Huskies wrap up fall camp

SEATTLE – During the latter stages of a typical University of Washington football practice earlier this week, two horns blew to signal the end of one drill and the start of another.

The defensive players gathered in a huddle, 45-men deep, and began bobbing and chanting. A few yards away, on the other side of the imaginary line of scrimmage, the Huskies’ offensive players circled around and howled with joy.

In the middle of it all, Steve Sarkisian stood, whistle in mouth and baseball cap atop his head, and broke out in a big grin.

It was time to compete.

If there was a theme for the Huskies’ fall training camp, which officially wrapped up Thursday night, it would be competition. UW’s new coaching staff did whatever it could to get the Huskies used to the spirit of competition, hoping that this year’s team would be competitive on Saturdays.

“That’s what our program is based on,” defensive coordinator Nick Holt said. “Competition and practicing really, really hard, with a lot of energy. And hopefully, both sides of the ball will have their share of wins and losses and it’ll prepare us for Saturdays.”

In recent seasons, most notably the 0-12 campaign of 2008, the Huskies have been about as competitive as a nail in a room filled with hammers. But Sarkisian’s staff put together game-like situations, and a daily offense-versus-defense score tally that helped pick up the intensity.

“If you’re an athlete, no matter the level, you want to win at whatever you do,” defensive end Darrion Jones said of the daily battles for bragging rights. “If it’s a competition, you want to be able to say, ‘Hey, I beat you.’ We’re all competitors, and we all want to win.”