No. 4 Huskies Full Of Respect For No. 19 Byu Hosts’ Tradition, Reputation Suggest A Close Game

Jim Lambright and the University of Washington coaching staff strode into the hotel lobby and quickly found the front desk.

“You’re from Washington State?” the youngish-looking clerk asked innocently.

Lambright could only laugh, knowing that in Provo, there’s Brigham Young University, and then there’s Everyone Else.

So what if the Huskies have been deemed the nation’s fourth-best team by both major polls?

So what if they’ve been made Rose Bowl favorites by every magazine this side of Better Homes & Gardens?

So what if the Huskies, led by quarterback Brock Huard and linebacker Jason Chorak, are more talented than BYU at almost every position?

So what if Las Vegas books have them favored by more than a touchdown?

So what if they defeated BYU last year by a final count of 29-17?

Who cares if BYU plays in the Western Athletic Conference, which generally ends up signing players deemed too small or too slow for the Pacific-10 Conference?

And so what if BYU’s quarterback, a 23-year-old husband and father named Paul Shoemaker, has thrown 10 passes as a collegian? (Shoemaker, in fact, wasn’t even named the starter until three days ago.)

No one here seems to care - least of all, Lambright.

The Huskies’ fourth-year head coach is far too familiar with the tactics of his famed counterpart, LaVell Edwards, to become complacent. Edwards, who has a 228-81-3 record in 25 years at BYU, should never be taken lightly.

“LaVell’s been around long enough to be very foxy about how he approaches things with his team and maybe how he softens the opponents a little bit,” Lambright said. “Saying all the right things, (like) how he’s not real sure who his quarterback is.

“You’ll find that he tends to play his strengths down.”

Lambright’s wariness doesn’t stop there, for he also knows the importance of opening the season with a victory.

The Huskies lost last year’s opener to Arizona State in overtime, then watched as the Sun Devils went 8-0 in the Pac-10 and edged them out for the conference’s Rose Bowl berth. UW finished 7-1.

For Lambright, it’s a painful memory. And this week, it has company.

“I well remember 1985, the last time we played there, and it wasn’t even a contest,” said Lambright, recalling a 31-3 loss in the stifling heat and 4,500-foot altitude of BYU’s Cougar Stadium. “If I have one big concern, it’s the effect of heat and the effect of altitude combined.

“This is something that I believe is a tremendous home-field advantage for BYU. It’s something we respect.”

Conditioning could be the great equalizer for BYU, assuming the 19th-ranked Cougars need one. BYU, after all, has won 12 consecutive games dating to last season’s loss in Seattle. It’s the longest active winning streak in Division I-A.

The Huskies, meanwhile, lost their last game, falling 33-21 to Colorado in the Holiday Bowl.

To win today, Washington must assume control early and keep the crowd from becoming too raucous.

Tailback Rashaan Shehee figures to get plenty of work early as the Huskies try to set the tone with their mammoth offensive line.

With eight starters returning on defense, Washington should be able to keep BYU’s offense in check. The Cougars rushed for just 14 yards in last year’s UW win.

And if Chorak and friends are able to rattle Shoemaker, as many expect they will, look for Edwards to go to junior Kevin Feterik, who lost out during fall camp.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: TODAY ON TV The Washington-BYU game will be shown on ABC at 12:30 p.m.