Tag Archives: Jake Locker

Legendary Win for Huskies

1978 Rose Bowl over Michigan – Warren Moon, Spider Gaines, Joe Steele, and Michael Jackson (the real thriller)

1992 Rose Bowl over Michigan to win the National Championship – Steve Emtman, Billy Joe Hobert, Mario Bailey, Lincoln Kennedy

2010 Holiday Bowl over Nebraska – Jake Locker, Chris Polk, Mason Foster, Alameda Ta’amu

After 8 years left out of the dance, and without a bowl win since Marques Tuiasososopo led the Dawgs in the 2001 Rose Bowl, Jake Locker and the gang brought the University of Washington back to relevance in college football.

I thought the game would be close, but I didn’t think we (especially the defense) would dominate. The score wasn’t indicative of the route. A couple missed field goals (one of the upright), a wide-open Jermaine Kearse being overthrown by Jesse Callier, and not being able to punch it in from 1-yard out on two occasions could have really made the score look bad for the guys in red.

Some overall thoughts:

Steve Sarkisian gives me the impression he’s a lot like Don James was. Give the guy 3 weeks to prepare and he will beat you.
Nick Holt had been much maligned for his defense’s efforts this year. He and his unit made up for it big. Kudos to him and his staff.
Jake Locker can now cement his place in Husky history. In my nearly 40 years of watching Husky football, I rank him behind only Tui on the all-time QB list.
Mason Foster would look good in a Seahawks uniform. I think he’s better than Lofa Tatupu and Aaron Curry right now.
If recruits are looking for a team in the Pac-12 (weird, huh) trending up…look no further than Seattle. You have a hot coach and a hot program.
Thank you Jake for staying. You passed up a lot of coin and you were rewarded. You may even get to be drafted by a better team in the NFL now.
It’s great to be a Husky!

Now if we can get Sark’s old boss to fire up his squad for Sunday, this could be a really great New Year’s weekend for football in Seattle!

Happy New Year everyone!

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Football Notes on Huskies and Hawks

Dan Weedin

I know…I’ve been negligent on my postings. I’ve had a few challenges to deal with as my father has had health issues and I must focus on him and my work. My apologies. I will attempt to be more consistent…

So here we are. After 8 long years, the Huskies are back in a bowl game. Jake Locker, Mason Foster and the rest of the seniors finally have their moment in the sun, or rain, in San Diego. The three games leading up to this were their season. Those wins put them back into post-season and makes tonight’s game gravy. They’re expected to lose big on the scoreboard, but they’ve cemented a winning season in the perception and hearts of Husky Nation. This was the goal.

I think the game will be closer than 3 months ago. I do expect Nebraska’s talent to win out in the end, but I’m thinking more around a score of 27-17. If the Dawgs keep it within 10 points going into the final quarter, it could be interesting. A win would be of legendary proportions.

I’m a Matt Hasselbeck fan and always will be. Just like I was with Jim Zorn and Dave Kreig. However, just like with those two “ring of famers,” it’s time to move on. Not that Matt can’t still play because he can. He’s a system QB…Mike Holmgren’s system. He’s struggled under Greg Knapp and Jeremy Bates. He needs to find a team with a true West Coast offense (perhaps Cleveland if the big guy fires Eric Mangini and takes the reins himself). Charlie Whitehurst is NOT the answer clearly.

Quarterback is the most important position on the team. All the elite teams have at least “very good” QB’s. So where do the Hawks go? The draft. I’m not advocating Jake Locker necessarily. I don’t think he’s ready to lead an NFL team right out of college. We have no chance of drafting Andrew Luck who can. I’m intrigued by Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett. The dude is 6’7, has a rifle arm, had a tremendous senior season, and is exactly the kind of guy who can run this offense. Problem is he’s a junior and we don’t know if he’s coming out yet. We also don’t know if we’re playing football on Sunday’s yet either as there could be a lockout.

If you can sign Matt to a one-year deal, I’d do it knowing that there must be a replacement soon. Otherwise, go a year with Charlie and see if he can prove me wrong. If Mallett comes out, I’d take him. Regardless, the changing of the guard nears and it will be interesting to see which direction Pete Carroll goes. As his ultimate QB goes, so will he and his tenure here in Seattle.

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Thoughts on Huskies and Seahawks

Dan Weedin

Thoughts on this past weekend on Huskies and Seahawks…

1. The Apple Cup win saved the season for the Huskies. Now, there is a definite step forward from last year. Had they lost, they would have had the same record, the same “no bowl game,” and would have wasted Jake Locker’s senior season.

