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| | Monday, September 6 | |||||
| 1998 Record: 6-6 (4-4) | 1998 statistics | 1999 schedule Head coach: Rick Neuheisel Returning starters: 15 (offense 5, defense 8) Outlook Rick Neuheisel wasted no time in winning over his new team, announcing that the Huskies were going back to the gold helmets many associate with Washington football's brightest days. He also wasted no time in getting into hot water over recruiting problems when assistant coaches contacted some recruits during a "quiet" period. A near-complete coaching overhaul shakes up what had been a staff long on tradition. The new staff includes two former college head coaches -- Steve Axman, who coached at Northern Arizona, and Keith Gilbertson, who left Washington to become Cal's head coach in 1992 -- and seven others who have served as coordinators. Aside from the coaching staff, the biggest change around Seattle will be the new defense. Washington, which helped bring the eight-man front into vogue around college football, is switching to a 3-4 defense. Half of the starters will be new, but that might be a blessing in disguise for a team taking on a new coaching staff and new schemes on both sides of the ball. To keep an open mind about his new players, Neuheisel said he didn't watch any tape from last season. He might get a bad impression early because of a tough schedule. Washington opens at BYU, gets another crack at Air Force (which embarrased the Huskies in the Oahu Bowl) and then has a grudge match against Colorado, which is already one of the hot tickets this season. Offense With Brock Huard at quarterback, the Huskies got away from what made them the dominant team in the conference this decade -- running the football. Huard left for the NFL with one year of eligibility remaining, handing the offensive reins over to well-tooled backup Marques Tuiasosopo. The junior is a dazzling runner (43 carries, 327 yards and 7 TDs) and has shown ability to throw the ball, too. Tuiasosopo saw quite a bit of action due to Huard's penchant for injury, and should be one of the strengths of the offense as it moves away from the four-receiver sets it used often in '98. The last time Washington had a dual-threat quarterback was Mark Brunell, who led the Huskies to a Rose Bowl. Don't expect those sorts of results right away; Washington still lacks a proven ground game. The team tried several backs last year without any great results. Willie Hurst led the team in rushing (538 yards) but averaged just 3.8 per carry as a true freshman. But even with a ton of lettermen coming back, the job might fall to incoming freshman Paul Arnold. The local product was the recruit Neuheisel had to land for his first class. Arnold has breakaway speed in a big package (6-1, 200). Last year Huard failed to develop a consistent rapport with any receiver. The closest he came was with former high school teammate Dane Looker, but injuries hampered Looker's first season in college football (he played basketball at Western Washington for two years before transfering to UW). Looker was tops on the team with 64 catches but he averaged barely more than 10 yards per catch. Chris Juergens set school freshman records in yards (414) and touchdowns (five). The line needs to regain its prominence after a down year. Tackle Elliott Silvers and guard Chad Ward are the only returnees -- the rest of the line could be made up of junior college transfers and underclassmen with little experience. It's a good sign if: Tuiasosopo is able to be the free-thinking, unpredictable, dangerous quarterback he has shown every indication he is. It's a bad sign if: The Huskies run the football like they did last season. Defense Provided the defense doesn't have any trouble switching to a 3-4 scheme, this unit should be one of the best the Huskies have had in recent years. Last year, Washington finished second in the nation in sacks (51) and most of the prominent pass rushers are back. The line has two of the conference's best in tackle Jabari Issa (6-6, 295) and Mac Tuiaea (6-6, 290), who figures to slide out to an end this season. The linebacking crew also is chock full of experience -- junior Jeremiah Pharms and seniors Lester Towns and Marques Hairston have been regulars almost since they stepped on campus. Towns missed the spring after undergoing foot surgery on an injury which hampered him last season, but says he's 100 percent now. The coaching staff is hoping so -- the new defense is designed to funnel runners his way. Up-and-coming sophomores Jafar Williams and Anthony Kelley could be the 'backers of the future. The area where the Huskies need major help is the secondary. Despite the immense pressure the team was capable of putting on quarterbacks, Washington still gave up more passing yards and had fewer interceptions than any other Pac-10 team. Cornerback Jermaine Smith returns for his fourth season as a starter; despite all his experience, he has only two career interceptions. The other corner last year, Toure Butler, will redshirt because his knee failed to respond to rehab after offseason surgery. His starting spot will most likely go to converted safety Anthony Vontoure. Strong safety Hakim Akbar made a good impression as a freshman last season and could be the Huskies' next star in the secondary, following in the footsteps of Lawyer Milloy and Tony Parrish. It's a good sign if: The Huskies adjust quickly to a new defense and force teams away from their offensive strengths. It's a bad sign if: Opponents are able to pile up the kind of passing yards they did last season. Special Teams Perhaps the only area of the team which took more heat than the secondary was the kicking game. The placekicking was so bad that wide receiver/kick returner Joe Jarzynka, a high school soccer player, finished the season as the kicker (he made 6-of-8 field goals). Freshman John Anderson, winner of the Lou Groza Award as the nation's top high school kicker, will compete for the job with returnees Jim Skurski and Craig Hawley. Ryan Fleming needs to improve on his 38.7-yard punting average. The return game is in good hands with Jarzynka and Butler. If super-speedster Ja'Warren Hooker stays healthy, this is where he should make an impact. His sprinter's build hasn't been able to handle the punishment of playing major-college football, but there's no denying his game-breaking speed. -- Greg Collins |
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