Glad to read the players are liking coach Gervais, and I like what he said, football is football, agree!
Start complicating it to much, it gets confusing when it doesn't did to be. Like that one saying, simplicity is the hall make of genius....or what ever!

Hmmm, reading b/w the lines, i'm guessing that in the end, Yak is going to win the job. The coaches have admitted that he's better. How? Here's how:

*Yak catches the ball better than any back in the backfield. This alone adds a different dimension to the offense without having to make constant substitutions or changes in the playbook (and hence, the play calling).

*Yak runs just as hard and physical as Johnson.

*Yak was on the verge of being in Johnson's shoes last year (backing up Rankin), until he got injured.

*He has more elusiveness in the open space than Johnson or Griffith.

*Yak is just as fast, if not faster than both.

All this points to a sign that while Johnson is the #1 now, it is only b/c he has more experience in the offense. My thought is that when Yak gets his legs back and a better feel for the offense, look for him to overtake the #1 spot. That is my opinion after reading the fall, winter and spring boards.

Btw, nice job on the board this spring Bob. I can honestly tell you that my passion for getting on the Husky FB board is starting to come back now. :-)

signing out-

206dogg

if Yak is really that good that he can overtake Brandon Johnson, more power to him. I can't wait to see the return of a powerful Husky running game.

There are several things to feel optimistic about in this…

Not the least of which is a teaching coach. Secondly, there appear to be able candidates to force a competition, not just the starter getting the role by default. No mention of “dancing,” a la Rankin. Plus, more competition arrives in the fall.

The prospect of having quality TE’s can only help with blocking and the short passing game. Then there’s Shaw and Polk as flankers and reports of Jake improving his accuracy.

These guys are going to be scary in a year, perhaps less. Right now, the only thing I see missing, other than experience and confidence that success brings, is breakaway speed out of the backfield besides Jake. Then again, a reliable four yards a pop along with the speed elsewhere has a nice rosy look to it.

It’s difficult to know what to make of having a QB like Jake. Awesome potential, but how do you set up a plan B when no one else has his attributes? I want the coaches to study the quacks so they can beat them, but I also want them to derive whatever they can in order to better plan for an injury to Jake and not have the drop off UO had when Dixon went down. That’s one of the reasons why developing an effective inside/outside game with the backs, TE’s, flankers, and WR’s is important…much easier for Fouch to keep that rolling.

That said, the real question still remains regarding the defense. There are positive signs, but then again the supposed solidity of last year’s DL proved to be imaginary. I’ll know the dawgs are really back when I see the defense reliably bailing out a stuttering offense.

It wouldn't surprise me one bit to see Yak earn the starting nod.

Normally, I would say that Coach Ty will go with experience but I learned my lesson last year.

No doubt, I would have lost the bet picking Carl B. to start over Jake at QB.

I think Coach Ty has been entirely fair and honest in letting his players know that how they grade out in practice goes a long long way in determining who starts and plays on gameday. Just ask JR Hasty.

Anyway, here's what Brandon Johnson had to say on the matter "In my head I'm the No. 1 guy," he said. "I just look at this as this spot is mine. I don't mind sharing time, but as of right now, I want all the carries."

I will say that it's fun again watching to see who it turns out to be. I feel the excitement of Husky Football returning.

I like some of the comments about Gervais, to hear Johnson say he's learned more in the short time with him than he did all last year is a good point. Laugh all you want but I know all of you watched the husky tb's the last couple years and thought, "Man, I could do a better job coaching these guys" Quit dancing, run to the hole as designed, be patient when needed, etc. Be honest, even you Typologists were thinking that at times, for us "negadawgs" that sort of thinking is a given.

For anyone who thought Gervais was brought in just to get Heaps, it looks as though he is already proving that theory wrong.

Old Dawg speak with wisdom of ages. In spring, young guys talk and talk (and yak and yak) about what they will do. Don't have to back it up till fall. So spring is great time, leaves come out, grass gets green, and fans dream of future. Same every year. Future is always better. Need to bring back Sonny SIxkiller. He backed it up, more than anyone dreamed.

old dawg,

remember when we played oregon last year and bellotti was spouting off about how he was fully committed to the spread offense and suggested our offense was too complicated because we retained two-back schemes, etc?

oh he sounded like the genius alright until dixon went down. i.e., the wheels fell of the duck offense. and what happened when jake went down? we ran all over cal.

i think our coaches demonstrated last year that your concern is covered.

Johnson's comments sure lend a lot to what many of us were saying on the board last season...LACK OF HALFTIME (or any time) ADJUSTMENTS.

"He's taught me more stuff than I ever knew since he's been here. How to read defenses and read the fronts and understand the defensive line and the different techniques they are in."

I mean, how can you expect players to buy into any adjustments, if they can't see what the coaches are seeing? (and by saying this I'm giving credit to the last year's running backs coach for even reading defenses, fronts, line formation, and techniques).

There are A LOT of positives to take into the fall. Remember last year at this point? What a difference!!!!

Thanks Bob!

I thought Johnson did a stellar job last year as a frosh. I would have NO problem at all with any of these 3 as the starter...or an incoming frosh for that matter. The fact is, we have talent at TB again...not just a starter and some scrubs. We've got kids that can play and that will only bode well. Having a few quality backs getting carries will only help us as it will keep them all fresh as the season wears on.......it hasn't really hurt $c having a rotating TB corp.

Go Dawgs!!!