Monthly Archives: October 2010

Stanford at Washington, Saturday @ 4 p.m.

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Posted by admin on October 30, 2010 – 7:48 am
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Another week, another ranked opponent for the University of Washington’s football team.

Quarterback Andrew Luck and the #13 Stanford Cardinal will visit Seattle to take on the Huskies in an early evening game at Husky Stadium. Washington, 2-2 in Pac-10 play and 3-4 overall, hopes to get back on track after a tough loss last week at Arizona. Stanford is coming off a home victory against Washington State, and is in 2nd place in the Pac 10 at 3-1, with a 6-1 overall record.

Washington hopes to continue the win/loss alternating trend of the season at least for one more week, and getting back on track could be essential for the end of season bowl hopes. With a daunting task awaiting on Saturday, Husky coach Steve Sarkisian understands that winning the game boils down to two key factors.

“I think it’s two-found,” Sarkisian said.  ”One stout against the run, and two, we’ve got to be able to create pressure on Andrew Luck. He’s a talented guy.”

Another key to the game will be Jake’s health, as the senior q.b. has been fighting shoulder, rib, and thigh issues over the last few weeks. Coach Sarkisian said on Thursday, though, that Jake has been looking more healthy than he has in quite a while.

“I think he looks great” Sarkisian said after practice. “This has been his best week of practice in almost a month. I thought he looks good. His movement is much better than it’s been in the last few weeks. I expect him to go out and play a really passionate football game.” 

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, the Cardinal’s sophomore signal caller, is the potential top pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and a large contingency of NFL scouts may be on hand to see he and Jake on the same field. Luck has 1728 yards passing on the season and 19 t.d.’s, while Jake has 1614 yards and 14 t.d.’s through the air.

For an in-depth preview on the upcoming game, click here.

The game will be televised live at 4 p.m. on Versus. Next week, Washington travels to #1 Oregon.

Washington Loses Early Momentum, Game at #18 Arizona

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Posted by admin on October 25, 2010 – 5:07 pm
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Matt Scott made his first start for the Arizona Wildcats since the third game of the 2009 season, and in his return he did not disappoint the home faithful.

After an early Arizona fumble led to a 26 yard Jake to Jermaine Kearse touchdown pass and a 7-0 Washington lead, Scott and Arizona rattled off 17 straight points en route to a 44-14 victory over the visiting Huskies. Scott ended the evening with 18 of 22 passing with 233 yards passing and 2 touchdowns and added 65 yards rushing as the Huskies had no answer to an inspired Arizona team.

Saturday’s game was the third straight week Jake played at less than full health, with sore ribs and a nagging deep thigh contusion that limited his running during the game. But, even though it was apparent that Jake couldn’t function at 100%, he didn’t believe it affected his passing.

“I don’t know if it affects our passing game as much as our running game,” Jake said. “It just gives us another option when I’m able to run, and one that I wasn’t really able to use a whole lot on Saturday. Hopefully, I get to run around a little bit this week and get feeling a little bit better, and then we’re able to do what we’re accustomed to doing.”

Jake played about 3 quarters in the game, and ended with 183 yards on 17-29 passing with 1 touchdown. For a full recap and statistical breakdown, click here.

The loss dropped the Huskies to 3-4, with a 2-2 record in Pac-10 play. They welcome the 13th ranked Stanford Cardinal to Husky Stadium this Saturday, 4:00 kick off.

Washington at Arizona, Saturday @ 7:15 p.m.

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Posted by admin on October 23, 2010 – 8:35 am
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The Huskies, coming off a thrilling 35-34, double overtime home win over 24th ranked Oregon State last weekend, travel to the desert to take on the 18th ranked Arizona Wildcats in a key Pac-10 match-up.

Arizona is 5-1 and 2-1 in the Pac 10, and is coming off a victory over Washington State.  The win did come with a significant cost, though, as they lost their top signal caller, Nick Foles, for a few weeks due to a knee injury. While the injury was a significant blow to the Wildcats Pac 10 title hopes, they do have more than just a serviceable back-up as Matt Scott was a starter in the first few games last year and has the talent to keep their offense rolling. Juron Criner, their top wide receiver, has a toe injury but is expected to play.

The Wildcats will also have a little more motivation than normal as they’ll look to avenge last year’s monumental loss in Seattle, a game that featured a miraculous interception t.d. return by Mason Foster that propelled Washington to a last minute, 36-33 victory.  

While the Huskies are focused on this year, there is no doubt last year’s game had a significant role in establishing some team confidence when a game is tight in the 4th quarter.

“I think it was a big win for this football team from the aspect of I think it was three and half minutes left and we were down 14 points and everyone kept playing,” Jake said. “There wasn’t a sense that there is no way we can win this game. the ball bounced our way and we found a way to win that football game. I think that was a big turning point for us last year as a football team and moving the program forward. A big win for us.”

With a win vs. the Huskies, Arizona will most likely secure a bowl birth, an achievement Washington hopes to earn by the end of the season. But, with games vs. highly ranked Stanford and Oregon in the coming weeks, every game becomes crucial for the Huskies to achieve the post season goal. Regardless of the bowl ramifications, the team that is victorious in this game will have at least a share of 2nd place in the Pac-10 at the end of the weekend…if not sole position.

