Jeff Garcia will be speaking at Dogs' Breakfast XII (Photo: Darrins on Flickr)

Jeff Garcia is an American football quarterback for the Houston Texans. A four-time CFL All-Star and four-time NFL Pro Bowl selection, Garcia began his professional football career with the Calgary Stampeders as an un-drafted free agent in 1994. Garcia took over as starter in 1995 when Doug Flutie was sidelined midway through the season. In his second start filling in for Flutie, Garcia set a team record with 546 passing yards and six touchdown passes in the Labour Day game against Edmonton. In 1997, Garcia won the Jeff Nicklin Trophy, an award to the Most Outstanding Player in the CFL Western Division. Garcia led the Stampeders to the Western Final in 1996 and to the Western Semi-Final in 1997. In 1998, he led the Stampeders to a Grey Cup Victory over the Hamilton Tiger Cats. In 1999, Garcia debuted with the San Francisco 49ers. Since 2003, he has also played for the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Oakland Raiders. In 2010, Garcia played for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League.

Garcia is the sixth legendary quarterback to speak at the Dogs Breakfast since the football scholarship fundraiser began twelve years ago. He joins quarterbacks Ron Lancaster, Russ Jackson, Warren Moon, Matt Dunigan, and Damon Allen among others on the list of outstanding key note speakers featured at past Breakfasts.

Moira Sheridan, Chair of the 12^th Annual Dogs Breakfast, commented: “As a result of the hard work of a diverse group of individuals committed to the ongoing success of the Huskies Football program, I am proud to be the Chairperson of one of Canada’s premier University Football fundraising events.  It is always an exciting morning for football fans to hear gridiron legends speak and see the new recruits.  This year’s edition of the Breakfast will be no exception.”

The Dogs Breakfast takes place at Prairieland Park on Thursday May 3^rd. As in the past, a huge crowd is expected and guests are reminded to arrive early to catch the “Pre-Game Interviews” and be seated prior to the Official Program at 7:30 AM. Doors will open at 6:45 AM. $100 tickets and $800 tables may be purchased online at www.huskiesfootballfoundation.com. For more information contact Huskie Athletics at 966-1002.

Quarterback Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren, who is entering his third year with the Huskies in 2012, will join offensive lineman Jordan Arkko, who is entering his second year with the team. Quarterback Drew Burko, who red-shirted in 2011, was practicing with the IFAF (International Federation of American Football) Developmental Team, but has been playing so well that he has been promoted to the World Team active roster for the game.

Quarterback Drew Burko during World Team practice in Austin, Texas (image courtesy Canada Football Chat)

Huskies Head Coach Brian Towriss is in Austin to take in the practices and the game. He reports that Burko, who received praise from former CIS quarterback and current York University coach Mike Faulds earlier this week, will likely get some playing time on Wednesday night, while Gilbert-Knorren, who has been nursing an injury, will be seeing action as a slot receiver. Arkko has impressed throughout the week and will be the starting right tackle.

The Huskies had four players named to this team last year and in 2010 (not including current Huskie Jerit Lambert, who played in 2010 as a member of the Edmonton Wildcats), which speaks well of their recruiting efforts over the past four years. “It’s a testament to some of the talent we’ve been able to recruit over the past few years,” agrees Towriss. “I’m sure Jordan (Arkko) is looking forward to playing in this game, in the footsteps of some pretty good offensive linemen. He was rookie of the year and was picked to play in this game, and is certainly on track to become our next great one.”

This is a unique opportunity for young players to not only play against top-calibre American players, but also to learn from the World Team coaching staff, which is headed by Western Mustangs Head Coach Greg Marshall for the second straight year. Learning new techniques and plays from new coaches is something Towriss is encouraging his players to take advantage of. “I’m telling them to take advantage of the opportunity and learn from it,” he said. “I want them to go down and work hard, but also learn from a new coach, get a new perspective and really make the most of the opportunity to play against some of America’s best.

