Locker’s swan song?
UW routs Cal, awaits QB’s call
SEATTLE – The low rumble started in the student section in the first half and increased in volume as the minutes ticked by. When the final moments arrived, the entire crowd was begging Jake Locker for one more season.
“One more year, one more year,” the fans pleaded to the Washington Huskies’ star quarterback.
If this was Locker’s farewell from college football, he made it a memorable one. If not, he announced himself as a Heisman front-runner for next season.
In one of the most efficient performances of his career, Locker threw for three touchdowns, ran for two more and Washington closed out its redemptive first season under Steve Sarkisian with a 42-10 domination of No. 19 California on Saturday night.
The five combined touchdowns were a career high for Locker, who shined as NFL executives looked on from the press box. Even Sarkisian joked that while not leading the cheers asking for one more season, he was “part of them.”
“Like I told you guys before, I’m just happy to get this win. I’m going to soak this all in for now and deal with all that stuff later,” Locker said. “I wasn’t lying to you guys the whole time; I hadn’t even thought about (the future). It’s not been something I’ve planned or made a timeline for myself. I haven’t done anything about it.”
Only a junior, Locker continues to be touted as a top NFL draft prospect if he leaves school early.
He started with a 40-yard TD pass to Jermaine Kearse on Washington’s first drive, then added touchdown runs of 19 and 2 yards in the second quarter as the Huskies jumped to a 21-3 lead and were never challenged. He tossed TD passes of 21 and 13 yards to Devin Aguilar in the third, and the Huskies (5-7, 4-5 Pac-10) made an impressive final statement against a bowl-bound Cal (8-4, 5-4) team that looked uninterested on a cold night in Seattle.
“I think we might have been overlooking Washington a little bit,” running back Shane Vereen said. “That’s where we went wrong because they played really hard today and you got to give them all the credit. Every point, every stop that they got they earned.”
The night capped the Huskies’ bounceback first season under Sarkisian, a year removed from their 0-12 embarrassment that closed with a 48-7 rout at the hands of the Golden Bears in Tyrone Willingham’s final game.
Locker completed 19 of 23 passes for 248 yards, and rushed 14 times for 77 yards. Chris Polk added 94 yards rushing and a touchdown, Kearse had seven catches for 147 yards and a TD – all in the first half – and Aguilar grabbed five passes for 72 yards.
The Huskies defense was equal of their star QB, knocking Cal quarterback Kevin Riley on his backside all night and keeping Vereen from matching the big numbers he posted in his first two starts.
Riley was sacked five times, including three times by senior Daniel Te’o-Neshehim, who became the Huskies’ career leader in sacks with 30. Vereen was held to 92 yards, most of it coming on a 50-yard dash in the first quarter.
Riley was 14 of 32 for 215 yards with a 22-yard TD pass to Nyan Boateng, but fumbled twice.
“The fortunate thing is we get to play again,” coach Jeff Tedford said. “We don’t have to end the season on that note.”
Washington 42, (19) Cal 10
| California | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 10 |
| Washington | 7 | 14 | 14 | 7 | — | 42 |
Wash—Kearse 40 pass from Locker (Folk kick)
Cal—FG D’Amato 29
Wash—Locker 19 run (Folk kick)
Wash—Locker 2 run (Folk kick)
Wash—Aguilar 21 pass from Locker (Folk kick)
Cal—Boateng 22 pass from Riley (D’Amato kick)
Wash—Aguilar 13 pass from Locker (Folk kick)
Wash—C.Polk 10 run (Folk kick)
| Cal | Wash | |
| First downs | 14 | 25 |
| Rushes-yards | 29-81 | 39-177 |
| Passing | 215 | 286 |
| Comp-Att-Int | 14-32-0 | 20-24-0 |
| Return Yards | 14 | 28 |
| Punts-Avg. | 5-44.2 | 5-34.6 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 3-2 | 2-0 |
| Penalties-Yards | 5-45 | 2-10 |
| Time of Possession | 26:20 | 33:40 |
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—California, Vereen 16-92, Sofele 2-2, DeBoskie-Johnson 1-(minus 5), Riley 10-(minus 8). Washington, C.Polk 22-94, Locker 14-77, Shaw 1-3, Griffin 2-3.
PASSING—California, Riley 14-32-0-215. Washington, Locker 19-23-0-248, Bruns 1-1-0-38.
RECEIVING—California, Marv.Jones 6-107, Vereen 3-25, Boateng 2-35, Curran 1-32, Ross 1-12, Miller 1-4. Washington, Kearse 7-147, Aguilar 5-72, Middleton 3-42, J.Johnson 2-16, C.Polk 2-10, Izbicki 1-(minus 1).