Huskies Won’t Run Up Score UW Claims It Will Shuffle Players If Game Gets Out Of Hand
Kick somebody when they’re down? Not these Washington Huskies.
If they’re going to win another national championship, they’re not going to do it by running up their scores.
“I don’t know if you go out and beat somebody 82-6, I don’t know what that does for your team,” Jason Chorak of the Huskies said. “I just don’t understand that.”
The No. 3 Huskies (1-0), who play host to No. 6 Nebraska next week, are 24-point favorites in their home opener today against San Diego State (1-0).
They’re not looking to overtake No. 1 Penn State and No. 2 Florida, which beat Central Michigan 82-6 last week, by humiliating the Aztecs. If they get a big lead, they plan to empty the bench.
“I think one of Coach (Jim) Lambright’s theories is you try to get the other guys in there and you try to get them experience,” Chorak said.
Asked about Florida’s victory, Lambright said: “You really look at that and say, ‘How much good did you get out of it?’ I’ll tell you, you can get guys hurt playing any opponent.”
Washington was a lopsided winner in its opener at BYU. Just not as lopsided. The Huskies won 42-20 in Provo, breaking a 12-game winning streak by BYU.
“BYU has a good team, but they didn’t have a lot of team speed,” Washington’s Fred Coleman said.
In San Diego State, Washington is meeting another Western Athletic Conference opponent. The Aztecs beat Navy 45-31 in their opener.
“San Diego State has a lot of team speed,” Coleman said. “That will make up for some lack of skills in some other areas. The team speed is there so we can’t look past them at all.”
Still, the game figures to be a mismatch. Against BYU, Brock Huard completed 18 of 23 passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Jerome Pathon caught seven passes for 163 yards and Coleman had two touchdown catches.
Rashaan Shehee, out virtually all of last season, returned as Washington’s tailback and reeled off runs of 75 and 65 yards, ending up with 171 yards on a dozen carries.
Washington is 22-4-1 against WAC foes, including a 46-25 win against the Aztecs in 1982 in the teams’ only previous meeting.
San Diego State quarterback Kevin McKechnie completed 16 of 20 passes for 371 yards and four touchdowns and also ran for a TD against Navy, but came out of the game with a sprained ankle suffered in the third quarter. He is expected to start against Washington.
If McKechnie can’t go, Mike Smith will start. Smith transferred to San Diego State from Washington two years ago, but hasn’t thrown a pass in a game for the Aztecs.
xxxx Top 25 at a glance Vs. Rank, Team Rec T25 This week Extra Points 1. Penn St. (22) 1-0 0-0 vs. Temple McQueary 366 yds, 2 TDs 2. Florida (15) 2-0 0-0 idle 82 points school record 3. Washington (14) 1-0 1-0 vs. SDSU Ended BYU’s win streak 4. Tennessee (6) 2-0 0-0 idle Manning 341 yds, 2 TDs 5. Florida St. (4) 1-0 1-0 vs. Maryland 7-0 vs. Maryland 6. Nebraska (4) 1-0 0-0 vs. C. Florida First meeting with C.Fla. 7. N. Carolina (2) 1-0 0-0 vs. Stanford Ellis 24-1/2 career sacks 8. Colorado (3) 1-0 1-0 at Michigan 1-2 vs. Michigan 9. Ohio St. 1-0 0-0 vs. B. Green Beat B.G. 17-6 in 1992 10. LSU 1-0 0-0 at Miss St. Faulk 3 TDs and 3 TOs 11. Texas 1-0 0-0 vs. UCLA LB Aaron Humphrey 3 INTs 12. Notre Dame 1-0 0-0 at Purdue 11 straight wins vs Purdue 13. Miami 1-0 0-0 vs. Arizona St. Second meeting with ASU 14. Michigan 0-0 0-0 vs. Colorado Finally starts the season 15. Alabama 1-0 0-0 d. Vandy 20-0 26-1 in series since 1970 16. Auburn 1-0 0-0 vs. Ole Miss Won 13 of last 14 vs. Miss 17. Stanford 1-0 0-0 at N. Carolina First meeting with UNC 18. Iowa 1-0 0-0 vs. Tulsa T. Banks 203 yds 2 TDs 19. Clemson 1-0 0-0 at N.C. St. Greene 250 yards 2 TDs 20. Kansas St. 1-0 0-0 vs. Ohio U. First meeting with Ohio U. 21. Michigan St. 1-0 0-0 vs. Memphis First meeting with Memphis 22. Virginia Tech 1-0 0-0 vs. Syracuse Split last four vs. Orange 23. Southern Cal 0-1 0-1 vs. Wash. St. Found a QB in So. John Fox 24. Arizona St. 1-0 0-0 at Miami Won 6 straight on road 25. Colorado St. 1-1 0-1 at Utah St. INTs hurt Rams vs. Buffs