Dawgman Radio: A Washington Huskies athletics podcast

Everyone knows Mike Hopkins doesn't need a cup of coffee to get his energy levels right. So when he was asked Tuesday about the upcoming basketball season, the UW Head Coach got giddier than a triple espresso. He's already excited about the year to start, but then when he gets to talk about his guys? The enthusiasm goes off the charts.

And it's fair to say that Mike Hopkins is pretty happy with the guys he's got with him this year. He calls them the 'right guys'. In an era where one-and-done may become none-and-done, Hopkins isn't concerned about that. He just knows the kind of player and kid he wants at Washington, and he's going to go hard after them.

He did that with guys like RaeQuan Battle and Marcus Tsohonis just as hard as he went after 5-star, can't-miss prospects Isaiah Stewart and Jaden McDaniels. And he'll keep recruiting the guys he knows are difference-makers within the culture he's created, even if those guys are 'five years and done'.

Hopkins talked to the media Tuesday during their media day, and he was asked about that culture, the kind of 'OKG's' that he's trying to find, how their new-found length and size will impact things on both sides of the ball, improving returners, the inclusion of some man-to-man defense, and a lot more in this 23-minute, all-encompassing media session.

Dawgman.com's Chris Fetters found Rob Rang of NFL Draft Scout ahead of the Oregon-Washington game to get a sense as to what the pro scouts in attendance would be looking for, and more importantly - who they'd be looking at.

There was overflow media at Husky Stadium Saturday, something you might see only once or twice a season, and at half of the people using the overflow seats were scouts. Rang was one of them, and he was gracious with his time in breaking down the things he would be looking for during the game.

The matchup of Justin Herbert and Jacob Eason, who Rang could see both going top-10 in next year's draft, was the marquee attraction. And they didn't disappoint, going 47-68 for 569 yards, seven touchdowns, and no interceptions.

Rang also broke down Oregon's offensive line, including the two in-state players Shane Lemieux and Calvin Throckmorton, as well as underclassman Penei Sewell, who Rang thinks is a slam-dunk future first-round pick.

He also talked about Washington defensive linemen Levi Onwuzurike and Benning Potoa'e as guys he could see drafted.

Because UW tight end Hunter Bryant is more of a hybrid, Rang thinks his skill set translates really well to the NFL.

He also talked about looking ahead when it comes to the skill players for both the Ducks and Huskies, including UW freshman wideout Puka Nacua.

Rang gave his take on UW junior running back Salvon Ahmed, who he ironically compared to some former Oregon backs.

Finally, Rang gives his take on UW senior defensive back Myles Bryant, who he thinks will get drafted, and also how he sees the future for some of the Huskies that are draft eligible, like Eason, Ahmed, Onwuzurike, Hunter Bryant, Elijah Molden, Keith Taylor, and others.

"The University of Washington is almost becoming like the Alabama's, the Clemson's, the Ohio State's in that every year there's not just going to be 3,4,5 guys that are going to get drafted. It could be double-digits or pushing double-digits every single year. And that's a testament to the recruiting and development by the staff here."

The Dawgman guys spoke with Washington Head Coach Chris Petersen, quarterback Jacob Eason, running back Salvon Ahmed, center Nick Harris, and defensive back Myles Bryant after Washington's 35-31 loss to No. 12 Oregon Saturday at Husky Stadium.

THE LINEUP:

Chris Petersen

Jacob Eason

Salvon Ahmed

Nick Harris

Myles Bryant

It was billed as a showdown game, a game that would probably tell the tale of the Pac-12 North, and it delivered all of that - and more. But unfortunately for the home team, the Washington Huskies couldn't overcome Oregon's strong second-half running the ball and key third and four-down conversions to outlast the Dawgs 35-31 at Husky Stadium.

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds, Chris Fetters, and Scott Eklund - break down all the key moments, the game trends, and some of the details that ultimately spelled the difference for the visitors as they were able to escape Seattle with a win, giving them a nearly insurmountable four-game Pac-12 North lead when looking at who will make the conference championship game in December.

They tried to make heads or tails out of the bizarre decision to give senior receiver Chico McClatcher an unsportsmanlike penalty for laying down before receiving a backwards pass from Aaron Fuller during a kickoff, a play the Huskies ran with McClatcher four years ago at Oregon State.

They also talked about the way the offense played, putting up 414 yards on a defense that had only given up an average of 268 yards and 8.7 points per game. They spoke on the standout performances of Jacob Eason and Salvon Ahmed, as well as some curious decisions in the fourth quarter in regard to using the Wildcat.

They also talked about the defense and how they held up in the first half but eventually withered under the pressure of Oregon's offensive line and the inability to put pressure on UO quarterback Justin Herbert.

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds, Chris Fetters, and Scott Eklund - got together and gave their final thoughts about all the different matchups and permutations surrounding No. 12 Oregon traveling north to Seattle to face No. 25 Washington at Husky Stadium.

With a 12:30 pm kickoff on ABC in rainy conditions in October, the only thing this game is missing is Keith Jackson, followed by a Sunday breakdown featuring Don James and Bruce King.

Grinolds, Fetters and Eklund hit on these bullet points...

