SEATTLE — As recently as eight days ago, University of Washington football coach Steve Sarkisian was waxing on about the benefits of lessening the workload on starting running back Chris Polk.
And then he went and added to it.
Polk served as the primary kickoff returner in Saturday’s win over Arizona, and Sarkisian said Monday that the redshirt freshman will continue to fill that role.
“I think he’s going to stay there for now because no one else has seized the opportunity, or taken advantage of it, unfortunately,” Sarkisian said during his Monday afternoon press conference. “In the perfect world, you don’t want your starting tailback returning kickoffs for you, but we just haven’t had another guy step up and seize an opportunity to take that role.”
Cornerback Quinton Richardson and wide receiver Jordan Polk started the season as the deep men in kickoff formation, but the latter was replaced by blocking back Cole Sager in Week 5. Sager continued to work in that role Saturday, when Chris Polk moved into Richardson’s spot as the primary returner.
Chris Polk responded by averaging 24 yards on three returns, including a 58-yarder that helped set up a key touchdown in the final three minutes of the 36-33 win. Polk had to come out of the game for a spell while nursing a shoulder injury, and replacement Curtis Shaw did little to wrestle the job from him.
In Richardson’s only return opportunity of Saturday’s game, he bobbled a kickoff and was tackled at the UW 15-yard line. In 19 chances, Richardson has averaged just 19.4 yards per return this season.
Christine out for the year
Starting guard Gregory Christine, who had been fighting ankle problems for most of this month, will miss the rest of the 2009 season after breaking his leg in Saturday’s game. Sarkisian said that Christine also suffered significant ligament damage in the process.
Christine’s likely replacement in the starting lineup will be Nick Wood, a former defensive lineman who has been on offense for just over a month. Sarkisian said that guard Mykenna Ikehara and tackle Drew Schaefer could also be in the mix. Schaefer entered training camp as a starting tackle, but the team eventually moved Ben Ossai from left guard back out to tackle to make room for Christine.
Healing up
The Huskies did get some good news on the injury front, as three ailing players returned to the practice field Monday afternoon.
Starting safety Nate Williams and starting receiver D’Andre Goodwin, both of whom missed Saturday’s game while recovering from concussions, were back on the practice field and are expected to play against Arizona State on Saturday.
Also returning to action was reserve running back Johri Fogerson, who’s been out a week with the flu.
Fellner in; Aiyewa out?
The Huskies’ official depth chart had true freshman Nate Fellner as the starting free safety, with Williams returning to his natural spot at strong safety.
Fellner got his first career start on Saturday alongside Victor Aiyewa, who is now listed as Williams’ top backup.
Redshirt freshman Greg Walker is listed behind Fellner, while senior Jason Wells’ name appeared on the depth chart for the first time this season. The oft-injured Wells is listed behind Walker.
The Erickson tree
UW’s coaching staff includes six assistants who either played for, or coached under, current Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson.
Erickson, an Everett native, has ties to UW linebackers coach Mike Cox, offensive line coach Dan Cozzetto, safeties coach Jeff Mills, special teams coach Johnny Nansen, running backs coach Joel Thomas and graduate assistant Mike Anderson. He also tried to recruit offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier to Washington State before leaving that job for Miami in 1989.
One of the few Husky coaches who has no ties to Erickson is Sarkisian. The former BYU quarterback said Erickson never even tried to recruit him out of junior college.
“I didn’t have a big enough arm for Dennis,” Sarkisian cracked.
The Huskies’ head coach said that all the obvious ties to ASU’s current head coach probably won’t be a factor in Saturday’s game.
“It’s kind of similar to when we were playing SC,” Sarkisian said, referring to the September game against a USC program where he used to serve as an assistant. “I think there are some great friendships there; the guys have tremendous memories with him. But at the end of the day, Dennis is a great competitor, and so are his entire staff and football team, and I feel the same way about our staff.”
Short yardage
Asked Monday whether he saw a replay of Mason Foster’s interception near the end of the Saturday win over Arizona, Sarkisian said that he had. He was then asked whether it looked like the pass had hit the ground. “I thought it hit (intended receiver Delashaun Dean’s) foot,” Sarkisian said without expanding on the point. … Because of a recurring neck stinger that flared up in Saturday’s game, defensive tackle Cameron Elisara will begin wearing a neck pad. “It will make me look bigger,” he joked. … Quarterback Jake Locker suffered a minor back bruise in the Arizona game but said Monday that it will not bother him in future games. … Sarkisian said that the shoulder injury Chris Polk suffered in Saturday’s game was not a dislocation, as Polk himself said after the game. Trainers worked on Polk’s shoulder for several minutes while he sat on a bench, but Sarkisian said Monday that the shoulder did not have to be popped back into place.
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