SEATTLE – Maybe it will be the end of a three-game losing streak and the start of a final push to a bowl game berth.
Or maybe, it will be “The Let Down, Part II.”
Either way, there’s little question that today’s game between Washington (2-3 Pacific-10 Confrence, 4-4 overall) and Arizona State (1-3, 4-3) is a huge matchup of two teams battling to reach a bowl game. Kickoff is 4 p.m. at Husky Stadium.
Of course, Washington has been in this position before. It was just two weeks ago that the Huskies were coming off of a narrow 26-20 defeat on the road against USC. Players and coaches said they didn’t expect any kind of let down from the disappointment over the loss, but let down or not, Washington came out the next week and was upset at home by Oregon State.
And now comes the sequel.
Last week, the Huskies went to Berkeley and pushed No. 11 California to overtime before losing, clearly showing that it can compete with the top Pac-10 teams. And again, Washington returns home to face a team it could rightly be expected to defeat.
So what’s it going to be? A big win or another disappointing loss?
“Coach Willingham brought that up in our Tuesday meeting,” senior linebacker Scott White said. “Same type of situation: Played tough on the road against a very good USC team and came out and was flat the next game. Same scenario. Tough game, fought … down to the wire against Cal, a tough team. We can’t come out flat. That’s been the emphasis this week for us. He just put that in our minds.”
With four games to play in the regular season, Washington can’t afford to come out flat. The Huskies need two wins to become bowl eligible, and three wins probably would ensure a postseason game. To achieve that likely means winning both remaining home games.
“We’ve got to do our job at home,” safety C.J. Wallace said. “We want the win the rest of our games, but we really have to take care of things at home. If we win those two home games, that gives us six wins and we have a chance (at a bowl game).”
The Huskies players say the Oregon State loss taught them a lesson. Washington was dominated by the Beavers from the start despite being a prohibitive favorite. That was also the game the Huskies lost starting quarterback Isaiah Stanback to a season-ending foot injury, which certainly didn’t help matters. But even with Stanback, Washington looked overmatched.
“After the USC game, it kind of looked like we were lackadaisical or maybe underestimated or maybe just not prepared as well,” guard Stanley Daniels said. “It may have been a couple things. The main thing to do is once you know your history, you shouldn’t repeat it. … We know we’re not going to underestimate anybody.”
“I think “Oregon State) just outplayed us,” White said. “They took it right to us. We just didn’t play well enough for 60 minutes, that’s what it all boiled down to. Losing Isaiah took a little wind out of our sail, but that’s the way it goes. That game’s over with. We can’t let those type of things happen to us this week.”
It would help put the fears of a let down at ease if the Huskies can get off to a fast start, which has been an issue this season. In the first and third quarters, Washington has been outscored 113-47, and in the second and fourth quarters, it is outscoring foes 140-79.
It also should help Washington that it has now played the two top teams in the conference down to the wire. But the Huskies players and coaches say just being competitive isn’t enough.
“We don’t feel good about almost winning,” receiver Sonny Shackelford said. “Almost winning is losing. We want to win every game.”
“Playing good is not enough,” Willingham said. “We want to win. That is the focus of coach and players.”
Notes: Fullback Luke Kravitz injured his knee in practice this week and will not play today, and could miss several weeks. … Tailback Kenny James has not practiced this week and is questionable today. It’s expected that Louis Rankin will get the start at tailback. … Washington will debut the UW Football Player Walk at 1:45 p.m. today. The team will be dropped off in the southeast area of the E12 parking lot between the Climbing Rock and the Waterfront Activities Center on the south side of Husky Stadium. They will walk through the E12 lot and enter the stadium through the southeast corner.
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