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12
Washington
The Huskies have thrown those rebuilding plans away, thanks
to a lefty quarterback who hasn't
left
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Huard, who returns to an even larger role, is the strength
of the
offense.
(John W.
Mcdonough)
|
To Washington
coach Jim Lambright there are no sweeter words in the
English language than I'm
staying. The problem is, in recent years Lambright hasn't heard
these words nearly enough. Since 1995 four of his top
players have left school early to enter the NFL draft,
leaving Lambright each season to ponder what might have
been. So when quarterback Brock
Huard strolled into Lambright's office one morning last
January and told the 56-year-old coach that he had decided
to stick around for his junior year, you can forgive
Lambright for nearly falling out of his
chair.
"Extreme happiness is the only way to describe the way
I felt," Lambright says. "I felt a whole lot
better—I mean a
whole lot better—about the upcoming
season."
As well he should. Without Huard,
Washington doesn't get within a whiff of the
Pac-10 title. With Huard, the Huskies could
very well surprise defending national co-champion Nebraska on Sept. 26, and are a serious threat
to win the
conference.
Huard likely would have been the third quarterback selected
in last April's
NFL draft, and popular opinion had him leaving Washington for
the lucre. Now that Huard is staying, Lambright has
rewritten his playbook to cater even more to his
quarterback's
talents. In 1997 Huard threw for 2,140 yards and 23
touchdowns and set the school single-season record for
passing efficiency (156.4). Look for this year's totals to
mushroom, because Lambright wants Huard to drop back and
throw about 40 times a game, as
opposed to his '97 average of 24
attempts.
"We're going to spread the field out with more
wideouts," Lambright says. "We're going to put
the offense in Brock's hands and see where he takes
us."
Not a bad idea, considering that only four other starters
return on offense. Three of those are back from an
offensive line that allowed the fewest sacks in the Pac-10,
but Lambright needs to find replacements at every skill
position except quarterback
and fullback. One of the new starters will be sophomore
split end
Ja'Warren Hooker, who touched the ball only eight times in
'97 but turned four of those into touchdowns (three
receiving, one on a kickoff runback). In March he won the
55 meters at the
1998 NCAA Indoor Track and Field
Championships, and that speed will help stretch the field for Huard,
creating space underneath for players like senior tight end
Reggie
Davis.
"The bottom line is winning," says Huard.
"This season we'll have to find a different way to do
that. If it means me throwing the ball more, them I'm
excited about
that."
The Huskies will need to score often, because their defense
is as capable of surrendering points as their offense is of
putting them up. Washington is projected to start just four
seniors on D and will once again be a relatively undersized
unit. What
the team needs is for junior
defensive tackle Toalei Mulitauaopele—who at
6'5" 320 pounds has the playmaking potential
of former Huskies All-America Steve Emtman—to finally
blossom and live up to his billing. In fact, the same could
be said about a dozen or so defensive players. "We
need to have young players emerge, no question,"
Lambright says. "But with Brock back,
we'll always have a
chance."
Now, if Lambright can somehow persuade Huard to come back
for his
senior
season, there's no telling how far a more experienced
Huskies team could go in '99. Let the speculation
begin.
—Lars Anderson
Fast Facts
1997 record: 8-4 (5-3,
4th in
Pac-10)
Final ranking: No. 18 AP, No. 18 coaches'
poll
| 1997 Averages | Offense | Defense |
| Scoring | 33.5 | 21.5 |
| Rushing Yards | 161.3 | 118.8 |
| Passing Yards | 253.6 | 222.4 |
| Total Yards | 414.9 | 341.2 |
|
Pivotal Players
For the first time in his tenure, coach Jim Lambright
allowed underclassmen to be
candidates for co-captain.
Quarterback Brock
Huard and linebacker
Lester
Towns,
both
juniors, were among the four selected. Towns had five sacks
and led the Huskies with 89
tackles in
'97.... Last year, guard
Chad
Ward became the first true freshman to start on the
offensive line since Jeff Pahukoa
in 1987.
Key Games
Schedule strength: 15th of
112
Sept. 26 at Nebraska
By this game, the Huskers will have won 44
straight
in Lincoln. Last visitor to win there? Washington, in
'91.
Nov. 14 vs. UCLA
A game with Pac-10 championship implications, it also could
be Huard's last at
home.
Bottom Line
Though Huard will be fun to watch, the Huskies lack the
depth and experience to be considered national title
contenders.
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