After season of strife, Huskies feeling like a team again

  • By John Sleeper / Herald Writer
  • Friday, August 13, 2004 9:00pm
  • Sports

SEATTLE – The difference in atmosphere at the University of Washington football camp from last season is almost palpable.

A year ago, the Neuheisel Issue was a fresh wound. Coach Keith Gilbertson received the official word that he was the head coach just days before fall camp. The whispers were that, within the team were a Neuheisel faction and a Gilbertson faction. And occasionally, they clashed.

It all affected the conditioning, the psyche and, ultimately, the performance of the team. The Huskies finished a bowl-less season 6-6, with image-damaging losses to Arizona and Nevada, along with a 54-7 defeat at Cal, when more than a few accused the team of quitting.

“It was chaotic,” center Brad Vanneman said. “The coaching transition left it pretty unstable around here. But we’re more stable now, more of a team. I think we’re on the right track.”

A team.

Were the Huskies truly a team last season?

They had their offensive superstars in quarterback Cody Pickett and receiver Reggie Williams. Tank Johnson was a superb defensive tackle. All three are playing for a paycheck in the NFL now.

But there was always the feeling that Williams, especially, was an object of resentment by some of his teammates. For all of his breathtaking ability, Williams let it be known that he knew all about his prodigious talent and gave statements that, as the season wore on, resulted in more and more rolled eyes from some of his teammates.

It’s different now. No superstars. In fact, perhaps only wideout Charles Frederick, tackle Khalif Barnes and corner Derrick Johnson appear to be first-day NFL draft choices.

And perhaps that makes for a more cohesive unit.

“I think we are a lot closer as a team,” Gilbertson said. “I think we’re a team that likes each other a lot better. We’re not as susceptible to big mood swings, but this team has not had to go through what the team last year had to go through.”

That’s not to lay the blame on Williams for the 6-6 season. But it does open the question of just how together last year’s UW team was.

Linebacker Joe Lobendahn saw it. Injured in the second game and out for the season with a torn-up knee, Lobendahn saw the fractures developing. Now, elected by his teammates as one of five co-captains, along with Barnes, Frederick, Johnson and fullback Zach Tuiasosopo, he is determined not to let it happen again.

“I’m looking at it like the coaches do now,” he said. “I can see where they’re coming from. I understand now that we’ve got to pick this thing up. I’d never seen that as a player, not until I got hurt.”

As captain, Lobendahn says the transition begins with him. Never a vocal leader, Lobendahn says he has to change that in order to pick up the team.

“I have to,” he said. “Now that I’m a captain, I’ve got to be more vocal. But you’ve got to speak at the right time. You can’t just go out of your way and start yapping. At the right time and the right place, you’ve just got to say something. I’m going to try to do that. I’m going to try to be the best captain I can be.”

The question is whether the change in personnel and atmosphere will have a positive effect on the quality of play. The team is unburdened by high expectations. Most publications pick Washington sixth, seventh or eighth in the Pacific-10 Conference.

“I think that when people put you down, you tend to work harder,” defensive end Manase Hopoi said. “Everybody’s telling us we’re not going to be good and it motivates us. Me personally, it makes me want to make every tackle every day.”

No decision at QB: Gilbertson said redshirt freshman Carl Bonnell had the best day of the three vying for the starting quarterback position. The team went through 7-on-7 drills for a good 20 minutes.

Either Bonnell, junior Casey Paus and sophomore Isaiah Stanback will be chosen to start against Fresno State Sept. 5.

“I thought Carl looked the best today,” Gilbertson said. “I think Casey probably (Thursday). It’ll probably be somebody else (today).”

Picture Day: Washington’s annual Picture Day will run from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. today at Husky Stadium. Schedule posters, schedule cards and other promotional items will be distributed to fans, along with free food and drink. Husky players and coaches will be available for autographs and photos. Members of the UW men’s soccer, women’s soccer and volleyball teams also will be on hand.

Short bursts: Freshman center Juan Garcia will be out until the end of September while he recovers from a broken leg he sustained last spring … Durrell Moss has moved from outside linebacker to fullback, behind Tuiasosopo and James Sims … Graham Lasee has moved back again to defensive end after getting a look at offensive line in the spring … Freshman offensive tackle Casey Bulyca had hoped to practice Friday, but Washington received no word from the NCAA Eligibility Clearinghouse. The clearinghouse is checking Bulyca’s high school transcripts. Defensive lineman Jasper Henry remains in Los Angeles waiting for approval by the clearinghouse … The team will leave for Olympia Sunday afternoon following its 11:30 a.m. practice. The Huskies will practice at The Evergreen State College until Saturday, Aug. 21.

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