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   Believe me, the players and coaches for Washington are happy to be playing anyone at this time of year simply because they haven’t been to a bowl since 2002. They didn’t pick the Cornhuskers, and the odds makers say Nebraska wins easily, but I think otherwise.  Of course, my deeply imbedded optimism thinks they are going to win every game but after watching six games from this season by Nebraska, including their Husky win (twice), I am convinced the Dawgs have a chance. More important is, they think they have a chance.

    I got to spend all day last Monday attending practice and visiting with the Husky coaches and watching their video collection on the Cornhuskers. No doubt about it, Nebraska is always a good football team and history will tell you they are probably one of the top five programs of all time in the game of football.  But, do they really want to be there and do they really want to play Washington again?

    Those are big questions, and in a game that is always as much mental as it is physical, it can have alot to do with the final outcome. I know from the coaching standpoint that it’s going to hard for the Nebraska coaches to show their kids that first game and not have them be over confident. Are they better? probably. Does that mean anything in football? not always. The team with the best players doesn’t always win in any sport, but the team with the greatest will to win, usually does.

   Let’s try to look at the positives for Washington and the negatives for Nebraska.  The Huskies have 3 established play makers in Jake Locker, Chris Polk, and Jermaine Kearse. They also have a veteran senior receiver in D’Andre Goodwin and an exciting freshman, in Jesse Callier.  Play makers win bowl games and I think Jake is good for at least two touchdowns, one throwing and one running, Polk is good for one, and Kearse is good for another.  That’s 21 points right there. Erik Folk is a solid FG kicker and he makes the ones that count. If he make one that gets us to 24 points. We’ll start with that.

   Nebraska shredded the Husky defense running the ball in the first game but Washington didn’t have Cort Dennison at middle linebacker and he had been replaced by a true freshman. Cort is a key player in that he is one of the major communicators on the field. He will have double figures tackles in this game and his presence alone will make the defense better.

   Nebraska has fumbled the ball 42 times this year and have lost 15. The Huskies only need to recover 2-3 and that could be the difference right there. Great hustle to the football in pursuit is important in recovering fumbles as will be better tackling and Washington has improved in that all year long.  They know they have to contain and limit the quarterback from being a running factor in this game.  Taylor Martinez, the Cornhusker QB ran for 137 yards and if Washington can hold him to under 50, then that will really help as well. Nebraska also had two other players rush for over 100 yards and that can’t happen again. If Washington’s defense can hold them to under 200 yards rushing as a team then they will probably win the game.

    Nebraska has the first team All-American kicker in Alex Henery and he does both their punting and their kicking with the exception of kickoffs. If he hits 3 field goals then that is a good thing because it means Washington is getting stops and Nebraska isn’t scoring touchdowns. Make the Cornhuskers drive a long field and try to hold them to two touchdowns to go along with their three field goals and they end up with 23 points.

    Now obviously only three things can happen in this game; first is another blowout by Nebraska, next is that Nebraska could win a close one, or Washington could win a close one.  Washington is not going to blow out Nebraska and they don’t plan to. They are simply going to try and beat Nebraska. That means keeping themselves in the game and having the ball with the game on the line and another chance to win  one at the end. The Huskies have won 4 of their 6 victories exactly like that. Wouldn’t it be great to see Jake Locker engineer another last drive for a win? Well, maybe not if you’re a Cornhusker fan, but from my perspective it would be the perfect ending to a wonderful come back season by the Huskies.

   This team had set a goal to qualify and win a bowl game all season long.  Even when they dropped 3 in a row,  and were 3 and 6 on the season, they maintained that they were determine to be successful by winning three in a row and they did it. They did it because they got a lot better on defense, they ran the football on offense, and they solidied their kicking game. They are clearly not the same team they were in September especially in those three areas.

   Nebraska lost three games this season to Texas, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma and had two narrow escapes against Iowa State, winning in overtime 31-30, and Kansas 20-3. They also struggled with South Dakota State winning only 17-3.  None of those teams are world beaters and when it is all said and done, neither is Nebraska.

    Consider this, the Cornhuskers ran the ball 593 times and threw the ball only 261 times. That is not a very balanced offense and it is obvious that if Washington can stop the run and make Nebraska throw to get back in the game then the Huskies are likely win. In their last game against Oklahoma Nebraska also gave up 7 sacks trying to pass the football. I would think Washington will try to hem in Martinez and blitz him in obvious passing situations. In that same game Nebraska had 5 fumbles losing 3 and threw an interception yet still only lost 23-20. It won’t be easy but it is possible.

    Most important to winning is to take the long plays off the board. That again gets back to getting off blocks and taking the proper angle to the football. The longer they have to drive the bigger the chance of a fumble.

