What’s Scary About Washington?
The Washington Huskies have been a significant opponent in the somewhat recent history of Nebraska football. In 1991, they won in Lincoln and won a national championship in a year where Nebraska reclaimed its rightful place in the Orange Bowl. In 1992, Nebraska lost to a Washington team in Seattle that finished in the top ten, and Nebraska repeated as Big 8 champs. The 1997 contest in Seattle helped catapult Nebraska to a national championship. The 1998 victory over a then 9th ranked Washington squad in Lincoln seemed to signal that things were going to be OK at Nebraska in Frank Solich's first year. Once again, these teams meet during an auspicious time in Nebraska history.
Washington's stadium can get loud - real loud. It helped them to victories over USC, Arizona, and Cal - all bowl teams. They've got a quarterback who is among the favorites to win the Heisman trophy (in a tie for fourth place behind Alabama's Mark Ingram, Ohio State's Terrell Pryor, and Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett). They return an 1,100 rusher in Chris Polk and their top receiver in Jermaine Kearse. More concerning is that signal-caller Jake Locker is a mobile quarterback, the kind that can make big plays out of broken ones. The kind that have been known to hurt Pelini over the years.
The Huskies may be gaining confidence after finishing the 2009 season on a two-game win streak, including the resounding victory over the Golden Bears in the finale. Should Washington pull out a victory at BYU and take care of business at home against Syracuse, they will be a confident bunch when the Huskers come to town. The game comes ahead of a bye, which means "U-Dub" shouldn't be looking ahead to their conference opener with USC.
The game will be the ultimate early test of the Husker defense. It might wind up being the best offense Nebraska sees all year. It's also a great way to prepare for some hostile crowds. Hopefully, it's a test the Huskers can pass.
las vegas, nv
8/18/2010
With Western Kentucky, Idaho, and South Dakota State on the card, I’m grateful this year that the Huskers have Washington. I was worried about them being too soft going into K-State (a very possible trap game) and Texas. If NU beats Texas, they’ll have their test (pass or fail) at Washington to thank.
Ankeny, IA
8/18/2010
Washington is tough to judge. Poor record last year, but the did beat some quality teams. They do seem to do very well at home. It’s be a tough game in a hostile environment. I hope we learned some things from the V Tech game last year. I remember team communication was an issue in that one.
8/18/2010
Remember the Holliday Bowl? Arizona was literally seconds away from winning the Pac-10 last year. This is not a strong conference right now.
Don’t turn Washington into the bogeyman. If you look at Locker’s stats, he did most of the damage against inferior squads.
I’m not saying the kid isn’t talented, ditto their starting running back and top wideout, but as we all know, they are missing a talented tight end and I believe their number two running back is injured, though I would have to double check on that one.
Also remember how porous their defense was last year…and they don’t have the Pelini’s to fix it.
NU will be fine.
8/18/2010
Dan’s comments make sense. Living in Oregon I have WA fans all around me. They are scared. This isn’t the Big 12 - its USC and the other 9 teams. It just isn’t big boy football around here..
PREDICTION: NU 38 - WA 13
8/18/2010
Let’s remember one thing, the Huskers have one thing on their mind and that’s winning the big VII. Pelini will remind them about the VT game and how they need to finish apponents off. Locker is talented but the first time he leaves the pocket and get smashed by one of the safeties he won’t leave again.
The only tough road test I think we have is going to be in College Station (tough enviornment)!! I see Huskers vs. Sooners in the Championship. What a way to end our stay in the big VII with a victory over the sooners.
8/19/2010
Be afraid Cornhuskers - be very afraid. That reassuring talk is all rhetoric until the game is played out.
“This isn’t the Big 12 - its USC and the other 9 teams” - oregonhusker
@oregonhusker - This comment would have been appropriate until 9/19/2009, when #3 in the Nation USC lost to Washington - 13-16. Also - I’m pretty sure Oregon won the Pac-10 last year…but you wouldn’t know anything about that since you live in - oh wait a minute…
“NU will be fine” - Dan
@ Dan - You keep telling yourself that Dan. That’s what Washington wants you to think. Aside from the creampuffs on your schedule, you have Washington, Texas, OSU and aTm to deal with. And let’s not forget what happened last year with Iowa State…
California
8/19/2010
What is the Big VII?
Is there a seven team conference around here that I don’t know about?
8/19/2010
Hey DC Dawg,
Yes… USC was #3 at the time Washington beat them last year…. but what were they ranked after an entire season of being exposed?
22nd
8/19/2010
DC Dawg -
You have reconfirmed my point… Oregon won the pac10, by beating Oregon State who lost to Arizona 37-32. Oregon beat Arizona 44-41 in TWO OVERTIMES !! Oh, I forget - what did Nebraska do to Arizona in the Holiday Bowl???
8/20/2010
@oregonhusker (and the rest of the NU nation):
You should not have even been playing Arizona in the Holiday Bowl last year. It’s arguable that you got screwed in bowl selection. Only 1 point separated you from that overrated burnt orange and white team, and you better believe I was cheering for you to win. But you know why the Holiday Bowl resulted instead of a BCS game? VT, and *especially* Iowa State and Texas Tech.
