After the first week of true football in the Northwest, Skyline fans can keep their head low for the impending season.

We learned separate things from each and every high school, collegiate, and professional football team this week, and this is my report.

Skyline Spartans Beat Sheldon Irish 21-0
Skyline showed the area that they are a contender for the Championship, even with their starting quarterback covered with an inch of rust. The Spartans held the defending 6A Oregon Champion Sheldon scoreless and shut down their offense twice within their own two-yard line.

The team’s biggest questions — the run game and defense — were answered resoundingly well. Not only did Skyline hold one of Oregon’s good quarterbacks scoreless after having a career game the week before, they pulled three interceptions off of them — one of them for a touchdown. The run game, which has been troubling as the team has lacked a star, is now solely in the hands of Joey Evans, who ran for 88 yards on a solid Sheldon defense.

The offense should clear up. Gino won’t drop many more balls, Heaps will hit his targets, and Skyline’s passing school will be back in session.

Next week is Ballard, a horrendous team to open the year at home. Expect the 300-men to rout this team like an NCAA powerhouse to a 1-AA squad.

Huskies Celebrate Way Out of Victory, BYU Wins 28-27
The one thing we learned here might be UW Coach Tyrone Willingham’s fate.

As Jake Locker drove down the field to score the game-winning touchdown versus the fifteenth ranked team in the country, he celebrated a little too much, which ultimately cost the team an overtime birth and possible victory. Kicker Ryan Perkins’ trajectory is much different at 35-feet than 10-feet, which was the ultimate reason for the missed PAT.

If there is anything good to take out of the game, it is the rebound from week one. Not only did the team avoid a 2007-like second half collapse, but it played much smarter and quicker. BYU is a better team than Oregon, and UW was in contention to beat them. Locker, though not as good as he was in 2007 (or so it seems), has almost returned to form and this team might just win three or four games.

We also were reaffirmed that the Huskies cannot run with anybody not named Jake Locker.

Cougars Get Blown Out by Bears, 66-3
In this game we learned that the Cougars suck.

There isn’t a 63-point talent difference between the Cougars and the Bears. In my opinion, it comes down to WSU coaching. Not only could new coach Paul Wulff not get his team in contention, he couldn’t even keep the crowd in the stands for the home-opener. Call it bad beginner’s luck, but I see this as a long path of even more mediocrity for the crimson and silver.

At least, I hope.

Seahawks Suck in Buffalo, Lose 34-10
The ‘Hawks confirmed in this game that everything they had tried to improve in the offseason has failed, miserably.

The most notable thing is the offensive line, which only opened a few 10+ yard holes for the running back, and gave up four sacks on a talented, but not overpowering Buffalo Bills defense. Mike Wahle didn’t look like the All-Pro guard we imagined him to be in a Seahawk uniform and the team desperately needs Right Tackle Sean Locklear back in action. Until then, the line won’t be improved in the least bit.

The receivers and tight ends, too, were disappointing. Touted veteran Jeb Putzier dropped four catches, most for first downs, and starting WR Courtney Taylor did the same — on his first series. Rookie TE John Carlson looked solid, but not spectacular in his first start as a pro, but the ‘Hawks are going to need quite a few more passing targets (especially as Burleson is now hurt) if they wish to contend in the NFC.

Defensively, the team was solid. On special teams, they were horrendous. The ‘Hawks should have kept Reggie Hodges, who was great in the preseason as the backup punter. Current starter Ryan Plackemeier was awful in the team’s first game, with several punts under thirty yards. Those would give the Bills excellent field position to take advantage of. Mare almost missed a 40-yard kick, and the coverage team gave up a punt touchdown.

Wow.