2. Jake Locker’s legacy is cemented. Without a bowl game, Locker would have been thought of as simply a great talent in a tough time. Now, he’s the guy who brought the program back from the darkness to a bowl game.

3. No matter what happens now against Nebraska, the Dawgs season is made. They can play footloose and fancy-free and I believe will be more competitive. If they pull off a miracle win, the season will go down as one of the greatest ever based on where they were 4 weeks ago and where they’ve been the last 8 years.

4. Chris Polk is “beast-mode.”

5. I’m glad they kept Tyrone Willingham that extra year. Made it possible to hire Steve Sarkisian. All things for a reason.

6. I don’t know what Pete Carroll said at halftime against Carolina, but he needs to bottle it.

7. A win against San Francisco on the road makes the only “must-win” game the rest of the way against St. Louis.

8. Matt Hasselbeck must be re-signed. To continue to move forward next year, you must have a quarterback. Ask Arizona.

9. Pete Carroll was the right hire. Last year’s team would have lost by double digits in the same scenario.

10. I love meaningful football games in December!

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My Thoughts – Catching Up!

Dan Weedin

I’ve been challenged in blogging lately, but that should end today. I apologize to all my readers for being away, but in the words of that great philosopher Arnold Schwarzenegger, “I’m Back!”

The Seahawks still have the inside track for the NFC West. With all teams losing last week, we just simply advanced a week on the schedule. The next two weeks are critical for the Hawks. They have home games against Kansas City and Carolina. I view these as “must-wins.” If they do, that puts them at 7 wins with division games against San Francisco (road) and St. Louis (home). A win against the Rams would put them at 8 wins and essentially give them the division. The loss against New Orleans didn’t hurt. The next 2 weeks may mean the season.
I have a funny feeling that Jake Locker and the Huskies will make the Apple Cup meaningful by beating Cal on Saturday. A road win in the Pac-10 is always tough, but I don’t think the Bears have shown a whole lot of mental toughness under Jeff Tedford. Take last year’s game at Husky Stadium. I’m looking for a close game and a Husky win at 24-21. If they don’t make a bowl game, they can look back at the Arizona State game at home as the season killer. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.
Felix Hernandez unquestionably was the Cy Young winner. I am so pleased that the baseball writers got past the 13 win total. Had his mates posted another 13 runs cumulatively, he may have been at 21 wins! Next year will be no different unless we can get some bats. The hot stove league should be interesting this year.

Keep watching for me on Twitter – @DailyDanSports for daily updates. I will be tweeting on the football games tomorrow!

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Who Are These Huskies?

Dan Weedin

Once you think you have the University of Washington figured out for this 2010 season, you realize you are wrong. I wonder if Steve Sarkisian feels the same way?

The Dawgs lose an ugly game to BYU which by all rights they should have won. They bounce back in their home opener to Syracuse after a dull first half to blow away the Orange. In a much anticipated home match-up to Nebraska, they are humiliated. After a bye week and much speculation to just how good they (and Jake Locker) are, they pull off a Herculean upset in Los Angeles against USC, snapping a 13-game road losing streak.

Now, they are coming back home to play Arizona State – losers of 9 in a row against Division 1 foes. The rain is pouring downin Husky Stadium giving the Northwest guys a seeming advantage over the Sun Devils. Oops.

The Huskies muff against a team they are expected to beat is critical. Not that I expected them to win the Pac-10, but a bowl game and a return to respectability are on the line. This one hurts, and for some reason I think they will look back at this loss and wish they had it back. The Dawgs MUST wi their home conference games and find a way to win a few on the road. This loss to ASU signals to me that they just aren’t ready from a mental standpoint to take the next step after a huge win the week before. The same thing happened last year in Stanford after the USC win. If you look at the conference, it doesn’t get any easier until you face WSU in Pullman at the end of the year. And the scary thing? WSU is actually looking improved with a respectable outing against Oregon.

What to expect next week? I don’t know because I can truly say…

Who are these Huskies?

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Monday Morning QB – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Dan Weedin

Let’s start with the “Ugly” and work backwards. I like ending on a high note…

High School Football – I was at the North Kitsap – Bremerton game Friday night. Bremerton dominated. RB Kyle Kennedy (amended) reminds me of John Riggins. They trounced the home-standing Vikings and deserve accolades for the win. Why is this an “Ugly?” Because Bremerton coach Nate Gillem allowing his team to humiliate an opponent is totally classless. Bremerton intercepted a Viking pass on their own 3-yard line with only a couple of minutes left in the game. They were winning 35-7. Game over, right? Wrong.