   When it comes to bowl games you always have to expect the unexpected.  That means being alert for reverses, reverse passes, as well as fake kicks, onside kicks, or throw back passes and other tricks. Because in preparing for bowl games you get to see all of your oponent’s games you also get the advantage of seeing how other teams attacked them.

   It has been absolutely pouring in San Diego and that usually helps the best running team which is obviously Nebraska. There has been so much rain that they have literally had to pump the water out of the stadium in order to play a game this coming weekend. Rain is good.  Washington knows how to run in the rain because they have been doing it for the last month.

   I realize 24-23 doesn’t allow for any score by the defense or in the kicking game besides of course the field goals. I don’t care what the final score is as long as the Huskies have that one more point than Nebraska. Just hang in there and give yourself a chance to win it at the end.  Just like they did against USC, Oregon State, California, and WSU. If they can somehow pull this off it will be one of the biggest upsets of all the bowls and would really set the stage for another re-match next fall in Lincoln. What a wonderful opportunity to put Washington back on the map of relevancy in college football. Go Dawgs.

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     He had done it again, just like he did twice to USC, and he had done to when the game was on the line. He drove his team the length of the field and put them in a bowl game against a heavily favored Nebraska. Who cares who they play? They had followed their leader and he had taken them to victory.

    The locker room celebration was absolutely thrilling.  The kids were so excited to have met their goal.  They said all along that they were intent on playing in a bowl and even when they fell to 3 and 6, including losing 4 out of 5, they still maintained their belief that they were going to make it to bowl eligibility. No one believed them except themselves. They hadn’t won two in a row and now needed to win 3 straight, no way.

    They followed the lead of their coach and of their captain and quarterback.  They bought into their game plans and executed their very best defense and running game at the end of the season. They improved tremendously in the kicking game and actually helped win the Apple Cup with a successful fake punt pass. Most of all they believed in each other and their ability to win on the scoreboard. Through out the three game stretch to win the season, they were clearly the best team in all three games and probably should have won their last two games by bigger margins.

    They had two touchdowns called back against the Cougars and had 12 penalties for 100 yards and had thrown one interception and lost 1 of 4 fumbles. They hurt themselves too much to blow out anyone but they were clearly the better ball club, especially in the lines.  The Cougars exposed a few holes in the secondary in the second half but only gained 110 yards rushing and gave up 5 sacks to the Huskies, getting none themselves.

    Washington ran the ball 42 times for 315 yards with Chris Polk literally running thru Cougar tacklers. He finished the day with an unbelievable 29 carries for 284 yards and a 9.8 or nearly 10 yard average. He was a beast and he was no match for the Cougar defense yet somehow the Cougars kept themselves in the game. Eventually it came down to who had the ball last and that team was Washington. They proved on that last drive that they were clearly the best team and that they had improved enough on the season to become worthy of a bowl.

    They had also finished a long uphill battle towards respectability.  They had gone from an 0 and 12 team to a bowl team in two years.  They had purged themselves of  demons of losing and defeat.  They had accomplished their stated goal and they had beaten, for the second year in a row, their cross-state rival. They were only 6 and 6 on the season but they have improved steadily throughout the course of the year. They became a pretty good team.  Not a great team but a team that can play with and beat anyone including a team like Nebraska. It will be different this time around and they know it.

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   Handling the temperatures and conditions in Martin Stadium has always been difficult for visiting teams. I know this, when our teams at Washington already had a bowl game wrapped up, they were not very good in the snow. When they had to win to go to a bowl, they were always able to handle the conditions better.

   I think scoring first is aways positve, especially on the road.  WSU was much better playing from the front then they were when behind and it showed against Oregon State. Conversely, answering a score by your opponent is a must because you can’t afford to lose separation. Try to keep yourself in it, with at least a chance to win it at the end.  I would guess that would apply to both teams.

   The Cougars have tried something like 8-9 onside kicks and will not doubt try to block a field goal or extra point. They have been aggressive in the kicking game so expecting things like a reverse or an overload block would do the Huskies well. Last time the Huskies won in Pullman they both blocked a kick and had a big return.  They have not shown anything like that for almost the entire sseason so this would seem to be perfect for this game.

   Quinton Richardson essentially put the UCLA game away for Washington when he intercepted and returned a pass for a touchdown.  Something like that would really help Washington and if the weather is bad then you’ve got to create and recover fumbles as well. Make Tuel throw quickly and jump the routes.

    I can’t imagine the Cougars will abandon the run after rushing the ball for over 60 times against the Beavers. They will try to run the football and that is the number one thing for the Husky front to stop. Then to not let Tuel scramble out of the pocket by hemming him in off the edges when the Cougs try to pass. Most of the other teams have come after the Cougars in passing situations and they have given up more sacks than anyone in the league. (46 to be exact)Teams have been averaging over 4 sacks per game so I would think that Washington will do the same and try to make Tuel throw early. I would anticipate a Husky blitz package.

