In victory or defeat, Sarkisian keeps his cool

Published 9:29 pm Tuesday, September 28, 2010

SEATTLE — As he walked through the tunnel that separated the Stanford University football field from the visiting locker room, University of Washington coach Steve Sarkisian pulled off his trademark visor, ran his fingers through sweat-soaked hair and watched his feet. Eventually, his hands rested on his hips as he walked, the picture of a man perplexed by industry.

If there was a drawing board within walking distance, Sarkisian would have undoubtedly gone back to it.

But in the minutes that followed the Huskies’ 34-14 loss to Stanford on Saturday night, Sarkisian stood in front of his players as reality set in. The defeat was a tough one, but not a season killer.

“We’ll regroup,” Sarkisian said. “We’ve got to learn from some of the mistakes we made. We’ve got to keep our morale up and understand that every week is different. It’s the mentality of preparation, the mentality of practice, and coming out and executing when you have opportunities.”

Facing adversity for the first time as a head coach, Sarkisian handled it with the same composure that he’d shown in good times late Saturday night. He answered questions from reporters with typical demeanor, looking inquisitors in the eye as he chewed on his lower lip.

In a proverbial sense, Sarkisian wasn’t going to let anyone see him sweat.

Even after a season-opening loss to LSU, Sarkisian and the Huskies were being praised for their competitive grit. A Week 2 win over Idaho snapped almost a season-and-a-half worth of frustration for UW fans, while the upset of third-ranked USC nine days ago put the program back on the national map.

Saturday’s one-sided loss found the Huskies in familiar territory but tested Sarkisian’s eternal optimism for the first time. And he barely blinked.

“We’ve got to keep working at it,” he said. “It’s a maturation process, and we’ll continue to work.”

What faces the Huskies now are some problems that exposed themselves in the USC game but were not quite as apparent in victory as they were in defeat. Run defense and offensive inconsistency are issues that are bigger than just one game.

The Huskies gave up 321 rushing yards in the loss to Stanford, and USC piled up 250 one week earlier. The two-week total of 571 rushing yards allowed has left Sarkisian and defensive coordinator Nick Holt with plenty of work to do in the film room.

“We can’t rely on (senior defensive end) Daniel T’eo-Nesheim to make every play for us, and that’s what we’re doing,” said Holt, who was encouraged by the improvement of UW’s run defense in the second half Saturday night. “We’re trying to find the right fit; that’s why you’re seeing so many guys (play).”

A clearly frustrated Donald Butler said after the game that the UW defenders were having trouble staying in their gaps on run plays.

“It was just guys not filling their responsibility,” the senior linebacker said. “Just do your job.”

Offensively, the Huskies have not shown the consistency that was a highlight of the LSU and Idaho games. While UW continues to thrive in third-down situations — the Huskies were 7 of 13 on Saturday and have converted at a remarkable rate of 59 percent for the season — the offense has put itself in tough situations two weeks running.

A late touchdown drive saved the Huskies in the win over USC, while quarterback Jake Locker was plagued by turnovers Saturday. UW’s offense, which led off the Idaho game with five consecutive touchdown drives, has gotten into the end zone just twice in the past two weeks.

The loss dropped the Huskies (2-2) out of the Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday, after a one-week stay at No. 24, but it didn’t necessarily send the program in a different direction.

Sarkisian said he will put his head down, keep pushing forward and continue in the same direction he had the program before the first bad loss of his tenure.

When it was mentioned to him Saturday night that the Huskies might be on a roller-coaster ride of a season, he shrugged.

“I think that’s natural, but that doesn’t mean you want to accept it,” Sarkisian said. “We’ve got to, as fast as we can, get our guys ready.”

Of note

The Herald inadvertently reported Sunday that the Huskies had allowed 771 rushing yards in the past two games. That total was actually 571 yards. … The Huskies didn’t receive a single vote in the AP poll that came out Sunday, knocking them out of the Top 25. Washington debuted at No. 24 after beating USC nine days ago. Stanford got two votes this week but didn’t crack the Top 25. … There was no update available Sunday regarding the health of starting linebacker E.J. Savannah, who left Saturday’s game with a foot injury. Sarkisian said late Saturday night that Savannah might have plantar fasciitis.