“In all cases, I think it’s good exposure for them, and certainly from a cultural perspective, it doesn’t hurt them, either. Hopefully the guys down here for this game will come back and pass on some great memories and give some other young guys the incentive to work hard and maybe get a shot at playing in this game next year.”

The game will be played tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. and will be shown live on CBS Sports Network, which is available in Western Canada on Bell ExpressVu. For those of us on Shaw, Shaw Direct, SaskTel Max and Access, we will have to wait for the delayed webcast, which will be available on USA Football’s website 72 hours after the game is broadcast. The live webcast will be available for those outside Canada and the USA here.

Below are the first two episodes of the International Bowl 2012 documentary:

Kevin has been one of the biggest supporters of Huskie Football and Huskie Athletics in the media, providing ample coverage and producing special features such as In The Pocket with Laurence Nixon and his two-part feature on the twentieth anniversary of the Huskies’ 1990 Vanier Cup championship.

His coverage of the team was important the growth phase over the past five years. He raised the bar and set a new standard of coverage for this team which will be difficult to follow.

I had the pleasure of getting to know Kevin a little bit over the past few years. Standing on the sidelines, watching practice and talking football won’t be the same without him.

Kevin, best of luck in your new position in Bear country. I know you will always be a Huskie at heart.

CIS Football… Vanier Cup… all foreign concepts to an aspiring 21-year old sports broadcaster from Alberta. Who could blame me? Growing up in Edmonton, it was rare to hear about the Alberta Golden Bears or even the Calgary Dinos. I had never experienced CIS Football until one crisp Saturday Afternoon in November 2005.

Jordy Burrows came up with another classic moment in Huskies Football history. More importantly, that game – his play – kick started my passion for the game and for Huskies Football. It was my very first week at Global Saskatoon and I was hooked! I couldn’t wait to cover this team and the Canada West full-time.

Starting in early 2006 – I took on the Huskie Football beat and never looked back. It was more than just a work assignment, it was a passion and in some ways an obsession. I couldn’t wait to head down to practice, to watch scrimmages, Game Days and post-game interviews. I enjoyed watching young guys grow into young men who would either go on to further their football career or become outstanding citizens in society.

While I never got to see a Vanier Cup win, there’s so much more to sport than Championships. Following the Huskies to Ottawa for the 2006 CIS Mitchell Bowl is a definite highlight. The way they stormed back to book a spot in the Vanier Cup is the stuff that legends are made of.

The level of respect and professionalism in that program is second to none. I know it can be annoying to deal with the media on a consistent basis, but there were no complaints and no questions asked – Brian Towriss, the rest of the coaching staff and players were always available just before practice and after every game. On every level there was mutual respect and for that I say thank-you.

So I wish the entire team and program the best of luck in the upcoming season and beyond. I’ll try and come back for the Home Opener but I promise – WHEN the Huskies return to the Vanier Cup, I will be there in Green and White to finally see a Championship return home where it belongs.

Thank You.

Kevin Jesus
@GlobalJesus

Heenan started and played the entire first quarter, the start of the second quarter, and all of the second half. West Head Coach Brad Childress, who was the Head Coach for the Minnesota Vikings from 2006 to 2010 and the Offensive Co-ordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999 to 2005, left Heenan in the game more than some of the other linemen.

“The coaches had a lot of confidence in me,” Heenan said on Sunday night. “I think that is an indication of why I played so much. Overall, they thought that I improved each day and were pleased with my play.”

“I feel as though the game went about as well as it could for me,” Heenan added. “I played three-and-a-half quarters. I was a little nervous at the beginning but I think I had a solid second half.”

It wasn’t only the coaches who noticed Heenan. Draft pundits and scouts were quick to notice his improvement.

Influential NFL Scout and blogger Tom Melton watched some of the early practices and said that, “I also liked some of what I saw from Ben Heenan (Saskatchewan) at guard today. He did a good job against the bigger, stronger Dominique Hamilton in 1 on 1’s and looked good overall in the 1 on 1 drills. He didn’t look great in the team drills, but I think there is potential there. I think he’s a long term developmental guy, but he showed some toughness and nastiness despite not being in pads and I liked that.”

