Notre Dame coach says Huskies’ record misleading
They’re being kind in South Bend, Ind.
In the face of an impending visit from 0-2 Washington, Tyrone Willingham and his Notre Dame players this week are putting their own spin on the Huskies’ current state of uneven affairs, offering a slightly different take on things than that being passed around closer to home.
Consider this assessment from the Irish football coach yesterday during his weekly media briefing, “What concerns me most is their record. I think it’s deceiving. I think they’ve played some very good football and that record easily could be 2-0.”
“They’re the best 0-2 team out there,” chipped in senior Carlyle Holiday, former starting quarterback turned wide receiver and punt returner.
It’s fairly certain Willingham and the rest won’t be quite as understanding come Saturday, when the Huskies wander into the 175th consecutive football sellout at Notre Dame Stadium. This cross-country match-up features two teams with longstanding tradition and track records that shared the same unexpected fate last year: Neither qualified for a bowl game, the UW finishing a disheartening 6-6, the Irish an even more disturbing 5-7.
The difference this time is Notre Dame (2-1) appears to have turned things around by solving its biggest worry from a year ago – its quarterback dilemma.
Willingham made a brave move in 2003, usurping the job from third-year starter Holiday after three games and handing it to then-freshman Brady Quinn. Following a string of setbacks in operation and outcome stretching into this season, the once highly recruited Quinn appears to have assumed full control and has the Irish offense in a nice rhythm. It helps being able to hand off to freshman sensation Darius Walker, who has taken much of the pressure off with games of 115 and 98 yards rushing.
By chalking up consecutive wins over Michigan and Michigan State (both sound defeats last year), could the Irish be back on the road to prominence and regular Top 10 residence?
“We’ve done some good things,” Quinn said. “We’d like to keep building on our success and work on the things where we’ve been making mistakes. I don’t know if we’re there yet. We’ll see at the end of the season.”
As for himself, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Ohio native, who received recruiting attention from Washington State but not Washington among his many suitors, has simply tried to keep things uncomplicated.
“I really didn’t have any expectations coming in this year,” he said. “I just wanted to do the best that I could for the team. I guess you could say (his progress) is accelerated.”
Meantime, Holiday, an option quarterback not unlike the Huskies’ Isaiah Stanback, is making the best of bad situation.
He’ll come off the bench on Saturday as a wideout, still looking for his first reception this season, though he’s had four in previous years either as a receiver or at quarterback. Refusing to fair catch anything on punts, he’s averaging 12 yards per return.
His last feel-good moment came against Washington State in the ‘03 opener, a 29-26 overtime victory at home. He next suffered through the losses to the two Michigan teams and was replaced by Quinn for good for a road game at Purdue.
“I’ve handled it fine,” Holiday said. “It was a tough situation. Things happen in life and you just have to get through it. I do miss it.”
Notes
Senior Manase Hopoi will move from defensive tackle to end, replacing the injured Mike Mapuolesga, out with a knee injury, UW coach Keith Gilbertson confirmed. …. However, Gilbertson wasn’t ready to name the starting tackles from four candidates: holdover sophomore Dan Milsten and freshmen Jordan White-Frisbee, Wilson Afoa and Erick Lobos. Afoa and Lobos haven’t played yet this season, the former a redshirt from Honolulu nursing a back injury and the latter a newcomer from Los Angeles getting situated. … Nor was the coach ready to select a starting defensive end from sophomore Brandon Ala, junior Ty Eriks or freshman Greyson Gunheim.