Tough first year for Ty Willingham as the Huskies lose to the rival Cougars 26-22. The Huskies fell to 2-9, good enough for last place in the conference for the second straight year. The Cougars, now tied with the Huskies, avoid last place because of the win. The Huskies and Cougars both had oppurtunites throughout the season to upset some Pac-10 teams, however each time the team was in it, they only fell in the end. Both programs have fell a long way from the late 90's when the two teams were consistently fighting for the Rose Bowl. Neither team is bowl eligible this year, and it's now time to focus on the future.

Washington PP's:

Manase Hopoi- Was unblockable for parts of the game, finishing with 5 tackles, 2 TFL, and 1 sack. He's making a good case to be drafted on day 1: positive

Rob Meadow- He looked ok, but I HIGHLY doubt he comes out early. He'll stick around and become part of the Huskies resurgence: neutral

Joe Lobendahn- Did not play

Joe Toledo- at 6-6, he obviously has great size, but he did not look very fast. I have my doubts if he'll be able to hold his own against the speed rushers: negative

Others:

Evan Benjamin was a man possessed with 14 tackles, 2 TFL, and 1 sack. He is very polished, and the only thing I don't like about him too much is his size. If not the NFL, definantly some kind of football in this man's future: positive

Washington St. PP's:

Will Derting- Good to see him healthy, but he doesn't seem to be the same guy he has been in the past. Finished with just 5 tackles and 1 TFL. He continues to slide after some people had him as high as the 1st in preseason: negative

Troy Bienemann- Did not play

Kyle Basler- Finished with an average of 31.7 with a long of 36. Not good for him: negative

Jerome Harrison- The nation's leading rusher has another fine day as he carries 36 times for 217 yards and a touchdown. He also caught 5 balls for 40 yards. He really does look like a good player, a very solid mid round pick for a team looking for RB depth: positive

Nick Mihlhauser- Did not sustain his blocks very well, but he did do a nice job at times in run blocking. He needs to work on his strength: slightly negative

The Cougars win the Apple Cup for the 2nd straight year, but I do think Willingham will improve this Husky team...eventually.

I was looking over some rushing stats and saw how many carries Jerome Harrison has this season! Wow! So much for him being a change of pace type of back.

O no doubt! He's a workhorse, in this his first year in D1 too! Very impressive.

Very nice writeup, Sam. Your comments seem right on the mark to me, too. I really like Hopoi, but do you think he might be a tad too high in our top 100?

Also, what did you think of true sophomore Greyson Gunheim? The "Grey Gun" looked pretty special to me! And he's plaing like that at just 245 pounds. Wait until he's 265 next year...wow.

The "Grey Gun" had a great game, finishing with 4 tackles, 3 TFL, and 1 sack. He not only gets pressure on the QB himself but frees up his teammates when he is doble teamed. He does need to bulk up a bit, but you're right, this guy will be a beast next year.

I like Hopoi, I really do, however, he does not seem top 100 material for me. This is a really weak class for DT's and he is not even in my top 5. So 3rd round seems logical for me, which is borderline top 100.