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2009 Washington College Football Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

Wash 7309 Washington Husky football has bottomed out. The Huskies finished the 2008 season 0-12 and have now lost 10 straight in Pac-10 play, eight straight at home, and seven in a row on the road. Ty Willingham was sent packing and now the program will start the rebuilding process all over again with its third head man in seven seasons. That head coach is former USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. Washington is listed at +20,000 to win the 2009 BCS Championship.

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Offense – Sarkisian gives the Huskies a guy who is used to winning and that should mean he’s going to work tirelessly until he’s winning at Washington. The good news is that he’ll be able to start his term with a healthy Jake Locker at quarterback. Washington was competitive in two of its first four games, losing by just one to BYU and by a touchdown to Stanford, before Locker went down with a broken thumb. While Locker is an athlete, known as a dual-threat quarterback who ran for 13 scores and threw for 14 more in his redshirt freshman season, Sarkisian has asked him to be more of a pocket passer this season. He wants Locker to become a more efficient passer and to rely more on the playmakers around him. He has a pair of solid wide receivers to look for in D’Andre Goodwin and Jermaine Kearse. Goodwin caught 60 passes for nearly 700 yards last season and Kearse is a burner who gives the Huskies a deep threat. The running back spot is unproven and Sarkisian continues to try his lineman at different spots to see where they fit best. Another tough season is inevitable, but having a competitor like Locker back under center is going to make it a lot more bearable.

Defense – The defense was equally as bad as the offense in 2008, ranking 116th nationally in points allowed per game (38.6) and 110th in total yards allowed per game (451.8). But things are already looking up in Seattle as Sarkisian was able to bring USC defensive coordinator Nick Holt with him. The team should also get a boost from the return of outside linebacker E.J. Savannah to the program. Savannah was widely regarded as the best defensive player on the squad two seasons ago before he quit the team after butting heads with Willingham. He’ll team with Donald Butler and Mason Foster to form a respectable linebacker unit. There are still plenty holes up front and in the defensive backfield, however. Defensive end Daniel Te’o-Nesheim is one player up the front who the Huskies should be able to count on though. He led the team with eight sacks last season and will line up at both the end and tackle spot in 2009. The secondary is not Pac-10 caliber in my opinion. If Washington gets stiffer against the run, teams will be able to pass the Huskies at will.

Prediction: 9th Pac-10 Conference – Bringing in both USC coordinators and getting Jake Locker back healthy is great news for a program which has lost 14 straight games dating back to the 2007 season. While the streak likely extends to 15 straight defeats with LSU visiting in week one, I’m expecting at least two wins out of the Huskies this season to avoid the goose egg and the Pac-10 basement. Washington is listed at +7,500 to win the Pac-10 Conference.

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