Huskies take on LSU; flashback to the start of the Sark era

By Kshell

When the Washington Huskies(1-0) travel down to take on #3 LSU Tigers(1-0) this Saturday it will bring back some memories of the 2009 season. This is Steve Sarkisian's fourth season with the Huskies but back in 2009 he was taking over a program that had just gone 0-12. He was taking over a program that had gone 12-47 the previous five seasons which is a tough task in itself. To begin his career he was taking on the 11th ranked LSU Tigers who had won a national championship just two years prior and would play in the national championship game two years later. This was a big game on ESPN as Sarkisian was looking to start his Huskies career off with a bang by upsetting the Tigers. In a game which nobody gave the Huskies a chance including Husky fans they almost pulled off the upset. By the end of the game the Huskies would lose 31-23 despite out gaining the Tigers. The Huskies out played the Tigers and Sarkisian received a standing ovation despite losing this game. In this following post I'll flash back to when the Sarkisian era had began.

#11 LSU Tigers at Washington Huskies- September 5th, 2009:

The Huskies eager to begin a new era had an electric atmosphere at Husky Stadium. Several former players were on the sidelines taking in the atmosphere as the Huskies received the opening kickoff. The Steve Sarkisian era would start off on their own 15 yard line with junior quarterback Jake Locker who missed eight games the previous season a large part in going 0-12.

 Facing a second and 10 from the 15 yard line medical redshirt freshman Chris Polk had a gain of 10 yards to the 25 yard line. On second and 10 Polk would rush for nine yards to the 34 yard line. Locker on the third and one would rush for two yards to the 36 yard line. Facing a third and 12 Locker would complete his first pass in the Sarkisian era as he would hit Johri Fogerson on the screen pass and Fogerson would run for 51 yards down the Tigers 15 yard line. After a five yard penalty then a Polk run of three yards setting up a second and 12 from the 17 yard line Locker hit then true freshman James Johnson on the right sideline. Johnson made his man missed then ran to the outside as he crossed the end zone for the touchdown. The place went wild as the true freshman made quite the splash with his first career catch.

The Tigers would quickly settle down the excitement as they would march to the Huskies three yard line where they had a first and goal. I remember the Huskies crowd really got into it as the Huskies defense held the Tigers to a field goal. The Tigers had gone on a 12 play 62 yard drive cutting the score to 7-3 as the Huskies had upset on their mind. On the second drive of the Sarkisian era it was a complete disaster as on the first play from their own 25 yard line Locker was picked off by linebacker Jacob Cutrera who ran it back for the 25 yard touchdown to give the Tigers a 10-7 lead.

The Huskies proving they weren't like the 0-12 team before them didn't quit. Starting from their own 27 yard line Chris Polk would bust a run for 33 yards to the Tigers 40 yard line. On third and 14 from the 44 yard line Locker would hit sophomore Devin Aguilar for a gain of 17 yards down to the Tigers 27 yard line. After a Locker completion to Johnson to move the chains to the 16 yard line the Huskies were in business. From the 17 yard line Polk would rush for 12 yards down the Tigers five yard line setting up a first and goal. On the ensuing play Polk would fumble as Patrick Peterson would recover the fumble.

After a quick three and out and a Fogerson 18 yard punt return to the Tigers 24 yard line the Huskies were back in business. After gaining only eight yards the Huskies had to settle for an Erik Folk 34 yard field goal to tie the game up at 10-10 in the second quarter. LSU would drive to the Huskies 19 yard line before junior linebacker Mason Foster forced the fumble then recovered the fumble ending the drive. The Huskies offense would then drive to the Tigers 40 yard line before stalling out.

The Tigers offense would finally respond with a drive of their own. They would go on a 7 play drive spanning 75 yards. Starting from their own 25 yard line the Tigers would rush for two yards. Then quarterback Jordan Jefferson would rush for seven yards. Charles Scott would rush for four yards on a key third and one to their own 38 yard line. Jefferson completed an eight yard pass after a nine yard run by Kevin Williams. On second and 10 from the Huskies 45 yard line Jefferson hit Terrance Toliver for a 45 yard touchdown pass to give the Tigers a 17-10 lead with a 1:07 left in the half.

The Huskies due to a penalty started on their own 8 yard line. Polk would begin the drive with a 12 yard run to the 20 yard line. Locker ran for six yards to their own  26 yard line as the Tigers took a timeout. Fogerson ran for three yards to the 29 yard line as the Tigers again took a timeout. With a third and one with 40 seconds left Fogerson would rush for five yards to move the chains. On the following play Locker  would connect deep to Aguilar for a gain of 46 yards to the Tigers 20 yard line. On the following play on a wheel route Locker would hit Fogerson for a touchdown only Fogerson couldn't hang on. The Huskies would have to settle for a Folk 37 yard field goal as time expired. The Tigers led at halftime 17-13 as the Huskies offense was moving the ball pretty easily against the SEC defense.

In the second half after both teams traded punts the Tigers look to finally put away the upset minded Huskies. Starting from their own 14 yard line the Tigers would go on a nine play 86 yard drive capped by a touchdown. On second and seven from the 17 yard line Jefferson would hit Brandon LaFell for a gain of 12 yards to their own 29 yard line. On third and one from the 38 yard line Scott would rush for eight yards 46. Jefferson would rush for eight yards on the following play to the Huskies 46. Facing a third and one from the 45 Jefferson would keep it on a quarterback sneak for the one yard to advance the chains. After a Huskies offsides penalty the Tigers would take advantage. Jefferson would hit Toliver once again for the score as Toliver would go in from 39 yards out to give the Tigers a commanding 24-13 lead over the Huskies with 5:43 left in the third quarter. The Huskies offense would stall on the 39 yard line. Failing to put the game away though the Huskies defense would three and out the Tigers as they took over down 24-13 to start the fourth quarter.

With the ball on their own 36 yard line Locker would complete a seven yard pass to Fogerson to the 43 yard line. Polk would rush for five yards for the first down to the 48 yard line. Polk would rush for three yards then Locker for three more setting up a third and four from the 46 yard line. Locker would rush for five yards picking up the key first down to the Tigers 41 yard line. After a penalty the Huskies offense would once again stall in the red zone having to settle for a 42 yard field goal attempt by Folk which he missed. Huskies defense would force a three an out as their offense would take over once again.

Starting from their own 42 with 9:44 left to play the Huskies if they had any chance of winning this game had to score on this drive. Facing a third and 11 Locker would complete a 10 yard pass to D'Andre Goodwin to the LSU 49 yard line. Sarkisian would go for it from 4th and one as Locker would rush for five yards to the Tigers 44 yard line. Polk would rush for four yards setting up a third and six from the 40 yard line. Once again it was Locker's legs who came through as he ran for 24 yards to the 16 yard line Facing a third and eight from the 14 Goodwin and Locker had a communication problem as the pass fell incomplete. For the the fifth time in the red zone the Huskies couldn't score a touchdown as they settled for a 42 yard field goal by Folk. More importantly with a little over five minutes left it cut the Tigers lead to 24-16 making it a one possession game.

After playing tough all game long the defense finally had a poor defensive drive. This was perhaps the easiest drive of the game for the Tigers. Starting from their own 33 yard line Williams would begin the drive with a nine yard rush to the 42 yard line. Jefferson would move the chains with a four yard completion to the 46 yard line. Williams would rush for seven yards to the Huskies 47 yard line. Once again the Jefferson to Toliver combo would burn the Huskies as they would connect for 25 yards to the Huskies 22 yard line. Williams would rush for 16 yards to the Tigers six yard line. Jefferson would cap the six play 67 yard drive with a six yard touchdown pass to LaFell which gave the Tigers a commanding 31-16 lead with 1:54 left.

For Jefferson that was his third and final touchdown pass of the game. For the Tigers this appeared to be the game clincher as they had a square from a team who had gone winless the year before. The Tigers had to earn this victory but the Huskies proved although out of the game they still had plenty of fight in them as they wouldn't go away so easily.

The Huskies would finish the game on a 10 play drive going 81 yards as Locker would hit tight end Kavario Middleton for the nine yard touchdown with no time left. After Folk made the extra point the Tigers would win the game 31-23. For Locker on that drive he was 7-10 passing for 86 yards with a touchdown. Locker hit Polk on back to back passes for 17 yards each on that drive. For the Huskies losing is always disappointing but there was something special about this one as the program finally gave the fans something to be excited about for the first time in well ever.

