It will be a night to remember at Husky Stadium – and that’s just before the kickoff. On the final night of what is the current form of the stadium, the 1991 national championship team will be honored before the game, Don James will handle the official coin toss, and the senior class will be honored for their careers at the University of Washington.
For those seniors, who suffered through the indignation of an 0-12 season in 2008, the best way to mark their final game at Husky Stadium would be a win over the No. 6 Oregon Ducks. Not only would it add another chapter to the program’s storied history, but it would also be the first time that UW has beaten its nemesis to the south since 2003.
That also means for seniors such as Cort Dennison, Everette Thompson and Jermaine Kearse, they could end their careers without beating the Ducks. It’s not a pleasant thought.
“We don’t like to look at the past and what’s happened,” Dennison said. “The past is the past.”
The past hasn’t been pretty. The closest the Huskies have gotten to Oregon during those seven straight losses was in 2007, when they lost 55-34. And while that might seem close, remember that Oregon racked up 465 yards rushing and 661 yards of total offense – both records for Washington.
Will this year be any different? It’s possible.
UW has the offense to score points on Oregon’s defense, possibly plenty of them. Quarterback Keith Price, who made the first college start of his career against Oregon last season, has been solid in 2011, completing more than 65 percent of his passes with 23 touchdowns.
“Even though it’s really his first year of starting, we got a chance to see Keith last year, and I thought he played very well,” Oregon coach Chip Kelly said. “I think he’s very poised. He’s athletic, and he can also beat you with his feet.”
But the burly shoulders of Chris Polk likely will have to do much of the work for Washington to have a chance. Polk’s ability to grind out yards on the ground would allow the Huskies to control the game clock and keep Oregon’s vaunted spread-option offense off the field. Washington’s balance on offense worries Kelly.
“They have one of the best backs in the country in Polk … and you couple him with Keith Price, (Jermaine) Kearse, (Devin) Aguilar and (Austin) Seferian-Jenkins, they’ve got quality, quality players at every position,” Kelly said. “They can beat you throwing and passing. They are very diverse in what they do.”
Offense has never been a question for the Huskies this season.
The defense? That’s a whole other issue.
The unit has suffered through more than its share of struggles and criticism. Now it will face the best rushing attack in the conference. The last time Washington faced a vaunted rushing attack – two weeks ago – Stanford rolled up 446 rushing yards.
The Ducks feature a completely different type of attack, led by speed-burners LaMichael James, Kenjon Barner and De’Anthony Thomas. All three are capable of turning a 6-yard gain into a 60-yard touchdown with a missed tackle or assignment.
“They are a run-first team, but yet when you get to the point where you’re completely dedicating yourself to stopping the run, they throw the ball over your head – whether it’s to the tight end or the slot receiver, or on the play-action pass stuff, the naked bootleg stuff; they do quite a bit of that, especially in the red zone,” UW coach Steve Sarkisian said. “You’ve got to be ready for a balanced attack, but the key against them is, you need to stop the run.”
Washington isn’t going to shut the Ducks’ offense down. Sarkisian has no such illusions. But slowing Oregon and allowing only field goals in the red zone would be ideal. The Huskies can do no such settling offensively. Both teams rank near the top of the Pacific-12 Conference in red zone efficiency.
“I feel like the last two years, we’ve been unable to (score touchdowns in the red zone against Oregon),” Sarkisian said. “In the first halves of both ballgames we’ve been in the red zone and haven’t had the success that we are accustomed to having. We’ve settled for field goals, and we’ve gone for it on fourth down and not converted.”
Realistically, Sarkisian just wants to be in it the fourth quarter. The last two years, the Huskies wilted in the third quarter, giving up 21 points each year.
“That comes from fatigue … you are not quite as sharp mentally on where you need to be, and you are not quite in the right gap,” Sarkisian said.
Now the Huskies’ rebuilding process has given them more depth than in the past two years. Anyone capable of playing and contributing will do so.
“We have to play a lot of guys and play them early,” Sarkisian said.
