Scrimmage could determine starting spots

Published 10:53 pm Thursday, August 23, 2007

SEATTLE — The Washington Huskies kick off their season one week from today, and a handful of position battles still remain unresolved.

Just don’t expect Huskies coach Tyrone Willingham to panic about the still-undecided spots.

“It’s still early,” he said while addressing one such position battle before being reminded that a game against Syracuse was only a week away. “That’s early. Day of is late. Don’t get nervous now.”

Still, Willingham hopes to make at least some of those decisions once he reviews the film of Thursday’s practice. The Huskies suited up in game-day uniforms and held their last scrimmage before their Aug. 31 opener. The practice, which was closed to the media, consisted of one quarter of scrimmaging with officials, as well as situational work, Willingham said.

Willingham described the practice as “all in all a good session.”

For players still vying for starting spots at, among other positions, cornerback, offensive line, safety and on special teams, what Willingham and his coaches see on the Thursday practice film could be the deciding factor.

“We’re getting to that point where I’d like to make some decisions,” Willingham said. “I believe that maybe, after I sit down and watch the film and our coaches sit down and watch the film, that we may have one or two more decisions. I may not make all the decisions, but I think it will probably move us in a direction that we might be able to start putting all the pieces together.”

One player that is not in the running for a starting job, but that Willingham singled out for his play Thursday was walk-on linebacker Fred Wiggs. A sophomore from Seattle’s O’Dea High School who recently moved from defensive end to linebacker, Wiggs worked with the third string at strongside linebacker, and “did some nice things” according to Willingham. The UW coach also singled out receivers Marcel Reece and Charles Hawkins for their play.

Cornerback Byron Davis and receiver Cody Ellis were both held out as expected with hamstring injuries. Defensive end Darrion Jones was injured during the practice, but Willingham did not specify what the injury was and does not yet know the severity.

Linebacker Donald Butler, a projected starter who has been limited in practice this fall with swelling in his surgically-repaired knee, was able to participate Thursday.

Another encouraging note on the injury front was Anthony Russo’s participation in the scrimmage. Russo broke his pinky finger in the first week of practice, and had surgery that threatened to keep him out past the Syracuse game. Instead, he has been recovering ahead of schedule and participated in his first full-contact work on Thursday.

A new experience: At least a handful of freshmen are expected to make the trip to Syracuse, and there is no way to prepare them for what they are going to experience, Willingham said.

“You can tell them about it, and of course most of them have been to college games, but it’s nothing like when you’re down on the floor of the arena,” said Willingham. “It’s a totally different experience. You understand the magnitude of 70,000 or 50,000 or whatever it might be, but when it’s you, you’re in the arena, you’re competing, the emotions are totally different. The perspective is totally different. It’s something that they have to go through themselves.”

Making the grade: E.J. Savannah shed some light on the academic situation that led to his demotion for the first two weeks of camp. The linebacker from Bellevue, who is back with the first team, said he had been waiting on a grade from a class he took during spring quarter.

“I’m good now,” he said. “I’m ready to go.”