Huskies catch a break in Oregon State match
Beavers come to town with only one Rodgers
SEATTLE – Heading into a rematch of last year’s 48-21 loss to Oregon State, the University of Washington football team knows all too well which family can ruin a reunion.
So in a way, half of the Huskies’ work has already been done.
Brothers Jacquizz and James Rodgers torched UW for 341 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns last November. Only one of them is healthy enough to be in uniform this Saturday at Husky Stadium.
James Rodgers, a wide receiver, suffered a serious knee injury Saturday that will keep him out for the rest of the season. But if the Huskies are supposed to be feeling relieved right about now, there haven’t been any sighs of relief.
“They dealt with this earlier in the year, and they used Markus Wheaton in the same role of James Rodgers, so I don’t think they’ll change,” UW head coach Steve Sarkisian said, referring to a game against Arizona State in which Wheaton caught four passes and had a 52-yard punt return while Rodgers sat out with a concussion. “Obviously, you’ve got to know where No. 1 is. He’s the guy that makes their engine go on offense.”
No. 1 would be Jacquizz Rodgers, who – if nothing else – is at least the only Rodgers with whom UW needs to concern itself this week. But the junior running back could single- handedly keep the Huskies awake at night this week.
“We’ve got to definitely be ready to play,” UW linebacker Cort Dennison said, “because he’s definitely one of the better players in our conference.”
Jacquizz Rodgers had 159 yards on only 18 carries in last year’s meeting, including two third-quarter touchdowns that turned a one-sided game into a 41-7 laugher midway through the third quarter. Rodgers has averaged 96.2 rushing yards per game this season to rank fourth in the Pac-10 Conference.