For the Tigers who won the game they saw a star emerge in quarterback Jordan Jefferson who two years later would lead the Tigers to the national championship game. Jefferson finished the game 11-19 passing for 172 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. His main targets were Terrance Toliver who caught four passes for 117 yards with two touchdowns. Brandon LaFell caught four passes for 34 yards with a touchdown. Charles Scott carried the ball 12 times for 52 yards good for a 4.3 YPC average. His backup Kevin Williams carried the ball seven times for 51 yards good for a 7.3 YPC average. Jefferson the young quarterback also ran the ball eight times for 42 yards which was good for 5.4 YPC average. The Tigers were close to being upset but showed that the Huskies program still wasn't ready to be knocking off ranked opponents with regularity.

For the Huskies this was a tough loss because they outplayed the #11 LSU Tigers. The Huskies outgained the Tigers 478 yards to 321. The Huskies had more first downs 25-17. The Huskies also won the time of possession war 36:52-23:08. The problem for the Huskies was five times they had the ball in the red zone and scored only nine points as they fumbled and had to settle for field goals on the rest.

They were led by Jake Locker who was 25-45 passing for 321 yards with two touchdowns and a costly interception that was ran back. An emerging start came out of that game in freshman wide out James Johnson who caught six passes for 63 yards with a touchdown. Tight end Kavario Middleton who was supposed to be what Austin Seferian-Jenkins is now had five receptions for 45 yards with a touchdown. Devin Aguilar caught four passes for 76 yards. In the run game Chris Polk ran for 90 yards on 21 carries good for 4.3 YPC while adding two receptions for 34 yards. Locker ran 12 times for 51 yards good for 4.2 YPC. Fogerson had 11 yards rushing with two receptions for 58 yards. Mason Foster on defense had eight tackles with a forced fumble. While new kicker Erik Folk made three for four from field goals.

This was a weird game in that most fans felt good despite the program losing their 15th game in a row. That streak would end the next week when the Huskies would defeat the bowl bound Idaho Vandals. Then the Huskies would upset #3 USC Trojans 16-13 and find themselves ranked. The Huskies would finish the year 5-7 a huge improvement from 0-12. I was confident in that Sarkisian was the guy after the first three games and I was certain that by the time the Huskies take on LSU in 2012 the Huskies would have a team that has a shot at winning. Fast forward and the Huskies are 23.5 point underdogs but are a bowl team. For Sarkisian this was a good debut despite the loss as he showed the nation that Husky football can be turned around quicker than most had thought. In only two years after going 0-12 the Huskies went to a bowl game as they upset the #18 Nebraska Cornhuskers to win the Holiday Bowl.

No matter what happens to Sarkisian as head coach I'll never forget the enthusiastic feeling I had for this program after this loss. Only time in my life I was feeling good after a Husky football loss as this team a year removed from 0-12 had just gone toe to toe with the #11 team in the nation and two weeks later defeat the #3 team in the nation. Just like in 2009 nobody is giving the Huskies a chance to keep this game close and maybe they are right. Hopefully like 2009 Sarkisian can unleash the passing attack which most SEC teams don't face much. Either way this was a special night for the Huskies and even though they lost they gave the program something to be proud of. The Huskies had nothing to be proud of the previous five seasons but they knew that day that the long days of suffering were about over. That day is when the Sarkisian era had finally began!

Seattle Seahawks 2012 season preview

By Kshell

The Seattle Seahawks enter the 2012 season with new uniforms and high expectations under third year head coach Pete Carroll. The first two seasons under Carroll the Seahawks have experienced quite a bit of change on the roster as they finished 7-9 the past two seasons. After being shutout of the pro bowl in back to back seasons the Seahawks sent five guys to the pro bowl last season. All five of those guys were acquired by Pete Carroll.  The Seahawks franchise appears on the verge of big things and that could start this season. The Seahawks return the bulk of their roster and coaching staff from last season. For the first time since the Holmgren era there appears to be some continuity on this roster. The Seahawks have a top 10 defense for the first time since the 1997 season while having a pro bowl running back in Marshawn Lynch the first time since 2005. The Seahawks for the third straight season appeared to have drafted well as they'll have three rookie starters plus several  rookie contributors off the bench. There is plenty of reason to be excited for this upcoming Seahawks season.

When Carroll took over this franchise the team had gone 4-12 then 5-11. This franchise was an aging mess who had drafted poorly. Carroll has since rebuilt that. In his first season he won the NFC West Division title and upset the New Orleans Saints in the playoffs. Last year appeared to be a big step back as the Seahawks started the year off 2-6. After that they proceeded to win five of their next six games. The Seahawks would drop their final two games to go 7-9. Last year due to the players strike the Seahawks had no offseason which hurt them more than most teams due to all the changes they made.  The offense improved as the season grew mainly due to Lynch's running down the stretch. The Seahawks defense also became one the leagues best down the stretch. With the defense returning and a new rookie quarterback that the team is high on the future and present looks good in Seattle.

Offense:

Quarterback:

For the third straight season Carroll will be starting a new quarterback. In his first year it was long time veteran Matt Hasselbeck. Last year it was Tarvaris Jackson who the Seahawks traded to the Buffalo Bills during the preseason. The Seahawks to correct their quarterback problem from last year signed free agent backup Green Bay Packers quarterback Matt Flynn to be the starter. They also drafted Russell Wilson in the third round out of Wisconsin. Due to his play in the preseason it was Wilson who beat out Flynn for the starting job. This will be the first time the Seahawks are starting a rookie quarterback since Rick Mirer back in 1993.

Wilson earned the job with his terrific preseason where he was 40-63(63.5%) passing for 536 yards(8.5 YPA) with five touchdowns to just one interception. He had a quarterback rating of 110.3.  He also ran for 150 yards on just 10 carries with a touchdown during the preseason. In college Wilson was terrific first at NC State he threw for  8,545 yards  with 76 touchdowns to just 26 interceptions. Then he transferred to Wisconsin where all he did there was lead the Badgers to the Rose Bowl. Last year Wilson completed 72.8% of his passes for 3,175 yards(10.3 YPA) with 33 touchdowns to just four interceptions. Wilson has proven in college at two different programs and so far with the Seahawks in the preseason he is accurate while taking care of the ball. He can also make plays which this offense desperately needs.

Wilson's, backup will be Matt Flynn. For his career Flynn has completed 82 of 132(62.1%) passes for 1,015 yards(7.7 YPA) with nine touchdowns to just five interceptions. He has a quarterback rating of 92.8 for his career. He had one big breakout game last season against the Detroit Lions where he was 31-44(70.5%) passing for 480 yards(10.9 YPA) with six touchdowns to just one interception. Flynn's rating for the game was 136.4 as he beat out Bart Starr, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers for most passing yards and touchdowns in a single game for Packers history.

During this preseason Flynn was 28-39(71.8%) passing for 204 yards(5.2 YPA) with one touchdown and one interception. His rating was 81.6 and he was hurt by a costly Terrell Owens dropped touchdown against Denver. For Flynn many expected him to be the starting quarterback this year but instead he'll be one of the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL which was his status the last few years in Green Bay.

In the NFL you can't win without good quarterback play. Last year Tarvaris Jackson was average with 14 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. The offense had 12 games out of 16 where they scored a negative on the expected points chart which mostly falls on the quarterbacks shoulders. The offense averaged only 20.1 PPG which was good for 23 out of 32 teams last year. In half of their games the offense scored 17 points or fewer  yet still won seven games last year. If the quarterback position can improve significantly which I think Wilson will do then the Seahawks will make the playoffs.

Running Back:

This will be the strength of the Seahawks this year on offense. The running game featured by pro bowler Marshawn Lynch returns after a season which saw him rush for 1,204 yards(4.2 YPC) with 12 touchdowns. It was a tale of two seasons for Lynch who in the first six games of the year ran for only 263(43.8 yards per game) while averaging only 3.5 YPC as he only had three rushing touchdowns. Over the next nine games Lynch would rush for over 100 yards six times. He would rush for 941 yards(104.5 yards per game) as he would average 4.5 YPC with nine rushing touchdowns. Lynch had a stretch where he had at least one rushing touchdown in six straight games then when that streak was snapped he started a new streak with four straight games with a rushing touchdown. The game where he didn't rush for a touchdown he caught a touchdown giving him 11 straight games where he scored a touchdown.

Lynch was rewarded this offseason with a new contract as he was a free agent. To celebrate that contract extension he was arrested this offseason with a DUI. Now he is experiencing some back spasms which caused him to miss last years Cleveland Browns game. I would say Lynch is still the face of the offense and when he gets going nobody can tackle him. As you can see with this touchdown run vs the Eagles on thursday night football or his memorable 67 yard touchdown run against the bountygate Saints . This is why the Seahawks fans love Lynch as he eats skittles after every touchdown.