Dawgman.com's Kim Grinolds checked in with Matt Prehm of Duck Territory to get his thoughts on the Oregon Ducks ahead of their trip north to take on Washington Saturday at Husky Stadium.

They talked about Justin Herbert, as well as their younger group of wide receivers who have been struggling and banged up a bit. And Oregon has some solid running backs, but they aren't quite like the tailbacks that they’ve had in the past.

But they also spoke about the trenches, where Oregon has been really good this year. Sophomore left tackle Penei Sewell might possibly be the best offensive lineman in the country.

But the other side of the ball? This is the best defense Oregon has had in decades, at least on paper. They talked about how well nose tackle Jordon Scott is playing, and also about Troy Dye and Jevon Holland, who are expected to play. The Ducks have been playing on a lot of young guys on defense for the past few years and now it’s finally paying off.

But Prehm also talked about a couple of spots where the Ducks have struggled. First of all, they haven't been that great on the road the last few years. They're 3-7 in their last 10 true road games. And if this game comes down to a last minute field goal for Oregon like it did for Washington last year, he's not sure the Ducks wouldn't suffer the same result.

And no, it's not 'The Oregon Ducks'.

According to Chris Petersen, there's nothing worse than hearing these three words from a player: I got you.

"No you don't have it," the Washington Head Coach said Thursday to the media with a sly grin. "Don't say that to us. It's just that mindset of right back to square one."

It's the expectation of constant improvement and not settling for getting to a certain level, a certain standard. It was asked in reference to Peyton Henry going 14-14 this year, and how much of this year's improvement had to do with missing a 37-yard field goal that would have given Washington a win at Oregon last year.

"How do we fix ourselves from last week? That's what it always is," Petersen said. "That would be ridiculous stewing (from last year). That's not how we operate. Maybe that's how you operate. But it's like every week you're motivated. Even when you win. There's enough things in that other game to where you're like, this is not right."

And Petersen went on to mention a few of the things the Huskies definitely need to work on ahead of Saturday's game against the Ducks, namely red zone execution and staying on the field and building an offensive rhythm against an Oregon defense that is flying high at the moment.

It's Oregon week and that means that the Huskies have tightened things up which players and coaches are available to the media.

It wasn't a large contingent, but it was a good group that featured the starting quarterback, starting left tackle and the offensive coordinator.

QB Jacob Eason, coming off of the win over Arizona, talked about the progress of the offense as well as what it is like being a relative outsider to the Washington/Oregon rivalry although, being from the area and growing up a Husky fan, he is aware of how much it means to both programs as well as their fanbases.

Asked about the Arizona game, Eason said the team kept fighting and got the result they wanted, but admitted that things were a little flat and something needed to happen.

Eason also talked about the emergence of freshman wide receiver Puka Nacua and what that could mean moving forward.

Bush Hamdan also was asked about Nacua's playmaking abilities and noted the first big play of the second half to the freshman wideout and how that was a key play in the game.

He felt the first half was a struggle against Arizona because of execution, so he wanted to be patient with things and continue to give the players chances to make plays.

Asked about the Oregon defense, he said they are probably deeper than almost anyone in the country and their secondary is playing very well and the Huskies will have to be really sound on offense in order to move the ball against them.

Senior left tackle Trey Adams recalled what he was doing the past couple of Oregon games, since he was injured, and said last year he shot a deer near his family's home in Wenatchee, but was listening to the game on the radio and was disappointed with the loss.

Jimmy Lake said they'll obviously put their wrinkles in, but when it came to getting more pressure at Arizona, for instance, it was 'all the same'. The same from game one through last weekend. And that won't change this weekend against the Oregon Ducks.

When Myles Bryant was asked if Oregon week feels a little different than other weeks, he said it's just the next game on the schedule.

Levi Onwuzurike got a taste of Oregon-Washington during his official visit back in 2015, but wouldn't go past saying it was a big game He learned how important it is from former players like Azeem Victor and Keishawn Bierria, but it's still just one game at a time. They'll practice the same as they always to, practice hard, prepare well.

The defensive players and coaches might as well had their helmet and pads still on, because the game faces were definitely on when talking to the media Tuesday ahead of UW's weekend matchup with the Ducks at Husky Stadium.

It took about half a second before the first question was asked from the media about redshirt freshman linebacker MJ Tafisi, who had to be carted off the field Saturday night in Washington's 51-27 win over Arizona.

UW Head Coach Chris Petersen said it was a 'significant stinger', but that he had been checked out at a Tucson hospital, and then in Seattle the next day, and that he's 'doing well'. There's no timetable for his return, but Petersen talked about how unsettling the scene was for everyone involved, except for the UW trainers and doctors.

He also talked about Jaxson Kirkland, who missed the rest of the game after the first couple series. Petersen said he was 'rolled up', and that he didn't expect there to be any long-term issues with the sophomore right guard. Petersen was also asked about the play of Kirkland's backup, Henry Bainivalu, and redshirt freshman Matteo Mele, who was pressed into his first career start at center for Nick Harris. Mele is a Tucson native.

Petersen was asked about this week's opponent, the Oregon Ducks, and especially what has made them so good defensively under former Boise State defensive coordinator Andy Avalos.