Published: Sunday, September 19, 2010
Locker’s Heisman hopes take big hit
Huskies’ quarterback completes 4 of 20 passes for 71 yards against Nebraska
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Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald
UW quarterback Jake Locker looks up at the replay board after throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown in the third quarter.
SEATTLE — The quarterback boosted his Heisman status on Saturday afternoon.
Unfortunately for University of Washington fans, that quarterback was Nebraska’s Taylor Martinez.
While the Cornhuskers’ redshirt freshman turned in another eye-opening performance to make certain that national voters knew his name — he rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns and adding a touchdown pass in Nebraska’s convincing, 56-21 win over UW on Saturday — it was the other quarterback who might get more of the national headlines.
And not in a good way.
UW senior Jake Locker, who entered the season with the most Heisman Trophy hype of any Husky quarterback since Marques Tuiasosopo at the turn of this century, all but closed the book on his run to postseason awards after completing just 4 of 20 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions. Locker also ran 7 yards for a touchdown.
It was as putrid a performance as Locker has had at UW, and it came at a horrible time for the senior from Ferndale. The nationally-televised game showed a quarterback who couldn’t figure out how to complete passes against a top-ranked defense.
“I thought we were running the ball well,” Locker said afterward. “We just couldn’t get our passing game going.”
Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian refused to heap too much of the blame on his star quarterback, even though the statistics spoke loud and clear.
“This is the top pass defense in America,” Sarkisian said of a Nebraska defense that intercepted five passes and returned two for touchdowns in a win over Idaho one week earlier. “Those guys are really good. They’re playing with (defensive backs) all over the field. They made plays that I haven’t seen in a while.
“... I’m not putting it all on Jake’s (overall) progress and him becoming the quarterback that I know he can be. I’m going to put it on: (Nebraska) played pretty good football today.”
What Sarkisian would acknowledge was that Locker may have been “pressing” at times, not only because of an early 14-0 deficit but also because of the hype that came with playing against one of the nation’s top defenses.
“He was going against a great pass defense, and I think he wanted to come out and play well — like he does every week,” Sarkisian said. “With that comes a little pressure, but pressure is natural. And that’s what great athletes, they thrive on it and accept it and love it.
“And I don’t think any differently of Jake; I think the same way. Can he play better than he played today? Sure he can.”
Locker said he didn’t feel any more pressure heading into the game.
“I felt really good about the game plan, I felt really comfortable once I got in the game,” he said with a shrug late Saturday afternoon. “We just weren’t, for one reason or another, able to execute in the passing game today.”
Locker’s afternoon was symbolized by two plays.
He opened the game by throwing an interception on his first attempt — UW’s fourth play from scrimmage — when he tried to force a pass to a covered Devin Aguilar on a post pattern. Nebraska cornerback Eric Hagg jumped in front of the pass and returned the interception 11 yards to set up the Cornhuskers’ first touchdown.
Injury was added to insult on one of Locker’s few highlights of the day — a 7-yard touchdown scramble in the first quarter. Locker beat safety Rickey Thenarse to the corner of the end zone but endured a big hit and cut his leg on a sideline cameraman’s equipment.
Yes, it was that kind of day for UW’s star senior.
“It’s natural, when you’re in a situation where it’s not really working for you, where you’re trying to make something happen,” he said. “A lot of times if you’re able to, you can turn the momentum of the game around. But we weren’t able to.”
Afterward, Locker said he could have been more patient in reading his progressions and that he may have tried to force passes to his primary targets in an effort to make big plays rather than to check-down to shorter routes.
But he continually gave credit to a Nebraska secondary that is widely regarded as one of the best in the country.
“They did a good job,” Locker said. “They’re a very talented defense.”
Particularly absent in the passing game was go-to receiver Jermaine Kearse, who was taken out of the game for most of the afternoon by All-America cornerback Prince Amukamara. Kearse did not have a ball thrown his way in the first half, but he did catch a 45-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter. He had just two receptions all afternoon.
“I didn’t really hook up with anybody,” Locker said with a chuckle when asked about his inability to get the ball to Kearse. “They did a really good job within their defense, and I tried to force a few balls when I could’ve dropped it down to other guys.”
While Martinez saw his star power rise exponentially — he has rushed for at least 125 yards in each of his three starts this year and is among the nation’s top 10 rushers — Locker’s Heisman potential may well have burnt out.
It’s a fact that seemed lost on Locker himself afterward.
“It doesn’t matter to me,” he said. “I care about winning football games, and we didn’t get it done today. I’ll go back and look on what I can improve on personally, but we didn’t get it done today. And that’s what our focus is.