The Seahawks also drafted a running back in this draft in the fourth round Robert Turbin out of Utah State. In college Turbin ran for 3,315 yards(5.9 YPC) with 40 touchdowns.  He also caught 67 passes for 845 yards(12.6 YPC) with 11 touchdowns. Turbin wasn't a starter until his medical redshirt sophomore season where he ran for 1,296 yards(6.3 YPC) with 13 touchdowns. He also caught 30 passes for 418 yards(13.9 YPC) with five touchdowns. Then this past season Turbin ran for 1,517 yards(6.1 YPC) with 19 touchdowns. He caught 17 passes for 171(10.1 YPC) yards with four touchdowns.

In the preseason Turbin ran for 165 yards(4.3 YPC) with a touchdown. He also had six receptions for 19 yards. Turbin runs hard and is big at 5'10" 222 pounds. If Lynch has to miss a game look for Turbin to step it up. Another power back the Seahawks like is Kregg Lumpkin who played for Tampa Bay last season. He ran for 105 yards(3.4 YPC) while catching 41 passes for 291 yards(7.1 YPC). In the preseason for the Seahawks he ran well as he rushed for 160 yards(4.0 YPC) with a touchdown. He also caught four passes for 32 yards.

The third down back will be special teams returner Leon Washington. Washington has done a little bit of everything for this franchise. Last year Washington ran for 248 yards(4.7 YPC) with a touchdown. He also caught 10 passes for 48 yards. He added 464 punt return yards and 1,084 yards in kick return yardage. Washington can bring some versatility to the table and will help with the special teams. The Seahawks also have pro bowl fullback Michael Robinson. Besides opening holes for his runners he also caught nine passes for 74 yards with a touchdown.

The Seahawks are keeping five running backs which appears to be a lot. When you factor in the Seahawks identity is to run the ball down the other teams throat and the fact Lynch is a little banged up this makes sense. When Lynch is healthy pounding the ball on the defense all game long with Turbin who is fresh doing the same defenses are going to be worn out when they play the Seahawks. The Seahawks have a power running game as they look to abuse other teams defenses much like their defense looks to abuse the other teams offense. The Seahawks are no longer a soft team like the Ruskell era, the running game cements that change in the culture headlined by Lynch.

Wide Receivers:

This appears to be the weak spot for the Seahawks on paper is the wide receiver position. The Seahawks are hoping that Sidney Rice can stay healthy this season and be that #1 wide receiver that he was back in 2009. Back in 2009 when Rice made the pro bowl he caught 83 passes for 1,312 yards with eight touchdowns. After an injury riddled 2010 season he left the Minnesota Vikings to join the Seattle Seahawks in 2011. In 2011 playing in only nine games he caught 32 passes for 484 yards(15.1 YPC) with two touchdowns. He did complete a 55 yard bomb during the season to Mike Williams. Rice is the only guy on the team who can be a #1 receiver. He is fast and at 6'4" he presents a big target. He is also only 26 years old so he is still in his prime unlike previous failed receivers in Seattle.

The surprise of last season on offense was undrafted rookie wide receiver Doug Baldwin who appears to be the Seahawks slot receiver. Baldwin last year caught 51 passes for 788 yards(15.5 YPC) with four touchdowns. His breakout game came against the eventual super bowl champions New York Giants when he caught eight passes for 136(17.0 YPC) yards with a touchdown. On monday night football against the Rams he caught seven passes for 93 yards(13.3 YPC) with a touchdown. He also blocked a punt that game that went for a touchdown. With Baldwin in the slot and Rice on one of the outside spots the Seahawks need someone to step up on the other outside.

That someone could be Braylon Edwards or Golden Tate. First I'll start with Edwards who the Seahawks are hoping can be that surprise wide out that they had in 2010 with Mike Williams or last year with Baldwin. Edwards back in 2007 caught 80 passes for 1,289 yards(16.1 YPC) for 16 touchdowns at the age of 24 years old. He has since been cut by the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers. This preseason he has caught three passes for 83 yards with a touchdown. Edwards made two terrific catches during this preseason and is only 29 years old while still being 6'3".

The other option is Golden Tate the former 2nd round pick out of Notre Dame in the 2010 draft. So far he has been the only mistake for the Carroll/Schneider regime in the draft. As a rookie he caught only 21 passes for 227 yards while having 202 punt return yards. Last year he caught 35 passes for 382 yards with three touchdowns. In the last five games of the season he appeared to have turned things around catching 19 passes(3.8 per game) for 209 yards(41.8 YPG) with a touchdown. Tate had a terrific camp but that didn't translate to the preseason as he only had three receptions for 27 yards. This is a make or break year for Tate he is either going to establish himself on this roster or he won't be back next season.

The other two receivers are special teams contributors Ben Obomanu and Charly Martin. First on Obomanu who is now entering his seventh season with the team. Under Carroll his role as a receiver has increased quite a bit. In 2010 he caught 30 passes for 494 yards(16.5 YPC) with four touchdowns. Last season he caught 37 passes for 436 yards(11.8 YPC) with two touchdowns. Last year in a loss to Cincinnati he caught four passes for 107 yards.

While Martin had one career catch for six yards with Panthers he had a great preseason. Martin caught five passes for 40 yards with a touchdown. He also made a key block on the Russell Wilson touchdown in the first preseason game, made a key block on the Golden Tate 93 yard punt return for a touchdown as well.  Carroll plans on playing close games with running the ball and defense. Which means a big emphasis on special teams as well.

For a weak part of the team I don't feel so bad about this unit. The Seahawks have some guys who have proven to make plays in the past. They have height in the red zone and if Tate can have that break out year or if Rice can stay healthy the Seahawks receiving group looks to be pretty good. Just remember the Seahawks are going to running the ball quite a bit so as long as the receivers aren't dropping the ball the passing game should be fine.

Tight End:

With improved play by the offensive line the Seahawks are hoping that tight end Zach Miller can be a bigger part of the offense. Last year Miller had a disappointing season catching only 25 passes for 233 yards. The Seahawks are hoping he can return to his Oakland days from 2008-2010 when he averaged 60.6 receptions per season for 756 yards with three touchdowns. The Seahawks would love for their 26 year old tight end to return to those numbers once again.

With more stability at the quarterback position and a better offensive line I do think Miller will be a bigger factor this season. Miller is young and a pass catching machine from his days in Oakland. Look for the Seahawks to run a lot of two tight end sets as Anthony McCoy stepped up this preseason. They also signed pass catching tight end Evan Moore from Cleveland.

Moore, in 2010 in only 12 games caught 16 passes for 322 yards with a touchdown. Last season in 16 games caught 34 passes for 324 yards with four touchdowns. The Seahawks recently cut Kellen Winslow who wouldn't take a pay cut and are hoping Moore can fill that pass catching void.

Another reason for Winslow being cut was the play of McCoy. During this preseason McCoy caught six passes for 106 yards(17.7 YPC) which cemented his spot on the roster. McCoy was a sixth round pick out of USC in 2010 saw some action last season. He caught 13 passes for 146 yards(11.2 YPC) last year.

The Seahawks will run quite a bit of two tight end sets to run the ball more effectively plus it allows for more play action passing. Like I said with better offensive line play and quarterback play look for the tight end group to be more productive something they haven't been in the last couple of seasons.

Offensive Line:

The Seahawks offensive line improved a lot over last year due to new offensive line coach Tom Cable. He makes his offensive lines better and the evidence was last season and so far this preseason. The anchor of this offensive line is third year player and former 6th pick overall in the 2010 NFL draft left tackle Russell Okung. Okung started all 10 games he played in the 2010 season then started the first 12 games last year. Both times he has been injured during the season. Okung will just be turning 25 years old this season and so far in preseason has looked dominant. The quarterbacks aren't getting any pressure from his side and he is blowing open holes for his running backs. I think this is the year Okung makes his first of hopefully many pro bowls. The rest of the line is pretty good and has good depth as well.

Starting right next to Okung at left guard is Paul McQuistan. McQuistan the former Raider who started six games in both 2006 and 2007 wasn't really seen much after that. Last year due to injury he started the final 10 games at guard and tackle. His backup will be last years first round pick James Carpenter who started the first nine games last year at right tackle. Now that he is guard I think that is more comfortable as he is an elite run blocker but not athletic enough to play tackle. I wouldn't be surprised if Carpenter eventually takes McQuistan's job on this line.

