Death of a season

[Michael K.]

I realize it is a Bye week, but this forum seems to reflect the excitement of just about every Husky fan I know. An entire week without a post. Even the times has limited the articles written.

I never thought it would come to this under Chris Petersen...but the season seems to be over before a Halloween!

How do you guys this this ends up? Is this the beginning of the end for Petersen and he walks away, or does he realize this ain’t the Mtn West, and he needs to surround himself with offensive coaches that have a damn clue?

I am beginning to lose faith. In his sixth year his staff has done shit in three losses before Halloween that were more the reason his team has lost than the kids. There is zero fire, from him, his staff or his players. Is it time to wonder if Jimmy shouldn’t be the Head Coach, Kwiatkowski the DC, and we find some young gun hit shot play caller to run the offense?

Even three days ago I’d have laughed at that notion, but it might be the best of all worlds. Jimmy is not a better defensive coach than Kwiatkowski, he is a better recruiter, and he is a more firey guy. Pete seems to have zero interest in ever hiring a competent OC, and moving Lake to the HC might cure all those problems?

That being said, I have been completely under impressed with Lake. He has had more talent than Kwiatkowski did, and the results haven’t been as good...so, my scenario might be bunk. But watching us this year, watching the coaching staff blunder late game decisions over and over again, never learning from the mistakes of each of the last years? Has me pissed off and wanting answers. As blasphemous as it sounds, is the answer to move on?

It won’t happen, and every smart fiber in my brain says it shouldn’t. But, if this continues, I bet Pete makes that call for us. And honestly? How does it not continue? What have I seen since a Tedford was hired away to lead me to believe we will stop floundering on offense in most every big game? What have I seen lately to suggest the next Shelton, Vea or Gains are on their way, and Jimmy is anything more than a guy trying to get DBs drafted?

[Hasslecracked]

Honestly, this season feels like a major failure. I'm still going to watch them but it's like watching a car wreck in slow motion

[Michael K.]

And an enormous waste of what should have FINALLY been a talented offense.

I can’t h play but feel that just having th young stud receivers on the field would have led to cictori so over the Bay Area schools. And a play caller with a clue on third downs in the fourth quarter beats Oregon. Anyone feeling different about this season if we are undefeated? Hell, even if our only loss was Cal we’d probably be Top 10 and at least not thinking El Paso or Vegad for a Bowl game!

[Michael K.]

The times had a good piece yesterday....sums up our stats. Great offensive numbers but failure in the Redzone, a 100% success rate on FGs, but all short....cant score TDs.

But the one that stands out? 4.65 yards per carry....50th Nationally and 6th in the Conference. Take out failed fake FGs, end around and QB sacks and the backs average 5.65! Yet we still feel the need to run reverses and bullshit wildcat plays and explain after how those plays sometimes work!

We could win out the rest of the year, and IMO, the only coach who has even touched the offense this year that should still have a job is the O Line Coach. Come on Pete, clean house. How many good teams can we squander with OCs blowing every Redzone possession. We average 35.8 points per game, 3rd in the Conference, yet are 101st Nationally and dead last in the Conference on third down! Imagine how many points we would score if our kids were handed third down plays that had a ghost of a freaking chance!?

I’m willing to beat we lose a high scoring game to Utah. Our defense won’t be able to tackle their RBs and we will go something like 2 for 13 on third down, and lose because we ran one of these plays on the last critical third down of the game.

1. Wildcat
2. Sideways pass to a WR with no one helping him by blocking
3. Wildcat....yep, I said it twice. One of my wishes is for Hamden to go on a hike and be attacked by a wildcat
4. We take a deep shot play, even though we only needed 3 yards for the first
5. We run a slant and Eason throws a Nolan Ryan fastball that one of our Senior Receivers can’t catch

Hunter Bryant won’t be involved and neither will Savon Ahmed. We will be forced to punt it back, and despite the fact that we know the Utes are running, and despite the fact that we are losing by less than one TD, our safeties will be in the opposite end zone guarding against the Hail Mary while Utah backs drag us for three or four first downs to kill the clock.

Husky and Seahawk coaches do not believe in the victory formation to win games. Having the defense on the field at the end of every close game is a Seattle football team staple. One I am sick to death of. I would rather lose because we took a shot to put a team away than consistently lose to good teams because we never try to do anything and pretend we have the 85 Bears defense to back us.

[57reasons]

Is the season a big disappointment - 100%. Failure? depends on your definition. short term yes, long term lets see how they finish. personally i think this is the floor, and they win out until the bowl game. Nobody left on the schedule scares you but Utah defensively, but they are a good matchup for us, that is a home game. like it or not, last week was our best game of the year, Oregon is just that good. and having already had their wakeup call at Stanford where their overestimation of themselves was exposed, i fully expect better efforts to be expended going forward. and perhaps less than a NY6 bowl game, so that may be winnable too. that is at least a good finish to start the momentum back for next year. dont forget they wont be replacing 9 defensive starters again - secondary will be good as ever, frontline will be more experienced and deeper with the adds of the stellar DL class that is redshirting. midget receivers will be gone, Puka already asserting himself and Spiker finally made his debut last week. McMillan could play as a true frosh as could Rosengarten at T. Interior line should be solid again and RB depth is good.

The extraordinary talent of Ross/Pettis/Gaskin/Adams/Vea/Gaines/King/Jones soared the team near the top for one year, frankly beyond the heights the program had been built to sustain, but at the same time boosting recruiting to make it sustainably good with the highest floor we have had since the overreaching sanctions that hastened coach James' exit nearly 3 decades ago.

[Michael K.]

Home field? Feels pretty hallow in this city also. Hawks have no advantage anymore, better on the road...and the Huskies blew two two score leads already.

As for the front line being deeper and better? That hasn’t been the case since Kwiatkowski handed over the reigns.

[D-train]

Honestly, this season feels like a major failure. I'm still going to watch them but it's like watching a car wreck in slow motion

I honestly don't think I will watch any longer. The thing about college football is that unlike any other sport is once you have three losses all you have to play for is a meaningless Bowl game sponsored by a company you might never of heard of. The season is truly over because we couldn't hold a 14 point lead at home. Top 10 recruiting class and a bottom 10 OC. How does that make sense.

I am all Hawks and Husky Hoops at this point and I might even follow the Sounders more closely the Husky football. (Just kidding)

[Michael K.]

On first and goal from the 24, after two penalties, the Cougs were a dropped 3rd down pass from scoring a TD. Guess what? They kicked the FG they would have gotten anyway. I PROMISE YOU, the Seahawks and Huskies, the two teams I root for? Would have never been a dropped 3rd down pass from scoring. They would have curled into their damn turtle shell and settled for three.

My point? Is it REALLY that hard to let your QB try to throw the ball down field? To pressure your opponent in the redzone just like you do between the 20s? Are we really that worried we might have to attempt 45 yard FG....so claming up and attempting a 41 yard FG is better?

[Michael K.]

Hey look....the Coug QB stayed on the field, handed off the ball, and they scored.
The more I watch WSU handle Oregon, each and every year, the more confidence I lose in Petersen.

[Michael K.]

And, after a TERRIBLE pick six, the Cougs go right back in the offense. I PROMISE you, Hamden would have curled up into a ball, sucked his thumb and shit his pants while we licked our wounds heading into the half.

The Cougs haven't had any issue with the Ducks for a long time. We are 2 and 14 against them.

Sorry to vent, I will be done....but do we really see a change coming? The AD stepped in and forced Sark to hire an actual DC. Unless that happens soon with us on offense, we are destined to be mediocre.