By John Sleeper
Herald Writer
SEATTLE – Coming off a complete throttling to a losing team Saturday, the Washington Huskies’ emotions could stray a number of ways.
1) They could be ticked off.
2) They could be discouraged.
3) They could be ecstatic that the season has two games left, not counting a possible bowl.
But after Saturday’s 49-24 defeat to Oregon State that canceled any hope for a successful defense of their Pacific-10 Conference title, nobody in Montlake is a great dinner companion.
“There’s a lot of anger built up from last weekend,” UW quarterback Cody Pickett said.
There should be. In what was Washington’s biggest collapse since coach Rick Neuheisel arrived in 1999, the Huskies gave up some numbers nobody wants to repeat Saturday against Washington State.
“I’m ready to go,” tailback Willie Hurst said. “I’m ready to play today. Right now.”
The motivation: redemption. How’s this for a whipping?
Neuheisel was asked Monday whether he fears an emotional letdown following Saturday’s pasting.
He gave a look as though the questioner had asked him to dance.
“If we let down, we’re not competitive,” he said. “I’m worried about lots of things, but a letdown is not one of them.”
The trick is to guard against discouragement in taking a step backward after three victories. They were more than victories, however. They were almost palpable evidence to a young team that it was getting better.
The high point was the 42-28 victory against then-No. 8 Stanford, which had defeated two top-five teams, Oregon and UCLA, the two previous Saturdays.
In that game, Pickett threw for 291 yards, to seven different receivers. Hurst contributed his second straight 100-yard rushing day. The UW defense allowed just two big plays, but otherwise was sound.
“We were playing well,” Neuheisel said. “We were improving as a football team prior to Oregon State. We just took a step backward. It’s time to get back on the horse and go. We’re at the point in the season where it’s critical that we do that.”
Although Neuheisel refuses to talk about it for any meaningful length of time, that means bowl season approaches. Out of the running for the Fiesta Bowl, where the Pac-10 champion goes this season, the Huskies still can capture a bid to the Holiday Bowl as the conference runner-up with a win over the Cougars.
A loss to WSU likely means the Seattle Bowl, Dec. 27 at Safeco Field.
But Neuheisel is using the Apple Cup as the prime motivator. At 7-2, the Huskies could gain much from a victory over the Cougars, ranked eighth in the Associated Press poll.
“Apple Cup is plenty of motivation,” Neuheisel said. “And even more important than the Apple Cup is our self-esteem – getting back up and playing and being eager for that opportunity. There are a lot of teams in the country that would like to be 7-2. We just don’t like the way we’re 7-2.”
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