    When the Cougars are in their spread gun with 3 or 4 wide receivers, they like to spread the defense out and make you cover the whole field because when they run their base play, the read/zone option, they are also running a bubble screen to the outside slot or trips forcing you to play two plays at once.  Then when Tuel “keeps” on the option, it represents still a third option that you have to account for.

    Defensively, the Cougars play a combo coverage with a cover 3 deep, a cover 4 across, and a man free. They run blitzes with all 3 coverages and are a little light in terms of weight and size.  Travis Long is their best pass rusher and they have an exciting young middle linebacker named C.J. Mizell, who flies around to the ball.  He has had some stupid penalties this year and that would help Washington if he is still over aggressive.

    One of the Cougars most improved position areas has been at safety where freshman, Deone Bucannon, and sophomore, Tyree Toomer,  have really started to pick up the position. They can be fooled however, and have been, so double cut or double break routes may get a Husky receiver wide open. That is another of the keys to this game.  Neither team can afford to give up a deep ball for a cheap touchdown.

   Both teams like to take their shots downfield and the Cougars like to throw deep into the boundary and the Huskies tend towards throwing deep off play action or use deep crossing routes. The deep ball will be a key to the game but you don’t necessarily need one yourself, you just can’t give one up to the other team. You may only see a couple in the whole game but you have to be ready when they come.

    There will probably be the biggest crowd of the whole season in Pullman and it will be decidedly pro Cougar.  If they are quiet, then you’re probably winning. As a Husky, the goal is to get their student section to start leaving during the third quarter.  There’s a lot of beer to drink and who wants to sit in the cold? The only way to do that is to score over 30 when the weather dips under 20.

    Finally, don’t let mistakes hurt you and take advantage of every scoring opportunity.  That means no stupid penalties and not turning the ball over are in order. Do those things and you improve your chances of winning the game. There will be a lot of holding, just don’t get caught.  Washington has been penalized 68 times and the Cougars have been clipped 69 times.  Which ever team loses control  and roughs the passer or draws any kind of personal foul will really hurt themselves.

   Finally, for Washington to win they must improve dramatically in their third down conversions and whoever tries for it on fourth down, better get it, or they may lose the game right there.

   With a four o’clock kickoff, it is always wise to not burn up too much energy before the game.  Don’t get ready too soon and don’t get carried away with too much woofing and taunting because that does happen in this game.  Save the energy for the combat and try to win at the line of scrimmage.  Even if its slick, you can’t get pushed around up front.  Low man wins, especially in the snow and protecting your legs by playing off low blocks is critical because teams always chop in bad weather cause they’re falling down themselves.

    I think it really helps to come out at half time in cold weather and do some good running and practice tackling just to get the blood circulating again.  A warm locker room is hard to leave.  Washington will be taking their own heated benches and we used to take plastic bags and put them on between two pairs of socks for an extra layer of insulation. Everyone has gloves now, but its important to keep your fingers and toes comfortable because they will be freezing. You also have to just keep telling yourself that your opponent is suffering just as badly as you are. Tough it out and handle it, that’s all you can do and it doesn’t matter if they practice in it or not if you’re frezzing, so are they.

   Specifically for Washington, I like to see Jake Locker throw for 75% and move the chains by running if necessary.  I like to see Chris Polk be given the chance to carry the football 35 times and be the lead dog pulling the sled. I want to see Mason Foster be a force and get 3 sacks, 1 pick, and 1 fumble to go with his 16 tackles. I like to see the Huskies hold the Cougars under 125 yards rushing and get those 4 sacks besides hitting Tuel 4 other times.  Those things happen and Washington wins this game.

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   That’s what is so special about rivalry games. Throw out the records and statistics and get ready for a slugfest.  Weather conditions alone would indicate this is going to be a grind it out ballgame with both teams trying to run the football.

   The Cougars actually ran the football over 60 times in their win over Oregon State and considering Jake Locker’s health, the Huskies are liable to be giving the ball to Chris Polk a little more than usual. The Cougars don’t have a Polk but they do have a committee of 3-4 tailback plus a real running threat at quarterback in Jeff Tuel.

    The Cougars will be running mainly out of a spread shotgun formation and the Dawgs will use Locker both under center and in the gun.  Although both will go the other way you can bet WSU will be using a big dose of 2 backs in the gun with as many as 3 different running backs. The Huskies will use Jesse Callier some but this game sets up for perfectly for Chris Polk who only needs about 50 yards to go over 1,000 on the season.

    Right now, Jeff Tuel is exactly like Locker was when he was a sophomore.  He is as big a threat with his feet as he is with his arm. Tuel frequently shows pass then pulls down the ball and takes off running particularly if it’s a third and medium.  The Cougs do have a number of called options for Tuel to “keep” and he is just as good on designed runs as he is scrambling. This game could be decided by who ends up having the best “running” quarterback.