For a full preview, please visit here for the Husky point of view or here for a more neutral take on the upcoming game.

The game will be televised live on ESPN and can also be seen on-line at ESPN3.com.

Jake, Huskies Outlast Beavers In 2 OT 35-34

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Posted by admin on October 18, 2010 – 6:36 am
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Jake threw 5 touchdown passes–including 4 to Jermaine Kearse–in another heart-stopping triumph, a 35-34 double overtime win Saturday night vs. Oregon State.

The Huskies, previous losers of 6 straight to the Beavers, were nearly flawless in the first quarter and a half while surging to a 21-0 lead. Jake threw toucdowns of 16 and 45 yards to Jermaine Kearse as well as a 4 yard touchdown to D’Andre Goodwin, capitalizing on defensive stops and an interception by Desmond Trufant.

The Beavers, however, weren’t going to go lightly into the night as they responded with a 9 play, 62 yard drive capped by a 5 yard rushing touchdown by quarterback Ryan Katz, and then followed up with a Jaquizz Rodgers 6 yard t.d. run just before half to cut the Husky lead to 7. Oregon State then tied the game on their first drive of the second half.

Both defenses stepped up in the second half to limit the offenses, but Jake led a Washington resurgence in overtime to score two consecutive touchdowns to answer an initial Rodgers touchdown in the first o.t. Down 35-28, the Beavers converted a 3rd and 20 from the Huskies 35 on a 23 yard Katz to Ryan Bishop pass play, and following a controversial 4th down pass interference penalty against Desmond Trufant, Jaquizz Rodgers exploded into the endzone for a 2 yard touchdown to bring the Beavers within 1. After a timeout, OSU coach Mike Riley decided to try for a 2-point conversion and the win, but the pass bounced off of tight end Joe Halahuni’s hands and the Huskies were able to hang on for the 1 point win.

“Today in overtime proved it. We were really, really sound” Jake said after the game. “We executed well, we were able to move the ball and we were able to make things happen.”

Jake finished with 60 yards on 12 carries in addition to his 21 for 35 for 286 yard and 5 touchdown passing performance. The 5 touchdowns ties the University of Washington school record for passing td’s in a game.

For an in depth look at the game you can visit the Seattle Times.

Next week: The Huskies travel to Tuscon to face the Arizona Wildcats. 7 p.m.

Washington vs. Oregon State, Saturday @ 7:21 p.m.

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Posted by admin on October 16, 2010 – 10:50 am
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The Huskies welcome the Beavers of Oregon State to Husky Stadium, with kick off tonight at 7:21 p.m.

The 24th ranked Beavers are coming off a big 29-27 win at #9 ranked Arizona, while Washington is coming off a disappointing 10 point loss to Arizona State at home. Oregon State’s win came with a big loss, however, as do-everything star player James Rodgers injured his knee and was lost for the year. The Huskies, meanwhile, are nursing some injuries of their own as both offensive lineman Erik Kohler (mono) and wide receiver Devin Aguilar (hip) will miss their second straight game, and running back Johri Fogerson will miss another game with a hip injury.

And, as noted after the Arizona State game, Jake is getting through being sick and also trying to heal from a deep thigh contusion, two issues that are on the mend but not fully healed.

“He looks fine. I thought he would get back,” Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian said. “I don’t think he will be 100 percent; there is a pretty good-sized bruise. But it’s nice to have him and know that you’ve got him.”

Washington is hoping to end a 6 game losing streak versus the Beavers that dates back to 2004. And, following tonight’s game, the Huskies must endure 4 of the next six on the road, including 3 contests against ranked opponents:  at #2 Oregon, #17 Arizona, and at home vs. #14 Stanford.

The Beavers have bounced back this season to win the last 2 games–both conference games–to get to 3-2 (2-0 in conference) after a daunting non-conference schedule that included road losses at nationally ranked TCU and Boise State. The Beavers have followed a balanced offensive attack with all-conference player Jaquizz Rodgers leading the running game, while 1st year starter Ryan Katz has come to the forefront at quarterback, a solid sophomore showing to date highlighted by a 393 passing yards and 3 total touchdown performance in the victory last weekend.

For a full pregame preview, click here.

The Huskies are on the road next weekend at Arizona.

UW Loses to ASU 24-14

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Posted by admin on October 10, 2010 – 7:34 pm
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Jake and the University of Washington played Arizona State under the weather on Saturday night–both figuratively and literally–and had hoped the Northwest elements would provide an advantage over their warm weather visitors. The Sun Devils, however, showed the rain wouldn’t get in the way of their first Pac 10 victory and cruised to a 24-14 triumph over the Huskies.

Jake passed for 209 yards and a touchdown and added a touchdown on the ground, but the effort wasn’t enough to carry the Huskies past a determined and talented Arizona State team. To make matters a little more challenging, Jake battled a flu bug throughout the past few days and into the game, a game that saw a steady downpour throughout. And, although he was able to stay on the field and fight through it, coach Steve Sarkisian said Jake wasn’t himself and that his condition hampered the game plan a bit.

