for the first time this year and he'll still be pretty raw in the 4th week of the season.

Locker is a dual threat quarterback. He has very impressive 4.6 sec speed, so the Huskies may run him even more than Stanbeck. He also has a very strong arm and was recruited as a baseball player when coming out of high school. Stanbeck caused all kinds of problems for the Bruins last year, so Walker will have to prepare his squad to keep this scrambler in check. Jake ran a wing-T in high school and he still has a lot to learn before he's ready to take on division-1 college football. Expect a lot of delayed blitzes and formations designed to confuse this inexperienced quarterback.

If Locker falters then Carl Bonnell, who is back from shoulder surgery, would be his replacement. He's been in the system for a long time but the senior quarterback struggled in place of Stanbeck last season. Willignham didn't even give Bonnell the opportunity to compete for the starting position, anointing Locker as the starter before the spring practice. Obviously, the coach doesn't have a lot of confidence in Bonnell to carry the team.

A star running back didn't really emerge for Washington last year, so losing Kenny James probably isn't the end of the world. Louis Rankin will be the main guy this time around and the inconsistent back will definitely look to capitalize on the big game he had against Washington State to wrap up the 2006 season. J. R. Hasty, who was academically ineligible last season, was hyped coming out of high school, so he could also provide a spark to a running game that has floundered in recent years. The stiff Bruin run defense should be able to contain this group and that will likely force Locker to carry most of the running load.

The Huskies finally have a big play wide out in Marcel Reece. He had a big game against the Cougars and is looking to have a break-out season in 2007. He looked good during the spring and it looks like he has his weight down and his mind focused on football. They do lose their biggest target in Sonny Shackleford and he'll be hard to replace. He absolutely killed the Bruins last time and I'm sure Rodney Van and the other defensive backs are glad they don't have to worry about him this season. The other receivers are question marks. Senior Anthony Russo had a hard time hanging onto the ball in 2006. Johnie Kirton is back at the tight end spot and the former running back is still making the transition. The other tight end is Micheal Gottlieb. Neither were a big target in the Husky offense last season.

The Husky offensive line loses two guards but they are replacing them with two big bodies. Morgan Rosborough is somewhere around 375 lbs and Casey Bulyca tosses in another 320 lbs of his own. Center Juan Garcia is the leader of this group and a lot will be asked of them this season. Protecting Locker and giving him some running lanes will be a key to Washington's strategy on offense. UCLA's D-line will be giving up some weight to the Dawgs but the speed and athleticism of our guys should be able to put some pressure on the QB. I'm sure we'll have an active rotation in the middle to keep our guys from getting worn down by these big uglies.

Defense

The Husky defense will see a lot of new faces this fall as they have to replace 5 of their top 6 tacklers. While that might cause most teams some concern, the Husky defense was pretty bad last year. Some fresh blood might be just what the doctor ordered. Washington will run a traditional 4-3 again this season, relying on their line to carry the defense.

The D-line is definitely the strongest squad on this side of the line of scrimmage for the Huskies. They get back 3 starters, including defensive end Greyson Gunheim, who played through a knee injury last season. He's receiving a lot of pre-season praise and the 6'5" senior will definitely need to be contained by our O-line. The other end, Daniel Te'0-Nesheim, looks to be another threat with a strong motor. If Kia and Abraham can keep these two under wraps then Olson should have a field day with the rest of the Husky defense.

The linebacker corps will introduce some new faces, with only senior Dan Howell back. Donald Butler and E.J. Savannah are young but they saw some minutes last year. The two sophomores will be asked to take up starting positions this season for the first time and there will obviously be a learning curve there. There is some talent in this group but not a lot of experience. They will likely rely on the D-line to help put a lot of pressure on Olson.

For the fourth straight week, the Bruins will face a team with some big questions in the secondary. Free Safety Jason Wells is back and so is Roy Lewis, but the other defensive backs have very little experience. This was a squad that was very maligned last season and they'll probably struggle again this time around as well. One name that Bruin fans might recognize is Byron Velega (now known as Byron Davenport). The former UCLA corner transfered to Washington and he could play some nickle back or even start at corner for the Huskies. Hopefully a play maker will emerge in our receiving corps in this game and give Olson a deep threat target. The Bruins should have an advantage here.

Special Teams

The Husky special teams unit is also being revamped this year. True freshman Erik Folk is being targeted to take over the kicking and punting duties. He'll replace Sean Douglas, who was an excellent punter for the Dawgs, and Washington's special teams might be another area where this program struggles. In addition to the kicking, the Huskies will replace their punt returner and the kick return spot also looks like it is up for grabs.

The Verdict

On paper the Huskies don't seem to match up well with UCLA. They lose their big play makers on offense and bring on board some inexperienced, but talented, replacements. The Huskies have an X-factor at quarterback but he'll still be raw when they come to Pasadena and I don't think Locker can carry the team by himself. This is a program that is still rebuilding and they are probably another year away from being a serious threat. This Dawg has some bite, though, and the Bruins better be ready for a gritty opponent.

For whatever reason, this is always a close game and I don't think this year will be any exception. The Bruin defense should suffocate the Husky offense, so it might be a low scoring affair. I'm sure our boys will be licking their chops at the prospect of getting revenge after the tough loss in Seattle a year ago. A thin Husky defense coupled with all the returning talent at UCLA will be too much for Washington to overcome. Throw in home field advantage for good measure and you can chalk this one up in the win column.

CalPoly's Prediction: Bruin Victory. 4-0 (2-0)

Washington What's What

Recruiting rankings for the last 4 years (Scout.com is the first number, Rivals.com is the second):

2007: #29, #36, 27 commits
2006: #35, #35, 22 commits
2005: #55, #66, 13 commits
2004: #22, #19, 22 commits

2006 statistical rankings (National ranking is the first number, PAC-10 rank is the second):

Total Offense : 74, 8.
Scoring Offense: 76, 8.
Rushing Offense: 69, 7.
Passing Offense: 66, 8.
Total Defense : 95, 9.
Scoring Defense: 85, 8.
Rushing Defense: 66, 8.
Passing Defense: 102, 8.

Game Info.
September 22. Time and TV package are still TBD.

More Reading

• ESPN PAC-10 Spring Guide.
• ESPN PAC-10 Spring Wrap Up.
• USA Today Washington Inside Slant.
• Fox Sports 2007 Preview of Washington.
• Washington 2006 NCAA Stats.
  
• Washington 2006 Bruin Roar football Stats.