  As usual when two good quarterbacks meet it’s usually someone else who ends up being the hero.  For the Huskies that will probably be Polk who is simply the best contact runner Washington has had since Corey Dillon.  He is extremely tough and always seem to get those extra yards out of every carry. Of course, he’s never played in Pullman in December and there is no doubt that could be a factor.  You would still think that Washington’s best chance for victory is for Polk to run for over 100 yards.

    It’s the last game of the season, so neither team can use the inexperience excuse because all freshmen are now seasoned players.  Both teams feature some outstanding youngsters but they are always unpredictable in these kinds of games. Even Dillon didn’t like the cold and it showed in his only game in Pullman he was almost a non-factor.  Don’t bet on that with Polk who may finally get the ball 25-30 times.  Coach Sarkisian has been reluctant to ever just rely on the run but this could be the game when he does.

    The Cougars will use lots of variations in their shotgun.  They like to use three and four wide receivers with the one back and will place him side by side with Tuel, deep in the pistol, or slightly deeper than the quarterback off to the side.  They will also incorporate 2 backs and run the stretch play outside or cross the two backs and run the zone/read play.

    I think both teams have good receiver corps and both like to take shots down field with the Cougs running isolation go routes into the boundary and the Huskies liking to go deep off play action pass. The Cougars have an obvious advantage of having practiced in the snow conditions and know which shoes they like to use.  This will be the first experience for many of the Huskies in real cold conditions and that could be a factor.

    The kicking games are about equal with the Cougars having the better punter in Reid Forrest and the Huskies having the better field goal kicker in Erik Folk.  That means it may get down to the team aspects of kicking and right now that edge goes to WSU.  At times the Huskies have been absolutely terrible in covering kicks but then, so have the Cougars.  If one team makes a break in the kicking game it could be the deciding factor in the game.  In fact, this game may go right down to a field goal with the winning team being the one who has the ball last.

   I broke down 3 WSU games; Arizona, Cal, and Oregon State.  The Cougs should’ve beaten Cal and both teams got beat by Arizona while both beat the Beavers.  Washington needed the last play to beat both Cal and Oregon State and that might be the case Saturday. Whoever has the ball last may be the winner as I don’t think either team is good enough to blow out the other.

   You would  think that Washington has more to play for but then again this is the Apple Cup and the bowl game is meaningless once they kickoff.  This is about being the best college football team in the state of Washington and it really doesn’t make any difference who has the best record. It gets back to who wants it the most.  Which team is going to rise to the occassion and complete their season holding all the apples?

   I know this, my Cougar team came into Husky Stadium with only one win on the season and left with an upset that all of us will remember the rest of our lives.  It’s that big to the Cougars and a win here would certaily be their biggest of the year.  Then again, a win by the Huskies gets them into a bowl game and they havn’t done that since 2002, so the incentive is there.

   Washington’s defense has been really good coming down the stretch and the Cougars’ offense is always a threat.  That means this game will probably be decided on the other side between the Husky offense and the Cougar defense. With the exception of their last drive against Cal, the Husky offense has been AWOL the last month or so, while the Cougar defense has been leaking most of the sesaon.

    Whoever scores first will probably have the best chance of winning because this will likely be a low scoring affair. A two touchdown lead may win the game but for sure it will be a great game even if both teams are far from great. Washington has won two in a row and WSU has only won two on the season so you would think this game goes to Washington. I say Washington wins 24-13.

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    The Huskies haven’t been to a bowl game since 2002 and the Cougars would like nothing better than to deny them that privilege. Considering the two teams both have losing records, with the Huskies at 5-6 and Cougs at 2-9, it is really a meaningless game for the rest of the country but for those in this state, it has now become even bigger.  It’s for all the apples so to speak and for anyone who has ever been associated with either program, it is always a huge game.

    While the Huskies have been winning these past two weeks, something they haven’t done all year long, the Cougars have been resting and putting all their apples into one basket.  Let’s face it, they can make their whole season right here and the way they played in their last game makes this a really interesting match up.

  Both teams are coming off a win and that hasn’t happened for quite a while simply because neither team had won even two in a row before the Huskies beat UCLA and Cal back to back.  Meanwhile the Cougars have had three weeks to plot, scheme, and prepare for what is arguably their bowl game this coming Saturday.  The Apple Cup game will have its latest kickoff time, 4 pm,  in the history of the rivalry and will extend well into the evening.  It will probably mark the only time the Cougs will draw over 30,000 the whole season which is sad but it is always a great game no matter how bad the teams are, and quite honestly, both have been pretty bad at times this season.

