TUCSON, Ariz. — After nine straight non-winning seasons, the Arizona Wildcats know what the Washington Huskies are going through.
The Wildcats (3-1, 1-0 Pac-10) expect to see a desperate opponent on Saturday in Arizona Stadium.
The Huskies (0-4, 0-2) are playing without injured starting quarterback Jake Locker, and coach Tyrone Willingham’s future is a subject of widespread speculation.
Arizona was in a similar boat a year ago after starting out 2-6; the Wildcats rode a three-game losing streak into their game at Washington. Coach Mike Stoops’ job status appeared in doubt, especially after Washington took a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter.
But the Wildcats scored 22 straight points to pull off a 48-41 victory — proof that it’s never wise to count a team out.
“We understand that Washington is not going to give us anything and that we have to work for it,” Stoops said. “We went up there in a very desperate situation last year and won a game that we felt was slipping away. It changed the whole momentum to our season.”
Arizona followed its biggest comeback win in Stoops’ five years tenure with a win over UCLA and then No. 2 Oregon before failing to earn a bowl bid by losing to Arizona State in the finale.
“We were on the ropes,” tailback Nic Grigsby said.
Washington probably feels the same way now. That means the Wildcats are having to make sure their players take nothing for granted.
The Wildcats already had a letdown during a 36-28 loss to New Mexico, after which a couple of players admitted they overlooked the Lobos.
Arizona promises not to overlook Washington.
“We expect them to come out and play hungry, and we have to do the same thing,” Grigsby said.
Arizona needs three victories to become eligible for its first bowl bid since 1998. And there’s been little speculation about Stoops’ future recently.
The Wildcats are feeling good about themselves, but they know there’s still work to be done.
“Have we turned the corner? I don’t know,” Stoops said. “We have eight games to figure that out. We are going to keep moving forward.”
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