Don’t fret, Huskies just have been ironing out kinks

Through three games, we still can’t get a clear picture of just how good – or bad – the Washington Huskies are.

Coach Keith Gilbertson has used much of the three non-conference games to develop the running game, take a look at freshmen receivers, demand more physical play on both sides of the ball and see where Isaiah Stanback fits into the offense.

It’s called “searching for an identity.”

Gilbertson has used the first three games, rightly, to evaluate. As a result, the first three games haven’t shown a juggernaut.

The Huskies knew they could pass the ball all over the yard. To Gilbertson’s credit, he didn’t fall into the trap the team did last season and rely on Cody Pickett flinging the ball to Reggie Williams and watch Williams fly.

While they set offensive records that may never be broken, they also were 7-6.

The idea is to be balanced. They wanted to find a primary tailback and deemed him to be Rich Alexis. They rode Alexis hard – 54 carries in three games.

The experimentation showed up most against Indiana and Idaho before tomb-quiet crowds at Husky Stadium. Expected to immediately blow out the Hoosiers and Vandals, the Huskies instead turned methodical and sometimes mistake-prone, which happens when you try out new schemes and develop aspects of the game long neglected.

They might have looked ordinary. No, they were ordinary. The feeling here, however, is that they could have beaten both Indiana and Idaho more decisively by going back to their old bombs-away scheme.

But what good would that have done?

Would that have gotten Washington any more ready for Pacific-10 Conference play, starting Saturday against Stanford? Of course not.

Gilbertson always has said that, despite the 28-9 defeat at Ohio State, the experience of playing in that kind of atmosphere was a positive to a young team. It’s doubtful that Washington will play in a more hostile environment, even at Oregon State this season. It will benefit the team down the road in the next big-game surroundings it faces.

Think of it as higher education. There are bumps and trials every semester. The idea is to ace the final exam.

We haven’t seen Washington at its best yet, but the feeling is that the Huskies are a team that’s improved each week and will continue that path. Gilbertson has demanded that his team gets better in areas it simply skipped over last season in order to put on a high-flying show. It wasn’t going to look like Oklahoma right out of the chute.

A more balanced, more disciplined, more educated UW team won’t repeat last season’s 7-6 disappointment.

It could ace the final – and might even wake up the Husky Stadium tomb.

Kickoff: 12:30 p.m. at Husky Stadium.

TV: none.

Radio: KJR radio (950 AM).

Stars to watch: Washington – Quarterback Cody Pickett hasn’t hit his stride this season, but coach Keith Gilbertson hopes that a set receiving unit of Reggie Williams, Charles Frederick and Justin Robbins will settle down the passing game. Rich Alexis has been solid at tailback. Watch for Isaiah Stanback to make an even bigger contribution at slotback. The best defender has been defensive tackle Terry Johnson, who is second in the conference in sacks with five.

Stanford – Luke Powell is a game-breaking talent as a wide receiver and punt returner. In the season-opener against San Jose State, he caught 12 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns. Trent Edwards, a redshirt freshman at quarterback, was 21-for-37 passing for 278 yards and two touchdowns against San Jose State and led the Cardinal to 31 unanswered points. He was 9-for-11 for 130 yards and two TDS in the second quarter alone, when the Cardinal scored 21 points. Tailback Kenny Tolon had 141 yards rushing on 32 carries against BYU. Defensive tackle Amon Gordon, a former Mariner High School star, has five tackles, two for loss, including a sack.

Breaking down the game: Stanford likes to bring a variety of blitzes, so it will be interesting to see how Washington reacts. If Pickett can spot one-on-one coverage on one of his receivers, it could be a long day for the Cardinal secondary. Stanford’s defense has allowed just 4 rushing yards all season, but hasn’t faced an offense whose goal it is to establish the run, as the Huskies do. It also will be interesting to see whether the Huskies double Powell. It would certainly seem they would have to pay some extra attention to him, although both corners, Roc Alexander and Derrick Johnson, are fast enough to stay with him.

Bottom line: Watch for a close game early, with Washington slowly pulling away by the fourth quarter.

Pick: Washington, 28-10.

Washington State

vs. Oregon

Kickoff: 12:30 p.m. at Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Ore.

TV: ABC (Ch. 4).

Radio: KRKO radio (1380 AM).

Stars to watch: Washington State – Quarterback Matt Kegel completes 59 percent of his passes and is third in the conference in passing yards a game. Tailback Jonathan Smith averages 5.7 yards a carry. Devard Darling and Sammy Moore both are dangerous receivers. Moore is a deep threat at 22.3 yards per reception. Linebacker Will Derting is the Cougars’ most productive defender, with 26 tackles, including 3Z\x sacks.

Oregon – The Ducks have been getting it done by using two quarterbacks, Kellen Clemens and Jason Fife. They have combined for 11 TD passes and no interceptions. Samie Parker has 23 catches to lead the team. The Ducks’ defense is a much-improved unit from last season. It held Michigan and Arizona to a combined 31 carries for 44 yards, or 0.7 yards a carry. The Wolverines came into Autzen averaging 307 rushing yards a game. Against the Ducks, they lost 3 yards on 19 carries. Michigan’s Chris Perry came in as the nation’s leading rusher, but managed just 26 yards on 11 carries.

Breaking down the game: The Ducks scored an impressive victory against Michigan, but must guard against an emotional letdown against Washington State. The Cougars have had success in confusing the opposing quarterback with a variety of formations and blitzes. If the Cougs can get to Fife and Clemens, it could be a close game. A big key is Kegel. If the Ducks stuff WSU’s running game, he has to come up big. With the crowd screaming at deafening decibels, communication is nearly impossible. Kegel simply hasn’t been in this kind of environment.

Bottom line: We got a glimpse how good Oregon can be last week. That, plus Autzen, will give WSU problems.

Pick: Oregon, 21-17.

USC at Cal: The Golden Bears are better than most thought, still, the Trojans are simply too strong. Pick: USC, 31-21.

Arizona State at Oregon State: Tough to call. Most picked the Sun Devils to contend for a conference title, but haven’t shown nearly what was projected. Come to think of it, neither have the Beavers. Still, we like the home field and that Steven Jackson can wear down a front seven. Pick: OSU, 24-20.

TCU at Arizona: Woody Allen has a better chance against George (The Animal) Steele. Pick: TCU, 30-10.

San Diego State at UCLA: A week after facing Oklahoma, SDSU is a soothing massage. Pick: UCLA, 23-7.

Sleeper pick of the week: Utah 27, Colorado State 24.

Kansas State University School of Irresponsible Scheduling game: Tulane at Texas.