As exciting and heart-stopping as Stanford's last two games
have been, the Cardinal has nothing on Washington's knack for
fourth quarter heroics.
Since Rick Neuheisel's arrival in Seattle in 1999, the Huskies
have won an impressive 24 games, 18 of which have been of the
come-from-behind variety. The mark of any good team is their
ability to win close games, but this sort of thing has been
absolutely unprecedented.
In 2001 the Huskies aren't pushing anyone around - they rank near
the bottom of the conference in rushing offense and total
defense. The bottom line however is that they win games, even if
they aren't by impressive margins. Aside from their 51-3 blowout
of Idaho, their margin of victory has been in order: 5
(Michigan), 3 (Cal), 3 (USC), 3 (Arizona) 2
(ASU). As a result they are once again in the Top 10 (thanks to
the misinformed coaches poll, which puts Stanford #13!) and in
the hunt for another Pac-10 title.
Their 35-13 shellacking at the hands of UCLA was supposed to
bring UW down to earth for good, but they followed that up with
consecutive last-second wins over the Arizona schools. Kicker
John Anderson already has two game winning field goals in 2001.
His 30-yarder as time expired last week in Tempe marked
Washington's first win on a game's final play since 1980 when
Chuck Nelson ended Stanford's Rose Bowl hopes and gave UW a 27-24
win.
The Huskies won't physically dominate an opponent as they did
during their last prolific period (1990-1993) of wins. One thing
they can do is throw the ball. The quarterback position was
definitely a question mark coming into the season. Card-killer
Marques Tuiasosopo moved on to the NFL, but Cody Pickett and
JC-transfer Taylor Barton have proved to be more than adequate
replacements. Pickett has completed 60% of his throws for almost
1,200 yards and six touchdowns. He also broke the school record
for most yards passing in a game when he lit up Arizona for 455
yards two weeks ago. Former City College of San Francisco product
Taylor Barton replaced an injured Pickett against U$C and
promptly guided UW to another win in the fourth quarter. His 335
yards against UCLA were also the most prolific game for a Husky
QB making his first start.
A talented group of receivers is a main reason for the Huskies'
success through the air. Todd Elstrom is the most experienced of
the group, as has found a spot for himself in the UW record group
for several career statistics. He currently is 10th all-time in
career receptions and yards (over 1,300). Freshman Reggie
Williams leads the team with 31 catches and has 515 yards
receiving - most ever by a freshman wideout at Washington. Paul
Arnold, a converted fullback, has 30 grabs this season and is
also the team's main deep threat. The senior has three catches
for over 40 yards, including a 78-yard TD against Arizona.
Washington's reliance on the pass has not been by coincidence.
Despite the return of the talented duo of Rich Alexis and Willie
Hurst, the Huskies have barely averaged three yards per-carry in
2001. Much of the blame goes to an extremely young and
inexperienced offensive line. Of the top seven O-lineman from
last year, only starting center Kyle Benn remains on this year's
team. The two-deep roster also includes five redshirt freshman.
Hurst, who should go over 2,000 yards for his career later in the
year, had a huge game last week with 185 yards against Arizona
State. Alexis is a talented sophomore who gained a freshman
record 738 yards last year, but his average per carry is down by
almost three yards from last season.
The defense has been enigmatic at times. While they do possess
several burners in the secondary, this unit won't dominate
anyone. A key to their success this season though has been
limiting the opposition after UW's offense turns the ball over.
Of UW's 13 turnovers this year, only four of those have been
converted into points (all field goals).
Defensive end Larry Tripplet is a Lombardi Award candidate and a
definite force in the trenches. While he isn't as dominating as
he was last season, the senior does have two sacks and ten
tackles-for-loss. The defense as a whole has totaled 18 sacks.
Ben Mahdavi is the leader of the line-backing unit. The former
walk-on leads the team with 52 tackles and five sacks. He will be
joined by former JC All-American Kai Elias (another CCSF
product), as well as Zach Tuiasosopo, Marques' little brother.
The secondary tends to give up lots of yards through the air and
has only intercepted six passes all year. They do though have
several game-breaking players. Cornerback Omare Lowe returned an
interception 21 yards for a touchdown against Michigan. He also
blocked a field goal, which fellow corner Roc Alexander picked up
and ran 77-yards for a score. At the safeties, Wondame Davis is a
former wide receiver while Greg Carothers is quickly gaining a
reputation for being a hard-hitter. His best game this season was
a 10-tackle (all solo) effort against the hapless Cal
Bears.
Stanford faces yet another opponent who will have a huge edge in
the kicking game. John Anderson is a Groza Award finalist who is
11-16 in field goals in 2001. He also booted a 56-yarder against
UCLA two years ago. Freshman punter Derek McLaughlin averages
just over 42-yards a kick, including a 78-yard blast against Kal.
If there was ever a team due for a win in Husky Stadium, it is
Stanford. If there was ever a team due for a loss right now, it's
the Huskies. Stanford has beaten Washington TWICE since 1976 -
the famous win over #1 UW in 1982, and the 46-28 victory over a
probation-laden Washington team in 1994. Not since Mike Cordova
led Stanford to a 24-21 win in October of 1975 have the Cardinal
come back from Seattle victorious. Washington has made a
living on opposing teams collapsing in the fourth quarter, but a
team like Stanford will not succumb to such pressure.
PREDICTION: Time to exorcise a few demons. College football fans
all over the country are waiting for the day when Washington's
fourth quarter heroics fizzle, and this will be the day. The
crystal ball sees a 35-27 Stanford victory, with Allen and Carter
combining for 200+ yards.