Mistakes against Buckeyes frustrating

SEATTLE – Should Tyrone Willingham be curious if his players are still angry about the way Washington played against Ohio State, he only needs to talk with Jordan Reffett.

“It used to be a moral victory to be up on Ohio State 7-3 at halftime or something like that. But now, that’s not the case,” Reffett, the Huskies’ senior defensive tackle, said Monday.

“… There are no moral victories. We just got outplayed and it’s disappointing,” he said.

Washington’s litany of mistakes in Saturday’s 33-14 loss to No. 8 Ohio State was still lingering two days later.

There were the obvious: Two interceptions of quarterback Jake Locker; the kickoff return fumble by Curtis Shaw; cornerback Vonzell McDowell getting beat for a 68-yard touchdown.

But there were also dropped passes, the inability to establish a running game besides Locker, dropping interceptions on defense, and a missed blocking assignment on special teams that led to a blocked field goal.

“I hope we’re angry all season about losing that ball game, but I hope we also don’t allow any of the residue from that ball game negatively affect us for the next ball game,” Willingham said. “It’s a real fine line, because usually every year there’s one game that just jumps out at you that had you done something different or put this game away it makes a difference in your season. You hope it’s only one.”

Most appalling to Reffett was the inability of Washington’s defensive line to pressure Ohio State quarterback Todd Boeckman. The Huskies failed to record a sack for the first time this season, giving Boeckman plenty of time to find open receivers against a vulnerable secondary.

Reffett wondered if the Huskies’ roster, filled with young players and those who haven’t experienced much success, were ready for the scrutiny of playing on a national stage.

“I think maybe we weren’t ready to play in a big-time game like that and it showed,” Reffett said. “But I didn’t think that we got outplayed by any stretch of the imagination. I just think we made too many mistakes.”

The Huskies will get a chance to learn from their mistakes the next two weeks, with a pair of nationally televised games, beginning with Saturday night’s matchup at UCLA, followed by a visit from No. 1 USC.

The Bruins have been a nemesis for UW, winning eight of the last 10 meetings. Last year in Seattle, the Huskies rallied from 16-0 down to win 29-19.