FanHouse Husky Spring Practice

It was basically more of the same yesterday as UW now has spring scrimmage number two in the books. More of the same as in more of the same inconsistency that the Husky offense has shown thus far, more than anything else. That was Ty Willingham's assessment yesterday when asked about being consistent:

"That's it," Willingham said. "That's the word for this team. Obviously we're not there yet, but that's what we're seeking."

The one theme we keep hearing is that QB Jake Locker hasn't been sharp this spring. Even though the stats were unofficial, by Times beat writer Bob Condotta's tally, Locker missed on seven of his first 11 passes, but rallied to finish 10 out of his last 17 with a couple of touchdowns. His final numbers were 14-for-28 for 173 yards and two TD's. Not all-conference numbers to be sure, but not too bad either considering it's just the second scrimmage of spring. The down note is that all accounts had Locker sailing some passes high in the early going, and alluded to an issue he's had all spring with his footwork being the main reason. However Locker did show off his wheels yet again, gaining 43 yards on nine carries as he continues to show he'll be a legit dual threat from the QB position this year.

The best performer on offense yesterday continues to be maybe the best offensive player of the spring so far, as RB Louis Rankin had 90 yards on just 11 carries, including a 55-yard TD run. Rankin also had a 29-yard TD catch as he has improved in his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Rankin totaled only 13 catches last year, but that was still good for fourth on the team. We've said it before, but consistency is the only thing separating Rankin for a big senior season.

As spring ball hits the halfway point for UW, there are many positions still up for grabs, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. E.J. Savannah made some headlines today, as he is now listed as the #1 guy at weakside linebacker, passing the starter heading into spring, Chris Stevens, on the depth chart. We touched on Savannah earlier this spring, and how Willingham was looking for more out of the young linebacker. Sure enough, his spring has catapulted him up the depth chart.

Today's Seattle Times has a feature on the defensive positions not yet settled. While backups are sought at defensive tackle, the biggest questions remain in the secondary. Roy Lewis (pictured) is a likely starter at one corner, but the starter on the other side still appears to be an open issue. Willingham alluded to the openings in the secondary yesterday:

"The real competition, especially at probably two of the four positions, is yet to come," Willingham said. "The real competition arrives in the fall."

Lewis is an intriguing player. He registered 66 tackles last year, a pretty high number for a corner, and is set up for a big senior year. He initially played at San Jose State and started a handful of games as a true frosh in 2003, and then transferred to UW the following year. In 2005 he was voted the most improved defensive player on the team, where he had 47 tackles while starting 7 games. With the loss of Dashon Goldson and C.J. Wallace in the secondary, Lewis is going to be a key figure in the secondary next season.