After getting out of the shadow of their goal line, Bremerton preceded to pass the ball downfield (with their starters) to attempt to score again. They threw long, they ran trick plays, as NK coach Steve Frease screamed at them from the other side of the field with his finger pointing to…the scoreboard.

With seconds to go, Bremerton ran a reverse play to score a TD. Not an off-tackle, not a dive, but a reverse. Thank goodness they were called for holding, so it didn’t stand. They then kneeled down to end the game, but the damage was done.

Gillem explained they needed the win (already firmly in place by only 4 tD’s). He also said he let his players call the plays. Great. So that’s why every coach on your sideline was encouraging the players to score. Sportsmanship needs to at least stay in high school sports. In an era where parents are out of control on expectations, and kids are being wooed by colleges at younger and younger ages, you’d hope coaches would at least show some measure of respect and charity. I’m all about winning. I’m not about humiliating kids and coaches in front of their fans. Coach Nate Gillem was way over the line and should be reprimanded. His players should have been in the spotlight after the game. Not him.

Bad – the Seattle Seahawks offense. Fortunately for them, the “Ugly” went to someone else. Special teams won the game the previous week. No such luck in St. Louis. Coach Carroll has 2 weeks to figure out a way to make first downs, much less touchdowns. This is getting to be as anemic as the Mariners offense. And they at least had Felix Hernandez to help them out every 5 days. Oh, wait. They never scored runs when he pitched. Never mind.

Good – Spectacular – Tremendous – Jake Locker was left for dead by the national media and even members of his local media and fans. Like the Phoenix, he rose from the ashes and single-handedly led his team to a huge victory in Los Angeles over USC. Nebraska? A distant memory. 1-0 in conference and one win closer to a bowl game. If it took the Nebraska loss to catapult them into a positive Pac-10 season, I’ll take that loss every time. That could very well be a season-defining win for this team.

P.S. My daughter and I tied for the Fantasy Baseball bragging rights. I guess we will have to break that tie next year!

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Positive Takeaways from a Bad Weekend

Dan Weedin

I know there are more onions than orchids to throw around this weekend, but here are a few of the bright spots…

We can relax about worrying about Jake Locker’s run for the Heisman Trophy. It ain’t gonna happen. It’s unlikely he will play another team the caliber of Nebraska and this game will dog him for the year when it comes to the Heisman. Maybe he can just relax and play.
Pac-10 play starts next week and we are undefeated…
Golden Tate is a home run hitter for the Hawks. We need to get the ball in his hands early and often.
In fact, our receivers played well in Denver. Nate Burleson had one catch for 4 yards and Housh was shut out for the Ravens. I will take Deion Butler, Deion Branch, Golden Tate, Ben Obamanu (TD reception) and Mike Williams over them at this point.
The Hawks at least fought until the end. Last year, they wilted. This year, they just didn’t execute well. If you turn the ball over on the road against a team that hasn’t lost a home opener in over 10 years, you will lose the game.
Matt Hasselbeck is still healthy after two games (last year injured in Game 2).
The win against the 49ers made this game not as important as it was for Denver. Being 0-1 and facing a brutal schedule the next 4 weeks, this was a “must-win” for them. The Seahawks have a tough opponent at home next week (a game they can win), and ext “must-win” for them comes at St. Louis in 2 weeks.

Follow me on Twitter on Sundays for my opinions and commentary during the Seahawks games…

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Monday Morning QB

Dan Weedin

Heroes from the Weekend…

Coach Pete Carroll – OK…I’m IN big time. I read your book, Win Forever and was impressed. Now I’m even more impressed. I know there will be poor games and challenging times. However, this team did not quit like it has the past two years. That’s in part due to your leadership. Welcome back to the NFL.

Matt Hasselbeck – I keep telling people if we surround you with talent at WR and RB, and give you time to throw, you’re still an upper-level QB in this league. Who knew you could still run? Tremendous leadership and the same passion that has made you the best QB in franchise history.

Jordan Babineaux – After the ignominy of being cut and re-signed for less money, you come back and make a pick and several special teams tackles. Seemed like you were all over the field. Welcome back to the team.