At center the Seahawks have a rock in Max Unger. Unger the second round pick out of Oregon started all 16 games at right guard in 2009. In 2010 after starting the first game at center got hurt during that game and had to miss the remaining season. Unger last year started 15 games at center for the Seahawks. With him and Okung the Seahawks have two lineman who can be part of this franchise for a while.

The Seahawks will be starting at right guard rookie J.R. Sweezy. Sweezy was a 7th round pick out of North Carolina State played defense in college but was moved to offense by Carroll. That draft pick was acquired in the Aaron Curry trade as the Seahawks once again turn a bust into a contributor. Sweezy for now is starting over 2011 third round draft pick John Moffitt who started nine games last year. Moffitt still recovering from him injury probably isn't 100%.

For right tackle the Seahawks will start Breno Giacomini who they acquired off the garbage dumpster. Giacomini last year played in 15 games making eight starts. He showed at times he can hold his own, his only problem is he can commit bad personal foul penalties so he must cut back on that.

I think with the coaching of Cable plus a big year out of Okung this offensive line is going to be pretty good this year. Probably the weakest part of the team since Steve Hutchinson left after the Super Bowl year this line looks pretty good. Lynch ran for some tough yards last year but the line also opened up some holes. I think Jackson held onto the ball too long making them look bad as well. I think the offensive line is going to be a bright spot for this Seahawks team.

Defense:

Defensive Line:

The Seahawks have a very good defensive line which can run many looks. This unit was a big part of the Seahawks being ranked 7th in the NFL in points allowed with only allowing 19.7 PPG. The Seahawks defense was 9th in total yards allowed per game as well. The Seahawks defensive line is led by defensive end Red Bryant who is the son in law of Seahawks great Jacob Green. Bryant in 2010 recorded 18 tackles with a sack in seven starts as the Seahawks defense was ranked 2nd in the NFL against the run. Last year Bryant was healthy the whole season starting all 16 games. He recorded 32 tackles with a sack plus had two interceptions including a 20 yard touchdown. What makes Bryant so special is he destroys the run when he is at defensive end and now with the Seahawks recent draft pick of Bruce Irvin they can sub him out on third downs.

When the Seahawks face a third down they'll have Irvin come in at defensive end for Bryant. Irvin is the first round pick out of West Virginia. He is a player who many didn't like the draft pick but I loved the pick. Here is the piece I wrote about the Irvin selection which as you can read I liked the pick. Irvin had 22.5 sacks in two years with the Mountaineers including 14 as a junior. With Bryant stopping the run on first and second down with Irvin creating a pass rush for a unit who only ranked tied for 19th in sacks with 33 that should be a huge plus.

The other starting defensive end will be the Seahawks leading sack master the last two seasons in Chris Clemons. In another savvy trade by the Carroll/Schneider regime where they traded Daryl Tapp for Clemons plus got a fourth round pick. In 2010 Clemons started all 16 games while recording 49 tackles with  11 sacks with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. In 2011 he started all 16 games while recording 51 tackles with another 11 sacks with three forced fumbles. Clemons has been a great pass rusher for the Seahawks over the years but will be 31 during this season so he is getting up there in age.

The other defensive ends for the Seahawks is Jason Jones from the Tennessee Titans. Jones has recorded 15.5 sacks in his four year career. He has also forced seven fumbles and can play both defensive end and defensive tackle positions. The other defensive end is Greg Scruggs who is a seventh round pick from Louisville. Scruggs had a terrific preseason and has earned a spot on this roster.

The defensive tackle position is very strong as well starring Brandon Mebane. Mebane who was a third round draft pick back in 2007 and has started 69 games since then. He recorded a career high 56 tackles last season as he was once again stuffing the run which is what he does best. The other starting defensive tackle is former Arizona Cardinal Alan Branch who started 15 games last year. He 34 tackles with three sacks as he and Mebane plugged up the middle so their opponents couldn't run on them.

Backing up both guys will be Clinton McDonald acquired in the Kelly Jennings trade and Jaye Howard. McDonald last year had 35 tackles as he forced a fumble while recovering one. While Howard is a fourth round selection out of Florida. Both will rotate in to keep Mebane/Branch fresh while both had good preseasons as the Seahawks went 4-0.

This defensive line can go with multiple looks which is nice. They can go big to stop the run or they can go with their speed to rush the quarterback. Due to this dynamic the Seahawks will force their opponent in a lot of third and longs which their new pash rush should create pressure so expect more sacks out of this unit this season.

Linebackers:

The Seahawks have a lot of youth at the linebacker position which has undergone some changes since Carroll has taken over. Gone are Lofa Tatupu after 2010 season. Aaron Curry was traded last season while David Hawthorne signed with the New Orleans Saints this past offseason. The elder statesman of this linebacker group is LeRoy Hill who is one of two members still left from the 2005 Super Bowl team.

Hill after missing all but one game of the 2010 season returned last year and had a good season. He started all 16 games recording 89 tackles and being second on the team with four sacks. Hill the lone veteran of this group and will be leaned on for leadership as these youngsters look to make a name for themselves. Malcolm Smith from USC who was drafted in the 7th round in the 2011 draft will be his backup. Last year Smith had 18 tackles including a sack.

In the middle the Seahawks will have rookie second round draft selection Bobby Wagner. Here was my reaction to the draft pick which I liked quite a bit. Wagner was a four-year starter and a tackling machine at Utah State. He also a two-time captain which shows he is a great leader something this unit could use and hasn't had since Tatupu. His backup will be veteran Heath Farwell who will contribute mostly on special teams.

The other outside linebacker will be K.J. Wright who was a fourth round selection in the 2011 draft. Wright played in 16 games while starting 13 as he was the reason the Seahawks traded away Curry. Wright had 61 tackles with two sacks. He also forced a fumble while recovering one as well. His backup will be undrafted linebacker Mike Morgan from USC. The Seahawks signed him in 2011 and he had a good preseason so he made the roster.

As you can see Hill is so valuable as the Seahawks feature a ton of youth in this unit. This group is talented as Carroll has a knack for developing defensive talent. I think this no name unit should play well like they did last year. Wright and Hill were a big part of that top 10 defensive ranking that the Seahawks produced. This team was top 10 in points allowed and total  yardage proving they were a legit defense.

Secondary:

This is the strength of the team as the Seahawks feature pro bowl safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. They also have pro bowl corner Brandon Browner and all rookie corner Richard Sherman. They still have former pro bowler Marcus Trufant as a nickel corner. That is five proven guys in the NFL who the Seahawks have in their secondary. In 2011 the Seahawks were 4th in the NFL with 22 interceptions and tied for eighth with 86 pass deflections.

The Seahawks secondary is anchored by third year safety Earl Thomas. As a rookie Thomas was an alternate to the pro bowl as he recorded 71 tackles with five inteceptions. This past season teams picked on him less but he still racked up 96 tackles with two interceptions while forcing a fumble. He also recovered a fumble as well. Thomas was the 14th pick overall in the 2010 draft and is a play maker as he has already taken an interception for a touchdown in the preseason.

The other safety beside Thomas is 2010 fifth round selection Kam Chancellor. Chancellor, as a rookie played mostly special teams. Then in his first season as a starter in 2011 made the pro bowl as he recorded 95 tackles with a sack. He also had four interceptions, forced two fumbles while recovering one. To land one pro bowl safety in the NFL draft is pretty good but to land two in one draft just two years ago is incredible. With him and Thomas it makes life easy for the Seahawks corners knowing they have two great safeties who are there for help and can make plays themselves.

The former CFL defensive player of the year was a rookie last year in the NFL for the Seahawks in Brandon Browner. Browner also made the pro bowl as he learned early from his mistakes and become a ball hawking corner. Browner finished the year with 54 tackles and six interceptions for a league leading 220 yards including two touchdowns. He had a game clinching 94 yard touchdown against the eventual Super Bowl champions New York Giants. Browner also had 23 pass deflections as he is a big physical corner at 6'4".

The other corner is second year player Richard Sherman who was a fifth round draft pick in the 2011 draft. He played all 16 games starting the final 10. He recorded 54 tackles while intercepting four passes. He had 17 pass deflections while forcing a fumble. The nickel corner will be 10 year NFL veteran Marcus Trufant. Trufant is the longest standing member on this team has he has been here since 2003.

