Top > Sport > 2004 > September > 2004-09-20

This time, Dawgs` `D` lays the egg

SEATTLE -- Not to start a new controversy, but the Huskies still look like they could use the more athletic Carl Bonnell on the field.

At linebacker.

Or free safety.

Or anywhere on defense.

Wouldn`t you know it, just as Keith Gilbertson and the Huskies found a way to work through their quarterback quandary, the defense fell flat on its face in a 37-31 loss to UCLA that gets Washington off to an 0-2 home start for the first time since 1969.

This one looked like the proverbial hole in the dam. Just as Gilby fixed one leak, another portion of the wall burst open.

And running through the gaping hole was UCLA running back Maurice Drew, who managed to chalk up 230 yards and four touchdowns against the Husky defense. By halftime.

At game`s end, the powerful little sophomore had motored for 322 yards and five scores, both new records for a UW opponent and the third best rushing total in Pac-10 history.

Whatever I wrote the previous week about that improved UW defense? Uhhh, never mind.

Apparently the Bruins boast slightly better athletes than Fresno State. At least at running back in the form of Drew, a former De La Salle star who streaked past Husky defenders so often Saturday you`d have thought he was headed for Bellevue to exact a little revenge.

Drew would have had more yards, except the end zone kept stopping him. The question of the day seems to be whether the 198-pound sophomore is that darn good, or the Huskies were that stinkin` bad.

One man with an opinion was UW defensive coordinator Phil Snow, who coached at UCLA before joining Gilbertson`s staff last year.

``He`s a good back,`` Snow said. ``But not THAT good. A lot of it had to do with us. It was a combination of both. And when I say us, I mean the coaches, too.``

After performing so well against a powerful Fresno State running attack, the overeager Husky defense apparently played right into UCLA`s hands. The Bruins attack differently, with more sweeps and cutbacks that caught Washington`s young defenders overpursuing and left them open to Drew`s dashes through open space.

``I don`t think their defense saw me the whole time,`` the 5-foot-8 Drew said, ``because they were going the opposite way that I was going with the ball and I don`t know why.``

The sad part for the Huskies, besides the fact time expired as Charles Frederick was tackled at the 1-yard line, is that Washington lost despite solving many of the original sins committed two weeks earlier in the loss to Fresno.

Gilbertson employed the perfect plan to protect Paus and allow the inexperienced quarterback to grow as he went along. The Huskies jumped all over UCLA in the first quarter with a power running game, took advantage of several Bruin turnovers and even unleashed a daring fake punt to play the field position game to perfection.

Problem was, the Bruins didn`t care about field position, nor their 24-7 first-quarter deficit. UCLA coach Karl Dorrell just kept handing the ball to Drew, who found little opposition on the way to one of the most explosive running games in Pac-10 history.

``He`s a great running back,`` Husky middle linebacker Joe Lobendahn said. ``We tried everything to stop him, but we couldn`t. We made them good today.``

UCLA`s offensive line deserves considerable credit, as does the speedy Drew. But there`s little doubt that the Husky defense opened the door to this incredible day by a player who came into the game as the Bruins` second-leading rusher behind teammate Manuel White.

``All the things it takes to play the run, we didn`t do today,`` Snow said. ``We didn`t stay in our gaps. We got cut out of our gaps. We overran the football and allowed cutbacks. And we didn`t tackle.``

In other words, as bad as the Husky offense looked two weeks ago, the defense was just as terrible Saturday. The Bruins racked up 546 yards, including 424 on the ground, the sixth highest rushing total ever against a Husky team.

``That`s just awful,`` Snow said, spitting out the words. ``You should never give up 400 yards rushing. It`s the first time in my life, in 28 years of coaching.``

So apparently the Huskies have another problem to fix. Who figured the offense would come out and commit zero turnovers, Paus would throw for 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns, Kenny James would run for 137 yards ... and the Huskies would lose?

Obviously this team has a long way to go. But so does this season. Next week brings Notre Dame and another challenge, a road trip to one of college football`s Meccas.

Whether these Huskies are climbing a tough learning curve or starting down a slippery slope depends on your perspective.

``This team is young,`` Gilbertson said. ``We`re going to have to be patient and keep working and persevering. If you believe in that, it will turn.``

Given how much better the offense looked Saturday, there certainly is reason for optimism. At least any talk of a quarterback controversy has been shelved for now.

As for big controversies on the other side of the ball, well, it turns out Bonnell never has played any defense, even in high school. Though he was an all-league punter at Kentwood. Which, after seeing the Huskies` kicking game ... hmmm.