Five weeks into the 2009 season, the University of Washington football team has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that it can play with some of the nation’s best programs.
Narrow losses to LSU and Notre Dame, and the shocking upset of USC, have put the Huskies back on the national map.
Whether or not that translates to the program’s first bowl game in seven years could come down to how the Huskies (2-3) fare in their next two games against unranked teams.
With Oregon, UCLA and Cal among UW’s final five opponents, the Huskies simply can’t afford to lose to either Arizona on Saturday or Arizona State the following weekend. The Huskies’ season might come down to the next 12 days.
Arizona (3-1) and Arizona State (2-2) are beatable teams during a pivotal point in the season. The Huskies’ once-fragile egos could crack again should the next two games include another loss or two, and — striking the Apple Cup from the discussion — the Arizona schools could be the easiest conference games left on the schedule.
Should UW come out of the ASU game with a record of 4-3, a bowl game would remain within target. A record of 3-4, or 2-5, would put the Huskies in a tough position.
Saturday’s Pac-10 results provided some hope, with both UCLA (to Stanford) and Cal (to USC) losing to teams the Huskies have already faced. And Oregon State lost to Arizona.
But both the Beavers (3-2) and Rick Neuheisel’s Bruins (3-1) host UW in early November, while the season finale against Cal at Husky Stadium on Dec. 5 appears no less difficult despite back-to-back blowout losses for the Bears (3-2).
Cal, which ranked as high as sixth in the nation two weeks ago, has fallen out of the Top 25 for the first time this season. But the Bears have one of the nation’s best running backs in Jahvid Best, and the UW defense still has a ways to go to prove that it can stop the run. The Huskies have allowed 178.2 rushing yards per game this season, ranking 101st out of 120 teams in NCAA Division I football.
Things won’t necessarily be easy this Saturday, when Arizona running back Nic Grigsby is expected to be back in action. The Pac-10’s third-leading rusher sprained his shoulder in a win over Oregon State nine days ago but is expected to be available against the Huskies.
Run defense is far from the Huskies’ only problem. The pass defense struggled in Saturday’s overtime loss to Notre Dame, due in large part to a stagnant pass rush. Offensively, UW found its running game Saturday but struggled with inconsistency in the passing game. Junior Jake Locker looked like a high draft pick at times, but at others he struggled to make the necessary throws in head coach Steve Sarkisian’s offense.
Working in the Huskies’ favor is the defense’s ability to tighten the vice near the goal line. While Saturday’s game will be remembered for several goal-line stands by the Notre Dame defense, UW’s unit had its share of red-zone success as well. The Irish’s first four trips inside the Huskies’ 20-yard line resulted in field goals.
The Huskies have the potential to improve on both sides over the final seven games of the season, but the same could be said for their opponents. The 13th-ranked Oregon Ducks (4-1) have found a rhythm since the season-opening loss at Boise State, while UCLA, Oregon State and Cal have also shown the potential to finish among the Pac-10’s top teams and earn a bowl game.
For UW, going to a bowl game would be a long time coming. And the Huskies’ chances of going there might be determined — for better or worse — over the next two weeks.
Notes
After passing for 422 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday’s win over the Huskies, Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen now leads the nation in passing efficiency (179.25). That might come as good news to UW fans who are hoping Locker sticks around past his junior season. Clausen is looking more and more like the best pro prospect — or No. 2 behind Texas senior Colt McCoy — for the upcoming NFL draft. Clausen, a junior, is projected as a first- or second-round pick, as is UW’s Locker. … With safety Justin Glenn out for the season, the Huskies are likely to go with Greg Walker as the starting free safety this week. … After his first 100-yard rushing game, UW running back Chris Polk now ranks 33rd in the nation, and sixth in the Pac-10, in rushing yards per game (90.4).
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