Eagles offer Huskies first 2011 challenge

It’s finally here. After three weeks of individual drills, position drills, team drills, weight lifting, team meetings, position meetings, scrimmages and endless waiting, the season is finally here.

At 4 p.m. today at Husky Stadium, the wait is over as Washington’s 2011 season kicks off against the Football Championship Subdivision’s No. 1 ranked team – the Eastern Washington Eagles.

“It’s an exciting time for us, but yet one that we know is very challenging,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “Eastern is a team that’s coming in here with a lot of confidence, that’s won a lot of football games – more games than we’ve won the last two years, that’s for sure. It will pose a great threat for us that way.”

After last year’s late-season surge that resulted in a Holiday Bowl in over Nebraska, expectations are high at Montlake. Huskies players and fans expect to be playing for a bowl again. There is no more talk of rebuilding for success, now it’s repeating success.

But just who are the 2011 Huskies?

On paper, the team features the most talented collection of players Sarkisian has been able to put on the field during his tenure.

More importantly, there is depth at almost every position. In the past few seasons, the Huskies’ starting units were solid, but an injury of any sort created a noticeable drop-off. That’s not the case this season.

If running back Chris Polk (knee) or cornerback Quinton Richardson (ankle) aren’t healthy enough today, the Huskies have quality players in Jesse Callier and Greg Ducre to take their place.

Sarkisian plans to play more players than he has before, particularly at wide receiver, defensive line and in the secondary.

Yet, for all that Sarkisian knows about his players and what they’ve accomplished and learned during fall camp, he still has one big question that is left unanswered.

“The biggest one is – ‘Who are we on game day?’ ” he said. “Who is this 2011 Husky football team when you come out of the tunnel, thousands of people are in the stands, the lights are on … who are we? Are we the same team that we were on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday? Or do we change, and I have to tweak that?”

Many a team has gone from world-beaters in practice to beaten on Saturdays.

“You’ve seen it a lot of times with teams,” he said. “Sometimes, you put on the real uniform, it can change a little bit. I’m hopeful that won’t occur, and I believe it won’t occur, but until I actually get a chance to see it, it remains to be seen.”

Sarkisian has lauded this year’s squad for its effort and enthusiasm in fall camp. Will those qualities be evident on game day?

“The goal is, we don’t change,” he said. “We’re that team. I think that’s who we are, but the biggest question is – until that happens (today), that’s my biggest question mark. Are we the same guys that we were all training camp, that as a staff we fell in love with? Because we love the camaraderie, we love the energy, we love the enthusiasm, we love the effort. Or, do some of our guys sit back because all of a sudden it’s game day? I don’t envision that happening.”

Part of the reason for that question is because of the number of players who will be playing in their first major college football game.

The Huskies likely will have at least 10 of those players making their debuts. For some, including guard Colin Tanigawa, tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins and linebacker John Timu, it’s not a soft landing of a few snaps here or there or special-teams duty – they will start and playing significant snaps.

“There might be some nerves,” said the low-key Tanigawa. “I don’t know. I guess we’ll see on Saturday.”

Junior wide receiver James Johnson remembers being in that situation as a freshman starter. The Huskies were playing Louisiana State, and he ran out to a nearly packed Husky Stadium in awe and wonder.

“I was looking up, and all I saw was purple,” he said. “It’s a bit shocking. But once that first snap happens and you get your first hit, then it’s just football again.”

So what advice would Johnson offer those newbies – one of them being fellow wide receiver Kasen Williams – to help them perform at maximum level?

“Just to play relaxed,” Johnson said. “We practice at such a high and fast tempo, honestly the game is a lot slower because of that. They just need to study up, don’t be nervous, relax and have fun.”

Sarkisian believes his staff has done everything it can to help ease that transition.

“We try to create scenarios for our young guys as much as we can and put them in as many stressful situations as we can in training camp and practice,” he said. “So hopefully, when those situations arise in games – I don’t expect them to be perfect – but I do hope they feel a little bit more comfortable, knowing, ‘Hey I’ve been in this two minute drill. I’ve been in this red zone drill. I’ve done this blitz drill. I’ve played man to man coverage against some really good receivers,’ or whatnot.”

