By John Sleeper
Herald Writer
SEATTLE – If the Washington Huskies need any motivation to avoid looking past a struggling Oregon State team Saturday, they need only look back two years to what happened at UCLA.
“I can guarantee you that won’t happen again,” UW defensive tackle Larry Tripplett said. “We were thinking Rose Bowl. I’ll be the first one to tell you.”
What happened was, the Huskies blew it.
A week before, they disposed of Arizona at Tucson, a game they believed would be the last major hurdle to the Pacific-10 Conference title and a berth in the Rose Bowl. After a short, post-game meeting, they flooded out of the locker room and joined the celebration with the Husky Marching Band, boosters, fans and who knows whom else on the field. Dancing, hugging, laughing, the whole bit.
Then someone from the crowd brought down a bunch of red roses, with the symbolism obvious to everyone. Players danced to the melodious strains of the Husky band, roses in their teeth.
“We were partying like we were partying at Wazoo last year, like we had the guarantee locked up,” Tripplett said. “That was the biggest mistake of our lives, man. I’ll never forget it.”
A week later, they played perhaps the poorest game in coach Rick Neuheisel’s nearly three seasons at Washington against the worst UCLA team in decades. The Bruins won in overtime, 23-20 and the Huskies had to settle for the Holiday Bowl.
This time around, the scenario is eerily similar.
Washington is coming off a convincing victory against a Stanford team that had beaten two top-five teams back-to-back. The Huskies are ranked eighth in the Bowl Championship Series standings, are in a three-way tie for first in the Pac-10 and are receiving at least passing references as a national-title contender.
It means nothing, Neuheisel said.
In the rotating “Team of the Week” carousel that is the Pac-10 this year, the Huskies are the latest. It used to be Oregon. Then UCLA. Then Stanford. All three were knocked off after impressive victories and the subsequent media proclamations that they were the teams to beat in the conference.
“I mentioned that to our guys,” Neuheisel said. “They don’t last long. The team du jour has not been able to hang on. Whether it’s because they’re reading their press clippings or it’s because they just played a very talented football team, I really don’t have the answer. The facts of the matter are that we can’t get caught up in thinking we’ve accomplished anything yet.”
That means focusing entirely on Oregon State. Forget the 3-5 record.
“We can’t overlook them,” quarterback Cody Pickett said. “They’re good.”
Better than UCLA in 1999.
Short routes: Neuheisel said tight end Jerramy Stevens, who broke a foot against Idaho, has been cleared to practice and may play Saturday. The amount he plays is contingent on how much he is able to practice … ABC has picked up the Apple Cup game between Washington and Washington State. It will be telecast at 12:30 p.m. Nov. 17 … Neuheisel said receivers Reggie Williams (bruised thigh) and Wilbur Hooks (shoulder) likely will play Saturday. Linebacker Ben Mahdavi (shoulder) was to have been examined Monday.
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