Bowl hopes could be on line today against ASU

SEATTLE – Maybe it will be the end of a three-game losing streak and the start of a final push to a bowl game berth.

Or maybe, it will be “The Letdown Part II.”

Either way, there’s little question that today’s game between Washington (2-3 Pacific-10, 4-4 overall) and Arizona State (1-3, 4-3) at 4 p.m. at Husky Stadium is a huge matchup of two teams battling to reach a bowl game.

Of course, Washington has been in this position before. It was only two weeks ago that the Huskies were coming off of a narrow 26-20 defeat on the road against USC. Players and coaches said they didn’t expect any kind of letdown from the disappointment of the loss, but letdown or not, Washington came out the next week and was upset at home by Oregon State.

Now comes the sequel.

Last week, the Huskies went to Berkeley and pushed No. 11 California to overtime before losing, against clearly showing that it can compete with the top teams in the Pacific-10. Again, Washington returns home to face a team it could rightly be expected to defeat.

So what’s it going to be, a big win or another disappointing loss?

“Coach Willingham brought that up in our Tuesday meeting,” senior linebacker Scott White said. “Same type of situation: played tough on the road against a very good USC team and came out and was flat the next game. Same scenario. Tough game, fought them down to the wire against Cal, a tough team. We can’t come out flat. That’s been the emphasis this week for us. He just put that in our minds.”

With four games left in the regular season, Washington can’t afford to come out flat. The Huskies need two wins to become bowl eligible, and three wins would probably ensure a postseason game. That would likely mean winning both remaining home games.

“We’ve got to do our job at home,” safety C.J. Wallace said. “We want the win the rest of our games, but we really have to take care of things at home. If we win those two home games, that gives us six wins and we have a chance (at a bowl game).”

The Huskies players say that the Oregon State loss taught them a lesson. Washington was dominated by the Beavers from the start despite being a prohibitive favorite. That was also the game the Huskies lost starting quarterback Isaiah Stanback to a season-ending foot injury, which certainly didn’t help matters. Even with Stanback, Washington looked overmatched.

“After the USC game it kind of looked like we were lackadaisical or maybe underestimated or maybe just not prepared as well,” guard Stanley Daniels said. “It may have been a couple things. The main thing to do is once you know your history, you shouldn’t repeat it. …We know we’re not going to underestimate anybody.”

“I think (Oregon State) just outplayed us,” White said. “They took it right to us.”

It would help put the fears of a letdown at ease if the Huskies can get off to a fast start, which has been an issue this season. In the first and third quarters, Washington has been outscored 113-47, and in the second and fourth quarters, it is outscoring foes 140-79.

Notes

Fullback Luke Kravitz injured his knee in practice this week, will not play today and could miss several weeks. …Tailback Kenny James has not practiced this week and is questionable today. It’s expected that Louis Rankin will get the start at tailback.