The Bleacher Report had this to say about Heenan, “While attention is usually given primarily to the skill position players, the battle in the trenches between the West offensive line and the East defensive line ended up being the matchup that defined this game… Miami University guard Brandon Brooks, Connecticut center Moe Petrus and Saskatchewan right guard Ben Heenan all did a great job throughout the game of lead blocking in the middle to open up holes for the running game….

“The biggest surprise may have been Heenan. Typically in years past, the Canadian prospects brought into the Shrine Game on an annual basis have performed poorly, and have clearly not belonged on the field with serious NFL Draft prospects. This was not the case this year. Heenan did a terrific job blocking up front in this game, and while he remains a long shot to be drafted, he made a very legitimate case for himself with his performance in Tampa.”

Should Heenan be passed over by the NFL, it would be a near certainty that the Riders will make him the first overall draft pick this spring.

Heenan’s success at the Shrine Bowl started with the second practice, once he had time to settle in. “As an offense, we would meet for about an hour every morning before breaking into groups,” said Heenan. “Coach Childress led those meetings and it was interesting to see how someone with his offensive mind broke down the film and analyzed the line play.” After the meetings the team hit the field for a 90 minute session.

Heenan’s success at the Shrine Bowl was big news across the country as his name was trending on twitter in Canada.

Heenan returned to Los Angeles to train on Sunday and started working out again on Monday. Heenan has decided to spend a few months in the US training for the upcoming college combine season. Despite the fact that he training in warmer climates, Heenan’s heart is still in the prairies.

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the Huskie coaches,” he said. “I’ve got so much support from Huskie nation and all of the fans and I want to thank everyone for that. It helped so much during the week.”

Special teams coach Doug Humbert had challenges early on in the season, when the kick and punt return teams first lost Kit Hillis to injury, followed by 2010 Canada West all-star kick returner Luke Thiel in week three. In addition, the Huskies never did settle on one or two of their three kickers, with each seeing action at both punter and placekicker throughout the season.

DB/Kick Returner Luke Thiel (photo by Liam Richards)

In spite of a rotation of personnel at the returning and kicking positions, the blockers were solid and well coached and that led to all special teams units progressing during the season and turning in a decent showing in the end. The field-goal teams finished tied for second in the conference with 13 of 19 good attempts. Punt returns were also strong, with the team finishing with 920 yards returned (over twice the yards of any other team) and one touchdown, the only team to return a punt for a touchdown. The Huskies were also the top kickoff cover team in the Canada West, with a net average of 34.1 yards per kick.

With the Huskies return game setting up nicely with the return of Hillis, Thiel, Jerit Lambert, Dexter Janke and Garrett Burgess, I skipped that position and went straight to kicking, since that was an area of concern last season. After that, to wrap up the interview, I asked Coach Towriss to comment on what his message is to his team as they work towards the 2012 season.

DC: Moving on to special teams, your return game is shaping up to be solid once again, but kicker is still a concern.

BT: Well, it’s still ongoing. We’re asking ourselves, how much will these guys develop? Chris Bodnar wasn’t the Chris Bodnar of now three years ago when he first started punting in this league.

With these guys, I think you have to continue to work with them and be patient. I think we’re in great shape with our field goals, at this point, and we’ve got to get better at punting the ball wherever we want to punt it.

DC: Are you looking at bringing in another guy or two?

BT: If we find one, but they don’t grow on trees. There are a couple guys we plan to look at. We have a couple guys with strong legs on the roster. (Sean) Stenger and Lambert also have strong legs. We just have be more consistent.

