The Morning Haul: 8/20

We’re approaching single digits now. And after this week, when it’s down to six or seven more days, I’ll start hitting the season preview and game preview content super hard. Picking the games for that week, previewing the Boise State offense and defense, picking the Boise game, etc. For now, we continue to wait.

Stories Especially Worth Reading:

An extremely comprehensive examination of Washington’s defense from Ben Knibbe of the UW Dawg pound. Washington’s defense is tough to pin down under coordinator Justin Wilcox, given that he often changes up the number of down linemen and plays with an extra nickelback on the field at the expense of a traditional linebacker. Though, to be fair, that nickelback was Shaq Thompson last year, and eventually everyone including the coaches adapted to calling Thompson a straight up linebacker.

The News Tribune with a projected two-deep depth chart for the Boise State game. Not too many changes from the projection that Adam Jude put together a week or two ago. One thing to note: Travis Feeney is listed behind Princeton Fuimaono at linebacker. I assume this has to do with his missing the spring with injury. It’s tough to believe that a guy who played as well as Feeney did last year won’t be starting by week two or three. Also interesting to see Joe Mathis projected to start over Andrew Hudson at left end and Josh Perkins listed as ASJ’s backup over Michael Hartvigson.

Speaking of two-deeps, here’s a little something on the relationship between slot receivers Jaydon Mickens and John Ross from Mason Kelley’s Coach Sark Blog. Both are very similar players physically and they’re competing for the same role, with Ross possibly poised to take the “starting” slot spot away from Mickens, so it would be understandable for their relationship to be a little icy. It’s a good sign that the sophomore Mickens is willing to help out the freshman Ross regardless of what it means for him as an individual player.