Another round. ...

Q: Wondering if you could update us on players who are likely to redshirt this year.

A: Sure. The easy answer is that it's just every true freshman who has yet to play this year --- there are no upperclassmen redshirting and none of the injured players (such as Skyler Fancher or Terence Thomas) have redshirt years left. So by my count, that leaves six players redshirting this year, all true freshmen --- Marlion Barnett, Kimo Makaula, Keith Price, Chris Robinson, Will Shamburger and Tim Tucker. Ten other true freshmen are playing this year. Everybody else is either playing or, as mentioned, no longer has a redshirt year remaining.

Q: With all of the speculation about Jake Locker leaving after this season (if I were advising him I would tell him to enter the draft, especially with this possibly being the last year of uncapped rookie salaries) has got me thinking about the QB situation for next year. Would the job be Ronnie Fouch's to lose? Nick Montana's? Is Keith Price progressing enough to be in the mix?

A: Since you couched the question that way --- whose job would it be to lose --- I think the answer is easy --- Fouch. He is the backup QB this year, getting all the other reps with the first-team offense that don't go to Locker, and obviously started eight games last season. Coaches say they are happy with his progress. Things can obviously change, but it's pretty hard for a true freshman to come in and start right away at QB (it's never really been done at UW though Marques Tuiasosopo did start a game as a true frosh in 1997). So I really wouldn't expect Montana to come right in and compete for it. As for Price, they like his progress --- check out the item I had on him last week. But all logic would point to Fouch being the leader heading into spring ball should Locker leave. Whether the spring would end that way is harder to say.

Q: I think that Sark and all of the coaches are doing great. However, some of the play calls were questionable. Has Sark ever admitted to his "rookie" mistakes on play calling, time-clock management, etc? I would say that if he had more experience and better talent then some of the playcalling would've probably resulted in better results, but do you agree or has Sark ever alluded to that?

A: On the first part of the question, Sarkisian has been very self-critical --- remember what he said after the ASU game? I don't think Sarkisian taking the acceptable blame for things is an issue. He has not alluded to them as rookie mistakes, however, and not sure he feels that's the problem. Maybe he does, but I haven't heard him say that, just that there's some calls he'd do differently if he could. What may be a bigger issue than being a rookie is simply handling both play-calling and head-coaching duties and figuring out how to do to both, though he has not said he feels like that's influenced his calls in any way, necessarily. I would definitely agree that better talent would help his play-calling --- how could it not? Obviously if he had USC's O-line, it would be a heck of a lot easier making those goal-line calls. If anything, that may be something Sarkisian is having to adjust to --- figuring out the best play calls for the talent he has here, and also learning how those players perform under pressure when games hit their critical moments.

Q: Are we seeing a pattern of poor clock management re: Arizona and the end of the first half vs. Oregon?

A: Depends on if two games is a pattern, I guess. I agree I thought they could have used some of their time outs at the end of the half against Oregon, though it ended up working out anyway, if in somewhat odd fashion. As for the other game, thinking maybe you mean Arizona State? If so, I think Sarkisian has addressed that, that he wanted to be conservative early in that final drive since the ball was at the 10, but once they got some yards decided to take a chance on the third-down play. He has admitted he should have handled that one differently --- mostly, in getting the first down and then taking a shot with a pass. I think the basic issue may be what Sarkisian himself said after the ASU game, that he may be trying too hard at times. That's what I thought the issue was against ASU --- he wanted to both get to OT and still take a chance at winning, and in trying to do both, did neither.

All for now.