Kicker Stephen McDonald (photo by Matt Smith for Liam Richards Photography)

DC: Finally, I’ve heard you say a couple times to the team that it’s a competitive sport, that there are no safe positions and that it’s your job to go out and find talent to upgrade every position to make the team better. Are you using this message again to not only motivate players but send the message to recruits that opportunities exist where it may appear there aren’t any?

BT: Yeah, absolutely. I think there’s some immediate opportunities for running backs, for two or three offensive linemen and a travel opportunity for a defensive lineman and maybe one in the secondary.

For the most part, a lot of our needs will be filled from within. There might be a couple juniors that step in here and have an immediate impact, but there will also be some opportunities for some players on the roster. A lot of times the young guys end up being better than the guy that played ahead of them.

I think now is the time for Dane Bishop, who would have played more last year if he hadn’t been sick. Guys like Dane and Jaques Geyer now have a real opportunity to step in and make a name for themselves in this league.

Little did anyone know that the big kid the Huskies were recruiting out of Regina’s Sheldon Williams Collegiate in 2008 may be the best offensive linemen they’ve ever had on their hands.

Ben Heenan (photo by Derek Mortensen for Liam Richards Photography)

The word is now out on Ben Heenan. Since he came to the Huskies and started as a rookie straight from high school, he has been named a Canada West all-star twice while also being named a first-team all-Canadian at guard in 2010 and a second-team all-Canadian at tackle in 2011. His excellent play, hard work and leadership in the locker room has led to him being named as the top prospect for the 2012 CFL Canadian Draft by the CFL Scouting Bureau.

This weekend, Heenan will get a chance to show his skills and strength in front of an audience of NFL and CFL scouts and coaches in the 2012 East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Florida (the game will be broadcast at 3:00 p.m. on NFL Network). He will be sixth Huskie to be invited to take part in the game.

Heenan has been preparing for this game, where he will get time at guard, since he found out he’d be playing in it last November. “I am very excited for the Shrine Game,” he said prior to his first practice in St. Petersburg. “It is an incredible opportunity to showcase my talent. It’s something that I have been working towards for a few years now and I hope that I can just relax and enjoy it.”

In anticipation of the Shrine game and the CFL Evaluation Camp, Heenan has been training in Los Angeles, California. He feels this specialized training will lead to good results. “There are guys here that are training for pro days, combines or e-camps,” he said. “They also have positional coaches for us so that we can work on our technique and better prepare us for the pros.

“I think the most beneficial part of the training for me is the environment. You’re around guys who want to play pro football, so everyone pushes each other.”

Huskies Head Coach Brian Towriss is down in St. Petersburg for the game and to watch Heenan practice during the week. For Towriss, there is little doubt why Heenan is considered the top Canadian prospect. “He’s big, he’s athletic, he’s intelligent and he has a great work ethic. So you add it all up and he’s one of the best offensive linemen we ever had.”

Heenan against the Rams in week two (photo by Derek Mortensen for Liam Richards Photography)

Towriss, who will be joined in Florida for the game by offensive line coaches Bart Arnold and Travis Serke, has seen many players graduate his program for the next level, but he feels Heenan stands out from that group. “We’ve had a few linemen who have gone on to the next level, but I think Ben is probably a little stronger than most of the others. From a technique perspective, I think we’ve had guys who were where he was at, but nobody who moves around 315 pounds as quick as he does.”

The development of Heenan is another feather in the cap of an already accomplished coach and program. Towriss has made the trip to watch one of his players in the Shrine Game a regular occurrence and he is quick to spread the credit for their development. “I think it’s a credit to Bart and Travis and the great work they do with these kids,” said Towriss of his dedicated assistants. “Ben’s going to go out and I’m sure he’s going to do a great job on Saturday. It’s a wonderful opportunity to showcase his talents and maybe get a look from scouts from south of the border.”

Heenan, too, is quick to give credit to the coaches and program that brought him to this point. “The coaching that I received from the Huskies staff really has moulded me into the player that I am today. When I first came in, I really didn’t know much about technique or the game. Between Bart and Travis, they really helped me along.

