| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2010 8:06 am |
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Sports 
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UW Notebook: Huskies huge favorite to win Apple Cup SEATTLE — With the way the University of Washington football team has been playing in recent weeks, it would take quite a sad sack opponent to be a huge underdog to the 3-7 Huskies.The Washington State Cougars are just that team. The early line on Saturday’s Apple Cup has UW, losers of six of its past seven games, as a 26-point favorite. The role of heavy favorite is an unfamiliar one for the Huskies, who have a 4-19 record since the start of the 2008 season and have lost two consecutive Apple Cups. UW coach Steve Sarkisian has a pretty simple message to his players, just in case they were thinking that the Cougars were an easy opponent. “I just tell them that (the Cougars) are probably looking at us and saying the same thing,” he said Monday. The Huskies lost four consecutive games before the weekend bye, and they’ve won only once since the Sept. 19 upset of USC. When a national reporter asked Sarkisian on Monday whether there could be a chance that UW overlooks the Cougars, the first-year coach said: “Not a chance. Not a chance at all.” Sarkisian and his players were careful not to fuel the Cougars’ fire on Monday — most them, anyway. Huskies tight end Kavario Middleton told Q13 television that he doesn’t pay attention to pointspreads but added: “We plan on scoring at least 50. So we’re ready to go.” As far as the pointspread goes for this year’s Apple Cup, Sarkisian isn’t taking anything for granted — not even the Cougars’ 1-10 record that includes eight consecutive losses by an average of nearly 31 points per game. “The bottom line is that football’s shaped a certain way for a reason,” he said Monday. “You don’t always know which way it’s going to bounce. You don’t always know how a guy might get the ball popped out and stripped, a dropped pass, a tipped interception. “It’s a crazy game. And that’s the beauty of it.” Still a hater, but not as fervent WSU coach Paul Wulff said during a Monday conference call that he had “a high dislike” of the Huskies when he was playing for the Cougars in the late 1980s. But Wulff was unwilling to admit that he’s still filled with Husky hatred. “As you get older, you realize where you’re at and the state of mind at that age,” he said Monday. “Even now, I’m a born-and-bred Cougar. And whenever there is a rivalry game, and it happens to be (against) Washington, I want to see the Cougars do really well.” Wulff told he’ll be back Wulff told Seattle-area reporters during a Monday conference call that he has been told he’ll be back at WSU next season, despite a 3-20 record in two-plus seasons as head coach. “(Athletic director) Jim Sterk has come in and talked to our staff and is very reassuring about what we’re doing and very excited about how much work we’ve done and moving forward,” Wulff said. “It’s been outstanding. “As we move into next year, you’re going to see a hugely-improved team, one of the most improved teams around. We’ve got all the ingredients to take a giant step as a team.” Still hurting Sarkisian said that two defensive starters still have not been cleared to play Saturday. Defensive tackle Cameron Elisara continues to be limited by neck stingers that might keep him off the field for a third consecutive game. Linebacker E.J. Savannah is still trying to come back from a broken thumb. Sarkisian added that freshman safety Nate Fellner, who has a partially-torn biceps, is likely to be available Saturday. But the Huskies’ injury bug has nothing on WSU’s. The Cougars’ defense has been so ravaged by injuries that Wulff said this week he has just “11 or 12” players at his disposal on that side of the ball. He already moved junior receiver Easton Johnson to defense last week and said he could use receiver Colin Huemmer at safety Saturday. The Cougars have yet to decide if freshman quarterback Jeff Tuel will be available for Saturday’s game. If he can’t play, Wulff said, Kevin Lopina would get the start. Oak Harbor product Marshall Lobbestael, a sophomore, could see some action if Tuel is unavailable. Short yardage The Huskies have an all-time record of 64-31-6 in the UW-WSU rivalry, although the Cougars have a 4-1 record since 2004 and have a two-game winning streak. … The Huskies’ coaching staff includes a former Cougar in defensive line coach Johnny Nansen. “He’s been a part of this series, and I’m sure he’ll get plenty of razzing from the entire football team throughout the week,” Sarkisian said of his assistant. |
- Sorry, Hawkeye; M*A*S*H gets bowled over
- Former Whidbey student shot
- County archive software paid for but waiting for set-up
- Ruling expected on Sultan beating statement
- ‘Roadkill’ caucus seeks a voice for centrist Democrats
- Police seek witnesses in two accidents
- PAWS calls out for critter care-givers
- Boeing has a busy test schedule
- Ex-Boeing engineer jailed for espionage
- Morning mystery: What happened to House Bill 3181?
- Lynnwood sets height limit on grass: 8 inches
(11) - State Senate votes to toss I-960's tax-raising hurdle (9)
- Schools do well in levy elections (8)
- School levies in Snohomish County all passing, Marysville bond failing (7)
- Cat wanders into police parking lot, is euthanized (6)
- A tidy lawn could be law in Lynnwood (4)
- Lynnwood makes law against too tall lawns (4)
- Architect proposes new plan to save historic Collins Building (3)
- Two suspects sought in Everett shooting that injured two (3)
- Boeing now favored to win tanker, experts say (3)
- Jackson girls outlast Meadowdale owdale
- OBT raises barre in children’s program
- Junior firefighters
- School levies passing
- Mavericks topple Wolfpack
- Get a second look at Second City Feb. 13
- Sports Briefs
- Warriors advance 11 to regional meet
- Arlington's Cascade Valley Hospital celebrates expansion, national award and 100 years of service
- Business Licences Feb. 2010
- Technology tips for launching your own business
- Business Events Feb. 2010
- Tech Talk: No excuse today for going without a Web site
- State already raising fees and rates that restrict business growth
- Some legislators again targeting people’s initiative petition rights
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