Super Bowl Update

By Kshell

This year just like the last two years the Washington Huskies had two guys drafted in this years NFL draft. Steve Sarkisian saw two of his former players who were both recruited by Tyrone Willingham get drafted in Alameda Ta'amu in the fourth round and Senio Kelemete in the fifth round. For the Huskies to produce two lineman in the draft has shown just how far this program has come along. For Kelemete he was the first Husky offensive lineman taken since Joe Toledo in the 2006 draft. While Ta'amu is the first defensive tackle taken since Terry Johnson in the 2004 draft. Those stats right there shows you why the Huskies program has struggled in the last couple of years.

The Pittsburgh Steelers traded up to draft Ta'amu in the 4th round. Ta'mu who is 6'2" weighs 348 lbs is a perfect fit for the Steelers who run a 3-4 defense. In his career with the Huskies Ta'amu was a big time recruit for Tyrone Willingham out of Rainier Beach High School. Ta'amu started as a true freshman on the defensive line late as he played in all 12 games including the final five games as a starter. As a sophomore Ta'amu started 11 games. Then as a junior he started all 13 games was named Pac-10 honorable mention as well. He was also named Huskies defensive lineman of the year. He was a big force in the Holiday Bowl win over Nebraska and was due for a breakout year his senior year. Instead he stayed the same as a senior once again starting all 13 games and once again was only named honorable mention all Pac-12. He was also a team captain and at times the heart and soul of the defense. With the Steelers who run a 3-4 unlike the Huskies he'll be a big addition for them.

The other Huskies lineman who was drafted was Senio Kelemete another local product. He was picked by the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth round. As a true freshman who had his redshirt burned by Willingham Kelemete played eight games at defensive tackle making four starts. When Sarkisian took over the program he moved Kelemete to offensive line. Kelemete started as a true sophomore on the offensive line where started 11 of 12 games earning honorable mention. Then in 2010 Sarkisian moved him again to the blindside where Kelemete was the left tackle where he started 26 consecutive games and was a two year captain of the team. As a senior Kelemete was rock solid earning second-team all Pac-12. Kelemete is an athletic lineman who is 6'4" 307 lbs. The Cardinals can play him at tackle or guard and Kelemete will surely get the job done for the Seahawks divisional rivals.

This draft was a disappointment for the Huskies program as they expected to get four guys drafted instead they have just two. You know the program has arrived when the Huskies are getting multiple guys drafted not just two per year. Considering the Huskies did go back to back years in the 2008 and 2009 drafts with nobody selected at least they are getting some drafted. For Ta'amu and Kelemete they were both good Husky lineman and it was a shame there wasn't more players like these two on the lines for this program. I know both will do well in the NFL as they are going to teams where they fit their styles. For the Huskies program anytime you get guys drafted it can still be seen as a positive. I wish nothing but the best for Kelemete and Ta'amu!

By Patton Richard

This is my 2nd Mock Draft of the year, but my first since the College season has ended and a lot has changed. I tried to pack a lot of my thoughts into each pick. Like always, questions/comments are always welcome. There are only 10 days until the draft and a lot can change between now and then!

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford.
The inevitable.

2. Washington RedSkins (from STL): Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor.
The inevitable.

3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, USC.
A lot of people believe this is the inevitable part III, however I disagree. I hear rumblings that since absolutely no one knows what Cleveland is doing, this is a hot-spot for trades. People have been calling about Kalil, Claiborne, Richardson and Tannehill. I would not be shocked at all if someone jumps Cleveland to get their guy, as they have no idea who's going to fall.

4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama.
I feel like Cleveland spent all off-season trying to upgrade the QB position, and once they failed at that they should decide to upgrade their talent around the QB. With Peyton Hillis signing in KC they only have Montario Hardesty on the roster as any RB worth anything. I can't believe they'd be willing to pass up Trent Richardson here, however if they do I believe it's between Floyd and Tannehill.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU.
Tampa really loves being in the 5th position. They would love any of the big 5 prospects so they will sit here and take whatever one is left.

6. St. Louis Rams (from WAS): Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State.
I'm hearing St. Louis LOVES Richardson (no surprise here, who doesn't?), and is trying to figure out if they have to move up. They've had preliminary talks with Minnesota about moving up to #3 to grab him. If they are unsuccessful then I think they will take Fletcher Cox over Michael Floyd or Justin Blackmon. Cox has the versatility that Fisher likes in his linemen.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame.
Blaine Gabbert was terrible last year, in fact I'm shocked that the Jaguars won any games at all last year. They have holes everywhere. This pick could go any number of ways: Floyd, Blackmon, Gilmore, Barron, DeCastro, Ingram, Upshaw, Kuechly. No one really knows what Jacksonville is going to do, but I think Floyd would give them someone next to Lee Evans who can make life on Gabbert a little easier. I have heard that they want to trade down and take Floyd, but I think Carolina would take him at #9.

8. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M.
Miami gets their QB at #8. Now I don't believe this will actually happen, I think someone is going to trade up to #6 (if Richardson is gone) or #7 (Jacksonville would love to trade back) to take Tannehill. I think Kansas City, Buffalo, and Cleveland (from #22) are all possibilities.

9. Carolina Panthers: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina.
Stephon Gilmore has always been a personal favorite, but I'm hearing teams are coming around on him. Carolina would love a DL, a WR or CB. I believe Gilmore is the best value here.

10. Buffalo Bills: David Decastro, OG, Stanford.
After spending lots of money on bolstering the D-Line, Buffalo turns to the OLine to grab the 2nd best Olinemen in the draft. I think they would consider Blackmon here too.

11. Kansas City Chiefs: Mark Barron, S, Alabama.
Teams are starting to realize how hard it is to get good safeties, the idea of putting Barron next to Eric Berry is too good to pass up. Barron and Berry can both cover and help in the run game. Everyone thinks that they are going Poe here, but I'm not sure if I believe it.

12. Seattle Seahawks: Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College.
Probably the toughest pick to make, I know some people love Ingram, others love Coples and everyone else loves Upshaw. All 3 are available and yet I have the Seahawks passing on all of them, the reason? Kuechly is that good. He was recently #6 on Mayock's big board, he's #4 on mine (Luck, Richardson, RG3, Kuechly, Claiborne, Kalil for those of you interested). Besides Luck and Richardson, Kuechly is the most likely to be an All-Pro 8+ year pro bowler. I don't see how you can turn that down when there is a need at that position. Currently Seattle plans on starting Barrett Ruud at LB, Kuechly would be an enormous upgrade.

13. Arizona Cardinals: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State.
Justin Blackmon is an Anquan Boldin clone, but less physical. I think he will thrive next to Fitzgerald and with an accurate passer like Kolb.

14. Dallas Cowboys: Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis.
A little birdy told me Poe is #7 on Dallas's board. I think Rob Ryan is seeing the potential in what he could be and salivating.

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama.
Philadelphia would love Kuechly to fall to them, but in this mock he doesn't. They take the rising Hightower who many think is the best LB prospect in this draft. He brings a pass-rushing element that Kuechly doesn't, but Kuechly does everything else better.

16. New York Jets: Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South Carolina.
Melvin Ingram is a victim of unfortunate Circumstances. He could go as early as #6 and I believe that this is his absolute floor. I can't imagine him falling any further than right here.

17. Cincinnati Bengals (from OAK): Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama.
This seems to be the obvious pick, yet Cinci seems to do the obvious almost every year.

18. San Diego Chargers: Courtney Upshaw, LB, Alabama.
Upshaw is a perfect fit as an OLB in SD's 3-4 defense. I liken him to Brian Orakpo, but I don't

19. Chicago Bears: Riley Reiff, T, Iowa.
I struggle to see why all these Iowa OT's get taken early. As you may or may not remember I was completely against Baluga in the first round, and I'm completely against Reiff in the first round as well. That being said, I believe the Bears will take another OL in the first that won't pan out like they hope (just like Crimini last year).

20. Tennessee Titans: Quinton Coples, DT/DE, North Carolina.
I also believe that this represents the floor for Coples, he's versatile and can play many positions on the DL. He has the highest ceiling out of any dlinemen in this draft, however inconsistency has made him fall.

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech.
Cincinnati first addresses their CB need, and now they go find another threat across AJ Green. Stephen Hill needs to be refined, but with Dalton and Green, they are starting to build something dangerous.

22. Cleveland Browns (from ATL): Colby Fleener, TE, Stanford.
Everyone always hears that a TE is a QBs best friend. Well, Colt McCoy, meet your new best friend. Fleener can cause havoc in a West Coast based offense (as he came from one in Stanford).

23. Detroit Lions: Brandon Boykin, CB, Georgia.
Detroit has 2 really big needs going into this offseason, Secondary and Oline. I wouldn't be surprised if they took 5 players between those 2 areas. Boykin is the best non-Janoris Jenkins corner left. I believe Jenkins is a top 10 talent, but the way I heard he interviewed is that he "smoked himself stupid" and that he continued to play at Northern Alabama instead of going into the supplemental draft so he could continue to smoke weed. Sorry, this is supposed to be about Boykin. He's good. He plays the run very well and he's very physical for someone his size. He'll fit in nicely with Schwartz in Detroit.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Cordy Glenn, OG/OT, Georgia.
Cordy Glenn projects to be a James Carpenter type who can play either guard or RT. I know Pittsburgh values that kind of versatility.

25. Denver Broncos: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor.
Robert Griffin's go to receiver becomes Peyton Manning's new toy. He can line up in the slot and learn from the newly signed Brandon Stokley, or he can line up outside and use his speed to get open. The WR corps of Demaryius Thomas and not much else won't be sufficient for Peyton.