The other backups will be Jeremy Lane who will be a rookie as he was a 6th round draft choice in this years draft at corner. Byron Maxwell is another backup corner who was a 6th round draft choice in the 2011 draft. At safety you have Jeron Johnson out of Boise State who went undrafted but made the Seahawks roster last year. Another safety is Winston Guy another 6th round draft selection in this years draft. The last safety is Chris Maragos who was on the Seahawks roster last year.

The Seahawks have 10 guys in the secondary as they like to run nickel quite a bit. This is the strength of the team as they held their opponents to 11th fewest passing yards in the NFL. Heading into last year these names were unproven as the entire secondary wasn't in the NFL as far back as 2009. Both corners weren't in the NFL as of 2010. The Seahawks young secondary is light years ahead of where they should be. The scary thing is they can only get better too. Look for this unit to be one of the premiere secondaries in the entire NFL.

Kicking:

The Seahawks kicking game once again was pretty good this past season under new kicker Steven Hauschka and veteran punter Jon Ryan. Hauschka this past season was 25-30(83.3%) on field goals while making all 34 PAT's. This preseason he was 10-12(83.3%) on field goals with both misses coming from beyond 50 yards. With the Seahawks emphasis being on running the ball, being safe with the ball and playing good defense look for Hauschka to be counted on quite a bit from field goal range.

That also means you need good field position as Ryan enters his fifth season in Seattle. Last season he had 95 punts for 4,431 yards which was good for an average of 46.6. The number of punts, yards and average were all career highs for Ryan.

The kicking game last year and this preseason appears to be in good hands with Hauschka and Ryan. Ball control teams who rely on defense need a good kicking game as well. I think both guys will have another rock solid season for the Seahawks.

Coaching:

I'm in the Pete Carroll believer camp I must say. Carroll in Seattle is only 14-18 as a head coach but the team was 9-23 the previous two seasons he took over so he has improved them five wins over a two year span. He has also drafted very well for the Seahawks in his three years. The 2010 draft has two pro bowlers, three starters, five guys on the active roster and the other on the PUP list. The 2011 draft which everyone loves to bash produced an all-rookie selection, four starters and six guys on the team overall. Then the 2012 draft will have three starters and nine guys on this team. So 20 of the 53 man roster is draft picks by Carroll in the last three years alone.

The talent level has improved a lot since Carroll has became head coach/team president. He took over an aging talent less roster who produced zero pro bowlers in 2009 and 2010. He had to handle replacing a team legend in Matt Hasselbeck gracefully which I felt he did a good job of that. More importantly he has changed the culture of this team. No longer the soft little Ruskell's this team is a hard nosed physical team who will punch you in the mouth. On offense their identity is ground and pound while on defense their identity is attacking while being tough. This is a tough team and that is because of Carroll. Carroll the only man in Seahawks history to win a division title and playoff game in his first season with the team looks to reach the playoffs for the second time in three seasons.

Anything short of a disaster and I think Carroll will be given another season in 2013. This team isn't built for now yet is talented enough to win now. This roster is shaped up to win in the future as well. This team will be a force to be reckon with pretty soon. Carroll has the Seahawks on the verge of big things. Carroll was a risky hire but I love the way he operates business. I love his cut throat attitude of every player has to earn a spot on this roster. He doesn't care where you were drafted or what your contract is he has the best player plays which is something the Mariners should try to copy. Carroll is going to win in Seattle very soon and once he starts winning the team will be winning consistently for years to come.

Outlook:

I think this is the year the Seahawks have their first winning season since 2007. Going into this season I thought this team would go 9-7 but after seeing them go  4-0 in the preseason and more importantly the play of Russell Wilson I have this team going 10-6. I think the San Francisco 49ers come back to earth a little bit and our Seahawks win the division title.

Last year the offense was terrible and specifically the quarterback position. The team still won seven games despite major turnover once again on their roster with no training camp or OTA's. I think the offense is improved with another year of Tom Cable on the offensive line coaching his guys up. I do think the combination of Lynch and Turbin running on opponents is going to wear down opposing defenses. I think Wilson will make just enough plays with his legs and his is an accurate quarterback the Seahawks offense will be very solid.

A solid offense with this defense is going to win some games. This defense was a top 10 defense without really a pass rusher besides Chris Clemons. Now with Bruce Irvin and some other key guys either drafted or brought in look for the Seahawks to have more pressure on defense. The defense particularly the strong secondary will get tested some this year as they face Tony Romo, Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton, Matthew Stafford and Tom Brady. All those guys are in the first half of the season as well.

If the Seahawks can survive the first half of their schedule especially a four week stretch of at Carolina, New England at home, at San Francisco on a Thursday night and at Detroit the schedule eases up. If the Seahawks can manage to be 4-4 at the halfway point they can do big things in the second half as the schedule is a bit back loaded with cream puffs like Arizona, St.Louis, Minnesota and the Jets at home. Play at the Dolphins and the Bills in Toronto. If the Seahawks get off to a 6-2 start then start planning your super bowl vacation because the second half of the schedule much easier than the first half.

This franchise is on the rise from when Carroll took over in 2010. This team has plenty of young talent as they continue to draft well. Almost every player who is a key contributor is still in his 20's which means this team is going to be good for a while. This team has plenty of depth which is evidence by their 4-0 preseason record as they had to cut some good players. This team is ready to make some noise this year as the 12th man is ready to let loose on their opponents. The Seahawks are going to be a fun team to watch this season especially on defense. The year 2012 the year of the 12th man started off with our Cortez Kennedy being selected for the hall of fame and will end with our Seahawks clinching a division title for the sixth time since 2004. Carroll has this team going in the right direction  now it's just time to sit back and enjoy this young team do work on the rest of the NFL.

Huskies lose Callier & Jamora for the season

By Kshell

The Washington Huskies who are 1-0 weren't feeling like a team who is 1-0 on Monday when they heard the news that junior tailback Jesse Callier and medical redshirt sophomore Hau'oli Jamora are done for the season due to ACL tears. The Huskies have experienced the injury bug early this year as Steve Sarkisian must find a way to overcome such injuries. In the offseason the Huskies lost two-starter at offensive guard junior Colin Porter for his career due to shoulder injuries. The Huskies lost senior wide receiver James Johnson to start this season as well. The depth at running back really takes a hit as Deontae Cooper was injured for the third straight season as he'll miss his third straight year. Now the Huskies for the second straight year will lose defensive end Jamora. Running back which was already thin loses Callier for the year as he was supposed to take over for the departed Chris Polk. On top of that the Huskies lost right tackle Ben Riva in the first half to a fractured arm and he'll be out for a while as well. When you add it up the Huskies have lost five starters and a key contributor due to injuries.

One of the many defensive stars in the 2010 Holiday Bowl 19-7 upset win over #18 Nebraska Cornhuskers was Jamora. In that game he had three tackles for loss while recording a sack. He was projected to be the Huskies best pass rusher for the next three seasons. Instead he has played in only four games since that game as he'll miss basically his second straight season. The good news for the Huskies is they have Andrew Hudson and Josh Shirley who can provide pressure on the quarterback so this injury isn't as devastating as it was last season.

The bad news is Jamora is a good pass rusher and I was looking forward to seeing him, Hudson and Shirley on the field at the same time. Also Jamora has already proven he can play at the college level recording four sacks his freshman year. He didn't play much in the first Nebraska meeting when the Huskies lost 56-21 while starting in the 19-7 upset win. Jamora had one of the more dominant defensive efforts for the Huskies in bowl game history. Losing him is a big blow to this defense as they could have had some nice pass rushing situations with him on the field along with Hudson and Shirley. At least the Huskies are prepared for this loss due to recruiting defensive ends pretty heavily the last two years.

With Chris Polk playing in the NFL this year this was supposed to be Jesse Callier's big breakout season. Instead his year ends before he even has a chance to carry the ball. When Keith Price hit Callier in the flat who was wide open everyone figured he would score a touchdown then he fell for after a gain of nine yards with nobody around him. At the time many in the stadium and watching on t.v. figured Callier just slipped. Instead that is when he tore his ACL ending his season with just two receptions for eight yards before even carrying the ball.

Losing Callier is a big blow and the Huskies now are pretty thin at one of the most important positions in football. With Polk leaving to the NFL and now injuries to Callier and Cooper this position is dangerously thin. Callier was supposed to add some speed to the running game, while being a nice receiving threat out of the backfield. He was a guy who can run the wildcat and has shown in the Holiday Bowl he can pass the ball well too completing a 16 yard pass to Jake Locker to open up that win. Callier was also good on kickoff returns and losing his versatility is a major blow. I don't know if the Huskies have anyone on this roster capable of doing the things that Callier can do while I do think there are guys in place who can do the things that Jamora can do. With Callier out Sarkisian must find a way to replace him as the running game against San Diego State won't get the job done going forward.

