SEATTLE — On a defense already short-handed with the absence of two top players, the departure of senior linebacker Hau’oli Kikaha to a shoulder injury in the first half of Saturday’s game was particularly costly for the University of Washington football team.
Kikaha, Washington’s all-time career leader in sacks with 33.5, suffered a left shoulder stinger late in the first quarter. He left the game and did not return, and his absence was certainly a factor in the team’s eventual 44-30 loss to UCLA at Husky Stadium.
“Hau’oli is a big factor in the game, and it’s pretty tough to do things without him,” said UW nose tackle Danny Shelton. Having Kikaha go out was, added linebacker John Timu, “a big deal.”
The Huskies sacked UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley just once in the game, and it was Kikaha on the Bruins’ opening possession. After he left the game, Washington had trouble putting pressure on Hundley.
Making matters worse for the UW defense, top cornerback Marcus Peters was kicked off the team earlier in the week, and top linebacker Shaq Thompson played most of the game at tailback.
“When you take Hau’oli out of the mix, when you take Shaq out of the mix, those are a lot of playmakers on (the defensive) side of the ball,” said UW head coach Chris Petersen. When Kikaha went out, Petersen added, “I think we could all feel it.”
Still, said linebacker John Timu, Washington’s defense should have been better. “We just didn’t execute,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who’s out there. We just didn’t make our plays. … They executed, and at the end of the day we didn’t.”
Moving to defense
While Thompson is a defensive player who is now playing mostly on offense, wide receiver John Ross went the other way on Saturday, playing mostly at cornerback. He had only two snaps at wide receiver.
Ross said he will play wherever the team needs him. “If they told me I had to be a punter tomorrow, I’d do it,” he said.
Of course, his biggest contribution came as a kickoff returner. Midway through the third quarter Ross took a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, matching his TD return in the Fight Hunger Bowl vs. Brigham Young at the end of last season.
Ross has also had two 100-yard kickoff returns for touchdowns called back by penalties this season — one against Illinois and the other against Stanford.
Other injuries
Washington’s offensive line was again without Dexter Charles and Ben Riva, both sidelined by injuries. During the game, the Huskies lost lineman James Atoe to an apparent leg injury. Petersen was unsure of the severity after the game.
Rushing leader
Thompson gained 100 rushing yards on Saturday and has taken over the team lead with 456 yards, a 7.5-yard average. It was his second straight 100-yard game, following his 174 yards vs. Colorado a week ago.
“He does a heck of a job,” Petersen said. “He’s a physical guy and he runs hard. And it’s also hard not having him out there on defense (at linebacker) all the time.”
Homecoming for Mora
UCLA head coach Jim Mora, a former UW player, downplayed his return to Husky Stadium during the week, and it was more of the same after Saturday’s game.
“It was a game,” he said. “I’m happy my family was here, but other than that I couldn’t care less.”
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