26. Houston Texans: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford.
Teams are DOWN on Jonathan Martin, I'm hearing he's projected between picks 30-50. However, at this point when stuff like that leaks, it usually means a certain team really likes him and hopes he falls to them. I believe Houston could benefit greatly from having Jonathan Martin and he's a perfect fit for a ZBS.

27. New England Patriots (from NO): Jamell Fleming, CB, Oklahoma.
Jamell Fleming has it all on tape, however he struggled in school being suspended twice. However, as a regional scout once told me "we're not paying them to go to school". I think New England believes in the leadership that they have in place to take a chance on Fleming.

28. Green Bay Packers: Shea McClellin, LB/DE, Boise State.
McClellin is a late riser who fits a 3-4 OLB perfectly. Green Bay needs someone to rush the passer on the edge opposite of Clay Matthews. I think Nick Perry could be the pick here, but he prefers to rush from the DE position.

29. Baltimore Ravens: Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois.
Baltimore lost 3 front 7 players this offseason, so I believe Mercilus will be a great pass rusher for them to plug and play right away I wouldn’t be surprised if the Ravens have Nick Perry rated high enough to take him here.

30. San Francisco 49ers: Rueben Randle, WR, LSU.
San Francisco will probably take two WR's in the first 4 rounds to pair with Crabtree, Manningham and a decrepit Randy Moss. Randle is the best fit out of all the WRs available. They would love Wright or Hill, but Randle is deserving of a 1st round pick. Randle blocks exceptionally well for a WR which is a necessity for Jim Harbaugh.

31. New England Patriots: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU.
I hate projecting players to New England because they rarely every actually take them so I usually just project best player available. I think that's Michael Brockers who some believe has top 15 upside.

32. New York Giants: Doug Martin, RB, Boise State.
Doug Martin is loved by all in the scouting community. I have heard some having him as high as #12 prospect overall and going to the Jets or Bengals. I see a big running back who can truck and use his speed and agility. I think New York would love to have someone to replace Brandon Jacobs.

Round 2
33. St. Louis Rams: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin
34. Indianapolis Colts: Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers
35. Minnesota Vikings: Josh Robinson CB Central Florida
36. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Lamar Miller, RB, Miami FL
37. Cleveland Browns: Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State
38. Jacksonville Jaguars: fndre Branch, DE, Clemson
39. St. Louis Rams (from WAS): Alshon Jeffrey, WR, South Carolina
40. Miami Dolphins: Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse
41. Buffalo Bills: Bobby Massie, T, Ole Miss
42. Carolina Panthers: Devon Still, DT, Penn State

43. Seattle Seahawks: Nick Perry, DE/OLB, USC
Seattle gets their edge rusher in Nick Perry who Cosell called the best passrushing 4-3 DE in the draft. Unfortunately when I see Perry I see more Vernon Gholston than anything. I have a late 3rd round grade on him, but I understand why others have him as a top 20 pick.

44. Kansas City Chiefs: Brock Osweiler, QB, Arizona State
45. Dallas Cowboys: Mychael Kendricks, LB, California
46. Philadelphia Eagles: Mike Adams, T, Ohio State
47. New York Jets: Greg Childs, WR, Arkansas
48. New England Patriots (from OAK): Kendall Reyes, DE, UConn
49. San Diego Chargers: Harrison Smith, S, Notre Dame
50. Chicago Bears: Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State
51. Philadelphia Eagles (from ARI): Vinny Curry, DE/OLB, Marshall
52. Tennessee Titans: Amini Silatolu, G, Midwestern State
53. Cincinnati Bengals: David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech
54. Detroit Lions: Kelechi Osemele, G/T, Iowa State
55. Atlanta Falcons: Chris Polk, RB, Washington
56. Pittsburgh Steelers: Alameda Ta'Amu, NT, Washington
57. Denver Broncos: Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State
58. Houston Texans: Lavonte David, LB, Nebraska
59. New Orleans Saints: Forefited
60. Green Bay Packers: Josh Chapman, DT, Alabama
61. Baltimore Ravens: Kevin Zeitler, G, Wisconsin
62. San Francisco 49ers: Brandon Thompson, DT, Clemson
63. New England Patriots: Brian Quick, WR, Appalachian State
64. New York Giants: Zach Brown, LB, North Carolina

Round 3
65. Indianapolis Colts: Trumaine Johnson, CB, Montana
66. St. Louis Rams: Bobby Wagner, LB, Utah State
67. Minnesota Vikings: Mitchell Schwartz, T, California
68. Cleveland Browns: AJ Jenkins, WR, Illinois
69. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Sean Spence, LB, Miami FL
70. Washington Redskins: Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma
71. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jayron Hosley, CB, Virginia Tech.
72. Buffalo Bills: Markelle Martin, S, Oklahoma State
73. *Minnesota Vikings (from MIA): Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple
74. Chicago Bears (from CAR): Nick Toon, WR, Wisconsin
75. Kansas City Chiefs: Janoris Jenkins, CB, Northern Alabama

76. Seattle Seahawks: Jared Crick, DE, Nebraska
Yes Seattle takes 3 straight defensive players, and Crick is another DE. However, he's a completely different DE than Perry. He's more than a pass rushing specialist, and Seattle needs more than 1 DE. Crick was thought of as a 1st round pick until his disappointing senior season and his injury. I think Seattle would gladly take Crick here and use the next couple picks on a RB, OL and QB.

77. Philadelphia Eagles: LaMichael James, Oregon
78. New York Jets: Ronnell Lewis, OLB, Oklahoma
79. Oakland Raiders -- used on Terrelle Pryor in Supplemental Draft
80. San Diego Chargers: Marvin Jones, WR, California
81. Miami Dolphins (from CHI): Juron Criner, WR, Arizona
82. Arizona Cardinals: Cam Johnson, DE, Virginia
83. Dallas Cowboys: Jeff Allen, G/T, Illinois
84. Tennessee Titans: Casey Hayward, CB, Vanderbilt
85. Cincinnati Bengals: Josh Kaddu, LB, Oregon
86. Atlanta Falcons: Zebrie Sanders, T, Florida State
87. Detroit Lions: Brandon Washington, G, Miami FL
88. Pittsburgh Steelers: Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati
89. Denver Broncos: Demario Davis, LB, Arkansas State
90. Houston Texans: Joe Adams, WR, Arkansas
91. New Orleans Saints: Coryell Judie, CB, Texas A&M
92. Green Bay Packers: Derek Wolfe, DE, Cincinnati
93. Baltimore Ravens: Chris Givens, WR, Wake Forest
94. San Francisco 49ers: Ben Jones, G, Georgia
95. New England Patriots: George Iloka, S, Boise State
96. New York Giants: Ladarius Green, TE, LA-Lafayette

By Kshell

The Washington Huskies(7-5,5-4) are set to take on the #12 Baylor Bears(9-3,6-3) in the Alamo Bowl set in San Antonio, Texas which is three hours from the Baylor campus. Both teams feature explosive offenses led by Baylor's Robert Griffin III who won the heisman trophy. The Baylor offense is averaging 43.5 points per game which is good for seventh in the entire nation. While the Huskies offense which is led by Chris Polk is averaging 31.5 point per game which is good for 36th in the nation. This should be a high scoring game with two quality offenses going up against two weak defenses. The Bears defense is allowing 35.7 points per game which ranks 109th in the country while the Huskies defense is allowing 33.3 points per game which ranks 99th in the country. For what has been a boring bowl season so far this game should generate plenty of excitement to the casual fans.

You can't talk about the Bears mighty offense without first talking about heisman trophy winner Robert Griffin III who if he leaves for the NFL would be a top 10 pick in the draft. Griffin is trying to lead the Bears to a 10 win season which was once unthinkable. For the year he completed 72.4% of his passes for 3,998 yards(10.8 YPA). He threw for 36 touchdowns to only six interceptions during the season. His passing stats alone are terrific then you factor in his 644 yards rushing(4.0 YPC) with nine touchdowns and you can see why he won the heisman trophy. His favorite targets are Kendall Wright who hauled in 101 receptions for 1,572 yards(15.6 YPC) with 13 TD's. The second weapon for this passing offense which ranks fifth in the nation is Terrance Williams who caught 53 passes for 895 yards(16.9 YPC) with 11 touchdowns. The Bears have a third receiver who is having a fine season in Tevin Reese who has caught 46 passes for 811 yards(17.6) with seven touchdowns. The Bears can also run the ball as they feature Terrence Ganaway who rushed for 1,347(5.9 YPC) with 16 touchdowns. The Bears offense features plenty of weapons on offense and for the Huskies to win they must keep that offense on the sidelines.

The Huskies need to do what they did last year in the Holiday Bowl win. Last year Sarkisian fed Chris Polk the ball over and over again as the Nebraska offense sat on the sidelines. Polk on the year has rushed for 1,341 yards(5.1 YPC) with 11 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 29 passes for 324 yards(11.2 YPC) with four touchdowns. Which earned Polk first team all pac-12 selection.  Polk currently trails Napoleon Kaufman by 200 yards for the all-time rushing lead in school history. Polk also has quality backup running backs if he needs a breather. Jesse Callier for the season has rushed for 264 yards(5.9 YPC) with a touchdown. He has also caught six passes. Remember last year in the Holiday Bowl Callier completed a 14 yard pass to Jake Locker to set up the first score. Bishop Sankey has ran for 187 yards(6.7 YPC) with a touchdown and also has caught six passes. Sankey is pretty quick and can bust a long run everytime he touches the ball. The Bears defense allows 198 yards rushing per game so the Huskies should pound the ball on them. If the Bears decide to stack the box well the Huskies also have a good passing game too.