In Sarkisian's first three years he has mainly featured only one running back in Chris Polk. Look for him to try and do the same with Bishop Sankey. Sankey carried the ball 22 times while the next leading ball carrier was Erich Wilson who had only two carries. That is fine for a Chris Polk who had proven to be durable and successful. While Sankey had a mixed bag of a game. In the first half he was great but in the second half he was shut down plus had a costly fumble.

 Sankey is a four-star recruit and is only a sophomore. I felt like Sankey was going to emerge anyways as the guy over Callier all along so hopefully he can do that. Sankey has  good speed and runs with power. Sankey also showed in the San Diego State game he is good at picking up the blitz as well. So far Sankey has yet to show he can be a threat out of the backfield. Now look for Sarkisian to use Erich Wilson some to spell carries as he had two carries for 22 yards including a 17 yard run last week. If Wilson can continue to do that he will earn more carries. Sarkisian might have to think outside the box to produce a running game as well.

Sarkisian might produce a running game by having his super talented true freshman safety Shaq Thompson play some offense. Thompson who started as the nickel back played some safety, corner and outside linebacker this past game. He looked great out there in his assignments and was a much needed presence on the defense which they haven't had for a while. Thompson is 6'2" and weighs 230 pounds.

The reason Thompson might be an option for some carries was he was a terrific running back for Grant Union high school out of Sacramento, California. Thompson as a senior ran for 1,134 yards(9.45 YPC) with 15 touchdowns on only 120 carries. As a junior he ran for 1,882 yards(11.48 YPC) with 25 touchdowns on 164 carries. My issue with using Thompson is that he is so valuable on defense and you don't want to throw so many things onto a true freshman so early. If Thompson were a junior or even a sophomore I'd be more up for it.

Another option is wide receiver Jaydon Mickens on those fly sweeps that Sarkisian liked to call for Callier he could use Mickens. Mickens could also be used in the wild cat package. As a senior in high school he ran for 378 yards(4.61 YPC) with 13 rushing touchdowns and he also threw for 238 yards on the season. So Mickens could take off running out of the wildcat or complete a pass if need be. Again the downside to that is the Huskies due to injuries at the receiver position are starting Mickens. Like Thompson he is a true freshman so putting him as a starting wide receiver then having him in this role is throwing a lot at a true freshman this early in the program. I think Sarkisian uses both very little in the running game and quite frankly I don't blame him either.

Ultimately, Sarkisian can't let injuries derail the Huskies chances of taking that next step. For defense losing Jamora hurts but they have guys ready to fill the void for him so that loss won't hurt as badly as some think. Far as Callier's injury goes that will hurt as much or as little depending on what Sankey does this year. Had Callier been out for the year the past two sesaons Husky fans would be annoyed but not pressing the panic button because they knew Polk could carry the load. Sankey has nobody who can push him which worries me because fumbling in the red zone is not acceptable and neither is rushing for less than two yards a carry in the second half. I expect Sarkisian to give 90% of the carries to Sankey, 5% to Wilson and the other 5% to Thompson , Mickens and Kevin Smith on trickery. The Huskies have to be able to run the ball this year if they wish to take the next step. They simply can't be like the 2002 Huskies team where Cody Pickett set every passing record but the team only went 7-6 while going 4-4 in conference play. This year hasn't been a fun start for the Huskies dealing with injuries. Hopefully players can step up and make an impact so when these guys return in 2013 the Huskies will be just that much stronger than projected.

Huskies defense comes up big in 21-12 win over Aztecs!

By Kshell

The Washington Huskies(1-0,0-0) for the second straight season begin their year with a victory. They defeated San Diego State(0-1,0-0) 21-12 in a defensive battle something the Huskies haven't seen since the 2010 Holiday Bowl victory over Nebraska 19-7. There was still some offense as Keith Price was 25-35 passing for 222 yards with a touchdown while also rushing for 17 yards. His main targets were the super sophomores of Kasen Williams who had six receptions for 75 yards with a touchdown and Austin Seferian-Jenkins who had nine receptions for 82 yards. The Huskies won this game despite not scoring a single offensive point after the first quarter. For Steve Sarkisian he is now 2-2 all-time in season openers as his program is hoping to take that next step that he promised all offseason.

After a bad kickoff coverage by the Huskies special teams the Aztecs began the ball on the Huskies 40 yard line. After three plays the Aztecs had the ball on the Huskies 28 yard line. Then everything fell apart after a poor snap behind Ryan Katz for a loss of 12 it got worse for the Aztecs. Facing a second and 22 Katz threw an interception to Tre Watson playing in his first game for the Huskies who returned it 34 yards to the Aztecs 35 yard line. So the Huskies took over with great field position. After an incomplete pass that is when Keith Price would get in a groove. Price would throw a quick screen to Kasen Williams who made the defender miss for a gain of 13 yards to the Aztecs 22 yard line. Price would then hit Austin Seferian-Jenkins on a screen for a gain of eight yards to the 14 yard line. After a one yard loss the Huskies were facing a key third and three which Price found true freshman Jaydon Mickens on a roll out for a gain of four yards to the Aztecs 11 yard line. The following play Price would connect with Seferian-Jenkins for a gain of nine yards to the Aztecs two yard line setting up a second and one from the two. The following play Bishop Sankey would rush it in for the touchdown from two yards out to give the Huskies an early 7-0 lead.

The Huskies defense kept the momentum with a three and out which was capped by a Desmond Trufant corner blitz for the sack. Taking over from their own 38 the Huskies went to work. After a Price completion to Jesse Callier that went nowhere and a Sankey run of five yards the Huskies were facing a third and six. That is when Price hit Williams over the middle, as Williams bobbled the ball he hauled the pass in for 11 yards to the San Diego State 47 yard line. On the following play Price would hit Williams again for 12 yards to the Aztecs 35 yard line. Price was red hot would hit his backup tight end Michael Hartvigson for a gain of five yards, Sankey would rush for three yards setting up a third and two from the Aztecs 27 yard line. On a play action pass Price would hit his fullback Jonathan Amosa for a gain of 10 yards to the Aztecs 17 yard line. Following play Price would hit Callier for a gain of nine yards to the Aztecs eight yard line. Callier could have scored a touchdown but on the play hurt his knee and fell down as no Aztecs defender was around him. On second and one from the eight yard line Sarkisian called another wide receiver screen similar to the Utah game last year where Price would hit Williams. Williams made the first defender miss as he scored a touchdown for the second straight season opener. For Price he was 11-12 passing for 88 yards with a touchdown. For Williams he had four receptions for 44 yards with a touchdown on the first two drives as those two were in midseason form already. Little did anyone know at the time that was the last time the Huskies offense would score for the rest of the game.

With the Huskies leading 14-0 the Aztecs would take over on their own 25 yard line. Josh Shirley would sack Ryan Katz for a loss of one setting up a 2nd and 11 from the 24 yard line. Walter Kazee would bust an 18 yard run to their own 42 yard line. After a five yard penalty Kazee would again rush for eight yards to their own 45 yard line setting up a second and seven. The Aztecs once again would feature Kazee as he would rush for eight yards to the Huskies 47 yard line as the quarter expired with the Huskies leading 14-0. To begin the second quarter the Aztecs used a little trickery.

When the Aztecs broke the huddle Tim Vizzi was already standing on the sidelines. No Huskies were over there so Ryan Katz quickly threw it deep to Vizzi who scored from 47 yards out. There was many problems with that play as you can't intentionally have a play with the act to deceive your opponent. Another problem was Sarkisian noticed what was going on and was signaling timeout to the ref which wasn't called. As it stood the Aztecs cut the lead to 14-6. Then head coach Rocky Long made his first of many head scratching calls as the Aztecs decided to go for two. Katz was sacked by Shirley in the backfield as the Aztecs failed on the two point play as the Huskies 14-6 led in the second.

