Tag Archives: nebraska cornhuskers

Jake Begins Formal NFL Audition At The Senior Bowl

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Posted by admin on January 29, 2011 – 9:20 am
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While it is a year later than most pundits expected, Jake formally begins his quest for a football career at the next level today at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

Following an announcement that he would return to the University of Washington to play his senior year of football–surprising many in the media that predicted he would be a top pick in the ’10 NFL draft and reinvigorating a faithful Husky fan base–Jake and th U.W. football team experienced a season of highs and lows, a campaign that ended with a 4 game win streak and a signature Holiday Bowl victory against a highly ranked and talented Nebraska team. The perfect conclusion to a season filled with challenges and joy is now in the rearview mirror, and Jake is ready to make the long awaited move to the next level.

“If there’s a better job in the world than playing football and getting paid for it, I’ve never heard of it,” Jake told the Washington Post recently. “I’ve played it for free my whole life. And now, to have this dream manifest itself and come to a head here, it’s just an incredible opportunity. ”

While each snap and each throw has been scrutinized through this week’s Senior Bowl practices, the week long media debate on his professional potential  is just a continuation of the microscope he has been under for 4 years. And, no matter the perceived pressure or the doubters of his decisions to date,  Jake will embrace it as he has throughout his collegiate career: with an unabashed optimism and honesty.

“My policy is always to be honest. I have nothing to hide. I feel comfortable with the decisions I made and why I made them. I don’t expect them all to understand. They didn’t experience what I did, they didn’t go through what I did, they didn’t create the memories that I did.”

The game starts at 12:30 p.m.  (pacific time) on the NFL Network.

Washington Shocks ‘Huskers, 19-7, Captures Holiday Bowl Crown

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Posted by admin on December 31, 2010 – 7:30 am
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The Huskies were happy to be in the Holiday Bowl, and they showed it.

Behind a powerful ground attack led by Jake & Chris Polk–along with a history-making performance by the defense–the Huskies manhandled the Nebraska Cornhuskers 19-7 en route to their first bowl victory since the 2001 Rose Bowl.

Polk ran for 177 yards on 34 carries and Jake added 83 yards rushing to cap a 268 yard team rushing performance against a shell-shocked Husker team. The Husky defense held a strong Nebraska rushing offense to a pedestrian 91 yards rushing on 41 carries, effectively shutting down a rushing attack that had gained 383 yards vs. the Huskies just 3 months prior.

Washington started off fast as the Huskies capitalized on a Alameda Ta’amu fumble recovery on the Huskers’ first possession of the game, leading to a short Chris Polk touchdown run and an early 7-0 lead. The short drive featured a 16 yard reception by Jake on the first play from scrimmage, a play that got the Huskies to inside the 5 yard line.

Leading 10-7 at the half, the Husky offense started the second half much like the first and marched 53 yards in just 4 plays, keyed by a 26 yard Jake to D’Andre Goodwin pass followed by a 25 yard touchdown burst by Jake to take a 17-7 lead. From there, the Husky defense took the reigns and rendered the Huskers ineffective the rest of the game, racking up sacks, tackles for loss, an interception and even the team’s first safety in 7 years, a 2-point score after holding was called in the endzone.

The redemptive win caps a fantastic finish by a 7-6 Washington team that reeled off 4 straight wins, a record that will have the Huskies finish 3rd place in the Pac-10. And, while there have been countless variations of the same question to Jake–’do you regret the decision to come back for your Senior year?’–the victory will help solidify the answer that hasn’t wavered from the start.

“There were some frustrating moments, but this is the best way I could go out. I couldn’t ask for anything better,” Jake said after the game. “And to see the program off this way…I’m going to be their biggest fan from here on out.”

The story-book ending to the season and Jake’s collegiate career was a fitting end for a player and a team that has symbolized perseverance over the last 2+ years. And, it appears Jake finished the main goal he made when he started with the program 5 years ago: to get the Huskies back to their winning ways and relevance in the Pac-10.

Jake finishes his Husky tenure second only to Cody Pickett in total passing yards, attempts, completions and touchdowns. He is first in total rushing yards by a quarterback in Washington’s long history.

A complete statistical recap of the Holiday Bowl can be found here.

Bowl Week: Jake, Huskies Prepare for Holiday Bowl vs. ‘Huskers

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Posted by admin on December 29, 2010 – 6:55 am
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With only 2 days remaining until kick off between the Washington Huskies and the #18 Nebraska Cornhuskers, the Huskies had their final practice as a team in San Diego, the location for the 2011 Bridgepoint Holiday Bowl. Wednesday’s team walk through is the only preparation left for Thursday night’s game.

Husky Coach Steve Sarkisian knows the task is tall and that Nebraska is more than a formidable opponent, but he is confident his team will play better this time around.

“Well, I think the biggest thing we’d like to do is at least put our best foot forward. The press conference after that game (56-21 loss), my major disappointment was the fact we just didn’t play very well.” Sarkisian said. “I can live with the fact they played a very good football game against us, but I’d just like to think we can play better than we did. To have that opportunity again is one that I think we’re embracing.”