The Huskies passing offense is led by sophomore quarterback Keith Price. Price who is filling in for Jake Locker who set plenty of records at Washington. For this year it was Price who set a record for most passing touchdowns in a single season. Price for the year completed 67.4% of his passes for 2,625 yards(8.1 YPA) with 29 touchdown passes(school record) to just 11 interceptions. Price has plenty of weapons to throw to as well as he spreads the ball around the field to multiple talented receivers.  Price was selected to honorable mention all pac-12 and in a normal year could have been more but with Andrew Luch and Matt Barkley that makes it tough. His two leading receivers are both seniors and honorable all pac-12 receivers Devin Aguilar and Jermaine Kearse. Aguilar caught 36 passes for 521 yards(14.5 YPC) with four touchdowns. Kearse caught 42 for 501(11.9) with six touchdowns while also rushing for a touchdown as well. Freshman sensation Kasen Williams has emerged lately and has caught 33 passes for 408 yards(12.4 YPC) with six touchdowns. James Johnson added 26 receptions for 330 yards(12.7 YPC) with three touchdowns. The Huskies also feature honorable mention all pac-12 freshman tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins who caught 36 passes for 479 yards(13.3 YPC) with six touchdowns. The Huskies also have plenty of offensive weapons to compete with the Bears. The key to this game will also be how the defense responds.

Last year when the Huskies won the Holiday Bowl all the attention was on the offense. When in reality the Huskies won 19-7 as the defense stepped up setting up the first score and eventually getting a safety. Mason Foster was the defensive MVP as he was all over the field. While Alameda Ta'amu just as easily could have been the MVP as well. He recovered the fumble that set up the first score, recorded two sacks and was also held which allowed the safety. Ta'amu who is a projected late first or early second round draft pick is playing his final game as a Husky. Ta'amu was honorable mention this year as he was injured throughout the season. Another Husky defender playing in his final game is Cort Dennison who led the Pac-12 in tackles and earned second team all pac-12 selection. The defense must step up if they expect to pull off this upset. Nobody is expecting them to shut down Baylor like they did last year with Nebraska but nobody will accept games where they allow over 40 like they did against Nebraska, Stanford, and USC. The defense must play tough in the redzone and hold the Bears to three points instead of seven points that could be the difference between winning and losing.

In conclusion, with Griffin winning the Heisman this will be the featured bowl game amongst the games not in the BCS. The Huskies have a great chance to impress the nation with a win against a quality opponent for the second straight year. For Sarkisian who is having a rough day losing out on an in-state recruit earlier today he can remove the doubt that he is the guy with a win today. With a win today Sarkisian will tie Jim Owens for second all-time in Huskies history for most bowl victories with two. With a win today the program will have made progress improving their win total each season under Sarkisian. With a win to day the Huskies will have won back to back bowl games for the first time in 20 years. This game is huge for the Huskies and their opponent for the second straight year is favored to destroy them. This is a huge test for the Huskies who failed so many throughout the year. Maybe tonight is the night the Huskies finally pass that final exam.

By Kshell

For the third straight season the Washington Huskies(7-5,5-4) defeated their cross state rivals the Washington State Cougars(4-8,2-6) in the 104th meeting of the Apple Cup. The Huskies who are headed towards another bowl game for the second straight season while the Cougars are missing a bowl game for the eighth straight season. The Huskies were led by three touchdown passes by Keith Price who returned from injury. Price also passed Cody Pickett to become the all-time single season touchdown leader in Huskies history. The Huskies also saw two true freshman made their apple cup debuts pretty special especially Kasen Williams who caught two of Price's three touchdown passes. The Huskies under Steve Sarkisian have yet to trail in a single Apple Cup in three years improve to 3-0 in the Sarkisian era in this game.

The Huskies won the coin toss and chose to receive to begin the game. After the Cougars stopped the Huskies on a third and one they took over possession on their own 21 yard like after a Keil Rasp 46 yard punt. That is when the Cougars went backwards first with a false start then with an intentional grounding. After a short pass that went for nothing the Cougars were facing a third and 26 which Marshall Lobbestael completed well short of the first down. Punting from their own 20 yard line the Huskies tried to block the punt. The Huskies backup linebacker Thomas Tutogi blocked the punt which went high into the air as Jesse Callier caught the punt on the two yard line and walked into the endzone to give the Huskies an early 7-0 lead over their rival the Cougars. That was the Huskies first blocked punt since the 2006 Apple Cup when Chris Stevens blocked the punt.

The Huskies offense would stall due to a costly penalty while the defense led by Alameda Ta'amu continued to stop the Cougars. After a poor punt the Huskies took over possession on their own 45 yard line. The Cougars immediately jumped offsides giving the Huskies a first and five at midfield. Lining up in a "wildcat" formation Callier took the direct handoff then ran 30 yards down to the Cougars 20 yard line. After Price threw an incompletion, Chris Polk who had a big game last year rushing for 284 yards would rush for just four yards this time. That would set up a pretty big third and six from the 16 yard line. That is when Price would hit Kasen Williams on the back shoulder as Williams caught the touchdown with both feet down .It was an incredible pass and catch for two guys who will be playing in two more apple cups together. That touchdown pass gave the Huskies a 14-0 lead over the Cougars heading into the second quarter.

The next two series saw two huge swings in momentum. First for the Cougars their offense finally got going but Ricky Galvin fumbled on the Huskies 23 yard line. Then with a chance to put the Cougars away the Huskies went on a nice eight play drive which started off with Price completing his first three passes for 45 yards down to the Cougars 31 then Polk ran for 11 more to the Cougars 20 yard line. That is when the Huskies offense stalled key by a huge third down drop by Austin Seferian-Jenkins which was especially painful after Erik Folk missed a 37 yard field goal as the Huskies still only remained up 14-0.

With the momentum now wearing Crimson the Cougars finally took advantage going on a 13 play, 80 yard drive which saw them convert three separate third downs. Facing a third and eight from their own 22 Lobbestael hit Marques Wilson for a gain of 12 yards. Later in the drive from the Huskies 31 facing a third and nine Lobbestael threw a designed screen to Galvin for a gain of 19 yards to offset the Huskies pass rush down to the 12 yard line. Facing a third and four from the six yard line to avoid the pressure Lobbestael ran it in for the touchdown but the Cougars were called for a holding taking the score off the board. Facing a third and 14 from the 16 Lobbestael fired one in there to Jarred Karstetter for the 16 yard touchdown to pull the game within 14-7.

The Cougars feeding off that momentum then three and outed the Huskies powerful offense getting the ball back. From their own 34 yard line the Cougars actually started to run the ball some. Carl Winston had back to back runs of four yards setting up a third and two which Galvin ran for three yards to their own 45 yard line. After a six yard pass by Lobbestael he then ran for six yards to the Huskies 43 yard line. Lobbestael then would have back to back completions for 27 yards to the Huskies 16 yard line. Lobbestael like he did the previous series would hit Wilson for a 16 yard touchdown to tie up the game at 14-14 with just a little over two minutes left in the half.

The Cougars tried to squib kick it as Tutogi caught the ball and ran it 14 yards to their own 39 yard line. Polk would rush for two yards then Price would hit Jermaine Kearse for a gain of nine yards to the 50 yard line. After a short run by Price he would hit Devin Aguilar for a gain of eight yards to the Cougars 41 yard line. Facing a third and one the Huskies gave it to Polk for a gain of two yards. On the next play Price would hit Williams on a crossing route in which Williams leaped the defender to gain an extra six yards. Williams on the play would go for 18 yards to the Cougars 21 yard line. Price on the ensuing play would scramble out of pressure to his left to find Williams who turned his defender around for the touchdown. With that touchdown pass Price had tied Cody Pickett's single season touchdown record with 28. For Williams that was his first of many multiple touchdown games of his career. More importantly the Huskies took a 21-14 lead heading into halftime against the Cougars while stealing back momentum.

The Cougars began the second half with the ball on their own 14 yard line. The Cougars would go on a nine play drive stalling on the Huskies 43 yard line. Facing a third and one from the Huskies 43 Lobbestael threw an incomplete pass. Cougars head coach Paul Wulff decided to punt the ball to the Huskies pinning them on their own three yard line. The Huskies would move the ball so they could punt and pin the Cougars after Ta'amu recorded his second sack of the game. Taking back over on their own 40 yard line Price went to work. Price in the shotgun would play action pass to a wide open Seferian-Jenkins for a gain of 20 yards to the Cougars 40 yard line. On the next play Price would hit Kearse over the middle for another gain of 18 yards to the Cougars 22 yard line both on play action passes. Polk then went in motion wide left as Price hit him on the fade pass for the 22 yard touchdown pass. For Price that was the record setter as he just passed Pickett for most touchdown passes in a single season for Huskies history. For Polk that was his fourth receiving touchdown of the season all on fade passes. More importantly the Huskies had a 28-14 lead at that point.

The Cougars would immediately respond to the score as Galvin ran back the kick 37 yards to their own 38 yard line. After a run that went for no gain Lobbestael would complete a pass for nine yards then the Huskies committed a 15 yard penalty giving the Cougars the ball on the Huskies 38 yard line. The Cougars put the ball in their best playmakers hands as Lobbestael threw a bubble screen to the right to Wilson as Wilson broke a tackle and scampered for a 38 yard touchdown to pull the Cougars within seven points. Not to be overshadowed by Williams but Wilson also caught his second touchdown pass of the game. The Huskies offense would go three and out as Nick Montana briefly made an appearance. The Huskies defense would then three and out the Cougars. The Huskies offense go on a seven play drive accounting for 40 yards as the drive ended with Folk making a 46 yard field goal to give the Huskies a 31-21 lead with 13 minutes left in the game.

