Critical test for coach

SEATTLE – Tyrone Willingham is still revered by many at Stanford for bringing the Cardinal out of the doldrums of the Pac-10 Conference and accomplishing the unthinkable in leading them to the Rose Bowl.

Now the Cardinal comes to Husky Stadium tonight with an opportunity to cast a final, decisive strike on Willingham’s career at Washington.

The Huskies (0-3, 0-1 Pac- 10) face an almost must-win against Stanford, not only to rebound from a brutal season-opening schedule but to take a positive step for Willingham’s future.

A 0-4 start might be the teetering point that would send Willingham into unemployment once the season ends.

“My job is to ensure that we’re prepared for what we have to do to keep that focus,” Willingham said. “No one wants to start out 0-1, 0-2, 0-3. You don’t want that. You want all wins. That’s what we’re focused on.”

Washington has enjoyed two weeks to prepare for the Cardinal and regroup after a 55-14 rout at home to No. 2 Oklahoma that left the fan base even more disillusioned with Willingham’s 11-28 record in his four seasons with the Huskies.

His lack of success in revitalizing the Washington program is a far cry from his success at Stanford, leading the Cardinal to four bowl games and a 44-36-1 overall record in his seven seasons in Palo Alto.

A win tonight would allow Willingham and the Huskies an opportunity to quiet critics in the short term and build confidence for a team relying on a bevy of inexperienced freshmen and sophomores.

A loss would only increase the growing cacophony around the program.

“Being 0-3 coming into the second game of the Pac-10, you’ve got to show teams what you’re really made of or you’re going to be that team in the Pac-10 again,” Washington linebacker Mason Foster said. “It’s time to show teams what we’re capable of.”

While much of the focus has centered on Willingham’s future, tonight’s game is equally important for Stanford’s hopes of building on its strong start and making a push for a bowl bid in a down season for the Pac-10. The Cardinal rebounded nicely from a 31-14 loss at No. 24 Texas Christian two weeks ago with a second-half surge to beat local rival San Jose State last weekend 23-10.

The Cardinal (2-2, 1-1) again used the powerful legs of running back Toby Gerhart to grind past the Spartans. It would be a smart decision against the Huskies as well.

Washington’s revamped defense under new coordinator Ed Donatell ranks next to last in the country in yardage allowed, giving up 520 yards in the first three games, albeit against three of the top offenses in the country. In one of those losses, Washington’s 28-27 setback to BYU, the Cougars used burly back Harvey Unga to plow through the Huskies’ undersized defensive line for 136 yards rushing.

Gerhart ranks third in the Pac-10, averaging 101.8 yards per game. He ran for a career-high 148 yards and a touchdown last week against San Jose State.

“They play on and off it seems like. There are times their defense looks great and they’re times it doesn’t look so good,” Gerhart said. “It will be a hard-fought game. You can’t take anybody lightly. It’s a pivotal game for both programs.”

Last year Washington enjoyed one of the finest days in school history, running the ball in its 27-9 win over the Cardinal. Running back Louis Rankin had a career-best 255 yards rushing, part of the 388 yards the Huskies rushed for in the victory. Quarterback Jake Locker added 97 yards rushing that day.

Washington offensive coordinator Tim Lappano noted this week that Stanford is running a similar defense this year, even with new defensive coordinator Ron Lynn.

But the Cardinal know they can win in Seattle. Two years ago, with Washington needing a victory to keep fleeting bowl hopes alive, Stanford stunned the Huskies 20-3 to break an 11-game losing streak.

“We’re really trying just to approach each of these games as they come,” Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh said. “This is a big game for us and that’s the only way we can approach it.”