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In hindsight, was an NCAA betting pool really that big a deal? O.K., so Rick Neuheisel had more than his share of critics and many didn't like the thought of Slick Rick as the head man of the program, but the guy got a lot out of his teams going 33-16. He got the Huskies to a Rose Bowl and did a sensational job of getting back to a bowl game in 2002 after a horrible start. Just when it appeared an offensive juggernaut was in the making, he was canned.
Even without Ol' Blondie, the offense should've worked last year with offensive coordinator Keith Gilbertson taking over the reins and with QB Cody Pickett and WR Reggie Williams returning. It didn't happen. The explosive attack of 2002 was a distant memory as the team, as a whole, was wildly inconsistent and didn't get to a post-season game.
Washington sees itself as a national power program, and there's no time to fall further behind in the Pac 10 pecking order. The talent is there, but it's very young and there are some serious concerns. The line needed several defensive linemen to move positions to help out making the D line extremely young. The secondary is about the only sure-thing on the team with three returning starters, but that doesn't mean this will be a bad year. If QB Casey Paus comes through early and the good young backfield breaks out, the offense should be fine. It just won't be 2002 explosive. The defense will be average, but that's not usually a problem in the Pac 10. The key will be consistency as there can't be any more gaffes like the Nevada and Arizona losses last year. Now it's time for Gilbertson to turn things around or else next year will be year one of a new coaching staff.
The Schedule: The road slate is one of the Pac 10's toughest with games at USC, Oregon and Washington State to go along with the trip to South Bend. Getting at Stanford and San Jose State in the middle of the year should be a nice rest. The final three away dates might be against the Pac 10's three best teams (USC, Oregon and Washington State.)
Best Offensive Player: WR Charles Frederick will be the team's flashiest star, but the team's top offensive player is tackle Khalif Barnes. The 2003 honorable mention All-Pac 10 selection will need to come up with a huge season as the experienced anchor of a shaky line.
Best Defensive Player: Senior CB Derrick Johnson. One of the Pac 10's best cornerbacks, Johnson has broken up 17 passes and picked off 21 over the past two years. He can tackle, but his real talents are when the ball is in the air as a tremendous ball-hawk.
Key player to a successful season: Washington always gets some of the best quarterback performances in college football, and now star Cody Pickett is gone. While it'll be a bit of a battle for the starting spot, junior Casey Paus has the job as long as he doesn't fall flat this summer. He's a smart passer with all the tools to be a great one, but all that matters is production. If he doesn't have a big year, it'll be up the athletic but shaky Isaiah Stanback or redshirt freshman Carl Bonnell to take over. Don't discount true freshman Matt Tuiasosopo.
The season will be a success if ... Washington gets back to a bowl game. Dawg fans always want to be in the hunt for the Pac 10 title, but the team is too young and the schedule too tough for that. Just getting back to the post-season would be a step in the right direction.
Key game: Oct. 30 at Oregon. The Huskies came up with one of their best performances of 2003 in a 42-10 blasting of the Ducks. They took that momentum and promptly lost to a miserable Arizona team before getting destroyed by Cal. With revenge home dates with the Wildcats and Bears after the Oregon game this year, it's possible U-Dub could go on a nice end-of-the-year run if it comes out of Autzen with a win.
2003 Fun Stats:
- Fourth quarter scoring: Washington 119 - Opponents 64
- Fumbles: Washington 30 (lost 16) - Opponents 14 (lost 10)
- Punt return average: Washington 10.9 - Opponents 5.4
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