After both teams traded punts with 10 minutes to go in the game is when the Huskies finally pulled away. Facing a second and 10 from their own 47 the Cougars called a double pass which Lobbestael threw the ball to the receiver on a bubble screen who threw the ball back to Lobbestael. The Huskies didn't bite at all as Lobbestael threw the ball to Wilson who was covered well by Desmond Trufant, Trufant then batted the ball to safety Sean Parker who intercepted the pass. Parker ran 23 yards to the Huskies 31 yard line where the offense took over. Price was scrambling found an open Seferian-Jenkins who rumbled 31 yards to the Cougars 38 yard line. That is when Chris Polk would take over the ball game who up until that point was quiet. Polk would rush for nine yards then facing a third and one would rush for two more yards. The Huskies committed a costly penalty making it second and 20 from the Cougars 37 yard line. Polk took the sweep 34 yards down to the Cougars three yard line and was horse collared for a two yard penalty. Two plays later Polk would rush for the touchdown giving him 11 for the season as the Huskies took a commanding 38-21 lead.

The Huskies won this game 38-21 over the Cougars as they head to their second straight bowl game. For the Cougars they were led by senior Lobbestael who was 29-42(69.0%) for 344 yards(8.2 YPA) passing with three touchdowns and one interception. His main receivers were Wilson who had seven receptions for 108 yards with two touchdowns. Karstetter had nine receptions for 82 yards with a touchdown.

For the winners the Huskies were led by Keith Price who was 21-29(72.4%) for 291 yards(10.0 YPA) with three touchdowns and no interceptions. As usual Price spread the ball around as his leading receiver was freshman Kasen Williams who had five receptions for 74 yards with two touchdowns. Another true freshman played well in Austin Seferian-Jenkins who had four receptions for 62 yards. Senior Jermaine Kearse had five receptions for 62 yards. Kevin Smith had two for 39 yards while Polk had two for 36 yards with a touchdown. Speaking of Polk he carried the ball 22 times for 100 yards(4.5 YPC) and a rushing touchdown. Jesse Callier who scored that touchdown on the blocked punt also had four carries for 44 yards(11.0 YPC) while catching a pass. The Huskies defense recorded a season high seven sacks led by Ta'amu and Josh Shirley. The Huskies held the Cougars to just 38 yards rushing on 29 attempts.

All in all, this was a tale of two programs going in opposite direction. For the second straight apple cup Cougar fans don't know if this was Wulff's last game as Cougars head coach. For the Huskies for the second straight apple cup they are playing in another game after this. Chris Polk in three career apple cups never lost to the Cougars while rushing for over 100 yards with a touchdown in each game. The Huskies also showed with Price, Williams and Seferian-Jenkins all who have eligibility for the next two seasons after this year that the Huskies should continue to dominate this rivalry for a while. This was a good win for the Huskies as they needed some momentum heading into their bowl game(most likely the Alamo Bowl) like they did last year. For Sarkisian beating your rivals is a good way to maintain friends at Montlake. For these seniors who as freshman lost to the Cougars to go 0-12 these past three years must have felt great.

Observations:

- The Huskies sure are a much different team with a healthy Keith Price vs when he isn't healthy or not even playing. The Cougars came into this game with the focus of stopping Chris Polk and while they didn't totally stop him they definately contained him. Which meant this game was up to Price to hit passes which he did. Price was 21-29 for 291 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Price was on fire throughout the game and once Sarkisian let him air it out in the second half the Huskies offense wasn't going to be stopped. Price like he typically does spread the ball around the field completing passes to seven different receivers during this game. Playing in his first career Apple Cup Price appears headed to be another Cougar killer much like Jake Locker, Cody Pickett, Brock Huard and Marques Tuiasosopo was.

For the year Price who heading into the season was the big question mark had a fantastic season. Price completed 67.4%(school record is 65%) of his passes this season for 2,625(8.1 YPA) yards on the season. He threw for 29 touchdowns(new school record) to only 11 interceptions on the year. He has a QB rating of 107.5 for the season and this year had a QB rating over 100 in six of his 11 starts. He only had a QB rating under 80 just twice this season. Price who has had an incredible season proved the future at Montlake is bright as he is just a sophomore.

- For senior Co-Captain Jermaine Kearse this has been a tough season for him. He was Jake Locker's favorite receiver and with Sarkisian bringing in Kasen Williams and Kevin Smith that ate into Kearse's numbers. Factor in the Huskies having a tight end, Polk catches passes plus Aguilar and James Johnson returning to health that made for a trying season for Kearse. Kearse numbers wise had his worst season since he was a freshman. He did bounce back against the Cougars who has always destroyed with five catches for 62 yards including an 18 yard reception in which he stiff armed the defender. For the year Kearse finished with 42 receptions for 501 yards with six receiving touchdowns and he also rushed for a touchdown as well.

-  Speaking of Kasen Williams a star has emerged this past month for the Huskies. The heralded five star recruit from Skyline high school struggled out of the gate for the Huskies. In his first six career games Williams had just 12 receptions for 97 yards with two touchdowns. Not really taking the college football scene by storm like everyone had hoped well Williams has since turned it around. Including his latest effort of five receptions for 74 yards and two touchdowns Williams has been the Huskies most consistent receiver of late. In the Huskies past five games Williams has 21 receptions for 311 yards with four touchdowns. For the season Williams finished with 33 receptions for 408 yards and tied the team high with six touchdown receptions. Not to mention he handled punt returns all season long averaging seven yards per return and more importantly didn't have a single fumble all year long. Williams with two seniors graduating looks to be the guy next season. He could turn into another Williams who used to torment the Cougars in the Apple Cup. Williams is a star on the rise that is for sure and look for him to have a breakout season next year.

- The Cougars offensive line features four senior starters. That is scary for the Cougars as the Huskies defensive line just absolutely dominated them. The Huskies recorded a season high 11.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks. The Huskies were led by senior co-captain Alameda Ta'amu who was a force all game long much like last year in the Holiday Bowl. Everytime Lobbestael went back to pass he was dropped even if he completed the pass. The Huskies played true freshman Danny Shelton most of the game alongside Ta'amu which really helped Josh Shirley who is also a freshman get in on Lobbestael practically every single play. The Huskies defensive line put the Cougars in several third and long situations where they could bring the blitz. The Cougars offense couldn't overcome the Huskies defensive line which proved to be too dominant for the Cougars.

- For Chris Polk he didn't have a great game like last year but he still had a solid game. Polk ran for 4.5 YPC as he rushed for 100 yards with a touchdown. He also had 36 yards receiving with a receiving touchdown on the game too. Polk has been dynamic all season long in the passing game. The Cougars were set to shutdown Polk and while facing eight man boxes all game long he still found a way to rush for 100 yards. Heading into the fourth quarter he had just 11 carries for 48 yards, in the fourth quarter he had 11 carries for 52 yards with the back breaking touchdown. In his career in the apple cup now Polk has ran for 514 yards(6.8 YPC) with four rushing touchdowns. He has also caught six passes for 70 yards with a touchdown. He has dominated the Cougars and since he is a redshirt junior I'm sure most Cougars are hoping that is the last time they ever have to see him again.

For the season Polk ran for 1,341 yards(5.1 YPC) with 11 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 29 passes for 324 yards with four touchdowns. All three are career highs for Polk as he proved he is a complete running back who can pound you but beat you through the passing game. There is a good chance Polk leaves after this year as he has no reason to come back other than breaking Napoleon Kaufman's career rushing record(he needs 200 in the bowl game to beat him). Polk has been  a terrific Husky and will be on the short list of Husky great running backs.

- Will this be the last time we see Paul Wulff? Wulff is currently having meetings on whether he'll come back or not. Wulff in four seasons with the Cougars is 9-40 as head coach, 6-40 against D-1 teams and 4-32 in conference. He inherited a mess and the team is improving. Still to go 4-8 in your fourth season and that doubling your previous career high shows you need to be let go.

As for Sarkisian he is back over .500 once again as he is 19-18 as head coach for the Huskies. He took over a program that went 0-12 and has led the Huskies to a bowl game in two of his three seasons. The Huskies lost Jake Locker to the top 10 of the NFL draft yet the offense including the quarterback play improved. Nobody has ever questioned Sarkisian's offense but going forward his defense needs to play more like they did in the Apple Cup. Sarkisian has never trailed in three career wins over the Cougars while Wulff has never had a lead against the Huskies in regulation in four career apple cup games.

In conclusion, the Huskies have done something the Cougars have never done which is win three straight apple cup games. The Huskies improved their series lead to 67-31-6 over the Cougars which has been as one sided as a rivalry can possibly be. The Huskies had plenty of guys step up who won't be on next years roster while also having several younger guys contribute as well. Now the goal for the Huskies is to win back to back bowl games for the first time since winning the Rose Bowl back to back years in the 1990 and 1991 seasons. The Huskies haven't won eight games in a season since 2001 so there is still plenty of goals to be abtained in this next bowl game. For the Cougars they completed the worst four year stretch in conference history as Wulff saw his team lose 40 games(average of 10 a season). The Cougars seniors like seniors prior to them will never know what a bowl game feels like. For the Huskies seniors this win has to feel great to be a part of 0-12 then to see the program rebuild the way it has is pretty special. The Huskies sitll have plenty of goals left on their season but at least they are back to beating the Cougars on a regular basis.