Seahawks O and D Lines – Kudos. Both were glaring weaknesses last year. At least in this game, you kept #8 on his feet, held Frank Gore to 38 yards, and pestered Alex Smith all game long. If you can keep this play up all year, we will be looking at more wins than we thought!

I missed the Huskies game…I had a charitable event to attend. Here are my two heroes from reports…

Jake Locker – Nice bounce back game, dude. You showed why you are a pre-season Heisman- watch guy.

Jermaine Kearse – You’re showing that last year was no fluke. You may be the best WR in the Pac-10 and before you’re done the nation may be watching. Tremendous effort!

I hope every Monday will have these rave reviews. I’m not naive…I know there will be losses. I just hope there are more goods than bads as we continue the Monday Morning QB!

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The Daily Dan 12 Days of Christmas

Dan Weedin

(with apologies to the fine 16^th century songwriters who penned this classic)

On the first day of Christmas, the Daily Dan told me…Jake Locker for the Heisman Trophy!

On the second day of Christmas, the Daily Dan told me…Cliff Lee is now a Mariner and Jake Locker for the Heisman Trophy!

On the third day of Christmas, the Daily Dan told me, the Seahawks need an O-line, Cliff Lee is a Mariner, and Jake Locker for the Heisman Trophy!

On the fourth day of Christmas, the Daily Dan told me, Man I miss the Sonics, the Seahawks need an O-line, Cliff Lee is a Mariner, and Jake Locker for the Heisman Trophy!

On the fifth day of Christmas, the Daily Dan told me, Sark’s the new Dawgfather, Man I miss the Sonics, the Seahawks need an O-line, Cliff Lee is a Mariner, and Jake Locker for the Heisman Trophy!

On the sixth day of Christmas, the Daily Dan told me, Emerald Downs is fun, Sark’s the new Dawgfather, Man I miss the Sonics, the Seahawks need an O-line, Cliff Lee is a Mariner, and Jake Locker for the Heisman Trophy!

On the seventh day of Christmas, the Daily Dan told me, Zduriencik is a genius, Emerald Downs is fun, Sark’s the new Dawgfather, Man I miss the Sonics, the Seahawks need an O-line, Cliff Lee is a Mariner, and Jake Locker for the Heisman Trophy!

On the eighth day of Christmas, the Daily Dan told me, Jim Mora needs more “dirt bags,” Zduriencik is a genius, Emerald Downs is fun, Sark’s the new Dawgfather, Man I miss the Sonics, the Seahawks need an O-line, Cliff Lee is a Mariner, and Jake Locker for the Heisman Trophy!

On the ninth day of Christmas, the Daily Dan told me, one more year for Griffey, Jim Mora needs more “dirt bags,” Zduriencik is a genius, Emerald Downs is fun, Sark’s the new Dawgfather, Man I miss the Sonics, the Seahawks need an O-line, Cliff Lee is a Mariner, and Jake Locker for the Heisman Trophy!

On the tenth day of Christmas, the Daily Dan told me, No Tiger on the Tour, one more year for Griffey, Jim Mora needs more “dirt bags,” Zduriencik is a genius, Emerald Downs is fun, Sark’s the new Dawgfather, Man I miss the Sonics, the Seahawks need an O-line, Cliff Lee is a Mariner, and Jake Locker for the Heisman Trophy!

On the eleventh day of Christmas, the Daily Dan told me, the Seahawks need a GM, No Tiger on the Tour, one more year for Griffey, Jim Mora needs more “dirt bags,” Zduriencik is a genius, Emerald Downs is fun, Sark’s the new Dawgfather, Man I miss the Sonics, the Seahawks need an O-line, Cliff Lee is a Mariner, and Jake Locker for the Heisman Trophy!

On the twelfth day of Christmas, the Daily Dan told me, Husky hoops to the Big Dance, the Seahawks need a GM, No Tiger on the Tour, one more year for Griffey, Jim Mora needs more “dirt bags,” Zduriencik is a genius, Emerald Downs is fun, Sark’s the new Dawgfather, Man I miss the Sonics, the Seahawks need an O-line, Cliff Lee is a Mariner,

and Jake Locker for the Heisman Trophy!

Merry Christmas!

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Jake Locker for the 2010 Heisman Trophy on Facebook

Dan Weedin

I just joined a new group on Facebook titled Jake Locker for the 2010 Heisman Trophy. I doubt it will sway voters, but hey, it can’t hurt and it shows support for our guy, right? The last serious Husky candidate was Napoleon Kaufman back in 1991. Let’s get behind Jake!

Become a Fan

Dan

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