“I would have liked to get him out moving and running more and calling more quarterback runs,” Sarkisian said. “We weren’t able to. Think I called three quarterback runs tonight because of the long-term effect of the game. I needed him to play four quarters. I don’t know if he could have made it.”

The Huskies–who were also without offensive lineman Erik Kohler (Mono), Devin Aguilar (hip flexor), and Johri Fogerson (hip flexor)–hope to heal up quickly, as the Oregon State Beavers come to Seattle for another night game this Saturday. The Beavers are coming off a big win at Arizona and are 2-0 in the Pac-10.

For a complete summary of the contest you can find a recap and box score here.

Washington vs. Arizona State, Saturday @ 7 p.m.

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Posted by admin on October 9, 2010 – 8:24 am
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The Huskies (2-2) follow up their thrilling 32-31 road victory over USC with a tough home battle, a night game  against 2-3 ASU at Husky Stadium.

Arizona State has lost 3 straight games but the results are not indicative of their abilities, as they played ranked Wisconsin and Oregon teams down to the wire, and last week lost another close game at Oregon State in Corvallis. And, the Huskies only have to look to last season’s 24-17 loss in Tempe, a game decided on the last play: a 50 yard touchdown strike from Danny Sullivan to Chris McGaha.

This year, the Huskies know that the Sun Devils are equally as dangerous and due for a victory.

“The games they are losing, it’s not because of their opponent,” Washington coach Steve Sarkisian said. “It’s that they are making a mistake here or there and shooting themselves in the foot to cost themselves a ballgame. I just hope they don’t put it all together against us.”

Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times put together a comprehensive game preview found here. The game will be televised live on Fox Sports Net. It is the first of two consecutive home night games for the Huskies, who entertain the Beavers of Oregon State next weekend.

‘The Drive’ Redux: Jake Leads Huskies To Last Second Road Win Over #18 USC

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Posted by admin on October 3, 2010 – 7:06 am
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2 weeks after one of the toughest games of the college football career, Jake responded with quite possibly the guttiest and most clutch performance of his career.

A year removed from a game defining drive that brought the highly ranked Trojans down 16-13 in heart-stopping fashion, Jake and the Huskies had a chance for an encore performance. Down 31-29 with 2 1/2 minutes to get into field goal range and starting from their 23 own yard line, the Dawgs didn’t disappoint. After 3 consecutive incomplete passes, Jake hit D’Andre Goodwin for 18 yards on a crucial 4th and 11 to keep the drive alive. Chris Polk, Jake and the offense kept the rest of the drive on the ground to run the clock down, and with 3 seconds to go clutch kicker Erik Folk repeated his 2009 heroics to give Washington a 32-31 victory.

Afterwards, Jake described what he told his offense before they started the game winning drive. ”So when we got in the huddle I said ‘I love you guys. We’ve got one more down to continue this drive and give ourselves a chance to win this game.’ And there wasn’t one guy in the huddle that thought we couldn’t do it. I looked at each guy in the eye and saw confidence and that’s why I think we were able to convert.”

Jake ended the day with 310 yards on 24 of 40 passing and a touchdown, and also rushed for 110 yards on 12 carries. He also was able to shake off an injury suffered on the goal line early in the 4th quarter, a quarterback sneak that got the Huskies a crucial 1st down on 3rd and 1. The hard hit to the turf knocked him out of the next play, but back up q.b. Keith Price came in to throw a 1 yard t.d. strike to tight end Chris Izbicki to go up 29-28.  There was some concern Jake would be out for the rest of the contest, but he was back at it for the next offensive series.

 ”I knew I was coming back in the game,” Jake explained. “I just got my bell rung. I got a little woozy and fortunately was able to come back.”

 The victory ended a 32 game win streak for the Trojans when playing at home in the evening, and was in stark contrast to just 2 years ago when the Huskies lost 56-0 in L.A.

You can find a complete recap here. Also, be sure to follow Bob Condotta’s Huskies Blog for up to date news and player quotes.

Washington vs USC, Saturday @ 5 p.m.

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Posted by admin on October 2, 2010 – 8:51 am
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The Huskies (1-2) travel down to the Coliseum in L.A. for a 5 p.m. kick-off with the 18th ranked Trojans (4-0) in a game  that marks their first Pac 10 contest of 2010.

The Dawgs will look to rebound off of a hard home loss vs. Nebraska a couple of weeks ago. Last weekend, the Huskies had a bye week that was good timing to get healthy and refocused before Pac 10 play.

“I think it helped to get some guys back and really, really healthy going into this week and starting off Pac-10 play.” Jake said earlier this week. “I think mentally as well, to give us another week of work to fix some of those problems we had and to really focus on them and put them behind us.”

USC will look to avenge a 3 point, last minute loss last year in Seattle, a win that was the talk of the nation after a clutch drive by Jake & company carried the Huskies to victory over the then #4 ranked Trojans. The Trojans have history on their side, as they have won 32 straight night games at home.

The game will be televised live on ESPN2. Next week, the Huskies will open a 2 game home stand vs Arizona State.