   Having  been on both sides of this game, as a player and coach at WSU and as a coach for 15 years at Washington, I can tell you it has a unique place in northwest sports.  This year promises to be just as exciting as when both teams were playing for the Rose Bowl only this time it is only the Huskies who have a chance for a bowl and it most certainly will not be for the Roses.

    Washington may have lost their punter and their best offensive lineman who both were hurt at the end of the Bear game.  That should even things up even more for the Cougars who have one of the best punters in the conference in Reid Forrest, who averages over 45 yards per kick. That might be one of the few statistical catagories where the Cougs are better than the Huskies but in the past you can throw out statistics when it comes to this game.  Especially this year because both teams have gotten remarkedly better at the end of the season.

    After struggling all season, the Cougars finally broke thru into the conference win column with a stunning victory on the road against a fading OSU Beaver team way back on November 13th. Since then the Huskies have put together their first back to back wins of the season and know they will be facing a determined WSU squad that will no doubt be gunning for an upset of their own.

   The Huskies will also be facing their first real test at quarterback in their past few games.  After going against two second stringers the past two weeks, they now face the Cougs, Jeff Tuel, who might be the best young quarterback in the conference. He has gotten progressively better as the season went on and poses a real threat both passing and running.

   The best thing going for the Huskies is that their defense is playing its best football here at the end of the season, just as it did last year. They are led by Mason Foster who not only leads this conference in tackles but is one of the leading tacklers in the nation. Depending on the weather, this is liable to be a defensive battle and a low scoring affair.  Breaks and mistakes will likely determine the outcome but this game is probably going to go down to the last possession.

   Jake Locker was there when he had to be but looked like he was still hurting most of the game against Cal and noticably took a hit on that last drive. His health will go a long way to determine the success of the Husky offense but they still have Chris Polk and he might emerge as the best player in this game. He is less than 50 yards from going over 1,000 yards rushing on the year and I’ve maintained all along that if they ever give him the ball 30 times he could carry their offense.  Depending on the conditions at kickoff, it might be time for that monster game by Polk.

    The Cougars are a completely different team than they were in September and October when the only team they could beat was Montana State. They are last in the conference in scoring offense, last in scoring defense, last in total defense, last in rushing offense, last in total defense, last in rushing defense, last in red-zone offense, have given up more sacks than anyone, and more first downs than anyone but are probably better in the kicking game than the Huskies. Go figure.  They have a definite chance no matter what the statistics say and I know because this game has always meant more to the Cougars than any game on their schedule.

    I know because when I was the captain of the Cougars way back in 1967 we had only won one game the whole year before coming to Seattle and beating the Huskies. That one win made our season and that is exactly what the Cougars are thinking right now.

    The Huskies simply have too much to play for to not come out and play their hardest. They may also have to play their smartest game and that means winning the turnover battle (something they did not do against Cal) and continue to avoid stupid penalties.  Washington will enter the Apple cup having been penalized 68 times while the Cougars have 69.  The Cougs are fifth in third down conversions and the Huskies are last. That means third down could be key in this game and Washington would do well to spy on Tuel in those situations because it has been his ability to pull down the ball and run for firsts that helped the Cougs improve over their last few games.

    For those who can’t understand my loyalties in this game, I can only say that I was at Washington a lot longer in my life than I was at WSU and I raised my family going to bowl games every winter and hope this team gets that opportunity. I am rooting for the Huskies and even though I am proud of my degree and cherished my time, particulary with my team mates at WSU, I am hoping that the Huskies win this game and get to a bowl and earn those extra 15 practices that come with it. I don’t consider myself a turncoat or a traitor but after all that I put into Husky football, I do consider myself a Husky. Go Dawgs.

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   Until their complete flop last weekend in the “Big Game”, Cal had been playing extremely well at home. Stanford absolutely throttled Cal  48-18, but then they did the same to Washington beating the Huskies 41-0.  Cal’s one loss at home prior to Stanford was against the number one ranked, Oregon Ducks, but they played them better than anyone has, losing by only 2 points, 15-13.  They had played the Ducks the week after the Huskies did and actually looked similar in their defensive game plans.

     Cal will be playing without their starting quarterback and hopefully Washington will have their’s back at full speed.  Last year, Jake Locker played a great game and the Huskies ended their season with a solid victory over the Bears.  The Bears had their bowl game locked up then and had little or nothing to play for.  It showed as they came out flat and got flattened. This time around, their bowl game and streak of 7 years going to a bowl are both on the line. You would expect that they answer the call in what will be the last game at the 88 year bowl called Memorial Stadium.

   Cal is really pretty good on offense especially at running back and receiver but when you’re starting a quarterback like Brock Mansion, who throws for less than 50% of his passes and has throw twice as many interceptions as he has touchdowns, then you’ve got to like your chances of pulling an upset.

