Huskies call upon Kelemete

SEATTLE – Senio Kelemete was so sure he wouldn’t be starting Washington’s season opener that he didn’t bother checking a depth chart Monday morning.

Then his phone rang.

An aunt and uncle were calling to congratulate their nephew, only the freshman from Seattle’s Evergreen High School wasn’t sure why.

“I was like, ‘Congratulations on what?’ ” he said. “They said, ‘You didn’t look at the depth chart yet? You’re starting.’

“In my mind, I was thinking about being second or third string, backing up one of the upperclassmen, and when I saw that, I was shocked.”

Kelemete, a 6-foot-4, 295-pound defensive tackle, is a surprise starter. Because of an NCAA Clearinghouse error, he was declared academically ineligible when the Huskies opened fall camp. He joined the team just two weeks ago having missed the first eight days of camp.

Dealing with Ducks

Washington’s ability to handle Oregon’s spread offense will go a long ways toward determining how the Huskies will fare in Eugene. Ed Donatell, who will make his debut as the Huskies’ defensive coordinator Saturday, said his team needs to focus on the basics.

“It’s fundamentals,” he said. “When you look up and say that we won the game, you’ll say they tackled well.”

Fracture sidelines tackle

Reserve tackle Mark Armelin will be out for a while with a fracture in his right foot. Willingham said that one to two weeks would be a best-case scenario for Armelin’s return.