“Any future successes I have in football will be because of the platform and knowledge that I received from my Huskie coaches. College football truly is an experience of a lifetime, and when you’re with the Huskies, it is that much better!”

TORONTO — University of Saskatchewan offensive lineman Ben Heenan continues to be the top ranked prospect for this year’s Canadian Draft, the Canadian Football League Scouting Bureau announced today. Huskies Safety Bruce McCall is currently the eighth top prospect.

But despite Heenan’s hold on top of the ranking, there was plenty of movement below him, including the biggest change, the addition of Boise State defensive end Tyrone Crawford at the number two spot. Crawford was not included in the first scouting bureau ranking because he had not yet been declared eligible for the upcoming Canadian draft.

Four other players cracked the ranking for the first time, including Wofford defensive end Ameet Pall (7), McMaster offensive lineman and Vanier Cup champion Jason Medeiros (10), Laval defensive end Arnaud Gascon-Nadon (13) and Queen’s receiver Johnny Aprile (14).

The ranking includes five offensive lineman, four receivers, four defensive ends, a linebacker and a defensive back.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders currently hold the top pick in the 2012 CFL Canadian Draft.

The CFL’s Scouting Bureau is comprised of CFL scouts, player personnel directors and general managers from the league’s eight teams.

HERE IS A LIST OF THE FULL JANUARY 2012 RANKINGS

The defensive line will return largely intact, with defensive end Jon DeWitt being the only member who will not return. Sacks leader, nose tackle David Rybinski, is expected to return, as will fellow fifth-year Steve Kovach, while fourth-year veterans Zach Hart, Joel Seutter, Levi Steinhauer and Ben Rush will complete one of the best defensive lines in the CIS. Because there are so many players in their fourth and fifth years, the Huskies will be looking to bring in new players and will likely work a couple into the lineup to give them playing time before taking on starting roles in 2013.

The Huskies celebrate a win (photo by Steve Hiscock for Liam Richards Photography)

The defensive secondary may also return intact, although that will depend on whether safety Bryce McCall, who is ranked as one of the top ten prospects for this spring’s CFL draft, returns. McCall had three interceptions last season, bringing him within two of tying the CIS record of 21. Interception co-leader, cornerback Mitch Friesen, is expected back for his fifth year, as are fourth-year veteran halfbacks Seamus Neary and Luke Thiel. Cornerbacks Cory Eddington and Andrew Abbs, who split time at the corner opposite Friesen last season, are also expected to return.

It would appear that the greatest need on defence would be at linebacker, with at least two starters, tackles leader Tony Michalchuk and veteran Nico Higgs, graduating. Another veteran who joined the team for his fifth season in 2011, Tommy Lynch, has also exhausted his eligibility, while middle linebacker Peter Thiel, may not return for his fifth season if an opportunity in the CFL comes up. However, the Huskies have plenty of depth at linebacker, with veterans like Charlie Power, Brodie Rothe and Thomas Hilderman showing they are ready for greater roles.

My conversation with Coach Towriss continues below, with questions on the defensive needs answered.

DC: Turning now to the defensive line, you only lose one one guy, Jon DeWitt, there. However, Rybinski and Kovach are entering their fifth years, and guys like Hart and Seutter are going into their forth. Is this an area where you will build for the future.

Defensive lineman David Rybinski (photo by Steve Hiscock for Liam Richards Photography)

BT: Well, it is. Our main look has been at high schools, and we’ve had visits from a couple of the top guys from the Football Canada Cup. We have another kid who has been out of football for a year who we’re in the process of confirming a visit for. There are also a couple players in junior who we’ve kept in contact with, who, if they’re not here this year, will likely come over next year.

DC: Linebacker is an area similar to receiver where, although you are losing some good, veteran players, you appear to have a lot of depth and game-ready talent waiting to play.

Linebacker Peter Thiel (photo by Steve Hiscock for Liam Richards Photography)

BT: Yeah, we lose two or three kids, but we carried three more than we usually do last year. We carried 15 when we usually carry 12.

