The Ralphie Report sat down with the great SBNation Washington blog, UW Dawg Pound for a little Q&A session leading up to tomorrow's game.
Check out our answers to their questions (and there were a lot) here.
After five games, is this where you expected Washington to be?
I think we are exactly where I thought we would be. It would be nice to be 5-0 but coming out of Lincoln, Nebraska with a win isn't easy to do. The one surprise is we expected the defense to take the lead this season and that hasn't exactly happened. The performance of the offense offense...in particular the passing game has been a pleasant surprise.
We know a good amount about RB Chris Polk but it looks like QB Keith Price is having a very good season, ranked the second most efficient passer in the Pac-12 while throwing for 17 touchdowns. Was this sort of performance expected this year?
I don't think anyone expected Price to be this good but he is the real deal. An NFL QB who worked out with him this summer said that Husky fans had absolutely nothing to worry about at QB. I guess he wasn't kidding because he is outperforming the departed Jake Locker by a wide margin.
Defensively, Washington ranks last in pass defense and 11th in total defense in the Pac-12. What are some of the reasons for the struggles at least statistically on the defensive side of the ball?
Youth is probably the biggest factor, but we have seen quite a bit of improvement over the past couple of weeks. The return of DT Semisi Tokolahi has been huge for this defense. He gives UW two athletic 340 lb guys on this inside that can plug the middle. Going forward I am pretty confident that the defense can keep improving.
As Buff fans we are looking for a silver lining as we try to rebound under a new coach. Washington fans went through a lot before Steve Sarkisian got to Seattle. In year one, what were some of the things you saw in Sarkisian that made you know he was going to he a good coach for your program for years to come even though the on the field results weren't always great?
Beating his former mentor Pete Carroll and eight ranked USC early during his first season was a huge indicator of big things to come. The earlier that signature win comes the better for the coach and the program. You know you have the right guy when he beats teams he isn't supposed to.
Who is an unknown player on defense and offense that Buffs fans need to watch out for?
LB Jamaal Kearse is a guy who has emerged over the last couple of weeks. He really can lay the lumber and his confidence seems to increase each game. He scored a special teams TD on a fumble recovery against Utah on the first play of the game. Count on him to have a big hit or two during the game.
WR Keith Smith is a regular in the receiving rotation and a dangerous kick returner. The coaches like to get the ball in his hands. Be on the guard for the old end-around. Smith is big and fast. He can cause a lot of problems.
What should Buffs fans heading to Washington for the game need to know? Where should they tailgate before the game? Any must-see restaurants, bars, or other to-do's?
If I was a visiting fan I would head over to what is called the zone. The zone is a game day village built on the practice field due East of the stadium. It is a good place to grab some beer and something to eat before the game. The South parking lot is the premier tailgate area but construction of a light rail stadium has limited the capacity of that area this season. Ray's Boathouse in Ballard is a great place for out-of-towners to eat at. Good seafood with a view of the Olympic Mountains.
What's your prediction for the game?
Washington 41 Colorado 17