 The Huskies would drive to the Aztecs 23 yard line highlighted by a Sankey 20 yard run but a costly sack would move them out of field goal range. The Aztecs would drive to the Huskies 37 yard line before Katz had a pooch punt pinning the Huskies on their own eight yard line. Sankey began the drive with an eight yard run to the 16 yard line. After a Sankey run that went for a loss Price was facing another third down which he completed a 13 yard pass to Kevin Smith to the 26 yard line. On second down Price would hit Kendyl Taylor for a gain of six yards setting up a third down and four. Price still accurate as ever would hit Mickens across the middle for a gain of 12 yards to the 44 yard line. Next play Erich Wilson spelling Sankey and filling in for Callier would bust a 17 yard run to the Aztecs 39 yard line. This is when the controversy began as Price rolled out to his right threw up a bomb as Williams made an incredible 39 yard touchdown catch as he went up to get the ball. Only the play was called back due to a suspect offensive pass interference call. Huskies facing a 1st and 25 from their own 46 would see Price hit Seferian-Jenkins as he would break a tackle for 20 yards down the Atecs 34 yard line. Price would then scramble for a gain of 14 only for that play to be called back due to holding putting the ball back on the 50 as the Huskies faced second and 21.  Price would scramble once again for 13 yards  but finally threw an incomplete pass. Facing a fourth and eight from the 37 yard line with 47 seconds left Sarkisian elected to punt. The Huskies would go into the locker room up 14-6 but felt like they left some points on the board.

At halftime the Huskies led only 14-6 despite dominating the first half. The Huskies had out gained the Aztecs 220 yards to 121. The Huskies had 13 first downs to the Aztecs six. The Huskies were also efficient converting five of their seven third downs. They were led by Price who was 17-21(81.0%) passing for 146(7.0 YPA) yards with a touchdown. His main targets were Williams who had four receptions for 44 yards with the touchdown. Also found his tight end Seferian-Jenkins five times for 44 yards. Found true freshman Mickens on two third downs for two receptions for 16 yards. The Huskies running game was doing well as Sankey had 49 yards on nine carries with a touchdown while E. Wilson had 22 yards rushing on two carries. The Aztecs saw Katz go five for eight passing for 62 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

The Huskies stalled on their first possession. That is when the defense tried to take over the game. After a first down rushing the Aztecs were on their own 36 when Katz hit Colin Lockett for a gain of eight. On that play Huskies outside linebacker Prince Fuimaono made the play of the game. He stripped Lockett of the ball as many figured he was down so there was a hesitation at first but Will Shamburger scooped it up and rumbled down the sideline for the 44 yard touchdown. The play was challenged but there wasn't conclusive evidence and the Huskies led 21-6. On the following series from their own 31 the Aztecs were facing a third and 10 when Travis Feeney sacked Katz while forcing the fumble as the Huskies had recovered the ball on the Aztecs 19 yard line looking for the kill. Price immediately would hit Seferian-Jenkins for a gain of 15 yards down to the four yard line. In a failed play action attempt Price would get sacked at the seven yard line. It would only get worse for the Huskies as Sankey fighting for extra yardage would fumble on the seven yard line which the Aztecs recovered as the Huskies wasted a great opportunity.

The Huskies defense would record a stop on the Aztecs but due to a 50 yard punt the Huskies had the ball on their own 22 yard line. Facing a third and nine from the 23 yard line Price would hit Williams over the middle for a gain of 20 yards and would tack on 15 more yards as the Aztecs had a personal foul for ripping Williams helmet off. On the 42 yard line Price would hit Seferian-Jenkins for a gain of 11 yards to the 31 yard line. Sankey would rush for three yards to the Aztecs 28 yard line but Price would throw back to back incomplete passes. New kicker Travis Coons who is replacing graduated kicker Erik Folk would miss the 47 yard field goal badly that would have put the Huskies up 24-6. The Aztecs with a little over a quarter left wouldn't waste this golden opportunity to come back and make this a game.

With the ball on their own 28 yard line Katz once again was facing pressure would rush for four yards. After a short run the Aztecs were facing a third and three from their own 36 yard line. Katz on the third down would go up the sidelines for 32 yards to the Huskies 32 yard line as the third quarter had ended with the Huskies leading 21-6. Katz would throw an incomplete pass, followed up by Dominique Sandifier getting stuffed for no gain. On third down Katz would attempt to go to the end zone as Tre Watson appeared to have been burned. Instead Watson made up for it with the key deflection. The Aztecs would pick on him again on 4th down would hit Sandifier for 28 yards on a wheel route down to the Huskies four yard line. Back to back rushes would net only one yard as the Aztecs faced a third and goal from the three yard line. Katz again facing the blitz got out of it with a run of two yards down to the Aztecs one yard line. Facing a fourth and goal there was a huge pile as the Aztecs handed the ball to Adam Muema. It was iffy if he had crossed but it was ruled a touchdown cutting the lead to 21-12. The second strange call by Long was when he decided to go for two here. Katz would find his tight end Gavin Escobar open in the back of the end zone but senior Justin Glenn just barely deflected it as the Huskies stopped the two point play still leading 21-12.

Huskies offense would once again stall at midfield punting the ball back to the Aztecs with under 10 minutes to go. Starting from their own 16 yard line Katz would be sacked by Andrew Hudson for a loss of two yards. On the following play though Kazee would rush for 26 yards to the Aztecs 40 yard line. Next play Katz would hit Lockett for a gain of 32 yards to the Huskies 28 yard line. Facing a third and three from the 21 yard line the Aztecs would run the ball for nine yards down the Huskies 12 yard line with 6:13 left in the game. Katz would throw an incomplete pass, then rush for four yards facing a third and six from the eight yard line. On third down Feeney forced some pressure on Katz as Gregory Ducre filling in for Trufant who had to leave late in the game made a nice defensive play. Now with 4:50 left in the game and having two timeouts the Aztecs trailed by a touchdown and a field goal to win the game. The third and final mind boggling move that head coach Rocky Long made was he went for it on fourth and goal from the eight yard line. Katz would go to the end zone and again senior Glenn made a nice play defensively as the Huskies defense held serve.

Now the Huskies offense would take over from their own eight yard line hoping to grind out the clock. After Sankey ran for no gain and Price had an incomplete pass the Huskies were facing a huge third down from their own nine yard line with still 4:05 left in the game. This is when having a healthy Keith Price unlike last year came into play. Price would rush up the middle on a broken play for a gain of 17 yards to the 26 yard line. That was a huge first down as the Huskies continued to run some clock. After two Sankey runs for a combined seven yards the Huskies faced another third down from their own 33 yard line with 2:41 left in the game. Trusting his quarterback the Huskies called a pass play as Price hit Kevin Smith for a gain of seven yards to pick up the crucial third and three. The Huskies would then run the clock down to 51 seconds before punting it. With no timeouts Katz ran three times for 33 yards as time ran out on the Aztecs as the Huskies won 21-12.

For the Huskies who earned the victory to start their year off 1-0 it was done mostly by the defense. The defense had four quarterback sacks, three turnovers, one touchdown, stopped both two point conversions and made the key defensive stand at the end of the game. The offense was led by Keith Price who finished 25-35(71.4%) for 222 yards(6.3 YPA) with one touchdown. He also ran for a net of 17 yards(actually 37 but minus 20 for sack yardage) which was a huge plus. His main targets were the super sophomores Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Kasen Williams. Seferian-Jenkins had a career high nine receptions for 82 yards while Williams had six receptions for 75 yards with a touchdown. Kevin Smith had two receptions for 20 yards while Jaydon Mickens had two receptions for 16 yards. Overall Price completed passes to nine different receivers. The Huskies struggled running the ball as Bishop Sankey was held to 66 yards on a career high 22 carries(3.0 YPC) with a touchdown. Erich Wilson had 22 yards rushing on two carries.

For the Aztecs they were led by Ryan Katz who was 10-19 passing for 128 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Where he hurt the Huskies was with his legs as he ran for a net of 77 yards(lost 23 from sacks so in reality 100 yards) including that big 32 yarder. Walter Kazee ran for 86 yards on only nine carries. Adam Muema had only 32 yards rushing on 11 carries but had a touchdown. Aztecs leading receiver was Colin Locket who had four receptions for 48 yards but had a costly fumble which cost the Aztecs a touchdown. The Aztecs defense held the Huskies to only 108 yards offense in the second half including Price going 8-14 passing while Sankey carried the ball 13 times for 17 yards in the second half.

The Huskies did something they couldn't do last year which was play a poor offensive game and still win. The good news is the defense appears to be a lot stronger than last season while the bad news is the offensive line play. Thankfully Price was on his "A" game in the first half or the Huskies would have had trouble scoring points which they didn't do in the second half cause Price wasn't perfect. The Huskies offense didn't play up to their abilities but still walked away with a win. This was a different feeling than last year where the Huskies escaped barely with a victory over Eastern Washington. This year the Huskies led the entire game and led the entire second half by two scores. Despite the head scratching moves by the Aztecs coaching staff the Huskies earned this victory. For the first time since 2007 the Huskies have won back to back season openers. For the first time since 2003 the Huskies have won three straight home openers. At least the Huskies are back to winning games with their defense which has to feel good for anyone who witnessed the Alamo Bowl last year.

