SEATTLE – The image is still vivid five days later.
Washington had scored a touchdown to take a 17-6 fourth-quarter lead and a botched kickoff pinned Air Force on its 1-yard line.
The Falcons faced third down when backup quarterback Adam Fitch dropped back, threw a pass down the right sideline and found receiver Greg Kirkwood. UW safety Dashon Goldson opted not to tackle Kirkwood, trying and failing to strip the ball from the Air Force wide receiver. Cornerback Josh Okeobor, who was beaten on the play, could not catch Kirkwood as he raced 84 yards for a touchdown that started Air Force’s fourth-quarter comeback and ended with a Falcons’ victory.
It wasn’t the ideal way for Washington to start the season, and it didn’t ease concerns that the Huskies secondary could be a problem. After all, Air Force was a team that relied primarily on its run-oriented option offense, yet both of its quarterbacks passed for at least 100 yards in the win over UW.
The issue became magnified when starting cornerback Roy Lewis (bruised arm) and starting safety C.J. Wallace (concussion) both left with injuries late in the first half. Coupled with last week’s announcement that cornerback Chris Handy, one of the team’s most experienced defensive backs, was academically ineligible, it left Washington woefully thin in the secondary.
“We obviously didn’t have all the guys out there who we would have liked,” defensive coordinator Kent Baer said. “But the guys who are out there have to make plays.”
Lewis is likely to play Saturday against Cal, though Wallace is still questionable. If he isn’t available, sophomore Darin Harris would likely get the start.
Head coach Tyrone Willingham said it is not likely that the team would move players from other positions to defensive back, though it’s possible that starting free safety Dashon Goldson could move to cornerback if needed.
If not, depth will be left to juniors Okoebor and Clarence Simpson. Okoebor had five tackles against Air Force in his first game since 2002. In 2003, he missed the season at Valley (Calif.) CC with a torn hamstring and missed all of last season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament. Simpson has seen limited time in his two seasons.
Okoebor said he wasn’t aggressive enough against Air Force.
“I gave up way too much of the short stuff,” he said. “I’ve got to get on it more. … It’s not an easy spot, but we are playing Division I football at the highest level, and you have to be ready for anything.”
The defensive backs were actually fairly effective when they were healthy. Lewis had five tackles, cornerback Matt Fountaine had four tackles, broke up a pass and recovered a fumble. Wallace had three tackles and forced a fumble and Goldson had 11 tackles and recovered a fumble.
“Talent isn’t the question,” Baer said. “It’s just a matter of depth. If someone goes down, we don’t have a lot of experience. But they’re getting experience.”
“There’s going to be a lot of people who are possibly going to be playing bigger roles than they played in the past,” Fountaine said.
No question that Cal coach Jeff Tedford is looking forward to challenging the Husky secondary. The Golden Bears hope Washington’s depth problems will help quarterback Joe Ayoob, a junior college star who has been forced into the starting lineup after starter Nate Longshore broke his leg in the opener last Saturday against Sacramento State. Ayoob was 0-for-10 against the Hornets before he was replaced by third-string quarterback Steve Levy.
Still, Cal beat Sacramento State 41-3 and Washington players know they’re going to be challenged.
“If you see the fact that some guys are hurt in some positions, you definitely try to go out and exploit that,” Fountaine said. “But we’re going to be ready.”
“I want to get out there,” Okoebor said. “I have something to show. I have something to prove to the public. My teammates believe in me. I’ve done stuff at practice and I know I can go out there and perform.”
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