University of Washington football coach Steve Sarkisian is sick of going 7-6.
The feeling, exacerbated in the final two games of the 2012 season with last-second losses to Boise State and Washington State, carried into the off-season. Sarkisian said in his first press conference that he still hasn’t shed the sensation, which is why he elevated expectations.
Three consecutive years of 7-6 records and a 26-25 overall mark at UW will do that to a coach who speaks of reaching conference championships and Rose Bowls. Sarkisian, in his fifth season, has said this team is his deepest and most talented since joining the program in 2009.
He may be right.
QB Keith Price is a year older and has looked during fall camp like the player who threw a school-record 33 touchdowns in 2011. RB Bishop Sankey is back after rushing for 1,439 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, highlighted by a 205-yard performance in the Las Vegas Bowl. TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins and WR Kasen Williams are among the most explosive players in the Pac-12.
The defense, led by LB Shaq Thompson and S Sean Parker, is experienced and deep.
But, the defensive line is undersized and the offensive line could certainly use more depth. Questions remain in the secondary.
What do you think? Will the Huskies finally crawl over the hump and reach an upper echelon bowl game?
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