For the team, getting to the Holiday bowl in Jake’s final season and winning the last 3 games are signs that the Washington Football program is making strides in getting back to competing at the top of the conference. But, more importantly, the reward of a bowl game for the seniors is fitting for a group who has worked through 4-5 years of challenging times.

“I’m thankful for our senior class, and I’ve said this numerous times that for everything they’ve been through – the adversity on the field, off the field, the ups, the downs, the coaching change and four and five years of it, and to what we went through this year – I’m appreciative of the fact they came to work every day with a great mindset and set a real tone for this football program as we move forward. This is a great reward for them to be able to play in a bowl game before their career was over, and they’ll always be part of this family.”

The Huskies, 6-6, were 3rd place in the competitive Pac 10 this year with a 5-4 league record, and Nebraska was runner up in their conference. Because both Oregon and Stanford made BCS bowls, Arizona and Washington were selected for the Alamo and Holiday Bowls and rounded out the conference bowl appearances for the season. Nebraska, on the other hand, lost to Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game for the right to represent the conference in a BCS game, so at 10-3 they find themselves at the Holiday Bowl for a second consecutive year.

For a full preview of the game, you can visit the breakdowns from ESPN.com  or CBSSports.com. For more of a Hukser fan take, you can visit here.

The game will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN3.com at 7:00 p.m., Thursday Night from San Diego.

Huskies Heading South for the Holiday

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Posted by admin on December 6, 2010 – 1:13 pm
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In what was a highly anticipated announcement for the University of Washington and their fans, the Huskies were selected to play in the  Holiday Bowl vs. the Nebraska Cornhuskers, a December 30th contest that will act as a rematch of the two teams.

The Huskers (10-3) traveled to Seattle in September and beat the Huskies soundly, 56-21, so it will be another great opportunity to play what many consider a top-10 caliber team. Nebraska is currently ranked 18th in the country, and although the task is tall, Jake and the team are looking forward to proving they are better than their performance earlier in the year.

 ”I just think from anybody who plays sports and is competitive, anytime you have the opportunity to go out and improve on a performance or a game that you didn’t do your best in individually and as a group it’s always a good opportunity and it’s something that all competitors hope for, I think,” Jake said.

This is the second Holiday Bowl in a row for the Huskers, as they played the Arizona Wildcats last year. They won that game emphatically, 33-0. Conversely, the bowl game is the first for the Huskies since 2002, a loss suffered vs. Purdue in the Sun Bowl.

Nebraska is coming off a tough loss to Oklahoma, 23-20, in the Big 12 Championship game, while Washington won the Apple Cup against their rival WSU, 35-28, on Saturday.

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.

Huskers Beat Huskies With Big Plays

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Posted by admin on September 19, 2010 – 8:11 am
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The Nebraska Cornhuskers brought their A-game on Saturday to Husky Stadium, and left with a 56-21 victory over the Huskies.

The Huskers exploded out of the gate with a 14-0 lead, and the Dawgs would never catch up. Holding a 28-14 halftime lead, the Huskers started the second half with a one-play, 80 yard touchdown run from quarterback Taylor Martinez and did not let off the gas pedal: they added a defensive touchdown, a 65 yard touchdown run by Roy Helu Jr. and a 19 yard run by Rex Burkhead to cap the scoring.

For the Huskies, outside an 80 yard drive in the first quarter and a 2 play, 78 yard scoring drive in the game, the offense struggled to get anything going. Jake ended the game with 130 yards of total offense, with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Afterwards, Jake was asked if this was the type of game that will define the Huskies season.

“You can’t (let it linger), if it does it will affect the way you play the rest of the season” Jake said. “It’s the third game of the year, there is still a lot of football to be played and the greatest part of this is we get to play another one in two weekends so it’s going to be important to put this one behind us, have two good weeks of work and get ready to start Pac-10 Conference.”

You can read the full interview with Jake here. And, for a full recap of the game you can go here.

The Huskies have this week off and will prepare for the start of Pac 10 play, beginning in 2 weeks at the USC Trojans on October 2nd.

Washington vs Nebraska, Saturday @ 12:30 p.m.

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Posted by admin on September 17, 2010 – 11:41 am
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After a 1-1 start, the Washington Huskies welcome the 8th ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers to Seattle for a 12:30 kickoff at Husky Stadium. The game marks the 8th time Nebraska (2-0) has played the Huskies, with a series record of 3-3-1 between the two teams.

Nebraska is comign off two victories at home vs the Idaho Vandals and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers with a combined tally of 87-27. In the two games, Nebraska has averaged 325 yards rushing (3rd in the nation) and Freshman Quarterback Taylor Martinez has started fast out of the gate as he has gained 285 yards and 5 touchdowns rushing on just 21 carries, an over 13 yard per carry average. He has also thrown for 242 yards.

On defense, Jake and company will have their work cut out for them as the Nebraska defense boasts arguably the top secondary in the country, including Prince Amukamara. The Nebraska defense already has 6 interceptions and has only allowed 2 touchdowns through the first two games.

For a full preview of the game, click here.

The game is televised live on ABC at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Huskies have a bye next week before Pac 10 play starts with a road test at the University of Southern California on October 2nd.