1. USC. Bet the mortgage, car and household pets. 2. California. Aaron Rodgers and eight returning defenders make this a breakthrough year. 3. Oregon. Without USC to muck things up, the Ducks could win nine or more. 4. Oregon State. Can Derek Anderson finally find consistency? 5. Washington State. Lots to replace, but offensive line looks great. 6. Arizona State. Alums are grumbling after 5-7 year in 2003. 7. UCLA. Talent galore, but can Drew Olson produce even if he gets protection from an offensive line that gave up 51 sacks in 2003? 8. Washington. There are those who claim a quarterback controversy means you don’t have one. 9. Stanford. Buddy Teevens should update his resume. 10. Arizona. We’ll see how patient Mike Stoops is.
John Sleeper
By John Sleeper
Herald Writer
SEATTLE – USC, they’re not.
Who the Washington Huskies are and how good they’ll be, both this season and the near future, is anybody’s guess.
That’s the way it is for a team coming off the shock of a sudden coaching change a year ago, possible NCAA probation hanging over its head and assertions from rival recruiters telling teenagers and their parents that it isn’t going to improve at Washington anytime soon.
Certainly, 2004 represents a season in transition for the Huskies. Even among the most purple of alums and fans, few have hope that Washington, a Rose Bowl champion just four seasons ago, can finish in the upper echelon of the Pacific-10 Conference.
A three-way quarterback battle wasn’t decided until last week when Casey Paus was named the starter. The defensive line is young and paper-thin. The receivers are mostly babies and even their veteran go-to guy, senior Charles Frederick, is prone to injury.
It would be easy to dismiss the Huskies entirely, if not for a sliver of stubborn positive light that refuses to dim. All appearances suggest that the Huskies are deep and talented at running back, with Kenny James, Shelton Sampson, Louis Rankin, Chris Singleton and an intriguing, 250-pound freshman from Jackson High School named Johnie Kirton.
The Sporting News named Zach Tuiasosopo the nation’s best fullback. In James Sims, a converted safety, the Huskies may have the nation’s fastest fullback.
Head coach Keith Gilbertson has his own coaching staff in place, which can only mean an improvement over last season. Oh, and the offensive line that everybody loves to trash? It may be better than you’d think, should it stay healthy.
The most solid unit, however, may well be the secondary, led by senior all-Pac-10 second-team cornerback Derrick Johnson and senior strong safety Jimmy Newell.
So while the cupboard isn’t bare, it has some pieces missing.
Which is where we come in.
Following are 10 questions hounding the Dawgs for 2004:
Q. Given a new school president and a new athletic director, is Gilby in trouble if the Huskies don’t finish at least 7-4 and go to a bowl game?
A. Oh, grow up. You can call this year a freebie. University president Mark Emmert and athletic director Todd Turner don’t give in to rash decisions, and the act of firing Gilby following the well-publicized circus that has been the University of Washington athletic department in the last 15 months serves no one.
Give the staff time to recruit, settle on a system based on those recruits and then judge away. Not now.
Q. What about this quarterback fiasco?
A. What do you want them to do? Pick the one with the nicest smile? Not to be an apologist, but the staff had every reason to be deliberate. Besides, the feeling here is that, before the season is over, all three will play. And if there’s a huge blowout, here’s hoping fourth-stringer Felix Sweetman gets some time.
Q. Isn’t the offensive line a human sieve?
A. Injuries didn’t help perceptions of the O-line. At times, Gilbertson asked defensive linemen to move over in order to provide depth. Guys got hurt. Guys quit. Guys weren’t producing as expected. But look: tackle Khalif Barnes is projected as a conference first-teamer. Guard Clay Walker played all season last year. Center Brad Vanneman has been in the system three years. Rob Meadow is at full speed coming off knee surgery. Ryan Brooks has improved more between his junior and senior year than the rest of his career. Tusi Sa’au is 100 percent after a back injury. All can play more than one position.
Healthy, this isn’t a bad group.
Q. Who’s the team funnyman?
A. Defensive line coach Randy Hart, and we’re not even sure he means to be. And the players under him sure as shootin’ don’t think he’s amusing.
Q. Why is that?
A. Because this season, more than any other, Hart is working with more young guys than he ever has. Manase Hopoi is the only senior. Hart’s system demands that he has eight linemen he has confidence in. Right now, he may have five. Maybe. And it’s mandatory that at least two true freshmen forego their redshirt year and contribute immediately.
Q. Are special teams going to be any good?
A. Right now, the only constant is punter Sean Douglas, who’s been regularly booming 55- and 65-yarders in practice. Michael Braunstein has the edge on Evan Knutson in the placekicking department, but neither reminds anyone of Jan Stenerud.
Coverage teams we really won’t know about until the season starts, but in Frederick, the Huskies have a legitimate game-breaker return guy.
Q. Who’s the newcomer who’ll make the biggest impact?
A. Watch for free safety Dashon Goldson, 6-foot-2, 200 pounds of pain. A devastating hitter and transfer from Coffeyville (Kansas) Community College, Goldson also has the speed to cover any receiver in the conference.
Q. Besides him, who?
A. The operative word being “impact,” ask Kirton about the way redshirt freshman safety Chris Hemphill hits. At 6-6, Hemphill stands out in more ways than one.
Q. Who was the biggest surprise in camp?
A. Hands down, no pun intended, it was receiver Steve Anderson, a walk-on from Inglemoor High School. Neither physically imposing (5-10, 195) nor fast, Anderson merely catches everything that’s thrown to him.
Q. Can anyone beat USC?
A. Maybe the Seahawks.
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