   Defensively, Cal runs out of a base 3-4-4 package but will slide to an even front and will try to play man on the corners and use all kinds of pressures.  They lead the conference in sacks while Washington is last. They also lead in pass defense and have one of the best punters in the nation in Bryan Anger who averages 46 yards per kick.  They are terrible on third down ranking 9th in the league, while Washington is 10th. They have an excellent running back in Shane Vereen who has already gained over a 1,000 yards on the season.  They have two excellent receivers in senior, Marvin Jones, and a true freshman, Keenan Allen, who has already surpassed DeSean Jackson as a first year receiver.  Jackson is now the star of the Philly Eagles.

    Vereen follows a long line of Cal backs like Marshan Lynch and Justin Forsett, who both play for the Seahawks as well as Javid Best and JJ Arrington, two other pro’s. Vereen has good hands out of the backfield but has dropped the ball lately on runs.  Washington will need to get a couple of fumbles to help themselves and not give up any in return.

   The biggest difference appears to be at Quarterback where Jake Locker needs to shine.  The running game carried Washington against UCLA but not as much as the defense did. The Huskies were simply dominating vs. the Bruins on the defensive side of the ball.  If they can stop the run again the way they did against UCLA then Washington wins this game by a close score. They will need Jake in order to do that because he adds so much to the Huskies’ running attack. If the Huskies hold Vereen to under 100 yards and Jake runs for over 50, then Washington probably wins.

    Cal likes to use their receivers in their running game on reverses and fly sweeps so Washington will need to stay at home on the back side. They use lots of shifts and strength adjustments so Washington’s defense will be adjusting and balancing up in order to take away blocking angles.

    Since Jeff Tedford came to Cal they have been more of a run first, throw second team.  With Mansion playing quarterback they will most likely stay that way.  Stop the run, get some turnovers, and don’t get beat in the kicking game. Same formula usually works in college football. Or simply play the same kid of defense they did last week and they will be fine. Tough match-up against a tough team on the road means the Dogs will have to eliminate mistakes like penalties and turnover. Play clean football and they keep their hopes alive.

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   Washington is coming off a few extra days of rest and California is coming off of just getting their faces  kicked in. Stanford pounded the Bears the same way they did the Huskies except that Stanford’s subs on defense gave up some cheap scores at the end.  Stanford shut the Huskies 41-0 to end October and had California down 45-0 before ending it 48-18. Looks like the Dogs and Bears are going to be a pretty good match up.

     Stanford scored the first 8 times it had the ball against the Cal’s number one ranked defense. The Bears entered the contest ranked #1 in total defense and #1 in passsing defense. Their luck changed immediately, as in Andrew Luck, and the Cardinal quarterback looked like he was playing in a passing skeleton drill. They pounded the Bears with the power play and Luck scrambled for key firstdowns.

   Of course, that game and the one against Washington are two different things but you have to think that Cal’s bravado is a little shaken and they didn’t really play Oregon and Stanford any better than Washington did.  They still lost. They will be playing at home but they will also be playing with their back-up quarterback. This will help the Huskies as much as the momentum from the discovering of a real running game of their own.  Against UCLA the Huskies had their first game in which two players ran for over 100 yards. Do that again and they’ll win  this game too.

    Cals’ defense has only given up 10 touchdowns.  The Huskies have given up 30. Yikes! If Washington can hold the Bears in the running game to under 150 yards they will also really help themselves.  The Bear’s have a really solid tailback in Shane Vereen who has already gained over 1,000 yards and runs behind a big offensive line. Washington will need to hit their fits in their gap control defense and stay with the attack mode that they showed against UCLA. Go for penetration and rush this quarterback like they did the UCLA kids. (Washington saw 3 QB’s vs. the Bruins) If they see 2 or more against Cal they will be in really good shape.

   Cal has been so up and down that it’s hard to get a consistant read on them as a team.  We do know that Jeff Tedford’s teams tend to fade at the end of the season and last year Wasahington totally embarassed them in Seattle.  It was by far the best game of the year for Washington and led to most of the flase expectations leading into this season. Obviously, Cal will be regrouping and trying desperately to get it together after what happened against Stanford. Washington could win this game with a few breaks and a great road effort.

   It would appear that Washington would do well to jump to an early lead.  That’s what every one who has beaten the Bears have done.  Get ahead and make Cal throw to get back in it.  Considering they are 9th in passing offense and have their back-up QB in, I’d say the UW defensive coordinator, Nick Holt, will decide go get him in passing situations and concentrate on stopping the run the rest of the time.

    Washington may have to strike big early to get that lead so expect Jake Locker to come out throwing. Then have him join in on the run game with Polk going tackle to tackle and Callier going outside and off tackle. Locker could throw in some scrambles in passing situations and especially when Cal plays man to man.