Observations:

- I thought the player of the game was Travis Feeney who was a complete unknown before this game. He redshirted in 2011 as a two star recruit who was brought in to play safety. Now with injuries at the linebacker position Feeney found himself not only playing in his first career Huskies game but starting at outside linebacker. Feeney made plays as he had five tackles, two tackles for loss, a huge quarterback sack while also forcing a fumble on that play. Feeney like the rest of his Husky defenders just appeared quick out there something we haven't seen in a while from this defense. Feeney in his first career game as a Husky made quite the impression. A guy who was barely mentioned in my blog write up heading into the season is now a household name after the game he had against the Aztecs.

- No more Chris Polk anymore so who is going to replace him? Well after this game that question is still left to be answered. Jesse Callier was hurt right off the bat after catching two passes for eight yards while receiving no carries. Bishop Sankey was the work horse in this game and early on he was having a great game. At halftime he had 49 yards rushing on nine carries which is good for 5.4 yards per carry while having a touchdown run. Then in the second half it was a complete disaster for the sophomore who was a highly recruited running back. Sankey was held to just 17 yards rushing on 13 carries which is a terrible 1.3 yards per carry. Not only that but he had a costly fumble in the red zone. If the Huskies kick the field goal there they lead 24-6 and the ball game is over. If he doesn't fumble that still leaves Price with a chance to throw a touchdown pass to put the game at 28-6 then the game is really over. He didn't get the tough yards and you can't be fumbling in the red zone. I'd say the first game in the post Polk era was a complete disaster and Sankey better improve before fans start comparing him to Rich Alexis.

- One sophomore who continues to impress everyone is tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins. Seferian-Jenkins last year as a true freshman had one of the best seasons in Husky tight end history. He is off to a good start to eclipse that with a career high nine receptions for 82 yards. Whenever Price needed to complete a key pass it was either going to Seferian-Jenkins or Kasen Williams.

Seferian-Jenkins could be the best tight end in the nation and is guaranteed to be with the Huskies for this season and next. He'll be a first round pick after the 2013 season he's that good. He's so physically strong on those quick passes he carries defenders while also having the speed to get some YAC yardage. Seferian-Jenkins will be a major weapon for the Huskies to use and if Sankey continues to struggle look for Seferian-Jenkins to be used even more especially down in the red zone as Sarkisian won't tolerate leaving points on the scoreboard. Seferian-Jenkins is off to a great start this year and is on his way to being an all-american someday if not this year.

- Another super sophomore who had a big game to start this season was Kasen Williams who finished with six receptions for 75 yards with a touchdown. Williams was going early too in the first quarter he had four receptions for 44 yards with a touchdown. Then Sarkisian went away from him for some reason as he only had two receptions for 31 yards the rest of the game. Williams had an unbelievable 37 yard touchdown reception wiped away from the stat sheet and also denied him his first career 100 yard receiving game. Williams like Seferian-Jenkins is a physical receiver who on the wide receiver screens tends to carry his defender for some extra yardage. Williams will also play in the NFL someday and hopefully be an all-american probably in 2013 though. Williams now has seven career touchdowns in 13 career games so he is a touchdown machine much like the guy he is taking over for Jermaine Kearse. Williams needed to have a good game as the Huskies started two freshman beside him and you can tell Price just trust Williams more than the freshman for now.

- Josh Shirley began this season where he left off last season which is putting pressure on the quarterback. He officially only had one sack along with sophomore defensive end Andrew Hudson but both were creating pressure all game on Ryan Katz. Shirley also stopped the first two point attempt on San Diego State which caused all the head scratching moves in the fourth quarter. Look for Shirley to have a big season this upcoming year as the full-time starter as the Huskies know what they have in him.

Shirley last year had nine sacks and had 3.5 sacks in the bowl loss to Baylor. Look for Shirley to challenge the school record for sacks in a season and sacks in a career. He has the ability and with Justin Wilcox emphasizing more blitzes that just means more opportunities for Shirley to record some quarterback sacks. Shirley is a special talent and a guy many were high on when he finally made his way to Washington in July of 2010. It is nice to see another sophomore having a big impact for this program. The Huskies program had a ton of sophomore's making major contributions as I just pointed out with Shirley, Williams, Seferian-Jenkins and hopefully Sankey. Shirley was an animal this past Saturday and he'll have some monster games this upcoming season.

- Previous defensive coordinator Nick Holt was pure fire as you saw his emotion all the time. While new defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox appears more calm and collected. When things weren't going right for the Huskies his demeanor stayed the same while he continued to dial up the blitzes. He has said his goal is have roughly 35% of the Huskies defensive plays be some sort of blitz. How rare was this defensive win? First time the Huskies won a game not scoring 30+ points since the 2010 Holiday Bowl win which saw the Huskies win 19-7. Last time the Huskies won a game not scoring any second half offensive touchdowns? Try 2009 when they upset USC 16-13. Last time the Huskies won a game scoring zero offensive points in the second half? Try 2007 when the Huskies defeated Boise State 24-10. That is why Wilcox deserves most of the credit for this win as defensive wins for the Huskies have been very rare lately.

- I felt early on Price looked the best he has ever looked when he began the game 11 for 12 passing including 11 straight completions as the Huskies scored on their first two drives. He would finish 25-35 passing for 222 yards with a touchdown while rushing for 17 yards. I noticed when right tackle Ben Riva went down so did the offense. The Huskies couldn't run the ball at all in the second half besides Price scrambles. Therefore all the play action pass attempts ended in sacks or incompletions. I did think Price struggles was due to an inexperienced receiving core, shaky offensive line play at best and lofty standards. Price still completed over 70% of his passes and didn't turn the ball over. A healthy Price this year unlike last year means more scrambles too which he showed plenty in this game. With the game on the line and the Huskies needing to run out the clock they couldn't pound it so they had to count on Price. Price had a huge third down scramble inside the Huskies own 10 yard line. Then Price hit a key third down pass to Kevin Smith which basically iced the game. Keep in mind on Price's stats he had a 37 yard passing touchdown wiped away then a 13 yard scramble wiped away two plays later. I thought overall Price played a good game and is on the path towards another all Pac-12 selection.

- The first two series of the game I thought were some of Steve Sarkisian's best play calling since he has been Huskies head coach. He didn't mess around and let his star quarterback dictate the pace by featuring Kasen Williams, Austin Seferian-Jenkins plus spreading the ball around. The Huskies led 14-0 as the offense was clicking. Then Sarkisian did what he always seems to do at Washington which is try to get too cute. Went away from the quick hitters to Seferian-Jenkins and Williams which was working so beautifully. Didn't use Mickens speed at all especially with the running game struggling. Didn't give Wilson any carries in the second half despite him busting a 17 yard run first half. In the second half Price was 8-14 passing while completing four passes to Seferian-Jenkins, two to Williams, one to Smith and a dump off to Sankey that went for no gain. While Sankey ran the ball 13 times for 17 yards at some point he needed to realize the line couldn't block worth a crap and ditch the play actions. I felt this game was a big setback for a head coach entering his fourth season. I'll say this for Sarkisian his program though appears to be light years ahead of where it was two years ago. The talent level on both sides of the ball appears to be better off than when he got here. So with that Sarkisian now improves to 20-19 as head coach for the Huskies as he has stated all offseason it's time to take the next step this year!

The Huskies won the game and improve to 1-0 which ultimately is what matters. If the Huskies are to take that "next step" as a program they must improve their defense from the last couple of seasons. The 2011 defense allowed the most points in Huskies history followed by 2008, 2007 and then 2010. So the four worst defenses in Huskies history have happened in the last five years. That is why I'm actually encouraged by this win due to the play of the defense. I think the offense will be fine as they left plenty of points on the board. The Huskies shouldn't have to apologize for beating a bowl team to begin their season as San Diego State is an average team who the Huskies defeated. The season is early and the injuries are piling up for this team. The Huskies must overcome them as the tough part of the schedule is about to begin as they play at #3 LSU, then after hosting Portland State the Huskies play #21 Stanford, at #5 Oregon then host #1 USC. The Huskies better get better in a hurry as the schedule is about to become unfriendly which is why winning this game was so important. The Huskies took care of business at home and hope to pull off the shocking upset next week down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.