Washington Football: Previewing the Eastern Washington Game

This Saturday Husky Stadium is going to be filled with rabid fans who have been salivating to see the new Washington team all summer.

With quarterback Jake Locker gone and running back Chris Polk injured, there are murmurs of unrest from the Washington fanbase.

Luckily for the Dawgs, there is more than enough talent to take on the Eastern Washington Eagles. New quarterback Keith Price has a well-stocked offensive arsenal to help make plays happen and minimize the hole that Locker left behind.

Polk may be injured (his damaged meniscus will keep him out of the opener, but he should return soon after), but sophomore Jesse Callier and redshirt freshman Deontae Cooper will give Washington some fresh legs to run the ball. When Price needs to throw the ball, wide receivers Devin Aguilar, Jermaine Kearse and touted freshman Kasen Williams will provide three big targets for the new quarterback.

Eastern Washington is no slouch for a lower-division team. In a recent poll by The Sports Network it was once again the No. 1-ranked football team in the NCAA championship subdivision. Not to mention the Eagles have 15 returning players out of 22—call me crazy, but that is no small feat.

Despite losing its star running back Taiwan Jones to the NFL in the fourth round, Eastern Washington can still pack a punch with dynamic returning quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell leading the attack.

However, I have to give this one to Washington due to the fact that it is still riding its four-game winning streak from the end of last season, one of which was the win over Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl. Also, coach Steve Sarkisian is really hitting his stride in his third year as Washington’s head coach.

Get ready, Dawg fans...the Huskies are ready to explode into the 2011 season!