It’s been a quick process to help return the Huskies football program to Pac-12 viability under Sarkisian, but to truly bring it back to the level he wants, a win over Oregon is key.
More than anything, the seniors don’t want to end their UW careers having never beaten the Ducks.
“I’ve never beaten Oregon,” Kearse said. “It’s something I want to do before I leave here.”
HUSKIES GAMEDAY
OREGON (7-1, 5-0 PACIFIC-12 CONFERENCE) AT WASHINGTON (6-2, 4-1)
7:30 p.m., Husky Stadium
TV: Root Sports. Radio: 950-AM, 850-AM.
The series: The Huskies lead the all-time series at 58-40-5. However, over the last 16 games, Oregon has won 12. The last time Washington beat Oregon was in 2003, when Shelton Sampson and Kenny James each rushed for more than 100 yards in a 42-10 win. Since then, Oregon has dominated. A year ago, the Ducks rolled to a 53-16 win as Washington had to start then-freshman Keith Price with Jake Locker out with a rib injury.
What to watch: It’s the final game at the old Husky Stadium, and who better to have send it out than the rival Ducks. In 48 hours, the first parts of the grand old stadium will be torn down as Washington begins the two-year process to rebuild its home field. There will be plenty of pomp and circumstance. The 1991 national championship team will be honored before the game and the Dawgfather, Don James, will handle the pregame coin toss. But will any of that matter come kickoff? The emotion and energy will likely die in the first quarter. And then it will come down to one key question: Can the oft-maligned Washington defense slow down the high-power Oregon attack? The Ducks lead the Pacific-12 Conference in rushing, averaging 309 yards a game. UW’s defense ranks 10th in the conference – fourth in rush defense, yielding 130 yards a game. But that number is a little skewed having played pass-happy Eastern Washington and Hawaii. Against Stanford – a run-first team – the Huskies gave up more than 400 yards rushing. The Huskies are going to give up yards and points. But their red zone defense will be key. If Washington can hold Oregon to field goals instead of touchdowns, the Huskies should be able to keep pace. The Huskies will score points, and they have enough weapons to take advantage of the Oregon defense. The Ducks’ defense has been good at times, average at others. Washington State was able to move the ball against them. But the Ducks have managed to hold teams to field goals in the red zone.
What’s at stake: The Ducks still have BCS title hopes and are a legitimate BCS bowl contender. They can’t afford to slip up with a loss to Washington before next week’s showdown with Stanford. A win for the Huskies would signal a return to the Pac-12 elite. And to do so on such a memorable night would be another chapter in the program’s storied history.
The pick: Oregon 52, Washington 35
PRIME NUMBERS
OREGON
With roster number, name, height/weight, year and position in parentheses:
5 Darron Thomas (QB), 6-3/215, Junior
He wasn’t 100 percent last week, and it showed with erratic play.
6 De’Anthony Thomas (WR/RB), 5-9/173, Freshman
On a team filled with playmakers, he might be the most electric of them all.
20 John Boyett (FS), 5-10/202, Junior
A ballhawk in pass coverage and a hard hitter, Boyett has been the Ducks’ best player.
56 Josh Kaddu (OLB), 6-3/235, Senior
If a play is made behind the line of scrimmage, he is usually involved in it.
77 Carson York (OG), 6-5/292, Junior
The big guard has put together a solid season blocking for the option-based attack.
WASHINGTON
1 Chris Polk (RB), 5-11/222, Junior
If the Huskies are to have any chance, they will need one of “those” nights from him.
2 Kasen Williams (WR), 6-2/212, Freshman
With James Johnson out, the talented freshman could see more snaps than ever.
10 John Timu (OLB), 6-1/220, Freshman
He and his fellow young outside linebackers will be tested like never before by Oregon’s speed.
13 Will Shamburger (S), 6-0/192, Sophomore
He will be the last line of defense if an Oregon runner breaks free.
22 Josh Shirley (DE), 6-3/229, Freshman
His speed will work well in this game, but he has to stay disciplined on his option responsibilities.
Ryan Divish: 253-597-8483
ryan.divish@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/uwsports
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