Seattle Post Intelligence: Bears will look to run at UW

Lynch, massive line figure to be focus for Huskies

By MOLLY YANITY

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

When Tyrone Willingham left the Pac-10 after the 2001 season, the California Golden Bears had just wrapped up a 1-10 season in which they went 0-8 in conference play.  Washington, meanwhile, had completed a 6-2 conference record and ended up in the Holiday Bowl.  While Willingham was away, Cal hired Jeff Tedford from his offensive coordinator position at Oregon. Cal grew into a force and the Huskies went the other direction. Tedford will be holding the remnants of a 10-2 team in his hands today when his No. 16 Bears visit Husky Stadium. Willingham, making his home debut as Huskies coach, holds in his hand a seed trying to sprout from a 1-10 season. Gone from Cal's Holiday Bowl team are quarterback Aaron Rodgers and tailback J.J. Arrington, both first-day picks in the NFL draft. But a beastly offensive line, a remade defense and ferocious tailback Marshawn Lynch return. Huskies quarterback Isaiah Stanback proved he can perform as a starter last Saturday in the Huskies' 20-17 loss to Air Force, and a star may have been born in tailback Louis Rankin, who rushed for 112 yards. But a fourth-quarter defensive collapse led to the UW's seventh loss in a row.

Huskies coaches say they know what to expect from Tedford, but Washington's ability to respond to Cal's strengths and counter with its own will be the determining factors today. Here's what to expect:

Cal's offensive line will max protect.  Check out the poundage of these guys -- 360, 305, 305, 340, 360. If they were just big, it would be one thing, but they're good, too. Center Marvin Philip and strongside tackle Ryan O'Callaghan were All-Pac-10 picks last year, and the other three players were honorable mention.   "I would think when you have a big offensive line -- and they are big and strong and very powerful -- the first question someone would have is (about) their mobility," Willingham said.  Are the Bears' linemen less than mobile? "No. They're pretty good. I think people think of them as one of the best offensive lines in the West, in the country," Willingham said.

Cal's stability on the line could relieve some of the pressure junior college transfer Joe Ayoob may be feeling in his first start at quarterback.  

After starter Nate Longshore suffered a broken ankle in Cal's opener against Sacramento State, Ayoob made his debut in the 2-minute drill and floundered. He went 0-for-10 before being yanked.  Willingham, therefore, is going to leave it up to his defensive linemen to try to crack the line and get to Ayoob.  While ends Greyson Gunheim and Donny Mateaki had to hang back last week to respect Air Force's triple-option, they will be unleashed this week.  "If our up-front guys can assist our linebackers, defeat those massive linemen, give us some cracks, some avenues, then (that will) allow our linebackers to work," Willingham said.  "If we're not able to do that, our lines get pushed back and sit in the line of the linebackers, it makes it difficult ... We have to get good play from our line first."

The Bears' defense has reloaded.

Cal lost its season sack record holder (Ryan Riddle) and an All-Pac-10 safety (Matt Giordano) and returns just three starters from a defense that ranked second in the conference against the run. Willingham, though, is still impressed.  "They play hard," he said. "It sounds like something so elementary that everyone would do it, but it's what makes a team good. If you sit down (Thursday) and watch the pro game, there are going to be several players out there that don't play from snap to whistle. It's just something about human nature, to spectate at some point.  "But the thing about Cal's defense is they play hard. They are always moving, always running to the ball ... They have excellent team speed and are very aggressive in the secondary. They are going to challenge our receivers at every turn." To counter Cal's effort and speed, Stanback will need to have another strong outing. He must exploit the inexperience of Cal's linebackers and distribute the ball all over the field.  "We have to be very careful -- there are still some growing pains that all quarterbacks have, and he'll have some," Willingham said. "He had some Saturday. That will continue, but hopefully all his performances will look like that or better."

Lynch will run. The Huskies' defensive front will again be the first shield.  "(The line) is going to have to do a great job of creating the pass rush with the inexperience at quarterback," Huskies linebacker Scott White said. "That will really give us some help for our corners, and that's been a much-maligned position after last week's game. We're going to have to do some things up front to help solidify, but I think up front, those ends really have to create a pass rush more than anything else this week to help us get a handle on (Lynch)." Lynch had some ball-control problems last week, fumbling twice, but Tedford said to chalk it up to first-game jitters.  Willingham expects the 2004 Pac-10 yards-per-carry leader (8.8) to gain ground, but he wants to keep Lynch out of the end zone and to limit his big plays. "You can't let him out of the box because then he becomes more dangerous than he already is," Willingham said.  The Huskies were average against the run last Saturday, but figure to do better against a more traditional scheme. Problem is, Lynch is at the scheme's heart. The UW's hope is to limit him and put as much pressure on Ayoob as possible.