Ronald Mwamba (who was recruited in 2010 and spent 2011 playing for the Edmonton Wildcats) is coming back. He’s a good player and has a year of playing experience now, which probably helped him. There are also a couple other guys we’re looking at, right now.

It’s not an area of high priority. We’ve spent most of our time on running backs and on o-and-d-linemen right now, and a couple guys in the secondary. We’ve got offers out there right now and we need answers on those before we go any further.

DC: The secondary, as you mentioned, is a bit of a key area considering that the one cornerback position had a rotation of players last year and since you could lose Bryce to the CFL.

Halfback Seamus Neary (photo by Liam Richards)

BT: Yeah, that one cornerback position was a bit of a concern last year, but then again, (Keenan) MacDougall didn’t play (MacDougall is expected back this season). We have a junior veteran committed and the player who I think is the best young corner in Saskatchewan committed, as well. We also have one of the best defensive backs from Alberta coming in for a visit, and also a couple kids from Quebec.

It’s an area where we had such good young kids last year, too. We had five kids on our show team that weren’t a whole lot different than the ones who were playing. They gave our offence as many fits as our starting defence did. (Geoff) Hughes is a good player, (Kurtis) Gryba is a good player, (Spencer) Krieger is a good player. All of those guys are going to be college football players.

We would like to have a guy who has experience to step up and play corner, but after this season, we lose Friesen, we lose Bryce, and Thiel will have a CFL look, I think, next year. So we still have to build the position, but it’s not an immediate need this year.

While inconsistent, the new talent in the lineup showed significant promise. The offence finished third in the conference with 238 points scored, and was one touchdown shy of UBC’s prolific offence with 27. In spite of quarterbacks Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren and Trent Peterson trading starts and with injuries to key starters to start the season, the offence still averaged 372 yards per game (which is remarkable, when you consider they produced 177 and 74 net offensive yards in their games against the Calgary Dinos).

Turnovers cost the Huskies dearly last season, often setting the opposition up in immediate scoring position. They fumbled the ball 27 times, losing nine of those, while the recovered fumbles ended up costing yards and killing drives. They added 11 interceptions, for 20 turnovers on the season. While they only turned the ball over two more times than they did the previous season, the 2010 Huskies could afford it, as they were putting up nearly 500 yards of offence per game.

Youth was sprinkled throughout the offensive lineup, with Canada West rookie of the year Jordan Arkko starting all eight regular season games and the Canada West semi-final at offensive guard. Gilbert-Knorren and centre Brad Nehring were both in their second years, while running back Dexter Janke and receiver Jerit Lambert both participated in their first CIS seasons.

Jerit Lambert (photo by Liam Richards)

There are plenty of opportunities for players to join the roster this year, with the loss of veterans such as Peterson, running back Ben Coakwell, receivers Rory Kohlert, Garrett Bolen and Shayne Dueck, and offensive linemen Darren Hinds, Brandon Myre and Ben Heenan (who has eligibility remaining but will surely be playing professional football next season). As we continued our conversation, Coach Towriss made it clear which areas he’s concentrating his recruiting efforts on, and which have good remaining depth.

DC: Offensive line is obviously a key position for you this year, considering the veteran losses you’ve experienced over the past two offseasons. Are you concentrating on bringing in more depth for this position and building from within, or do you feel you need to bring in experienced, game-ready players who can contribute right away?

BT: Well, you can see by our recruiting board that that’s our longest list, by far. We’ve had three who have committed, at this point, and two others have been here for visits. The top two kids can come in and play right away and will make a huge difference if one or both of them come. We have two of the better junior players in Western Canada coming out and we’ve got probably the best high school kid in Saskatchewan committed.

Beyond that, once we find out from the other three or four we have here for visits, we’ll start to move down the list. It all depends on who decides to commit, and we’ll see if the two American high school kids will come in and make a difference. The parents of both of these players are certainly very interested in them coming here to play.

