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Sure, Cody Pickett's father, Dee, is a rodeo legend. Yes, Cody himself won $30,000 on the circuit roping calves. But enough of the cowboy talk, okay? He's flat-out tired of it. The Huskies QB blares rap from his purple Alero, he hasn't been on a horse in three years and the last four digits of his cell number spell out C-O-D-Y, not P-O-N-Y or C-A-L-F. No more roping; now it's time for frozen ropes. After separating his throwing shoulder in Game 4 last year and playing the rest of the way in grueling pain, the 6'4", 215-pound junior is healthy and winging the ball 70 yards again. "It looked like someone had a finger beneath my skin poking up two inches," Pickett says of the injury, which contributed to his league-high 14 picks. "Now it's just a little knot, like a golf ball." Reggie Williams, a 6'4", 220-pound LB masquerading as a WR, should improve upon his 55 catches as a true freshman -- and the Huskies will need the production in the "Who Scores More" Pac-10. Last season, UDub was outscored 323-310, and surrendered 112 points in season-ending losses to Miami and Texas. Former walk-on LB Ben Mahdavi (team-high five sacks in 2001) pilots a defense that features seven new starters. "But," Mahdavi points out, "we have more guys coming back than we did in the Rose Bowl year." If the D needs bailing out, they know who to call. Just don't expect Pickett to show up on a white horse.
To spice up a stagnant running game, Rick Neuheisel has moved Marques Tuiasosopo's not-so-little brother Zach (245 pounds) from linebacker to fullback. Tuiasosopo will get his share of carries and open up big holes for TB Rich Alexis, who suffered last year from an inexperienced O-line (3.1 ypc compared to 6.2 in 2000). "Zach doesn't just block guys," says Mahdavi, "he puts them on their backs."
TRIP WIRE
Neuheisel was so frustrated with his D last year that he almost switched out of the 3-4. Now, subtract DT Larry Triplett and
his 12.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage. If the Huskies can't find another run-stuffing pocket crusher, the D could switch to a
4-3 to protect an iffy secondary.
WIRE TAP
"You gotta pound on them hard. They're going to have some problems up front. Their linebackers can run, but I don't think that they are very physical. Last year, Washington had a lot of injuries in the secondary, so you could throw on them. But now, the Huskies are
really green up front. That's where you hit 'em."
BRISTOL WIRE
Chris Fowler: "The Huskies can't rely on Pickett-to-Williams and an improved running game to win shootouts. With four tough road games, the thick-ankled D has to improve big time."
This article appears in the September 2 issue of ESPN The Magazine. |
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