By Kshell

That time of the year again where the two states biggest universities clash as the Washington State Cougars(4-7,2-6) travel to Seattle to take on the Washington Huskies(6-5,4-4) in a battle for states bragging rights the apple cup. Both teams are limping into this contest as the Huskies have lost three games in a row and four of their last five games. While the Cougars have lost seven out of their past eight games and will not be going to a bowl game for the eighth straight season. The Huskies lead the all-time series 66-31-6 and have won the last two meetings. This game will be emotional for the Cougars seniors as this will be their final game they ever get to play in. Due to injury they will be starting Marshall Lobbestael at quarterback who is a senior. For the Huskies they feature plenty of seniors who are departing the program such as Alameda Ta'amu, Jermaine Kearse, Devin Aguilar, Erik Folk and Cort Dennison. The Huskies will also see Keith Price start his first career apple cup game. The last quarterback to start his first career apple cup game and earn the victory was Carl Bonnell back in 2006(last time the Cougars didn't have a losing record). This should appears to feature plenty of offense as both offenses are pretty explosive in the passing game.


The Cougars are heading into this game led by their senior backup quarterback Marshall Lobbestael. For the year Lobbestael has completed 59.9% of his passes for 2,240 yards(7.5 YPA) with 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Lobbestael this year has a 4-4 record in eight starts this season. For all the complaining about him the Cougars have yet to win a game that he hasn't start this season. His favorite receiver is Marquis Wilson who is having a monster season with 75 receptions for 1,280 yards(17.1 YPC) with 10 touchdowns. Their second leading receiver Isiah Barton who will miss this game has 49 receptions for 638 yards with five touchdowns. The Cougars also have Jared Karstetter who has 51 receptions for 618 yards with five touchdowns. The Cougars running game is pretty weak but they do use three different guys. The first guy is Ricky Galvin who has ran for 586 yards(5.5 YPC) with five rushing touchdowns. Next in line is Carl Winston who has ran for 422 yards(3.6 YPC) with four touchdowns. The third back they use is Logwone Mitz who has rushed for 135 yards(3.8 YPC) with a touchdown. Lobbestael will try to revenge the last time he faced the Huskies which ended with the Huskies winning 30-0 in Steve Sarkisian's first year. For the game Lobbestael was 9-22 for 71 yards passing as he was ineffective all game long. He is now a senior in year four of Paul Wulff's system so he'll have a much better day than he did on that day.

The Huskies offense is led by Chris Polk who is most likely playing in his final apple cup. Polk has torched the Cougars in his career. As a redshirt freshman Polk carried the ball 25 times for 130 yards(5.2 YPC) with a touchdown while adding two receptions for 16 yards. That is a really good game which the Huskies would take this Saturday. The thing is the next year Polk dominated the Cougars over in Pullman carrying the ball 29 times for the second highest total in Huskies history with 284 yards(9.8 YPC) with two touchdowns. He also had two receptions for 18 yards as Polk in his career has ran for 414 yards with three touchdowns while having 34 yards receiving in just two games. Polk is enjoying his best season as a Husky as he has ran for 1,241 yards(5.1 YPC) with 10 rushing touchdowns. He has also caught 27 passes for 288 yards with three receiving touchdowns. Polk is licking his chops against the Cougars this Saturday especially with the return of Keith Price so he won't have to face eight man boxes.

The Huskies sophomore quarterback Keith Price returns from injury to start his first career apple cup game. Also important to note that Price is two touchdown passes away from tying Cody Pickett's single season record and three touchdown passes away from breaking it. For the year Price has completed 66.9% of his passes for 2,334(7.9 YPA) with 26 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. The Huskies have several different guys who make plays in the passing game. Starting with Devin Aguilar who has 34 receptions for 508 yards(14.9 YPC) with four touchdowns. Then you have Jermaine Kearse who leads the team in receptions with 37 for 439 yards(11.9 YPC) with six touchdown grabs. Kearse like Polk has had big apple cup moments. Last year he caught the game winning touchdown pass from Jake Locker. As a sophomore  Kearse had four receptions for 94 yards with a touchdown. Then last year had six grabs for 178 yards with two touchdowns including a 66 yarder he busted on a slant then scored the game winner on a fade route. The Huskies will have two other guys playing in their first apple cup's in Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Kasen Williams. Seferian-Jenkins is having a fine freshman season with 32 receptions for 417 yards which ranks third on the team in both then is tied for team lead with six touchdown receptions. For Williams he has 28 receptions for 334 yards with four touchdowns. Williams has been coming on as of late in the last four games Williams has 16 receptions for 237 yards with two touchdowns. The future is bright for those two as they hope to shine in their first career apple cup.

This is an interesting apple cup due to the fact that this could be Washington State Cougars head football coach Paul Wulff's last game as Cougars coach. In four seasons with the Cougars Wulff is currently 9-39(4-31 in conference). For most programs who value winning he would be fired but this is the Cougars who value moral victories. Rumors circling around that Wulff can save his job with a win or even a close defeat to the Huskies. His counterpart Steve Sarkisian is 2-0 in the Apple Cup looking to join Don James and Rick Neuheisel as coaches who began their career 3-0 against the Cougars. In fact dating back to his USC days Sarkisian has won seven games in a row against the Cougars. For Sarkisian he is leading his Huskies to a bowl game in back to back years while Wulff still hasn't won 10 games in four seasons.

In conclusion, this rivalry has been one sided throughout history. Both programs are vastly different the fact that a 9-39 coach is even considered to be brought back is an embarassment. These teams both feature strong offenses and weak defenses. If you're a casual fan and like to see scoring this is the game as you'll see plenty of playmakers like Polk for the Huskies and Wilson for the Cougars have huge mismatches against the other teams defense. This game will also be played at Century Link Field where the Seahawks play which should add a new wrinkle to this rivalry. This should be a fun game as the Huskies hope to build some momentum heading into their bowl game. For the Cougars they are fighting to save their coaches job.

By Patton Richard



Normally I don't feel comfortable doing mock drafts until I know the draft order, but I'm starting to get excited for the draft. I don't project trades in my mocks, and this isn't what I would do, but what I think makes sense for the teams given rankings of players.

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
There is no possible way the Colts trade out of this pick or don't take Andrew Luck. I think they hold onto Peyton Manning for at least one more year before Luck takes the reign.

2. Carolina Panthers: Matt Kalil, OT, USC
Matt Kalil is on the same level as Jake Long and Joe Thomas in terms of prospects coming out of college, and it doesn't hurt that his brother is the center for Carolina who just signed a long term deal.

3. Miami Dolphins: Matt Barkley, QB, USC
I have Matt Barkley only slightly below Andrew Luck in terms of overall ability. He reminds me so much of a stronger, more accurate, Matt Ryan.

4. St Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
St Louis needs wide outs who can actually catch the ball. Justin Blackmon has the largest upside out of any WR in the draft.

5. Minnesota Vikings: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
Minnesota is very disappointed that Kalil isn't available to them, but they take the next best OT to help their aging line.

6. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
The John Beck/Rex Grossman experience obviously isn't working, and Shanahan loves these toolsy QB types. Griffin's got incredible athleticism and throws the best deep ball in the class.

7. Arizona Cardinals: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
Arizona needs offensive line help however this seems like a reach. I think Reiff should be picked in the 15-20 range, but Arizona will reach to take the best OT on the board. This may playout like Levi Brown v2 (and missing on Adrian Peterson, or in this case, Trent Richardson).

8. Jacksonville Jaguars: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
Claiborne is the best CB in this draft and the Jaguars need a lot of help everywhere.

9. Philadelphia Eagles: Zach Brown, OLB, UNC
Eagles desperately need to improve their LB unit. Zach Brown has seperated himself from the rest of the OLB in this class.

10. Cleveland Browns: Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma
The Colt McCoy experience has been a disaster, and although I'm not a fan of Landry Jones I think someone in the top 10-15 will reach for him. He does terrible in the face of pressure and I don't believe he has the arm strength to do everything he needs to do to succeed in the NFL.

11. Seattle Seahawks: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
Last year I mocked Mark Ingram to the Seahawks, and this year I'm mocking the next Alabama RB. Trent Richardson can run between the tackles, take a swing pass and go the distance, and run crisp routes. He's the purest RB I've ever scouted (moreso than Adrian Peterson), if this was 2003 Richardson might be the #2 overall pick, but the dynamic of the NFL has changed so much that Richardson drops. Marshawn Lynch hasn't been a disappointment (in my mind), but he is a free agent after this year and the Seahawks still lack playmakers on the offensive side of the ball. It was between Richardson and Quinton Coples.

12. Kansas City Chiefs: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
Kansas City is last in sacks in the NFL. Coples is the top DE in the draft, but he's puzzling to say the least. He loves to hit people super hard, but when he gets hit back he shuts down. He's very ineffective in about 50% of snaps I've seen, and I mean give up on the play level ineffective.

13. San Diego Chargers: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
Best player available, big physical corner who I would love to be on the Seahawks. I like him slightly more than Claiborne, however most people I talk to have Claiborne rated higher.

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska
Alfonzo Dennard has been playing like the best CB in college football since he has returned from injury. Tampa will be drafting a CB in either round 1 or 2 of this draft.

15. Denver Broncos: Alshon Jeffrey, WR, South Carolina
Denver has many holes including WR. Eric Decker looks like he could be a probowler in the future, but Adding Alshon Jeffrey could give Tebow a chance to complete more than 2 passes a game.

16. Tennessee Titans: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
Tennessee needs another WR opposite of Kenny Britt. Some have Michael Floyd as the #2 WR in the class. His off the field troubles should go right along with Kenny Britt's.

17. Dallas Cowboys: Janoris Jenkins, CB, Northern Alabama
Janoris Jenkins would have been the #2 corner behind Patrick Peterson last year, but after getting kicked out of Florida and transferring to Northern Alabama his stock has dropped.

