Originally published November 1, 2007 at 12:00 AM | Page modified November 1, 2007 at 2:01 AM
UW Football Notebook | Davenport to keep his starting position
Washington cornerback Byron Davenport will be in the starting lineup Saturday for the Huskies at Stanford. And he says he'll go out there...
Seattle Times staff reporter
Saturday
Washington @ Stanford, 3:30 p.m., FSN
Washington cornerback Byron Davenport will be in the starting lineup Saturday for the Huskies at Stanford.
And he says he'll go out there with no hard feelings about being benched for the final three quarters against Arizona last week even as he says he's still unclear what happened.
"I've got no choice," he said. "I can't dwell on it."
Davenport was benched after giving up a 66-yard touchdown pass from Willie Tuitama to Mike Thomas on Arizona's second possession.
UW coach Tyrone Willingham told reporters he "wasn't comfortable" with what he saw out of Davenport as he tried to play with a sore shoulder.
The way Davenport portrayed it, however, that was more than he was told, and that left him stewing as UW gave up a school-record 510 passing yards.
"They didn't say [anything during the game]. They finally tried to explain it to me [Tuesday] why they took me out, but I didn't know why during the game," Davenport said.
"It kind of bothered me a little bit that it took them so long to talk about it and once we finally talked about it they are totally thinking something's wrong with me and I'm completely fine," Davenport said.
Davenport, however, admitted he hadn't been his usual self in practice last week while nursing a sore shoulder. And that was apparently at the heart of Willingham's decision. Willingham also said he did talk to Davenport earlier than Tuesday.
"We did talk before then," Willingham said. "As I said with Byron, it wasn't two plays. I didn't feel comfortable with where he was. That was not based on two plays but that I had watched all week with his shoulder that he just didn't seem to be Byron, so at that point of the ballgame I made a decision."
Asked about putting Davenport back in the game, Willingham said, "There was some thought but I didn't think it was the best thing to do."
Confident coach
Willingham concluded his remarks Wednesday with an impassioned statement that he thinks the team is close to turning the corner.
"There has been no time in my career, for one reason or another, that the heat hasn't been on Tyrone Willingham," he said. "When I took the job at Stanford, the heat was on. When I took the job at Notre Dame, the heat was on. Here, the heat is on. The only thing that solves any of those problems is just winning football games.
"We are a football team that is very close to doing that an awful lot. No matter how you cut it, no matter what statistics you look at, this team has played good football. Now, we may not have played it long enough to win particular ballgames, but we have played good football and we have to shore up all those areas where we are weak at and we will do a lot of winning."
Notes
• Willingham said J.R. Hasty does not immediately regain his prior standing on the depth chart — he was No. 3 at tailback — but said no decision has been made where he will be.
• DT Wilson Afoa is suffering from a shoulder injury. He was out Tuesday but was back in pads Wednesday, though still in red. He is expected to play Saturday.
Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company
NEW - 05:30 PM
Huskies no match for Oregon State, fall 48-21
NEW - 05:25 PM
NW Briefs: NW briefs | Washington women win regional cross-country title
NEW - 04:34 PM
Washington women's basketball falls in season opener
Multidimensional Beavers tough to stop for Huskies
Washington men's basketball opens season with victory

Opening day at Crystal Mountain
Skiers crowded the slopes at Crystal Mountain for one of the resort's earliest openings.
nwjobs

Post a comment

Michelle Goodman blogs about work/life balance.
How to tell your office you're gravely ill
Post a comment
nwautos

Choosing a new sedan? Weigh the impact of your choice on your wallet and on the planet.
Post a comment
- Homeless man, 46, arrested in Greenwood arsons
- KVI talk radio host off the air as of Thursday
- Steve Kelley | ESPN's Bill Simmons gets us: He hates Clay Bennett, too
- Police investigate videotaped arrest
- Seattle U. Men's Hoops | Big recruit goes from Huskies to Redhawks
- Mariners sign Jack Wilson to 2-year contract
- Razor found in muffin an accident, 'mortified' baker says
- Suspect's family shaken by slaying of police officer
- Mountlake Terrace woman reports razor in muffin
- Man says he will protest city's gun ban by carrying gun into community center
- OSU game thread
647 - Police investigate videotaped arrest
635 - Seattle man to pack a pistol into community center to protest mayor's ban
357 - GOP clueless as families struggle with health care
196 - NYC trial for 9/11 suspects poses risks
132 - Band of advocates, activists now McGinn's likely insiders
99 - Wright State game thread
97 - Licata looks at boosting traffic-ticket revenue
88 - Kent man challenges Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels' gun ban
87 - Light rail to airport to begin Dec. 19
71
- Light rail to airport to begin Dec. 19
- Homeless man, 46, arrested in Greenwood arsons
- Ivar's undersea billboards a hoax devised as marketing ploy
- Light rail to airport to begin Dec. 19
- Steve Kelley | ESPN's Bill Simmons gets us: He hates Clay Bennett, too
- An 802.11n upgrade could make a big difference
- KVI talk radio host off the air as of Thursday
- Washington in race for federal education funds
- Police investigate videotaped arrest
- Goodwill's Glitter Sale is Nov. 14-15





