Howell promises to change
SEATTLE – Dan Howell said you won’t see a mistake like the one he made Saturday again.
It was Howell who lost Brent Miller when the Arizona State tight end ran up the left sideline for the game-winning touchdown catch in overtime of UW’s 26-23 loss. Howell said the mistake was a lack of discipline.
“I anticipated a certain play and I didn’t make connections between potential routes and what they could do,” Howell said. “I just slipped up. (It was) not very good eye discipline. That was my route. He ran a wheel, that’s my responsibility. I anticipated something different out of that set, that formation they had, and it caught me.”
Howell said he expected Miller to run an out route in which he would simply go to the sideline for the pass. Miller ran to the sideline and looked to quarterback Rudy Carpenter, causing Howell to look to Carpenter for the pass, and when that happened, Miller ran up the sideline.
It was a play that the Huskies had prepared for all week, and defensive coordinator Kent Baer said the right defense and the right play call was in place.
“That happens in a game,” Baer said. “You get excited, guys tend to try to help too much, do something differently. It’s a formation group they’re in where they have a tendency to run the football. But we worked on that play. We worked on it at practice Thursday, stopped practice, walked through it and walked through it again.”
Howell said it won’t happen to him again.
“I only make a mistake once,” Howell said. “Things like that, it only happens once. There will never be another time when I’m not disciplined with my eyes.”
Notes
Head coach Tyrone Willingham said Kenny James has worked well in practice this week and should be ready to play Saturday. James missed last week with a sprained ankle. It’s not known whether James or Louis Rankin will start against Oregon. … Willingham also said quarterback Carl Bonnell worked well Tuesday. Bonnell had a concussion last Saturday and is also dealing with a sprained non-throwing shoulder. … Freshman linebacker Donald Butler has not practiced this week and Willingham said he doesn’t anticipate Butler being ready to play Saturday. Butler suffered a bruised calf against Arizona State. Though Trenton Tuiasosopo is listed as the backup to Tahj Bomar at middle linebacker in Butler’s place, Willingham said he wasn’t sure yet who would man that spot. … Defensive backs coach J.D. Williams said Mesphin Forrester will get the first start of his career Saturday filling in for Jason Wells at free safety. Wells is out with a knee injury. … Senior linebacker Scott White is sick with flu-like symptoms but made no mention of not being available Saturday. … Willingham said that backup quarterback Johnny DuRocher has started to receive more snaps this week in practice.