Lappano doesn’t pass blame

SEATTLE – University of Washington offensive coordinator Tim Lappano said it was his fault that Isaiah Stanback and the rest of the Washington passing game failed to move the ball against Oklahoma on Saturday.

He said there were three areas the offense focused on leading up to the game (though he wouldn’t be specific what those areas were), and said they failed in all three.

“That falls on me,” Lappano said. “The old cliche ‘The teacher hasn’t taught it if the learner hasn’t learned it yet.’ We executed poorly in those three areas. We have to get that cleaned up and execute.”

Lappano said the offense was prepared for what Oklahoma threw at it, but that there were too many breakdowns. He said Stanback’s fumble in the third quarter was the clear turning point, but there were positives to take away, including playing a top-15 team even for 2 1/2 quarters.

As for why the passing game is lagging so far behind the running game, Lappano said it is not just one thing. While the Huskies rank ninth in the nation in rushing offense, they’re ninth in the Pac-10 in passing offense, averaging just 174 yards a game and totaling two touchdowns through the air.

Lappano said everyone involved in the passing game must step things up.

“We’ve got to be more consistent running our routes,” he said. “We have to be more consistent up front giving (Stanback) more time so he’s not scrambling all over the place. And when guys are open, we’ve got to hit them. It’s every area. It’s not just on the quarterback, it’s not on the wideouts, it’s not on the offensive line. Everything right now needs to be a little better. … We have to be able to throw it and run it both. I’m not real happy the way we’re throwing the ball now.”

Atkins joins team

One of the “pending” junior college players has officially joined the team. Defensive end Anthony Atkins officially joined the team on Monday and is in his five-day acclimation period, but Tyrone Willingham said it is “not realistic” he would contribute this year, though he would not say that he would definitely redshirt.

Atkins played two seasons at Compton (Calif.) Community College, where he was rated the No. 2 JC linebacker in the country by Scout.com last season. He spent the spring with the Huskies.

Atkins’ arrival leaves Ashlee Palmer and Aaron Mason as the only two junior college transfers still awaiting academic clearance to join the team.

Injury situation

Willingham said he would not expect tight ends Michael Gottlieb (hand) and Robert Lewis (foot) to play this weekend or against UCLA, though he does expect receiver Cody Ellis (clavicle) back for the UCLA game. He said cornerback Jordan Murchison has been practicing and he hopes to have him available “as soon as possible.”

As for Dashon Goldson (ankle), Willingham said he can’t afford to rest him during the practice week because of depth issues in the secondary.