18. Cleveland Browns (From Atlanta): Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College
My favorite LB prospect, he's going to have over 200 tackles this year. He's very technically sound and rarely makes mistakes.

19. New York Jets: David DeCastro, OG, Stanford
We seem to hear that this years guard prospect is the best to come out in a long time. We heard it about Iupati, we hear dit about the Pouncey's, and now we're hearing it about DeCastro. I trust the scouts that say he's an all-pro waiting to happen.

20. Buffalo Bills: Vinny Curry, DE, Marshall
Vinny Curry has shown to be the most consistent pass rusher in the draft. I thought about him over Coples, but decided against it.

21. Cincinnati Bengals (From Oakland): Vontaze Burfict, OLB, Arizona State
Everyone's favorite crazy in Vontaze Burfict, he has the highest upside out of everyone left in the draft. He could be an all-pro in year one and I wouldn't be surprised.

22. New England Patriots: Courtney Upshaw, OLB/DE, Alabama
New England is going to be going very heavily on the defensive side of the ball this year and Upshaw is the next player from the SEC to join Belichick

23. Cincinnati Bengals: Chase Minnifield, CB, Virginia
Cinci takes the last CB I have a first round grade on.

24. Baltimore Ravens: Manti Te'o, ILB, Notre Dame
Baltimore is hard to read on who they want, I'm guessing at somepoint they'll need to address their line backing corps in the draft.

25. New York Giants: Dont’a Hightower, ILB, Alabama
The Giants have been looking for better linebackers for years, now they get one that falls to them in the draft.

26. Chicago Bears: Kelechi Osemele, OG, Iowa State
Chicago's offensive line is terrible, Osemele is an instant starter.

27. Detroit Lions: Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State
People thought the Lions would take an OT last year when they went with Nick Fairley, now they cannot wait any longer.

28. New England Patriots (From New Orleans): Mark Barron, S, Alabama
Mark Barron is the highest rated safety in what is considered the second consecutive week safety class. Barron is a hard hitter who can help that defense.

29. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jared Crick, DL, Nebraska
Jared Crick had a top 10 grade coming into the year, and then hurt himself and didn't end up showing that potential. Pittsburgh takes a chance on a big player with big upside.

30. San Francisco 49ers: Brandon Thompson, DT, Clemson
San Francisco has been the biggest surprise of the year, they'd love to get a CB, but Thompson could upgrade the DL that could use it.

31. Houston Texans: Alameda Ta'amu, DT, Washington.
The Houston Texans have made a seemless transition into a 3-4 defense. However, they really need a nose tackle to anchor that D. We are well aware of Ta'amu's inconsistencies, however he can dominate if he applies himself correctly.

32. Green Bay Packers: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin
Konz would have been selected 10 picks earlier if he didn't injure himself last week. There seems to be one center prospect worth a first round pick every year, this year it's Konz.

Round 2:

1. Indianapolis Colts: Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

2. Carolina Panthers: Jeff Fuller, WR, Texas A&M

3. Miami Dolphins: Lamar Miller, RB, Miami

4. St Louis Rams: Dwight Jones, WR, North Carolina

5. Minnesota Vikings: Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State

6. Washington Redskins: Chris Polk, RB, Washington

7. Philadelphia Eagles (From Arizona): Andrew Datko, OT, Florida State

8. Jacksonville Jaguars: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

9. Philadelphia Eagles: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

10. Cleveland Browns: Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

11. Seattle Seahawks: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M

12. Kansas City Chiefs: Bruce Irvin, OLB, West Virginia

13. San Diego Chargers: Zebrie Sanders, OT, Florida State

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: TJ McDonald, S, USC

15. Denver Broncos: Nick Perry, DE, USC

16. Tennessee Titans: Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia

17. Dallas Cowboys: Josh Chapman, DT, Alabama

18. Atlanta Falcons: Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson

19. New York Jets: Brandon Jenkins, DE/OLB, Florida State

20. Buffalo Bills: Nick Toon, WR, Wisconsin

21. New England Patriots (From Oakland): Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois

22. New England Patriots: Omar Bolden, CB, Arizona State

23. Cincinnati Bengals: LaMichael James, RB, Oregon

24. Baltimore Ravens: Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M

25. New York Giants: Marvin McNutt, WR, Iowa

26. Chicago Bears: Mike Brewster, OC, Ohio State

27. Detroit Lions: Levy Adcock, OT, Oklahoma State

28. New Orleans Saints: Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma

29. Pittsburgh Steelers: Lucas Nix, OG, Pittsburgh

30. San Francisco 49ers: Robert Lester, S, Alabama

31. Houston Texans: Casey Hayward, CB, Vanderbilt

32. Green Bay Packers: Cliff Harris, CB, Oregon

By Kshell

The Washington Huskies(5-2,3-1) are set to host the Arizona Wildcats(2-5,1-4) in a game that would appear to be a blowout looking at the record. However the Huskies fresh off of getting blown out 65-21 at Stanford while the Wildcats won 48-12 last week against UCLA. The Wildcats also smashed the Huskies 44-14 last year with their backup quarterback. Much of the talk surrounding this game has been focused on the Huskies defense mainly Nick Holt. The Huskies defense has been in the news after the latest disaster are allowing 33 points a game. The Wildcats have done pretty well against the Huskies as they are 3-1 against the Huskies the last four years averaging 43.2 points per game against the Huskies although two of those games were against Tyrone Willingham. The Huskies will be facing an explosive Wildcats offense so this year should be another high scoring game.

The Wildcats offense is led by senior quarterback Nick Foles. Despite the 2-5 record Foles is having a terrific season completing 70.9% of his passes for 2,546 yards(8.0 YPA) with 18 touchdowns to five interceptions. Foles didn't play against the Huskies last year but he has played in Husky Stadium before. In a 36-33 loss which he threw game winning interception that went for a touchdown Foles played pretty well that game for the most part. Foles was 39-53(73.6%) for 384 yards(7.2 YPA) with a touchdown and two interceptions in the final moments of the game. Foles has plenty of receivers to throw to this season. The Wildcats have eight players with double digit receptions, eight over 100 yards receiving and four guys with over 30 receptions and 300 yards receiving. The leading receiver for the Wildcats is Dan Buckner who has 36 receptions for 541 yards(15.0 YPC) with two touchdowns. The next leading receiver is Juron Criner who has 36 receptions for 441 yards(12.2 YPC) with six touchdowns. The Wildcats running game isn't bad either led by Keola Antolin who has rushed for 351 yards(5.0 YPC) with three touchdowns. The Wildcats offense this season is averaging 30.2 points per game so look for them to score plenty of points on the Huskies defense.

The Huskies will be having a "black out" this Saturday night. The Huskies are 2-0 all-time when wearing the black uniforms so look for the crowd to be jacked up. The defense led by team captains and seniors Alameda Ta'amu and Cort Dennison must rally the defense to record some stops. The Huskies defense has to contain the Wildcats offense so their own offense can be balance. The Huskies rushing attack led by Chris Polk who has rushed for 844 yards(5.7 YPC) with five touchdowns can only be effective if the game is close. The Huskies will be playing a warm weather team at home in late October at night where the weather looks to be pretty bad. Look for the Huskies to rely on Polk some to control the clock plus the Wildcats allow 173.3 yards rushing per game. The Wildcats are also last in allowing passing yardage at 290.9 yards per game so look for the Huskies to exploit that as well.

The Huskies passing game also got a nice bonus when the Wildcats top cornerback Shaquille Richardson along with three other secondary players were suspended this game. Richardson and the Wildcats top nickel corner are suspended the whole game for fighting against UCLA while Richardson's backup along with a backup safety is suspended for the first half. The Huskies passing game which is already good going against an already bad Wildcats secondary should have a field day. The passing offense is led by sophomore quarterback Keith Price who is completing 68.4% of his passes for 1,713 yards(8.3 YPA) with 22 touchdowns to just five interceptions. Price has plenty of options too as the Huskies have six guys in double figures in receptions(another with nine receptions) with four over 300 yards receiving. The Huskies leading receiver is Devin Aguilar who has 26 receptions for 401 yards(15.4 YPC) with three touchdowns. Next is Jermaine Kearse who has been dropping passes lately but still has 27 receptions for 336 yards(12.4 YPC) with six touchdowns. James Johnson is also have a nice season with 25 receptions for 314 yards(12.6 YPC) with three touchdowns. The Huskies also have talented tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins who has 20 receptions for 321 yards(16.0 YPC) with four touchdowns. The Huskies offense should have no problem scoring points on the Wildcats defense just a matter of can their own defense stop the Wildcats?

In conclusion, this is a huge game for the Huskies as they look to be bowl eligible in October for the first time since 2001. The Huskies are trying to be 6-2 and 4-1 in conference play for the first time since 2001 as well. For all the talk about firing Holt that talk can be suspended for a week with a win right here. Steve Sarkisian has plenty of weapons on offense to exploit a weak Wildcats defense so this should be a high scoring game that will remind fans of the WAC days in the 1990's which Sarkisian excelled in while playing for BYU. A loss here could spell doom for the season as the Huskies take on the Oregon Ducks and the USC Trojans in consecutive weeks. The Huskies who are 4-0 at home should be just fine against a Wildcats team who is 0-3 on the road this season. Look for the Huskies offense to be unstoppable while the defense led by Dennison and Ta'amu make just enough plays for the Huskies to come away with the victory.

