What a difference a week makes.
That’s not a misprint in the NFL standings you’re looking at today. The Seattle Seahawks, 3-2 after beating the Bears, are tied for first-place in the NFC West with Arizona, which visits Qwest Field on Sunday.
And, yes, the Pac-1o standings are also correct. Washington (3-3, 2-1 Pac-10) is tied for second in the conference heading into Saturday’s showdown in the desert against No. 15 Arizona (5-1, 2-1).
So where do they go from here. I can’t figure either team out. I don’t think I’ve predicted the right outcome for a Huskies game all season, but this seems to be the season where anything can happen. Ask Alabama or Ohio State?
And just when you think Matt Hasselbeck can’t play anymore, the veteran QB proves you wrong. Maybe Marshawn Lynch is the real deal? He made a nice first-game impression. Combined with the elusive Justin Forsett, Lynch gives Seattle a nice combination in the backfield. Maybe all of Pete Carroll’s moves are going to pay off? The win over the Bears shouldn’t be overlooked. Mike Sando of ESPN.com called it a signature win for the Hawks, and I’m inclined to agree.
And what about the Dawgs? Can they beat another ranked opponent, this time on the road? Maybe the breaks are going to start going Washington’s way? Arizona QB Nick Foles, one of the Pac-10’s best, will miss this week’s game with a knee injury. Suddenly, the Wildcats look vulnerable. They’re coming off a 24-7 win over Washington State.
Washington’s first 20 minutes against Oregon State were awfully impressive. Problem is the Huskies weren’t able to sustain it, which has been their story for about six years now. So it’s still too early to go out on the limb and predict a bowl bid for the Huskies. Or is it? Check out Ted Miller’s Pac-10 bowl projections at ESPN.com.
Another night game for UW: Washington will play its fourth straight night game this coming Saturday in Tucson against Arizona. Kickoff is 7:15 p.m. and it’ll be televised on ESPN. The kickoff for the Oct. 30 home game against Stanford and the Nov. 6 game in Eugene against No. 1 Oregon have not been announced. Washington and UCLA will play under the lights in Seattle on Nov. 18. That one kicks off at 5 p.m.
Play it again: If you missed Washington’s thrilling 35-34 double-overtime win over Oregon State, you can catch it tonight (Monday, Oct. 18) at 11 p.m. on ESPNU (Comcast Ch. 400 That is channel 400 on Comcast, or 621 in HD.)
Kearsed: Washington was (Jermaine) Kearsed on Saturday, and it was a good thing. After dropping three passes the week before, the receiver from Lakes rebounded to catch nine passes for 146 yards and a school-record four TDs, two in overtime, against OSU. Check out this story on on the gohuskies.com site.
Okung More than OK: You had to like Sunday’s performance by Seattle rookie Russell Okung. The left tackle more than held his own against Chicago’s Julius Peppers. It’s nice to see the No. 1 pick live up to the hype. If he’s as good as I think he might be, then Matt Hasselbeck just might make it throught the season afterall. My preseason prediction had Charlie Whitehurst taking snaps by Week 8.
KITSAP HITS
Rodeo: The PRCA Xtreme Bulls event held at Thunderbird Stadium in August was broadcast Sunday on ESPN. Olympic bobsledder Bree Schaaf, wearing her cowboy hat, got some air time, and there were some nice plugs for the region and area’s military installations. It’ll be televised again on Sunday, Nov. 7 (1 p.m., ESPN Classic) and Tuesday, Nov. 9 (11:30 p.m., EPSN2).
Update: Someone recently asked about former Central Kitsap soccer standout Hannah Anderson and Olympic High football player Larry Dixon. Anderson signed a letter of intent to play at Oregon State, but decided not to go and is attending classes at Olympic College. Dixon’s attending the West Point Prep School, a requirement for incoming recruits. He’s been tearing it up on the football field, playing against community colleges and four-year college junior varsity teams in the area. West Point Prep is 6-1 and Dixon’s the leading rusher.
