Washington wishes to wipe out recent history with Ducks

The numbers would be sobering if they weren’t so easily recalled.

It has been nine seasons since the University of Washington’s football team last defeated Oregon. In a rivalry as heated as this one – a series the Huskies still lead 58-42-5 – that is an especially lengthy winning (and losing) streak.

But the way the Ducks have done it is what frustrates Huskies fans most. Not only have they won nine consecutive times, but they’ve won by a lot several times.

The final, lopsided score of those nine games totals 391-158 in Oregon’s favor, an average score of 43.4 to 17.6 per game, and that’s exactly how close each of those contests has felt.

Oregon has scored 43 or more points in six of these games, and 50 or more in three. It has outgained the Huskies by an average of 476.6 yards to 287.1. It defeated UW in each of Tyrone Willingham’s four seasons as coach. It has defeated UW in each of Steve Sarkisian’s four seasons as coach, and the numbers haven’t changed much in that time.

So here comes the Ducks’ machine again on Saturday, looking to make it an even 10 straight in a nationally televised game at Husky Stadium with ESPN’s College GameDay in attendance.

But this is a different Huskies team, one that started the season 4-1 and might still be undefeated if not for a handful of special-teams lapses and costly penalties in last week’s 31-28 loss to fifth-ranked Stanford.

UW plays defense now like it hasn’t in the last decade, ranking 10th nationally in total defense and 11th in scoring defense, allowing just a shade more than two touchdowns per game (14.8 ppg).