UW Football | Gunheim still gung ho

If not for the presence of quarterback Jake Locker, Greyson Gunheim figured to be Washington's headline-grabbing, highlight-reel-stealing player this season.

The senior defensive end represented UW at the Pac-10's annual football media day, was the lone Husky consistently named to preseason all-conference teams, and has started 33 games, most of anyone on the team.

And it all started out just the way he hoped when he made two sacks against Syracuse in a nationally televised victory.

But since then, it has been a tough go for Gunheim. He has just one-half of a sack (in the second game against Boise State) and has made just five tackles the past three games.

And nobody has noticed the downward trend more than Gunheim.

"I definitely have a lot of work to do to get to my goals," he said. "I'm surprised, disappointed and upset. But I know we still have a lot of football to play, a lot more opportunities that lie ahead, so that's all you can do is keep working hard at it."

In fact, if there was ever a time to break out, this Saturday might be it as the Huskies play at Arizona State against a Sun Devils team that has allowed a Pac-10-high 22 sacks. Seven of those came last week in Pullman against WSU as the Cougars blitzed often to put pressure on immobile ASU quarterback Rudy Carpenter.

"We've got to get after him [Carpenter]," said UW defensive tackle Jordan Reffett, who might be Gunheim's closest friend on the team.

The Huskies need to start getting after somebody. They've had trouble getting to the quarterback since that Syracuse game, when they had seven sacks. UW has just four sacks in the four games since and is tied for last in the Pac-10 with 11 sacks overall.

Reffett points out that UW has played pretty good offensive lines in that time, while acknowledging, "We need to do things better. All the defensive line, we always think we should be more productive."

Of Gunheim, Reffett says, "He has a target on his back. He's a four-year starter, everybody in the Pac-10 knows him. That's a little bit tougher. A guy like me, I don't get as much attention."

Gunheim said he has gotten double-teamed on occasion this season.

But he thinks he should be able to play through that, and unlike last year, when he battled a knee injury all season, he said he has mostly been healthy, though he did leave the UCLA game briefly with a leg injury. "I've had a few things that kind of hurt a little bit, but nothing too big," he said.

What's bruised most right now is his ego.

Gunheim says a lot of teams UW has played have used quick passes, making it hard to get to the quarterback. He says he feels he has often been just a step away from a sack.

At other times, he said the line hasn't played as smart as it has needed to, especially in preventing some of the long runs that have hurt the Huskies.

"Sometimes it's mental. Sometimes it's people getting tired and they don't want to play through their gap, things like that," he said. "We've made way too many mistakes, and it's definitely been a struggle, and everyone is real disappointed about it, especially the seniors."

Indeed, with Gunheim, Reffett and defensive tackle Wilson Afoa all back as seniors who have significant starting experience, the defensive line looked like the strength of the team this season. But the one who has played the best this season has probably been junior defensive end Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, who leads the team with four sacks.

Coach Tyrone Willingham had a kinder view of the play of Gunheim and the line this week than did Gunheim, saying that other than "about eight to 10 plays" that resulted in big gains, the line has pretty much done its job.

"Probably what we are lacking is that consistency," Willingham said. "We've had solid play in a lot of our ballgames, but we have given up big plays. Greyson has been part of that in being solid in his play but probably not spectacular."

The Huskies began rotating more up front against USC, using tackles Erick Lobos and Cameron Elisara for a few plays, and might do so more in coming weeks.

Gunheim wants a way to get back to the feeling of that Syracuse game, when everything looked so promising.

"We were so excited to show what we could do that no matter what, we were going to play hard," he said. "We just have to play like that, play with more emotion against every team we play and play like it could be your last play."

Bob Condotta: 206-515-5699 or bcondotta@seattletimes.com