Lucas Clark: Talk about two teams on the opposite end of the college football spectrum. Oregon is undefeated and has set the Pac-10 cruise control after a dominant performance in Los Angeles last weekend. Washington has lost three of its last four conference games and have been outscored 85-14 in its last two losses. Records aside, the Ducks enter Saturday’s matchup relatively healthy and are back in front of their beloved Autzen Stadium crowd. The Huskies received news Monday morning that star quarterback Jake Locker will be out of the game with his persisting rib injury, leaving little hope for what was already considered an easy win on Oregon’s schedule.
Taylor Soper: For the Huskies, this season has been a roller coaster, and right now, that roller coaster is in the process of a free-fall drop.
After following an unexplainable win-loss pattern through the first seven games of the season, a pattern that included wins over USC and Oregon State, it’s been a nightmare for the past two weeks. At Arizona on Oct. 23, the Huskies failed to take advantage of a Nick Foles-less Wildcat squad and were stumped 44-14.
Then came last week: a 41-0 loss to Stanford at Husky Stadium, which prompted head coach Steve Sarkisian to say the team hit “rock bottom.” Stanford came into Seattle and bad memories of the winless 2008 season ran through the minds of Husky fans as the Cardinal scored how they wanted and when they wanted. It was the Huskies’ first time being shutout at home since 1976, and the most embarrassing game of the season.
Now, it doesn’t get easier with a visit to Autzen Stadium this weekend against the top-ranked Ducks. As you mentioned, senior quarterback Jake Locker is out with a broken rib, so freshman Keith Price will make his first career start Saturday. Uh-oh.
LC: The roller coaster won’t get any smoother on Saturday, facing an Oregon team that hasn’t lost at home since the Sept. 20, 2008. That loss to Boise State happened to be Darron Thomas’ first appearance as a Duck. Two years later, Thomas is in the driver’s seat as one of the most explosive offenses in the country. Washington will present a lot of different looks defensively to try and throw off the signal-caller’s rhythm, which has been a primary focus in practice this week. Mason Foster is a force in the run game and arguably the best linebacker in the conference; luckily for Foster and the Husky defense, they won’t spend a whole lot of time on the field against the Ducks.
TS: This game could get real ugly, real fast for the Huskies. You’re right, the Washington defense won’t be on the field long because of the extremely fast-paced Duck offense. And if the Huskies went three-and-out five straight times in the first half against Stanford — that’s with Jake Locker — I don’t think the offense will be on the field much, either. That only means lots of Oregon points, and very few — if any — Washington points. The Huskies have been speeding up the tempo in practice this week, but there is simply no real preparation in terms of speed when we’re talking about LaMichael James and Darron Thomas.
LC: That Stanford loss was disheartening, no doubt, but there is still half the Pac-10 schedule left to play. If Washington is able to build off the positives from Saturday, the rest of its schedule stacks up favorably. Hosting an equally struggling UCLA team after a bye week, then traveling south to Cal for very winnable game, before going to Washington State for the Apple Cup. A six-win season is still very much in the cards, though it’s got to be bitter sweet given the lofty expectations coming out of fall camp. Ultimately Oregon’s depth will prove too much for the Huskies, but that’s not to say they’ll go down easy. This is one my favorite rivalries in the Pac-10 (don’t let Chip Kelly hear) and I’m looking forward to an interesting game on Saturday.
Final score prediction: Oregon 58, Washington 21
TS: That’s exactly what Oregon has and Washington doesn’t: depth. It’s going to be the difference Saturday. I don’t doubt for a second that Oregon’s second-string athletes could compete with Washington’s starting lineup, with the exception of Washington linebacker Mason Foster and running back Chris Polk. That being said, I think it’s a golden opportunity for Price to show off his dual-threat abilities. If the freshman can muster a decent performance on national television, it’ll provide confidence to the fans who wonder what will happen when Locker leaves after this season.
You’re right, Washington still has a chance to make it to a bowl game if it can win three of their last four games. Saturday’s game will be a blowout, but it will be important for the Huskies to at the very least come away with a few positives and not let their confidence dive below the “rock bottom” point it hit against Stanford.
Final score prediction: Oregon 63, Washington 17
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