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Willingham on injuries, OSU, recruiting and more
Posted
at
4:10 pm
by John Boyle
After a weekend off, the Huskies are back to preparing for a game and searching for that first win.
The biggest bit of news out of Tyrone Willingham's Monday meeting with the press is that starting guard Casey Bulyca is going to have knee surgery soon and could be out for the season. Bulyca has apparently had a knee problem for a while, and it got bad enough that he and the team decided to go for surgery. That will move Ryan Tolar, a starter last season, into the starting lineup at guard.
Redshirt freshman Brandon Yakaboski will also have knee surgery soon, and is expected to be out for the season.
Here's some of what Willingham had to say:
Thoughts on Oregon State and its defense:
"I’ve characterized their football team as a team that seems to start the season kind of slow. Then all of a sudden, they seem to come on like gang busters and it happens usually about the time we’re playing them. We anticipate they will be full force. The only thing that will be a little different is they won’t have the field-goal kicker be as perfect as he has been in other years coming into our ballgame. Their defense creates a lot of problems from the standpoint of their structure, what they do with their corners, how they involve their safeties down in the front. So, it will be a matchup that will force us to play some of our best football."
Does the emotion from last year's game (Locker getting hurt, etc.) carry over this year?
"I think there is always some concern about that, especially with the way things happened down there, and who they happened to. I think that has a little impact on that. But we will try to get our guys focused on playing the game, hopefully play it with great emotion but never cross that line."
How are the losses, your job status, etc, affecting recruiting?
"I try to draw an analogy…it reminded me of a negative circumstance when you have fires or disasters in another area – everyone knows there’s a fire. When you’re right there, you feel the heat of it, have the smoke, you have all those things you have to deal with. When you’re far away, all you know is that there’s a fire.
That’s very much what our recruiting was in the places we go to – they know there’s some conditions, but they don’t know all the stuff you deal with on a daily basis, so they’re not aware of that. So, we still have a great opportunity to go in there and, if we turn things around, present a very positive outcome to the young men we’re recruiting and they can see themselves coming in and helping our program and making it better."
Do they ask particulars about you?
"Some do, some don’t, but there’s always a concern there. Every young man, I think, wants to identify with the head coach of the program."
You said earlier that recruits were waiting and watching?
I think they’re still waiting and watching.
Element of OSU that are unique?
"I think it’s probably, if you’re trying to look for something special, unique about them, I would say it’s the combination of guys they’ve got right now – with the Rogers brothers, Stroughter. Those guys have accounted for almost 300-400 yards of offense. That’s a pretty productive group and that’s not including Morales, that is such a quality guy in there system. It’s kind of unique that you get that much productivity from three guys that you face. They all do something a little bit different, but all very explosive."
Injury updates:
"David Freeman we hope to get back toward activity. We’re still trying to figure out exactly what the ankle injuries are. We believe it’s a high ankle sprain and, as you know, those things take some times and are somewhat difficult to see. It seems one is healing better than the other, but it has created some problems. He has been a little more active the latter part of the week, but still hasn’t been able to make a real contribution to practice."
"Brandon Yakaboski will probably be having surgery in the upcoming weeks, not sure of the date, but when he gets better, eliminates some of the swelling, etc. then he will have it."
"Johri Fogerson worked last week and continues to get better."
"We probably lost Casey Bulyca. He’s been working with a knee condition for some time and it’s not getting better, so it seems the best thing to do is operate on it and then have him come back later or just go forward. That’s one."
"Then you also have [Byron] Davenport and he is scheduled for this week also."
Darin Harris?
"No major update or change in his status. Probably be still looking at some time with him."
D'Andre Goodwin?
"D’Andre worked last week, so we anticipate he’ll get some more work this week and be as close to full as possible given the nature of his injury."
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