But even with quarterback Keith Price, who started one game last season and played in five others, there still is an unknown as to how he will react as the starter. He’s said and done all the right things, but this is his team now.

“I’m curious, like you are,” Sarkisian said. “You never know. The lights are on, and it’s your team. I expect him to play well, but I’m still curious.”

He was talking about Price, but in a way, he was also talking about the whole team.

Just who are the 2011 Huskies? The answer will begin to take shape today.

Ryan Divish: 253-597-8483 ryan.divish@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/uwsports

Huskies gameday

EASTERN WASHINGTON (0-0, 0-0) AT WASHINGTON (0-0, 0-0)

Kickoff: 4 p.m., Husky Stadium

TV: Root Sports. Radio: 950-AM.

The series: First meeting.

What to watch: No one really knows how Keith Price will react as the starting quarterback. Yes, he started one game last season in place of Jake Locker. But this is different. This is his offense and his team. The sophomore has done and said all the right things this fall. Now he must perform on the field. He certainly has a plethora of weapons with six wide receivers – led by Jermaine Kearse – who can all make plays. There is a tight end threat with massive freshman Austin Seferian-Jenkins. And, of course, there is talent at running back with Chris Polk and Jesse Callier. Whether Polk plays today should not matter for a team this deep in weapons. … Most early games against lower-division teams are blowouts waiting to happen, but don’t expect that in this game. Eastern is good – really good. The Eagles won the Football Championship Subdivision national title last season and return 15 starters from that team. They won’t be afraid or intimidated by the Huskies or Husky Stadium. Don’t underestimate the idea that the 60 Washington natives on Eastern’s roster likely wanted to play for the Huskies and will be out to prove that they could. … Defensively, EWU has Tumwater natives Matt and Zach Johnson – two of the best players in the Big Sky Conference. But it will be defensive tackle Renard Williams who could cause the most trouble. The South Kitsap standout is a legitimate NFL prospect, and he will be handful for a Huskies offensive line that still starts three sophomores. … The Eagles will use four-wide-receiver sets often, trying to spread out the UW secondary and take advantage of matchups and soft spots in zone coverage. They will also try and use their size over the Huskies’ diminutive corners.

What’s at stake: For the Huskies, they have everything to lose and not much to gain by playing an FCS team for the first time in school history. A loss to the Eagles would be a devastating way to start the season. A win will make them 1-0 for the first time in Sarkisian’s tenure.

The pick: Washington, 35-17.

PRIME NUMBERS

EASTERN WASHINGTON

No.Name (position)Height/weightYear

9Bo Levi Mitchell (QB)6-2/210Senior The SMU transfer has a big arm and is completely fearless when it comes to making tough throws.

11Nicholas Edwards (WR)6-3/200Junior The Foss grad is a big, strong target who will catch passes over the middle and break tackles for extra yards.

1Brandon Kaufman (WR)6-5/215Junior Long and lanky, he loves to run fade patterns and leap over shorter defensive backs to make the catch.

98Renard Williams (DT)6-2/300Senior The former South Kitsap standout is a beast up front. He has size, speed, strength, a motor and an NFL future.

60Gabriel Jackson (LT)6-4/280Senior The Mount Tahoma grad anchors a good offensive line that could keep UW’s speed rushers off of Mitchell.

WASHINGTON

No.Name (position)Height/weightYear

17Keith Price (QB)6-1/195Sophomore He takes over as quarterback from Jake Locker and is ready to make his own name as a QB.

2Kasen Williams (WR)6-2/212Freshman The freshman is just too good and too talented to be kept off the field. He will make his presence felt.

18Greg Ducre (CB)5-10/173Sophomore With Quinton Richardson hurting, the speedy Ducre will get the start and will have to deal with EWU’s big receivers.

52Hau’oli Jamora (DE)6-3/247Sophomore With the Eagles set to pass 40-plus times, Jamora will need to put some pressure on the quarterback.

31Cort Dennison (MLB)6-1/234Senior Flanked by two new outside linebackers, Dennison’s smarts and leadership skills will be needed in the first game.

Ryan Divish, staff writer