SEATTLE – Tyrone Willingham isn’t surprised to see more mid-major teams competing with teams from major conferences. He said the game has changed since his days as a player and now college football is set up to allow more teams to be competitive.
Two things have changed college football – television, and scholarship limits, the University of Washington coach said.
“Almost every game is on (TV) anywhere in the country, so mom can see you no matter where she’s at,” Willingham said.
“You don’t have to go to Ohio State or to three top schools in the Big 10 or two top schools in the Southeast Conference or the top two schools in the Pac-10. You can go to any school and gain visibility.”
Willingham added that complex offenses also have changed the game, and he doesn’t believe that the way the game is played now allows defenses to play at the same level as offenses.
“It’s a much more spread, wide-open game today than it was when I came along as a player,” Willingham said. “When did you think you’d see the shotgun and the option at the same time? It’s a different game. It’s so spread, it’s so complex.
“There are so many more dimensions to the game now than before. Before, it was tight formations, power football, play-action passing. That’s not the case anymore.”
Injury updates: Willingham said starting cornerback Roy Lewis is still limited by a foot bruise and isn’t sure if he will be available against Cal. If Lewis isn’t available, Josh Okoebor would start. Willingham said sophomore Durrell Moss, who hasn’t played this season, has made a push to be one of the top backups at corner. Moss has played linebacker, fullback, tail back and safety in his Huskies career.
“He has good size, good speed, now he has to acquire the understanding of the position and (see) if he has the feet to take to the position,” Willingham said.
Safety C.J. Wallace is recovered from a concussion suffered against Air Force. It’s unlikely that Kenny James (bruised shoulder) will play, though defensive tackle Erick Lobos (foot) should be available. Quarterback Carl Bonnell (thigh) is probably out again, as is freshman linebacker Darrion Jones (neck stinger).
Willingham said defensive tackle Jordan White-Frisbee (foot) is progressing but has no timetable for a return. Linebackers Trenton Tuiasosopo (face injuries, knee) and E.J. Savannah (neck) are still not cleared for contact.
Handy likely done: Willingham said cornerback Chris Handy, a transfer from Pasadena Community College who was ruled academically ineligible the day before the season opener, is not likely to rejoin the team in the future. Handy had been expected to compete for a starting job.
Notre Dame on the horizon: Willingham said he has not started looking ahead to next week’s anticipated matchup with Notre Dame.
“I’ll be excited when it comes just like I’ll be excited when Idaho’s here, just like I was excited when California rolled in and just like I was excited when we had a chance to go play Air Force. The veteran coach in me understands that every game is critical.”
Drawing comparisons: Willingham compared the difficulty turning talking about playing hard and with consistency – one of his team’s main problems – with basketball.
“Doing is always more difficult than saying,” Willingham said. “There’s a lot of us who can talk the game. You have to do. There are pro basketball players who can’t make free throws. They’re very talented, very skills, (but) it’s hard to do.”
Extra motivation: Idaho has 18 players on its roster from Washington, including former Everett High receiver Lee Smith and former Archbishop Murphy defensive back Jevon Butler. Willingham said he’s sure that coming back to play Washington is special motivation for those players.
“The old story is let a sleeping dog lie,” Willingham said. “In this case, those kids won’t be sleeping. In this case, they’ll be excited to show they’re better than maybe coaches here viewed them to be. So yes, they’ll come in with an attitude.”
Holt on Butler: Idaho coach Nick Holt has been impressed with Butler, a sophomore strong safety. Last season, Butler played in 11 games as a true freshman, making 14 tackles and picking off a pass. This year, Butler has two tackles.
“He’s doing well,” Holt said. “Jevon is a good football player. He’s had a tendency to get dinged up. He’s had shoulder problems, he’s had knee problems. So we’ve got to keep him healthy because when he’s healthy he really helps us out.
“He played solid football against UNLV, against a difficult opponent for safeties to play with the option and the spread option. But he’s one of our better football players on defense, no doubt about it.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