The Huskie offensive line (photo by Steve Hiscock for Liam Richards Photography)

DC: Is there a possibility of getting Cam Redl (who started the previous two seasons at right tackle before sitting out last season while recovering from knee surgery) back in?

BT: Redl is working out with us and looks like he’s ready to go. He’s about 30 to 35 pounds shy of what he played at, but the season’s still a long way away.

DC: Moving on to the second greatest need, which is running back. Beyond Dexter, there isn’t a lot of game experience in the ranks.

BT: Well, yeah, it’s our second biggest area right now. We have one very good player committed and two more coming for visits this weekend. We’re hoping to get one or both of them and there’s another kid from BC who is also very good.

Dexter Janke (photo by Derek Mortensen for Liam Richards Photography)

Will any of those young kids out of high school step in and play right away? We’re hoping they have that kind of ability, but realistically, from a physical perspective, for them to block and protect the way they will have to, it’s a bit of a stretch.

But Jeremy Andrew is back and he’ll be healthy. He was a pretty good player for us, as a freshman. Him and Dexter are probably the two leading guys, right now, and Alex (Balogun) has taken some reps there.

DC: I’m sure you’re emphasizing how much opportunity there is to these running backs who are coming in.

BT: Oh yeah. Obviously. For sure.

DC: At receiver, in spite of losing guys like Kohlert and Bolen, you still still return a pretty good group.

Jeff Moore (Photo by Liam Richards)

BT: Yeah, that area’s not an issue, right now. We’ve got the best Saskatchewan high school recruit committed, and we’re very close to getting the top junior receiver in the PFC to commit, as well. There are two or three others we’re working on, too.

We’ve only got room for three or four. If we get the top two, one of which we already have, then we’ll be happy.

DC: At quarterback…

BT: We have the best one committed, and we’re still going to talk to a couple more.

DC: Other than that, it looks like you’re going in with Jahlani as your first stringer while Drew (Burko, who looked very strong in practice last season leading the show-team offence) will challenge him.

BT: I would say it’s a wide-open competition based on what we see this spring.

Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren (photo by Derek Mortensen for Liam Richards Photography)

Then again, and I keep emphasizing this, we have to be patient. Both of these kids will both be down playing in Texas next week (in preparation with the World Team, who will face the USA’s Under-19 National Team in USA Football’s International Bowl). So somebody else recognizes the fact that they’re pretty good players, too, or they wouldn’t be there. We don’t pick that team.

So, we have to develop these kids, and that’s going to take some time. But there’s great raw material there.

—————

Check back Monday for the third part of the series, where we’ll discuss the needs on defence.

Unfortunately, we’re still three-and-a-half months from spring camp. However, that time will be put to good use by Head Coach Brian Towriss and his staff, putting together the 2012 edition of the Huskie football team.

After the graduation of veterans on both sides of the ball, the Huskies have their work cut out for them. Although some positions are deep with game-ready talent and can be filled from within, others will require a greater focus during recruiting, as new starters and developmental players must be brought in.

As coaches Jason Sulz and Doug Humbert worked in the meeting room, I met with Coach Towriss in his office to get his take on his team’s fortunes last season and what the team’s priorities are as recruiting heats up.

Head Coach Brian Towriss and receiver Jerit Lambert (photo by Steve Hiscock for Liam Richards Photography)

Today, we will focus on the 2011 season and some general questions about recruiting. Friday, we will delve into the needs on offence, with the defensive needs discussed on Monday and the special teams and final comments coming next Wednesday.

Dallas Carpenter: The team had a lot of turnover on offence prior to last season, including the loss of all-Canadian veterans (including receiver Jade Etienne, quarterback Laurence Nixon, and offensive tackle Patrick Neufeld), and players leaving the team or missing the entire season due to injury or eligibility issues. Considering that, do you still feel it was a positive year, since you finished with a winning record and another trip to the playoffs?

