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There's still work to do.
Tailgater
Member Posts: 1,389
I keep hearing or reading that coach Petersen is inheriting a well stocked player roster from the departed Sarkisian and that there's no reason now that the 2014 Huskies shouldn't be a contender for the Rose Bowl or something else of an NC playoff nature. That may be true and I'm certainly beyond ready for it to be true, but to get serious, there's work to be done.
The Husky offense in 2014 will be loaded with in-depth talent at skilled positions QB, RB, and WR, but based on what we witnessed in 2013, the offensive line including TE's will need some and perhaps a lot of work. Petersen's OL's and TE's were positions of strength at BSU and I'm certain will be also at UW eventually, but it might take more than one off-season including a set of Spring Practices to get the OL and TE's back up to Husky quality. Proper development of a competitive OL in particular is one of the more arduous and difficult tasks in collegiate coaching and with the experience returning, I hope it gets done quickly. However, when it comes to UW's all-important OL which undoubtedly has been the most penalized unit in all of college football, I have to wait for results to realize expectations which may not come immediately.
The Husky defense is also loaded with returning talent, but will have to replace some key starters at safety and CB. The DL and LB's should continue to improve, but in the area where continuity in departing coaching ability might be missed most, at least for awhile. Petersen believes in good aggressive defense more than most UW fans might suppose and I'll be disappointed if the improvement in Husky defense that we've seen the past two seasons doesn't continue. Given past associations at BSU, the defensive schemes, concepts, and methods that Wilcox brought to Husky defense are similar to that of any new DC and staff coach Pete is likely to bring with him from Boise. If Wilcox doesn't get the head coaching job at BSU which won't surprise me if he does, I'm hoping Jason can stay on as Petersen's DC for at least another year.
Special teams and the kicking game will get more attention from Petersen than we've probably seen since Don James. Hallelujah! Welcome back the threat of long returns on punts and kick-offs........ by Huskies instead of the other guys. Our punter will be gone, but I expect finding reliable punters and placekickers will soon no longer be a problem.
Most important, football fundamentals and discipline in how the Huskies perform on gamedays when it counts will improve significantly under the new coaching staff, but in nearly every area of the game, such things as left by the departed regime have too much room for improvement. We can count on Petersen to immediately recognize what needs to be done and to have a plan to get the program to where he wants it to be. Remember as BSU coach, he played against his new team twice in the past year and will know the Huskies' strengths and weaknesses well enough to hit the ground running, beginning with recruiting and instructions for Winter conditioning. We should never forget that the kind of football program we want and expect may have a good start with what our new coach inherits from the old, but in perhaps more ways than we as mere fans can know, it still must be a work in progress.
The Husky offense in 2014 will be loaded with in-depth talent at skilled positions QB, RB, and WR, but based on what we witnessed in 2013, the offensive line including TE's will need some and perhaps a lot of work. Petersen's OL's and TE's were positions of strength at BSU and I'm certain will be also at UW eventually, but it might take more than one off-season including a set of Spring Practices to get the OL and TE's back up to Husky quality. Proper development of a competitive OL in particular is one of the more arduous and difficult tasks in collegiate coaching and with the experience returning, I hope it gets done quickly. However, when it comes to UW's all-important OL which undoubtedly has been the most penalized unit in all of college football, I have to wait for results to realize expectations which may not come immediately.
The Husky defense is also loaded with returning talent, but will have to replace some key starters at safety and CB. The DL and LB's should continue to improve, but in the area where continuity in departing coaching ability might be missed most, at least for awhile. Petersen believes in good aggressive defense more than most UW fans might suppose and I'll be disappointed if the improvement in Husky defense that we've seen the past two seasons doesn't continue. Given past associations at BSU, the defensive schemes, concepts, and methods that Wilcox brought to Husky defense are similar to that of any new DC and staff coach Pete is likely to bring with him from Boise. If Wilcox doesn't get the head coaching job at BSU which won't surprise me if he does, I'm hoping Jason can stay on as Petersen's DC for at least another year.
Special teams and the kicking game will get more attention from Petersen than we've probably seen since Don James. Hallelujah! Welcome back the threat of long returns on punts and kick-offs........ by Huskies instead of the other guys. Our punter will be gone, but I expect finding reliable punters and placekickers will soon no longer be a problem.
Most important, football fundamentals and discipline in how the Huskies perform on gamedays when it counts will improve significantly under the new coaching staff, but in nearly every area of the game, such things as left by the departed regime have too much room for improvement. We can count on Petersen to immediately recognize what needs to be done and to have a plan to get the program to where he wants it to be. Remember as BSU coach, he played against his new team twice in the past year and will know the Huskies' strengths and weaknesses well enough to hit the ground running, beginning with recruiting and instructions for Winter conditioning. We should never forget that the kind of football program we want and expect may have a good start with what our new coach inherits from the old, but in perhaps more ways than we as mere fans can know, it still must be a work in progress.
Comments
I suspect we are going to discover just how poor a coach Sark was when Petersen takes the same players, aligns them to their strengths, and develops them. I think we will see the most profound change with OL performance next season. Many returning starters with experience have adequate talent that proper development and discipline should be able to groom into strong enough supporting cast to compliment great play from the skills positions.
I am very glad to hear Petersen's focus is already beyond the bowl game and preparation. Allowing Tui to do this as interim HC is a win win that should pay handsome dividends however Tui is utilized going forward.
I have just one fucking complaint. The 2014 opening game at Hawaii is too far away. But, damn it sure feels good to have this kind of expectation and optimism toward Husky football again.
And everybody's talking about how great John Baxter is but Heidari is the shittiest kicker in the Pac-12 outside of Eugene, so color me unimpressed.