Sarkisian 'loves' Huskies' progress, continuity
SEATTLE - Steve Sarkisian doesn't just like the progress his upstart Washington Huskies have made as they end their second preseason camp with him as their coach.
"I love where we're at," he said following Thursday morning's practice inside chilly Husky Stadium.
He considers this the end of the three-week camp, even though Washington had another practice in the afternoon, then has a "mock game" today.
Saturday essentially begins the UW's season of bowl-game expectations. That practice specifically will focus on Brigham Young. The Huskies open on Sept. 4 at BYU - where Sarkisian was a star quarterback and Western Athletic Conference player of the year in 1996.
Sarkisian said Heisman Trophy candidate Jake Locker is so much more ingrained in his offense this summer. The senior quarterback, whom many are touting as next spring's No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, completed 58 percent of his passes for 2,800 yards, 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his first year running Sarkisian's sets.
"Offensively, it's just continuity. It's Jake's comfort level in the system," said the coach, who is expecting to do far better than last season's 5-7 debut. "All in all, I like our football team."
Sarkisian said his team accomplished three specific goals during the three weeks of camp:
• The offense is better on screen passes, a problem area last season.
• A growing defensive secondary is playing more and better man-to-man coverage by challenging receivers.
• And most of all, his fleet Huskies are a far more physical team after pounding on each other.
"It's nice to be fast," Sarkisian said of a roster he's molded with speed. "But at the end of the day this game is about being more physical than the other team."
So his staff emphasized contact in preseason scrimmages. The Huskies worked on gaining leverage on the line of scrimmage and against ball carriers by keeping shoulder pads low - the kind of fundamentals that speed sometimes leaves behind.
Fiery defensive coordinator Nick Holt, the former Idaho head coach, loved the increased hitting. He also loves the progress his secondary, his linebackers and his defense overall have made from this time last year, which was days before they opened with a 31-23 home loss to LSU.
It was the first of six times Washington allowed 30 or more points in a game, often overwhelming what Locker and the offense could produce.
The defense still has issues, such as finding a consistent pass rush with speed off the outside and settling a secondary that has sophomore Nate Fellner and redshirt freshman Will Shamburger battling at free safety.
Senior Nate Williams is at strong safety, with Desmond Trufant and junior Quinton Richardson the cornerbacks.
"I think our defense is a lot better than it was last year because we've been doing the same stuff for a year now," Holt said. "Hopefully, it will show up in the first couple games."