Brian Towriss: Yeah, I thought it was. Obviously, we didn’t get as far as we wanted to get – we wanted a shot at the conference title, again, and we came very close to having that shot in the playoff game. Given the fact that we ended up without (running back Jeff) Hassler, when we thought we would have him, that was a big factor.

We knew there was a chance Neufeld wouldn’t be back, but we also thought there was a chance he would be available. You inject three pretty good players into our offence who all had eligibility left, including Etienne, and things might have been different. But, two of those guys had an opportunity to play in the CFL and one of those guys chose to pursue a greater passion, at this point, to play rugby. That’s part of life in this business. I’m happy to see both Etienne and Neufeld back here now, going to school and finishing their degrees.

But, yeah, we took a bit of a blow and were younger than we expected to be on offence, and it showed. I think that being young and inexperienced at quarterback, not as experienced on the offensive line, and then not having as much depth and talent at tailback, when you put all those things together, you know you’re not going to put up the same offensive statistics and points that you had in the past.

I thought the young kids that were in there worked hard and got better, and they will be counted on pretty heavily again this year. But, last year, we were at a point where we weren’t as experienced or quite as talented as we were before. But that’s what we have offseasons for.

DC: On the Internet football forums, following the season, you and your staff faced a lot of criticism, including charges that you didn’t utilize quarterback Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren to his fullest abilities and that you didn’t have receiver Jerit Lambert on the field enough. How do you respond to this, and, looking back, is there anything you would have done different last season?

BT: Well, they’re not at practice every day and they’re not at meetings to hear what goes on there, so that’s why it’s hard to understand why we choose to do things how we do them.

You know, hindsight is always 20/20. You always have the opportunity to look back and say “what if we would have done this,” or “what would have happened had we made that move.”

It took Jerit awhile to figure out what we were doing. We knew he had tremendous talent, but that he needed more practice before he had a bigger role. The other factor is that we had some other players who played some pretty good football for us, like Jeff Moore.

Looking back on it, had we known where we were going to end up, we may have tried to get the ball to Jerit a little more than we did. He started to see the ball a lot more near the end of the season, and then he got hurt and didn’t play in the playoff game. It was as a return guy where he had his greatest impact. It took the best punt returner in the conference (Luke Thiel) to go down before he had a chance, and then he became, arguably, the best returner in the conference before he got hurt. Of course both Thiel and Lambert benefited from the guys in front of them who got downfield and blocked for them, so a lot of credit goes to them, as well.

But that’s something we’ve talked about a lot since the end of the season.

DC: You can always second guess yourself when things are over.

BT: Yeah. You think we didn’t sit in here every day and talk about who was going to get it done for us at quarterback? I mean every single day, for hours. It’s easy at the end of the game to say this guy made some plays and this guy didn’t, and if you had the answer 100 percent of the time, that’s the guy that would have been playing.

DC: Fair enough. Let’s leave last year behind and shift to this year. I notice that players are still coming and going from the clubhouse on a regular basis. Now that the new football gym is complete, has it led to more players coming in and utilizing the facility for their off-season training?

BT: Well, we used it all fall. It made our meetings more efficient and it gives us the opportunity to walk right in right after practice and work out.

We’re really just getting started in the offseason stuff here right now. We’re going to see 25 or 30 guys, or more, in there now on a regular basis.

DC: Have the new facilities and things like the gameday footage and fan support shown on the recruiting DVD made an impact on the kids you’re recruiting?

BT: I think the facilities have been a strong influence on them, and it has certainly opened some kid’s eyes. The gameday stuff is no secret to the kids in Western Canada, now, because they’re on the Internet all the time.

So a lot of the kids who we’re going after already know, but it has a real big impact when we go into schools and show the DVD, it maybe piques the interest of some who didn’t know before. The reputation of our program gets us in those doors, too. But the new facilities are selling feature once we get them here, I’ll tell you.

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Check back Friday for the second installment of the four-part interview with Coach Towriss.