By Kshell

The #7 Stanford Cardinal(7-0,5-0) for the second straight season defeated the #22 Washington Huskies(5-2,3-1) by over 40 points as they won 65-21. This is the type of loss that has raised plenty of eyebrows at Montlake as the Huskies defense allowed a staggering 615 yards of total offense including 446 on the ground. The Cardinal rushing attacked averaged 9.3 yards per play and 10.1 yards per carry average. The Cardinal had two guys rush for over 100 yards and a third break 90 yards. Heisman trophy candidate Andrew Luck didn't need to do much as he threw for only 169 yards but did complete 76.2% of his passes with two touchdowns. This was a good all around butt kicking as the Huskies received a harsh smack of reality check. This was also the first time the Huskies were held under 30 points and quarterback Keith Price's six game streak of at least three touchdown passes was snapped as well. The Cardinal offense punted once the entire game which was late in the fourth quarter as they have beaten the Huskies 106-21 the last two seasons.


The game started off beautifully for the Cardinal as they won the toss they chose to receive. Starting on their own 24 yard line the Cardinal ran a reverse to Chris Owusu for a gain of 45 yards to the Huskies 31 yard line. After a short run Stepfan Taylor busted a 17 yard run to the Huskies 13 yard line. A five yard penalty set the Cardinal back to the 18 yard line when Andrew Luck finally attempted a pass as he completed back to back passes for 16 yards to the Huskies two yard line. That is when the Cardinal  gave the ball to their fullback Jeremy Stewart for the two yard touchdown to give the Cardinals a 7-0 lead. On defense the Cardinal after allowing a third down pushed the Huskies offense back forcing the Huskies to punt. The Huskies knew they were in for a buzz saw as their offense couldn't protect Keith Price while defensively the Huskies were pushed back despite having a potential first round pick in Alameda Ta'amu at defensive tackle. The Huskies were forced to punt the ball to the Cardinal offense as they took over on their own 27 yard line leading 7-0. That was the first time the Huskies had trailed in nine quarters.


On this drive the Cardinal decided to feature Luck which almost cost them. Luck started the drive by hitting Griff Whalen for a gain of 32 yards to the Huskies 41 yard line. Luck then hit Owusu for a gain of 12 yards to the Huskies 29 yard line. Luck on the next pass almost gave the Huskies a gift but they couldn't take advantage. There was a miscommunication as Luck threw the ball in the right endzone with just Desmond Trufant there who dropped the interception. Luck would complete an eight yard pass to Owusu to set up a third and two. Luck hit his tight end but Huskies safety Sean Parker knocked the ball out of his hands preventing the long pass. The Cardinal would settle for a Jordan Williamson 39 yard field goal giving the Cardinal a 10-0 lead and for the season had outscored their opponents 60-0 in the first quarter. The Huskies were suddenly facing a must score if they had any chance at keeping this a game.

The Huskies offense like they had done all season long would respond. Price facing the rush would hit Chris Polk for a gain of two yards giving Polk three receptions early in the game. He would hit Jermaine Kearse for a gain of five yards as the Huskies faced a critical third and three from their own 27 yard line. Price completed a pass to Devin Aguilar that was short of the first down but Aguilar trucked his defender then ran for a gain of 13 yards to their own 40 yard line. Back to back runs went nowhere setting up a third and six as Price would hit Aguilar again for a key first down for a gain of 10 yards. After Price threw an incomplete pass Steve Sarkisian had a great play call as the Cardinal kept blitzing. The Huskies called a draw play to Chris Polk who busted it for a 46 yard touchdown untouched to cut the lead to 10-7. That was the first score the Cardinal had allowed all season long in the first quarter.

The Cardinal would respond to the Huskies score with a score of their own. Starting from their own 20 yard line the Cardinal would pound Taylor for a gain of four yards. Tyler Gafney busted a 24 yard run to their own 48 yard line. After a short run Gafney busted another long run of 30 yards to the Huskies 21 yard line as the Cardinal were just pounding the ball on the Huskies all game long. After two short gains the Cardinal were facing a third and four from the Huskies 15 yard line. The Huskies sent Trufant on a blitz as Whalen was wide open for a gain of 14 yards as Justin Glenn saved the touchdown stopping him at the one yard line. Luck would finish the drive with a beautiful pass over the head of Greg Ducre to all-american candidate tight end Cody Fleener for a one yard touchdown to give the Cardinal a 17-7 lead over the Huskies. Once again the Huskies offense had to respond or this game would turn into a blowout.


The Huskies once again were facing a must score as the Cardinal looked like they were not going to be stopped. After a penalty by the Cardinal the Huskies began on their own 31 yard line. They continued to go with Polk who ran for eight yards to the Cardinal 39 yard line. Then another draw to Polk who busted it 61 yards untouched for the touchdown. With that touchdown the Huskies pulled within 17-14 as this game appeared to be a shootout. For Polkhe went over 100 yards for the 17th time in his career for the Huskies which tied him with Napoleon Kaufman for most 100 yard rushing performances in Huskies history. The Huskies have had plenty of great running backs led by Kaufman so that was a big accomplishment. The Huskies unfortunately wouldn't get any closer in this game as the Cardinal quickly stole the momentum right back.

The Cardinal with the ball on their own 30 yard line up only 17-14 decided to not mess around. Calling a simple run play to Taylor who busted it to the outside then went all the way for the 70 yard touchdown. That play was one of many devastating plays that turned this game towards the eventual blowout as the Cardinal led 24-14. The Cardinal at that point in the game was dominated the Huskies defensive line. Once again the Huskies offense had to respond to the challenge and try to answer the Cardinal score with a score of their own. Starting from their own 21 yard line Price hit Austin Seferian-Jenkins over the middle for a gain of 20 yards to their own 41 yard line. He then completed a seven yard pass to Kasen Williams and followed that up with a 17 yard completion to Kearse on the right to the Cardinal 35. Facing a third and 10 the Huskies called on the draw play as Polk ran for 11 yards for the first down. That is when the Huskies offense due to a questionable penalty started to stall. They would have to settle on an Erik Folk 46 yard field goal attempt which hit the goal post and was no good. The Cardinal offense would take advantage of the the Huskies missed opportunity.

Taking over from their own 28 yard line the Cardinal had a ball control offensive possession. After two short runs by Taylor setting up a crucial third and four the Huskies allowed a five yard run to Luck for a first down. Taylor would rush for eight yards then for 24 yards to the Huskies 29 yard line. Facing another third and four from the Huskies 23 yard line Luck would complete a pass to Owusu for a gain of five yards to move the chains. Luck then completed a pass to Zach Ertz for a gain of 14 yards down the middle to the Huskies four yard line. On the next play Luck would throw his second touchdown pass of the game to Drew Terrell from five yards out to give the Cardinal a 31-14 lead. With under four minutes left in the half and with having the ball first in the second half the Huskies weren't quiet yet out of the game. The Cardinal though would put the Huskies down for good on the following drive.

The Huskies were facing another must score and had a nice head start as Kevin Smith ran the kickoff 36 yards to their own 37 yard line. Polk would rush for eight yards then rush for another eight yards as the Huskies were in Cardinal territory. Price would hit Seferian-Jenkins for a gain of nine yards to the Cardinal 38 yard line. On second and one the Huskies tried Polk up the middle but he was blown up for a three yard loss. On third and four the game would turn into a laugher as Price didn't see an open Aguilar instead trying to force the ball into Kearse which was picked off by Michael Thomas for a 61 yard interception for a touchdown to give the Cardinal a commanding 38-14 lead. The Huskies still had a minute left before the half ended as Price tried to salvage the game still. Price hit Seferian-Jenkins for a gain of 11 yards to the Huskies 36. Polk ran for three yards which set up a Price completion to Seferian-Jenkins for a gain of 28 yards but the Huskies also committed a 15 yard penalty. Price hit Seferian-Jenkins again for a gain of nine yards to the Cardinal 39 yard line. With one play left Price completed the hail marry well short of the endzone to Aguilar for a gain of 30 yards as the half ended. The Cardinal outscored the Huskies 28-7 in the second quarter. Despite being only outgained 356-316 in the first half the Huskies had trailed by 24 points. The Cardinal were led by Luck who was 11-13 passing for 109 yards with two touchdowns and a strong rushing attack led by Taylor who had 130 yards rushing on just eight carries including a touchdown. The Huskies saw Price make that costly mistake but played solid going 17-24 for 186 yards with the interception. Seferian-Jenkins had five receptions for 77 yards while Aguilar had four receptions for 58 yards. The Huskies were led by Polk who had 143 yards rushing on just 10 carries with two touchdowns while catching three passes. The second half would see more Cardinal scoring as the Huskies defense had no answer.

The second half which the Cardinal are so successful at put the Huskies away. The offense went three and out to begin the second half punting the ball to the Cardinal offense. The Cardinal took the ball out of Luck's hands and still scored a touchdown. The drive began with a four yard run to Taylor, then a five yard run to Anthony Wilkerson setting up a third and one. The Cardinal called a fullback dive which went for three yards. Gaffney rushed up the middle for a gain of 16 yards to the Huskies 36 yard line. Gaffney followed up that run with 32 yard run to the Huskies four yard line. Gaffney finished off the drive with a four yard touchdown run to give the Cardinal a 45-14 lead. The Huskies offense continued to sputter in the second half as they went three and out once again. The Cardinal would then go on an 11 play 52 yard drive but would have to settle for a field goal as they led 48-14 over the Huskies. The Huskies offense went three and out once again as they punted the ball back to Stanford. The Huskies finally forced a Cardinal punt for the first and only time all game long.


