Despite struggles, Huskies counting on winning year

Before the season, Washington was forecast as one of the bottom teams in the Pac-10, even though the Huskies’ talent might have suggested a higher placement.

Why? A big reason was a gauntlet of a schedule that has seen them, starting with the second week of the season, play five straight teams that have been ranked at one point. The fourth of those five games is today, when UW visits No. 14 Arizona State.

With three straight losses after opening the season with a pair of wins, the Huskies are showing bruises from their schedule. But they have not been knocked out, and with the second half of the season approaching, UW is talking about earning a bowl bid for the first time since 2002.

“That’s the talk of the locker room: Going 8-0 from here on out,” tight end Michael Gottlieb said. “There’s still a lot of season left to go, a lot of time to make a big splash and do some of the things we thought we could do this season.”

After opening the season with a rout at Syracuse and ending the nation’s longest winning streak (14 games) with a home victory against Boise State, the Huskies lost — but were competitive — against Ohio State, Southern California and UCLA.

“We played a lot of good defenses to start the season, and I’m kind of thankful we got to start like that, to be able to face off against some of the best,” redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Locker said.

“It helped me personally and our offense get the experience we needed, get some confidence, and get an idea of where we are and what we need to work on.”

However, the best benefits come with winning, coach Tyrone Willingham said.

Willingham cited his team’s opponent today as evidence. The Sun Devils have not played as demanding of a schedule, but they do have a 6-0 record.

“I don’t think it necessarily matters who you play,” Willingham said. “Winning develops confidence. (ASU) has that kind of confidence.”

Wins could remain a challenge for the Huskies if their offense, last in the Pac-10 in total offense (332.4 yards a game) and passing offense (172.2), does not improve. Also, a schedule that includes ranked teams Oregon, California and Hawaii remains after today.

Even a game against unranked Stanford figures to be tough, given the Cardinal’s upset win at No. 2 USC last week.

It has been suggested that the level of opposition will help teach the Huskies valuable lessons about competing and winning in future years, but Locker said that he is interested only in here-and-now success.

“I think you don’t focus on the future — it clouds your vision of the present,” Locker said. “Obviously, we are young and want to have success in the future. But I don’t think anyone is looking at it that way. We had a chance to be in those games we lost, and we didn’t take advantage of them.

“Our focus is on winning, and that’s what we want to do, no matter how young we are. We’re not using that as an excuse.”

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This report includes information from other media sources.