BOWL OR OBLIVION?

Published 11:22 pm Saturday, August 4, 2007

The Washington Huskies started last football season with so much promise, racing out to a 4-1 record. They fell hard from there, however, going on a six-game losing streak that ended all bowl-game hopes. To reach coach Tyrone Willingham’s goal of making a bowl game, the Huskies will need at least seven wins in their 13-game schedule this year, no easy task given the difficulty of their schedule.

With practice kicking off today, and the team’s first game less than a month away, it’s time to look at seven questions that could decide if the Huskies can be win seven games to become bowl-eligible, or are headed for another losing season.

1. Is Jake Locker ready to lead the offense?

He’s only 19, and he’s yet to take a snap as a college quarterback, but his coaches are confident.

“We’ve seen his leadership,” said Washington offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Tim Lappano. “He has great leadership. He’s an outstanding young man in that area.”

For a team that hasn’t been to a bowl game since 2002, a lot is riding on the success of the athletic Locker. How he minimizes his rookie mistakes and leads the offense will determine a lot about the team’s post-season chances.

2. Who will carry the ball?

Right now, the running back job looks like it’s Louis Rankin’s to lose. The speedy senior showed improvement last year, and could become the school’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 1997. Should Rankin falter (or just need a few plays off), junior J.R. Hasty will get a chance to try to live up to his potential. The Bellevue High grad, who set a state record for touchdowns in a season as a senior, redshirted as a freshman and missed last season for academic reasons. A strong group of incoming freshmen will help provide depth at the position.

3. Who are the guards?

With three offensive line starters returning (C Juan Garcia and tackles Ben Ossai and Chad Macklin), the question mark is at the two guard positions. Whoever fills them, size won’t be a problem. The four players considered most likely to start at the two guard spots are Casey Bulyca (6-6, 320), Ryan Tolar (6-6, 325) on the right, and Morgan Rosborough (6-6, 375) and Jordan White-Frisbee (6-6, 320) on the left.

4. Will we see more of Marcel Reece this season?

Reece came into last season as a J.C. transfer, and while he showed potential, wasn’t very involved in the offense until piling up 107 yards against Washington State in the last game of the year. With a year in the system under his belt and a slimmer physique, Reece could become one of Locker’s favorite targets.

5a. Will the secondary be any better this year?

An area of concern in recent years, the secondary needs to improve for the Huskies to compete in the pass-happy Pac-10 (not to mention against Hawaii at the end of the year). CB Roy Lewis and safety Jason Wells are the only returning starters from last year’s secondary. Help could come from cornerback Byron Davenport, a transfer from UCLA who didn’t play last year while in community college. The Huskies will likely look to some of their incoming freshman to help as well. Plenty of spots will be up for grabs between now and the end of the month.

5b. So can the rest of the defense help an inexperienced secondary?

That’s the idea anyway. Senior defensive end Greyson Gunheim, who already has three years of experience as a starter, anchors a front seven that coach Tyrone Willingham hopes can be one of his team’s strengths. He is one of three returning starters on the defensive line. Dan Howell is the only returning starter at linebacker, but big things are expected from a number of young linebackers, including junior E.J. Savannah, and sophomores Donald Butler and Chris Stevens.

6. What new faces will make immediate impacts?

On special teams, the Huskies lost their kicker and punter to graduation. Incoming freshman Erik Folk could take over the kicking duties, while J.C. transfer Jared Ballman is a possibility at punter or kicker. The defensive secondary is another area that could use help. In addition to Davenport, the Huskies could look for help from a pair of freshman from Seattle, O’Dea’s Quinton Richardson and Rainier Beach’s Vonzell McDowell.

7. Where are the wins on this schedule?

Looking over Washington’s schedule, regarded by many to be the toughest in the nation, there are no gimmes on the list. The road opener at Syracuse looms large, not only because it’s a beatable opponent, but a chance for the team to build confidence before playing four straight against top-25 programs. The way the schedule sets up, the Huskies look like underdogs in most games, so reaching Willingham’s goal of a bowl game will require an upset or two (or five) somewhere along the road.