It was basically more of the same yesterday as UW now has spring scrimmage number two in the books. More of the same as in more of the same inconsistency that the Husky offense has shown thus far, more than anything else. That was Ty Willingham's assessment yesterday when asked about being consistent:
"That's it," Willingham said. "That's the word for this team. Obviously we're not there yet, but that's what we're seeking."
The one theme we keep hearing is that QB Jake Locker hasn't been sharp this spring. Even though the stats were unofficial, by Times beat writer Bob Condotta's tally, Locker missed on seven of his first 11 passes, but rallied to finish 10 out of his last 17 with a couple of touchdowns. His final numbers were 14-for-28 for 173 yards and two TD's. Not all-conference numbers to be sure, but not too bad either considering it's just the second scrimmage of spring. The down note is that all accounts had Locker sailing some passes high in the early going, and alluded to an issue he's had all spring with his footwork being the main reason. However Locker did show off his wheels yet again, gaining 43 yards on nine carries as he continues to show he'll be a legit dual threat from the QB position this year.
The best performer on offense yesterday continues to be maybe the best offensive player of the spring so far, as RB Louis Rankin had 90 yards on just 11 carries, including a 55-yard TD run. Rankin also had a 29-yard TD catch as he has improved in his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Rankin totaled only 13 catches last year, but that was still good for fourth on the team. We've said it before, but consistency is the only thing separating Rankin for a big senior season.
Another highlight would be the continued good play out of senior WR Corey Williams, who made some impressive catches, including a 35-yarder and a 4-yard TD catch from backup QB Carl Bonnell. Williams totaled four balls for a team-high 57 yards on the day.
Now for some of the low-lights:
- E.J. Savannah, the rising young linebacker that settled in at #1 on the depth chart with a fine spring so far, was held out of action due to a stinger. While the TNT's Don Ruiz reports that the injury is unrelated to the neck and shoulder issues that have plagued Savannah over the last few years, still, Willingham isn't taking any chances with Savannah and the team will continue to be careful here.
- Running back J.R. Hasty struggled again, netting only 10 yards on eight carries. Granted Hasty worked only with the second-string offense against the first-string defense, but still, it seems as everyone is just kind of waiting for Hasty to have that breakthrough moment that shows why everyone has been so high on his abilities since he was a blue-chip prospect out of Bellevue High School. Hasty admitted in the Times that he was a little rusty and wasn't hitting the holes like he knows he can, but still hopes for a big spring game finale next Saturday.
The bottom line to analyzing a scrimmage? You don't want to over-think things at this point. They are in the home stretch now, with 10 of their 15 total practices now complete, and like Oregon State hitting "the wall" from the other day, you might start to see some of the practices look a little ragged as things wind down. And, while some of the offensive struggles might be a concern, well, that can also be looked at as the defense is playing really well. So it's almost a double-edged approach, where one side of the ball outperforms the other isn't exactly a bad thing at the end of the day.
Previously in the FanHouse:
Corey Williams Finally Putting it Together?
Husky D ahead of the O in First Spring Scrimmage