   The Huskies have not won back to back games all season but then neither have the Bears since they beat up on UC Davis (you’ve got to be kidding) and Colorado who has already fired their coach to. The Bears won those two games to open their season by scores of 52-3 and 52-7, so their statistics have been miscued ever since.

   Right after beating thsoe two teams the Bears got smashed 52-31 by Nevada, yes, Nevada. They have also been soundly beaten by USC,  48-14, Oregon State, 35-7, besides the 48 Stanford put on them. Who knows what Cal team will show but if Washington can ride their improved defense and get an early lead then they might be able to run the ball in the second half and steal a road game.

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   UCLA and Washington are barely middle of the packers and average teams at best.  Both still have aspirations of a bowl game although UCLA, at 4-5, is probably a little closer. Washington, at 3-6, is in a must win situation for their remaining three games.

   Washington is the 8th best scoring team in the Pac-10, UCLA is 9th. UCLA has the 8th best scoring defense, Washington is 9th. UCLA ranks 4th in rushing offense, Washington is 7th.  UCLA is 8th in rushing defense, the Huskies rank 9th.  See what I mean about the perfect storm? These two teams are made for eachother. 

    Washington has at least been practicing in the expected vintage northwest rain and even if the Bruins would rather run, wet balls can cause fumbles in an option attack and that just happens to be the Bruin’s offense. Besides they are LA guys. They can’t be looking forward to getting drenched and soaked to the bone. You want to run the ball, bring it on. WAshington will no doubt be loading the box and using 8-9 guys to gang up on the run. There could be a lot of punting in this one.

   The Bruins are actually last in a number of statistical catagories like pass offense, pass efficiency, first downs, interceptions, and turnover margin.  Aha, there it is again, the turnover game, and if Washington is to win this game they better win this catagory. Two fumble recoveries and 2 interceptions would do perfectly. But as long as the Huskies get more back then they give away they could change this game with turnovers alone. Rip the ball out and cause the fumbles yourself.  Maybe disrupt the pitch on the option or tip the ball on a pass.  Plan on a +3 turnover margin and you win the game.

    The run game is going to be the most critical phase in this game simple because that’s about all the Bruins do.  They have run the ball in games almost as much as Stanford and Oregon does. They have called a run 79 more times than Washington has this season and have scored 17 rushing touchdowns to the Huskies’ 7. I think Washington needs to stop the run. Ya think? Like every time their running back, Johnathon Franklin touches the ball, the Dogs need to be swarming. He has dropped the ball a lot this year and if it pours then the wet ball might even help him to cough it up more.  Every time Franklin rushes for 165 or more yards, the Bruins have won.  Everytime teams hold him to under 65, the Bruins lost.  I’ll take holding him to under 100 yards and see what happens.

    Conversely, Washington is overdue to crank up their own running game. Against Oregon, the Husky defense actually did a pretty good job and they improved considerably on their run defense following their Stanford debacle. Unfortunately, Washington didn’t have any consistancy on the offensive side of the ball.  This followed two consecutive losses to Stanford and Arizona where they were run over.

    Washington needs to have a good game offensively and score at least 4 touchdown.  If they do that and the defense gets those turnovers then Washington wins this game.

   Jake Locker is the key to victory box. He needs to be comfortable in the pocket and get himself out of trouble when the protection breaks down.  Take off and make something happen.  Move the chains and keep the big bad Bruin running game on the sidelines. Jake could throw for 350 even if does rain. If he does and the Huskies can get ahead then UCLA’s offense is not designed to play catch-up. I think Washington wins if they can score 30 or more points. Stretch the field laterally with the fly sweep and stretch it vertically with double moves off play action passes. Take some shots and catch the ball.

    A lot has been bantered about playing on a Thursday night. I remember when we played our first night game back in 1991 against Nebraska and there was just as much flack then.  Now we play more night games than day games. I personally resent that televison has so much financial power but the extra income from a game like this helps fund at least 20 other sports at Washington. Nobody like an  inconvenience to their routines so commuters and fans alike just need to adjust their comfort zones.  Anticipated poor weather and a major traffic jam and many fans may just chose to stay home and watch it on televison. Can’t say as I blame them.

    Another side bar concerns the return of Rick Neuheisel to Husky Stadium. Rick, of course, was the Husky coach for four years and had a record of 33-16 from 1999-2002.  He was fired following a gambling scandal that led to him lying to both the NCAA and university administrators.  He was dismissed on contractual technicalities and probably would have kept his job had he simply admitted every thing up front.

