It’s not out of the realm of possibility – in fact, it’s likely – that Mike Holmgren and Tyrone Willingham are burning up the Internet with e-mail messages back and forth.
Misery loves company, and there’s plenty of misery in Kirkland and Montlake to go around.
Even a head football coach needs someone to talk to, someone who shares similar experiences and lives through similar headaches. If not, the pressure of the job dictates that he check himself into a stress-management seminar.
Each faces the public the way coaches are supposed to. Each plays the hand he’s dealt, as the old Knoxism goes. Each makes the best of bad situations.
In public, anyway. In their own private moments, though, they must want to yark supper.
Both are without their starting quarterbacks. Both are without their starting running backs – although Washington’s Kenny James has a slight chance of returning this week after missing almost the entire Cal game with a sprained ankle. Each coach has goals and expectations that, if he hasn’t mentioned, the media have done a superb job of mentioning them for him.
Willingham first brought up the Washington Huskies’ goal of reaching a bowl game. They may still. But now, they have the small matter of a three-game losing streak, face the last four games of the regular season without starting quarterback Isaiah Stanback and with James’ uncertain status.
At 4-4, the Huskies need two more victories to become bowl-eligible. They have Arizona State and Stanford at home, Oregon and Washington State on the road. All are winnable games, but then that’s what many said about Oregon State before the Huskies rolled over and exposed the jugular in an ugly loss.
Winnable games? Yes. Loseable games? Absolutely. Every week. Even against Stanford.
As impressive as Washington was against USC and Cal, it was equally puzzling against Oregon State. Bettors have breakdowns trying to figure out this team.
Willingham has the added question mark of backup quarterback Carl Bonnell. Yes, he pulled the Huskies closer to Cal than anyone could expect, but he also threw five interceptions. Does he have the full confidence of the coaching staff? Willingham says yes, but then, that’s his public face talking.
The minions still scream for true freshman Jake Locker. Bonnell would make Willingham’s life much more pleasant and simple with a solid outing, including bare-minimum picks, Saturday against ASU.
The Huskies would replace James with Louis Rankin, who has achieved some measure of success, but continues the maddening practice of dancing around in the backfield like Baryshnikov before he finally decides to run through a hole – if one exists.
How thin are the Huskies at tailback? No one is listed behind James and Rankin on the depth chart, although Shelton Sampson has experience there.
With his MVP running back missing his third straight game and his Pro Bowl quarterback just starting his injury-enforced absence, Holmgren just has to be in a beautiful mood these days.
He has Shaun Alexander claiming to be ready to return a week after he broke his foot. Commend Alexander’s desire, but hurrying any injury, especially a break in the foot, is just asking for it. Maybe the sight of Mo Morris passing Walter Jones on an ill-fated sweep against the Bears was more than Alexander could stand.
Worse yet was Sunday’s knee sprain to Hasselbeck, who figures to miss at least the next three games. Holmgren is giving backup Seneca Wallace as much verbal support as possible. But he has to remember Wallace’s two interceptions and a fumble that led to a touchdown against Minnesota Sunday and reach for his Maalox.
It’s a crucial time for both teams. Although the Huskies have exceeded all outsiders’ expectations already, a bowl game would be a wonderful reward for the team’s seniors, who have been through three coaching staffs and more blowout losses than they’d ever dreamed. If anyone deserves a bonus for all those lean years, they do.
The Seahawks are 4-2 – early in the season – but injuries and an unexpectedly leaky defense threaten to make the Minnesota game the beginning of a downward spiral.
Without their top weapons, Willingham and Holmgren are left talking to themselves.
And, if they know what’s mentally healthy, each other.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