“It’s about this team. It’s not about any individuals on this team. And that’s what we need to focus on.”
Unfortunately for University of Washington fans, that quarterback was Nebraska’s Taylor Martinez.
While the Cornhuskers’ redshirt freshman turned in another eye-opening performance to make certain that national voters knew his name — he rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns and adding a touchdown pass in Nebraska’s convincing, 56-21 win over UW on Saturday — it was the other quarterback who might get more of the national headlines.
And not in a good way.
UW senior Jake Locker, who entered the season with the most Heisman Trophy hype of any Husky quarterback since Marques Tuiasosopo at the turn of this century, all but closed the book on his run to postseason awards after completing just 4 of 20 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions. Locker also ran 7 yards for a touchdown.
It was as putrid a performance as Locker has had at UW, and it came at a horrible time for the senior from Ferndale. The nationally-televised game showed a quarterback who couldn’t figure out how to complete passes against a top-ranked defense.
“I thought we were running the ball well,” Locker said afterward. “We just couldn’t get our passing game going.”
Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian refused to heap too much of the blame on his star quarterback, even though the statistics spoke loud and clear.
“This is the top pass defense in America,” Sarkisian said of a Nebraska defense that intercepted five passes and returned two for touchdowns in a win over Idaho one week earlier. “Those guys are really good. They’re playing with (defensive backs) all over the field. They made plays that I haven’t seen in a while.
“... I’m not putting it all on Jake’s (overall) progress and him becoming the quarterback that I know he can be. I’m going to put it on: (Nebraska) played pretty good football today.”
What Sarkisian would acknowledge was that Locker may have been “pressing” at times, not only because of an early 14-0 deficit but also because of the hype that came with playing against one of the nation’s top defenses.
“He was going against a great pass defense, and I think he wanted to come out and play well — like he does every week,” Sarkisian said. “With that comes a little pressure, but pressure is natural. And that’s what great athletes, they thrive on it and accept it and love it.
“And I don’t think any differently of Jake; I think the same way. Can he play better than he played today? Sure he can.”
Locker said he didn’t feel any more pressure heading into the game.
“I felt really good about the game plan, I felt really comfortable once I got in the game,” he said with a shrug late Saturday afternoon. “We just weren’t, for one reason or another, able to execute in the passing game today.”
Locker’s afternoon was symbolized by two plays.
He opened the game by throwing an interception on his first attempt — UW’s fourth play from scrimmage — when he tried to force a pass to a covered Devin Aguilar on a post pattern. Nebraska cornerback Eric Hagg jumped in front of the pass and returned the interception 11 yards to set up the Cornhuskers’ first touchdown.
Injury was added to insult on one of Locker’s few highlights of the day — a 7-yard touchdown scramble in the first quarter. Locker beat safety Rickey Thenarse to the corner of the end zone but endured a big hit and cut his leg on a sideline cameraman’s equipment.
Yes, it was that kind of day for UW’s star senior.
“It’s natural, when you’re in a situation where it’s not really working for you, where you’re trying to make something happen,” he said. “A lot of times if you’re able to, you can turn the momentum of the game around. But we weren’t able to.”
Afterward, Locker said he could have been more patient in reading his progressions and that he may have tried to force passes to his primary targets in an effort to make big plays rather than to check-down to shorter routes.
But he continually gave credit to a Nebraska secondary that is widely regarded as one of the best in the country.
“They did a good job,” Locker said. “They’re a very talented defense.”
Particularly absent in the passing game was go-to receiver Jermaine Kearse, who was taken out of the game for most of the afternoon by All-America cornerback Prince Amukamara. Kearse did not have a ball thrown his way in the first half, but he did catch a 45-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter. He had just two receptions all afternoon.
“I didn’t really hook up with anybody,” Locker said with a chuckle when asked about his inability to get the ball to Kearse. “They did a really good job within their defense, and I tried to force a few balls when I could’ve dropped it down to other guys.”
While Martinez saw his star power rise exponentially — he has rushed for at least 125 yards in each of his three starts this year and is among the nation’s top 10 rushers — Locker’s Heisman potential may well have burnt out.
It’s a fact that seemed lost on Locker himself afterward.
“It doesn’t matter to me,” he said. “I care about winning football games, and we didn’t get it done today. I’ll go back and look on what I can improve on personally, but we didn’t get it done today. And that’s what our focus is.
“It’s about this team. It’s not about any individuals on this team. And that’s what we need to focus on.”
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