   Whatever, Rick left is disgrace and returns with a struggling team. He always treated my wife and I with a lot of respect and even allowed me to present the MVP award to Lester Towns, a Husky linebacker who was dear to me and my family. He also invited Coach Lambright and I to hand out helmets to seniors who had been recruited and played for us. He was always gracious to us retired ex-coaches and because of that I have always liked him. I’ve always felt he was an excellent game day coach and is really tough to beat in close games. He also has his own style of working with kids and even though he was more new school than we were, our kids responded well and won him a Rose Bowl.  That was the last really good year the Huskies have had in the past decade. Nothing at Washington is related to Rick Neuheisel anymore so nothing can be blamed on him.  He’s just the coach standing on the opposite sideline and even though he probably recruited some of our players he is the enemies’ coach. The Huskies need to concern themselves with covering kicks, getting turnovers, and beating the team in white. Huskies win 31-24.

    At this time of year you are still working on improvement even though winning is

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    In a weird stroke of scheduling luck the Cougars didn’t have a BYE all season long and now have two in a row before they play their most important game of the season. I’m sure the Cougars will take some time off for Thanksgiving but let’s face it, they can make their whole season by beating the Huskies.

    It hasn’t happened since the last game of the 2008 season when the Cougs used a couple of overtime periods to beat a Husky team in what was probably the worst match-up in the history of the Apple Cup. Both tetams were terrible but Washington was obviously the worst finishing the season at 0-12.  Is that even possible?

    That marks the last time the Cougars had won a Pac-10 game until they beat the Beavers last Saturday. Now they get three weeks to prepare for their “bowl game” and you can bet they will be ready for the Apple Cup. Their problem will be not letting the three weeks off leave them stale make them forget what it took to win the Beaver game.

    Whatever, they have enough time that they could put in a whole new offnese by then or just continue to refine their newly discovered option game which helped them surprize Oregon State.  The Cougar quarterback, Jeff Tuel, won the game as much with his feet as he did with his arm.  Tuel was the wild card in their win because he kept moving the chains with timely runs either on a scramble or a keep option. Plus, the Cougars have one game and one game only to concentrate on while Washington still has important games against UCLA and California before they can even start thinking about the Cougars.  Advantage, Cougars. Playing in Pullman in December, advantage Cougars.

   Of course, Washington could win it’s next two games and be playing for a right to be bowl eligible while all the Cougars have left to play for is pride.  That and beating the Huskies, which in every Cougar’s life is right up there with meeting Elvis or hitting the jackpot.

   I know, because beating the Huskies my senior year was easily one of the top highlites of my own humble playing career.  Back in 1967, my Cougar team had run off 8 consecutive losses and entered the Apple Cup with one win over Idaho and nothing to play for except our combined hatred of the Huskies. We won 9-7 when the Huskies missed a chipshot 19 yard field goal with no time on the clock. It was pure luck and we knew it, but for us it was like winning the Super Bowl. Beating the Huskies is THE most important thing in every Cougar’s playing career.

   You can bet WSU will be planning every minute for their team and they will be rested and ready to go that first weekend in December when the snow will blowing and Martin Stadium will be packed for it’s first time the whole season. (WSU has really suffered at the gate this year, rarely getting over 25,000 fans for any of their games.) Profit sharing by this conference will probably help WSU more than any other team in the league.

   Even if the Huskies win their next two against the Bruins and the Bears, the Apple Cup will still have it’s magic and you can bet the Cougs will have a number of things up their sleeves.

    I have watched the Cougars in most of their games this year and they certainly have gotten better on both sides of the ball.  Especially on defense where their improvement just jumps out at you.  That is a great  compliment to their team and their coaches because they have indeed made steady progress even though they rarely had the experience of actually winning a game.

    Washington will have it’s hands full stopping the running games of both the Bruins and the Bears. Both teams are really physical and it is probably a longshot to think the Huskies can win their three remaining games but beating the Bruins will be the key to the whole three game series. Forget about the resurging Cougars because that game is too far in advance to worry about. Get ready for the next game and take it one step at a time. Spoil RickNeuheisel’s return to Husky Stadium because he never really wanted to be here in the first place.

    Through out his time at Washington, Neuheisel was always looking ahead to the next job.  He flirted with Notre Dame, the 49′ers and any other team that was interested in getting him out of Seattle.  (for a price, of course) He had used up all of Jim Lambright’s recruits anyway so it was time to move on. Gambling and lying eventually did him in but he was never the right fit at Washington anyway. Unfortunately, before he left he had undercut the whole culture of the program taking it from a tough hard-nosed team to a fluff and finesse system.  Washington is just now starting to recover from that transition and now he comes to town again with a team that is running the pistol option and pounding you with the run. Go figure.

  Still, take nothing away from the Cougars win over the Beavers.  They did it decisively and proved if you believe in what you’re doing and how you’re doing it and who you’re doing it with, then you always have a chance to win. Beating the Beavers was a great win for WSU and easily one of their two best victories this season.

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