The Huskies offense had one last drive in them for pride.  After Kasen Williams returned the punt 12 yards to their own 32 yard line is when Price would finish off his last drive of the game. After a short completion facing a second and 15 Price hit Aguilar for a gain of 15 yards. Facing another second and long Price hit Kearse for a gain of 29 yards to the Cardinal 20 yard line. Price hit James Johnson for a gain of 12 yards to the eight yard line. Facing a third and goal from the three Price would hit Kearse who bobbled the ball and ended up dropping the ball. After a Cardinal penalty the Huskies had new life as Price hit third tight end Evan Hudson for his first career reception which was a two yard touchdown pass which cut the score to 48-21. For Price that would be his final pass of the game as he was getting drilled all game long.

The Cardinal were hell bent on running up the score this game as Luck played into the fourth quarter and they were throwing passes to the endzone at the end of the fourth quarter. The Cardinal would tack on some more points. After a run the Cardinal had the ball on their own 40 yard line when Luck hit Whalen for a gain of 18 yards. Luck completed two more passes for 26 yards to the Huskies 18 yard line. Wilkerson finished the drive with an 18 yard touchdown run giving the Cardinal a 55-21 lead. Kevin Smith would fumble the kickoff as the Cardinal recovered settling on a field goal to go up 58-21. Nick Montana would come in for Price as the game was a blowout. Montana would throw an interception setting up yet another score for the Cardinal. Wilkerson on the final drive carried the ball seven times for 58 yards including his 38 yard touchdown run two minutes left in the game to give the Cardinal a 65-21 lead.

The Huskies loss was very demoralizing as it was impressive for the Cardinal. The Cardinal saw Luck complete 16-21(76.2%) of his passes for 169 yards(8.0 YPA) with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Luck also ran for 23 yards. His favorite target was Whalen who had four receptions for 76 yards. The Cardinal rushing attack was too much for the Huskies. Stepfan Taylor led the rushing attack with 138 yards on 10 carries(13.8 YPC) with a touchdown. Tyler Gaffney added 117 yards on the ground on just nine carries(13.0 YPC) with a touchdown. Anthony Wilkerson ran for 93 yards on 14 carries(6.6 YPC) with two touchdowns. For the Huskies Keith Price has seen better days but didn't play bad. Price completed 23 of 36 passes(63.9%) for 247 yards(6.9 YPA) with a touchdown and a costly interception. His main targets were Austin Seferian-Jenkins who had five receptions for 77 yards. Devin Aguilar added five receptions for 71 yards while Jermaine Kearse had four for 52 yards receiving. The Huskies rushing game was actually pretty good led by Chris Polk who ran for 144 yards on 15 carries(9.6 YPC) with two touchdowns. Then in garbage time true freshman Bishop Sankey ran for 31 yards on five carries(6.2 YPC). The Huskies loss feels like more than just one game but it is just that one game.

All in all, this is a devastating loss to the Huskies program who appeared ready for such games like this. Instead for Sarkisian it is looking more and more that he is going to have to make a tough decision regarding his friend Nick Holt in the offseason. The Huskies defense appears to be getting worse the longer Holt is there. The Huskies were hoping to make a statement this game instead they just showed how far away they really are. The Huskies are still a bowl team but the Stanford Cardinal proved there is a huge difference between a middle of the road bowl team and a national championship team. Those are the facts the Cardinal are competing for a national title while the Huskies are three years removed from 0-12. Losses like this are completely unacceptable as it shows the Huskies still have a long ways to go.

Observations:

- This was Price's worst game as a Husky quarterback this season. Shows how well he's played when he throws for 247 yards and completes 63.9% of his passes against a good defense. Price was under pressure all game long as it was pretty obvious early in the game that Stanford was dominating both lines of scrimmage. Still the game was somewhat in balance at 31-14 when Price didn't see an open Aguilar instead throwing the pick six. If the Huskies let's say trail 31-21 or 31-17 at halftime maybe this doesn't turn into quite the blowout.

 I still think Price played well enough for the Huskies to win. You aren't going to beat anyone giving up 65 points I don't care who your quarterback is. Price saw his three touchdown a game streak snapped but is still have a great season. For the year Price is completing 68.4% of his throws for 1,713 yards(8.3 YPA) with 22 touchdowns to five interceptions on the season. Not bad for a sophomore quarterback who many picked as the worst quarterback in the Pac-12 heading into the season.


- I do like the fact that the Huskies finally have a tight end to throw the ball to. Austin Seferian-Jenkins is only a true freshman but is going to be a future probowl tight end in the NFL bank on it. This guy will be a first round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft after he leaves his junior year. For the game Seferian-Jenkins had five receptions for 77 yards as he was catching passes over the middle, breaking tackles and using his speed. On the first Polk touchdown run Seferian-Jenkins had a key block which set that touchdown run up. Seferian-Jenkins has had the biggest impact freshman season for the Huskies since Reggie Williams in 2001 by far.

He'll be a freshman all-american and make some sort of all pac-12 team this year. For the season Seferian-Jenkins has 20 receptions for 321 yards(16.0 YPC) with four touchdowns. He is on pace for 34 receptions for 550 yards receiving and 6.9 touchdowns this season not counting the bowl game. Seferian-Jenkins has became a big part of this offense and as he gets older look for him to be the Huskies leading receiver.


- Chris Polk is awesome and the Huskies are going to miss him next year. I know Polk is a junior but he's had big games on the national spotlight this year against Stanford and Nebraska. He has shown he is an everydown back too as he has the speed to bust off long runs, the power to earn those tough yards plus he can catch passes out of the backfield. Against a Stanford defense which had allowed only 52 yards rushing a game Polk ran for 144 yards on just 15 carries. Had the game been close he could have gone off for 200 yards. For the year Polk has ran over 100 yards in six of the seven games. The one game he didn't was against California where he had 85 yards receiving so he has yet to have a game where he wasn't over 100 yards all-purpose.

Polk also tied legendary running back Napoleon Kaufman for most 100 yard rushing performances in Huskies history. He has still has five more games left(one against the Cougars who can't stop anyone from rushing) so he'll certainly break Kaufman's record. For the year Polk has ran for 844 yards(5.7 YPC) with five rushing touchdowns. He also has 14 receptions for 149 yards(10.6 YPC) with two touchdowns. Polk is on pace to rush for 1,446 yards in the regular season and including the bowl game 1,567 yards which is an incredible season. Polk is easily in the Huskies top five running backs of all-time and I personally would put him third only behind Kaufman(most exciting Husky ever) and Hugh  McElhenny(all-time great). The Huskies have had plenty of great running backs and Polk deserves to be high up on that list.

- The Huskies defense in year three shouldn't be allowing 65 points including 446 on the ground. Teams who are passing teams are throwing for over 300 yards on the Huskies at will. The two teams who run the ball well like Nebraska and Stanford have embarassed the Huskies. At what point does Sarkisian realize that Nick Holt simply isn't that good? It could be Sarkisian isn't recruiting well enough on defense either way the defense has been a problem and has gotten worse each year. Here are some stats that I got from KJR's Mitch in the Morning that I'll post up.

Huskies Defense in the Holt era:
Pts per game allowed: 2009 - 26.66, 2010 - 31.16, 2011 - 33.71
Yards per game allowed: 2009 - 389.5, 2010 - 401.17, 2011 - 431.28 (thru 7 games).
 Sacks per game: 2009 - 2.5, 2010 - 2.33, 2011 - 1.86 (thru 7 games)

As you can clearly see the Huskies defense is allowing more points and yardage each season while recording less sacks. I know the team has lost NFL players such as Donald Butler and Mason Foster the last two years I understand that. Still the team has Cort Dennison and Alameda Ta'amu not to mention other highly recruited players. With the exception of Sean Parker the Sarkisian/Holt guys on defense have yet to do anything. I think if the Huskies want to reach the next level they have to seriously sit down and think hard if Holt is the right guy or not.

- For Steve Sarkisian this was tough loss. In year three I figured these type of blowout losses were over and done with. Last year the Huskies lost four games by over 30 points and until this loss the Huskies only other loss was a competitive loss to Nebraska. I do like that after losses Sarkisian always puts the blame on him instead of the players which is nice to see. His offense is still playing at a high level as they moved the ball on the Stanford defense. The Huskies offense has moved the ball on all their opponents this year just couldn't score this game was the only problem.

I'd say overall Sarkisian is doing a fantastic job as the Huskies are still 5-2. If the Huskies just win the games they are supposed to they'll go 8-4 and just pull off one upset that is 9-3 heading into the bowl game. I think a year after losing Jake Locker most fans would take 8-4 or 9-3 just three years removed form 0-12. The defense has allowed over 20 points in six of the seven games and over 30 points in three games. Shows how successful Sarkisian's offense is that they are 5-2 with such a rough defense.

In conclusion, the Huskies aren't ready for primetime games. Someday they could be as their offense I feel is ready the defense though is years away. The Cardinal scored 65 points with Andrew Luck not having to do much but game manage. So even if Luck didn't play I suspect the Cardinal would have won in a blowout anyways. The Huskies simply can't let this loss lose them the next game against Arizona. Under Sarkisian after the six game mark the Huskies have gone on losing streaks of four games in year one then three games in year two. The Huskies lost the first game after the sixth game hopefully that trend ends this Saturday. A loss on Saturday can be devastating with Oregon and USC on the road looming. For the Huskies the offense is solid but unless the defense gets fixed in a hurry they are years away from seriously competing for a Rose Bowl. The Cardinal for the third straight year punched the Huskies in the mouth and left them without any bite. Back to back years the Cardinal put the Huskies at "rock bottom". Last year the team won four of the next five games after losing 41-0 to the Cardinal. We'll find out a lot about this Huskies team this Saturday night at home against the Arizona Wildcats.