SEATTLE – Felix Sweetman starting in the Apple Cup?
Don’t laugh, it’s a possibility.
With Isaiah Stanback out, Johnny DuRocher in the hospital with a concussion and Carl Bonnell wounded in just about every way, there’s a chance that Sweetman, a walk-on senior who has never taken a significant snap in a game, could be on the field when the Huskies finish the season next week in Pullman.
“It would have to be Felix,” offensive coordinator Tim Lappano said. “He’s probably the healthiest guy we have right now other than Jake Locker.”
Locker, Washington’s prize freshman, obviously will not play now with a bowl game out of reach. DuRocher went to the hospital for a CAT scan after the Stanford loss and his status is in question. And Bonnell injured his thigh against the Cardinal, adding to his list that already includes a concussion and a separated non-throwing shoulder.
Asked what Bonnell’s status would be for next week, Lappano said, “I don’t know. Carl’s beat up. Carl’s beat up right now.”
Sweetman actually was hurt in the first half against Stanford as well, suffering what Lappano thought might have been a stinger on a coverage team. But when DuRocher was knocked out of the game, Sweetman started warming up hurriedly and looked like he might come in the game, but Bonnell instead came back on and finished the game.
“I wasn’t 100 percent, but I could play,” Bonnell said. “Running was a lot harder, and I couldn’t get much out of my throws, but when you don’t have much else to go with, you have to make the best out of it.”
“If Felix couldn’t have done it, I don’t know what we would do,” Lappano said.
Head coach Tyrone Willingham said he decided to go with the injured Bonnell over Sweetman because Sweetman had received no snaps in practice for much of the season and would not have been prepared.
If DuRocher and Bonnell are both unable to play next week, Sweetman would start. Who his backup would be is a mystery, as the Huskies have no other quarterbacks on the roster other than Locker.
Where’s the run?: For the second week in a row, Washington was unable to run the ball, this time despite the return of senior Kenny James to the lineup. Going against one of the nation’s worst run defenses – Stanford was allowing 239 yards a game – Washington managed just 39 yards on 28 carries, or 1.4 per rush. This comes after the Huskies got 13 rushing yards against Oregon.
” (I’m) very surprised,” Willingham said. “I thought we’d be able to come out and run the football. We knew they played basically one (defensive) front. … I thought we’d be able to run the football.”
James, who missed the last two weeks with a sprained ankle, managed just 23 yards on 13 carries. Washington ran the ball only nine times in the second half. Former Jackson High star Johnie Kirton got three carries in the first half for seven yards but didn’t run the ball after halftime.
“I really thought we could pound the ball at these guys,” Lappano said. “I don’t understand it.”
More drops: Washington’s receivers didn’t help matters, dropping at least seven passes.
“I can’t explain the dropped balls,” Lappano said. “I have no idea why we dropped so many balls. I can’t explain it. We don’t do that in practice.”
Injury update: Defensive tackles Donny Mateaki and Wilson Afoa both left the game with contusions but both returned.
Braunstein left out: Though kicker Michael Braunstein was surprisingly listed as a senior despite being a fourth-year junior, he was not honored with the rest of the seniors during the Senior Day festivities. Braunstein’s father reportedly met with UW officials Friday after Willingham made his decision that Braunstein would not be back with the team next year, and it was decided that the decision would be postponed.
Then again: Willingham was asked if he would have known how his quarterbacks would play following the injury to Stanback, if he would have considered playing Locker. His answer: “I might have.”
Captains: Washington named its captains for the season, and they were captains against Stanford and will be again in next week’s Apple Cup. They are quarterback Isaiah Stanback, cornerback Dashon Goldson, safety C.J. Wallace and receiver Sonny Shackelford.
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