SEATTLE – It was 91/2 minutes into Keith Gilbertson’s weekly news conference and he’d had enough.
In that time, the University of Washington head football coach fielded seven questions about his quarterbacks. Never one to shield his feelings, Gilbertson tossed up his hands and growled as only he can.
“To be honest with you, I’m tired of talking about the quarterbacks,” he snapped. “I’ve said all I’m going to say about the quarterbacks.”
All righty, then …
Few could blame him. Since Sunday’s 35-16 loss to Fresno State, a game in which turnovers by quarterbacks Casey Paus and Isaiah Stanback led to 28 Bulldog points, Gilbertson has heard of and talked about little else.
Gilbertson is a critic of bye weeks that come in just the second week of the schedule, but it would seem that a bye is what the Huskies need. Before they open their conference season against UCLA in 10 days, the Huskies could use all the time they can get to correct the catastrophic errors by Paus and Stanback.
It may take that long for the quarterbacks to shake Sunday’s nightmare off. Paus was 18-for-39 passing for 183 yards and three interceptions. The Bulldogs ran two picks back for touchdowns and scored another immediately following a third. Stanback, who led the Huskies’ first TD drive of the day, still was just 1-for-5 passing for 10 yards and an interception. His fumble, made when he tried to pull the ball back from fullback James Sims, directly led to a Fresno State touchdown.
Much of the reason for the meltdown, Gilbertson said, was inexperience. Paus, a fourth-year junior, was making his first UW start. Stanback, a sophomore who played wide receiver last season, was playing his first extended time at quarterback.
“If you’ve never been in that situation … it’s really hard,” Gilbertson said. “You feel a lot of pressure. You don’t want to let anybody down. You’re afraid to make a mistake. And a lot of times, when you’re afraid to make a mistake, that’s exactly what you do.”
The trick is to restore confidence. While the media and fans are anything but shy in their certainty of doom and gloom, the team can’t afford to pile it on. Inside linebacker Joe Lobendahn, in fact, made certain after the game that Paus and Stanback knew that he was sure better days are ahead.
The most important thing, he said, was for them to be ready against the Bruins.
“I told Casey and Isaiah to just forget about it,” said Lobendahn, who piled up 16 tackles Sunday. “I told them to just do their best out there and we’ve got their backs. Just don’t quit on us.”
To offensive tackle Khalif Barnes, the focus on Sunday’s bad aspects overshadowed the good. Tailback Kenny James ran for 75 yards and a touchdown. The defense allowed just 11 first downs and 262 net yards.
“My confidence, this team’s confidence, are not shaken,” he said. “We know how good of a team we are and how much better we’ve got to get. We just have to know the areas we’ve got to get better at and we have two weeks to do that.
“I guarantee you, two weeks from now the quarterback position will be a lot better. As a matter of fact, everybody will be a lot better.”
Lobendahn returns: It had been a year since Lobendahn had stepped onto the field in a competitive football game. One year since he lay on the Husky Stadium FieldTurf, writhing in agony with a torn ACL.
So it came as no surprise that Lobendahn, whose frightening competitiveness compensates for his lack of size, was extra-emotional when he lined up on the kickoff-return team to start the game.
“I was tearing up,” he said. “I was excited. I was getting mad. My adrenaline was just pumped.”
So respected is Lobendahn that his teammates elected him co-captain, despite having missed almost all of the 2003 season and spring drills. Four of his tackles were for loss of yardage, including one sack. He also forced a fumble and broke up a pass attempt. In fact, he came inches away from an interception.
“I was in a zone,” Lobendahn said. “I was just on it. I was just playing my game and having fun. It had been a year and I just wanted to get out there.”
So pity the poor slob who ran into Lobendahn during the opening kickoff.
“I buried the guy,” Lobendahn said, smiling, “which is fun.”
Short bursts: Tight end Joe Toledo, who has back and groin injuries, did not play Sunday and it is not known when he’ll return … Injuries Sunday included Stanback (ankle), tackle Ryan Brooks (ankle), Lobendahn (pinched nerve) and cornerback Derrick Johnson (wrist). None are considered serious, Gilbertson said … While wideout Charles Frederick had nine receptions for 114 yards Sunday, he didn’t get much help from the younger receivers. Quintin Daniels and Anthony Russo had just two catches apiece, while Corey Williams and Bobby Whithorne were shut out. Gilbertson said part of the problem was Fresno State’s veteran defensive backs, but he’d still like to get more balance among the receivers, including the tight end position … Freshman safety Darin Harris and linebacker Trenton Tuiasosopo didn’t play Sunday, but Gilbertson said he would like both to step onto the field this season instead of having to redshirt. Tuiasosopo is a former Mariner High School standout.
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