Even the Huskies beat Arizona last year (albeit only with the help of a miraculous foot-bounced interception), and Arizona was certainly no slouch. Your Holiday Bowl win was impressive, no doubt. But you were undermatched going into the game.
I do realize that I’m a Husky commenting on a post in NU territory on bigrednetwork.com, but the arrogance of your Big 12 puffery and Sept. 18 prediction (NU 38 - WA 13) reflects your lack of understanding of Pac-10 parity last year - parity of good, but not great teams - as well as your underestimation of the team that may hand you one of your only one or two losses this year.
Since I watched Scott Frost dance all over the Huskies in 1997, I’ve had a respect for your program that is higher than for most teams. I hope this year that both teams bring their best games - I have a feeling it’s going to be a helluva game at Montlake on Sept. 18.
Good Luck Nebraska.
8/20/2010
Sorry husky dogs, we’d have to have an iowa state performance to lose in WA, GBR!!!!!!!1
8/20/2010
I don’t think any of us should underestimate the upset ability of a mobile QB who can also sling the pigskin a little. I think we all remember what Nate Davis, Tyrod Taylor and even Jake Williams from ISU did against the Huskers. Granted, Pelini’s defense should be better this year, but one broken play can cost 6 points.
With that being said if our offense performs anything like we saw in the Holiday Bowl we should be able to outscore them. I don’t see the Huskies scoring more than 17 points. We should be able to put up 21 even in the hostile environment. By no means is this game going to be a cake-walk.
8/20/2010
Hey heres a lesson on football DC Dawg ya tard.. Games against V.T and ISU arent the reason why Nebraska played in the Holiday bowl.. You see these bowls are preselected #1 bcs #2 cotton #3 holiday #4 alamo ect ect . So win or loss those games NU was head to the holiday. If you took a poll im sure most fans wanted the alamo.. U W lost to this team named the Stanford 14-34 . this other team named UCLA . Oklahoma (a team NU beat) beat Stanford ... And UCLA got all they could handle with Temple. VT won their bowl as did ISU as did Tech .. Where was UW ?? I know at home eatting a bag of ruffles and watchin real teams like utah byu nebraska oklahoma and ohio state shred the top 5 teams in the weak a** pac10 apart
8/21/2010
DC Dawg,
You beat USC at home by a lousy three points without their starting QB, top defensive player, and with a Washington coaching staff that had recruited USC’s players and knew their entire playbook front to back. Not to mention that this was the week after USC’s miraculous comeback victory against Ohio State in the ‘Shoe. Let’s keep things in perspective here. UW lost to Arizona State and UCLA, for crying out loud.
Having said all of that, UW will definitely be a solid team this year. I expect them to be right around #4 in the Pac-10 behind Oregon, USC, and Oregon State.
I think the difference maker in the game is UW’s defense. The gap between Nebraska’s defense and UW’s defense is dramatically bigger than the gap between UW’s offense and Nebraska’s offense. I expect the Nebraska offense to be able to move the ball effectively and burn time off the clock, allowing the Nebraska defense to stay fresh and aggressive. The crowd will only be a factor in a close game and I don’t expect it to be THAT close.
Here’s hoping that UW is a two-loss team by the time their bus leaves the Coliseum!
8/21/2010
Look you can’t play the transference game.
ISU beat Nebraska. Iowa beat Iowa State. Does that make Iowa better than Nebraska? No.
TTech beat Nebraska. Houston beat TTech. UTEP beat Houston. Does that make UTEP better than Nebraska? No.
That type of analysis is worthless.
GBR
8/21/2010
Look you can’t play the transference game.
ISU beat Nebraska. Iowa beat Iowa State. Does that make Iowa better than Nebraska? No.
TTech beat Nebraska. Houston beat TTech. UTEP beat Houston. Does that make UTEP better than Nebraska? No.
That type of analysis is worthless.
GBR
8/25/2010
To the Oregon Husker, living in Oregon gives you an incredibly skewed perspective of the Huskies. That would be like asking somone in Michigan for an analysis of Ohio State (ok maybe not QUITE that bad, but still).
Personally I’m exciting for the Washington/Nebraska game. Got my season tickets all ready. I honestly think its going to be a great game between two solid programs.
As a Husky I obviously hope the Huskies win, and I certainly think we can coming off the momentum of last year and hopefully two solid wins to begin the season. But I think Nebrasaka is going to be one of our toughest opponents all year (besides Oregon and Oregon State).
If I could have my wish I’d see the Huskies win the game, but I do hope Nebraska can win the Big 12 in its final season there just to show Texas and the 9 dwarves up. Congrats on the Big Ten invite, it was well deserved.
8/26/2010
Washington and Nebraska have played in some awesome games and this coming game will be no different. Locker has honed his skills and has the edge at the QB position. But overall the Huskers should be favored. It will be a battle however and I see this game being decided in the 4th quarter. Yes, a tailback is out with an ACL but the Dawgs are deep at both the tailback and wide receiver positions. Washington has a powerful offense, Nebraska a powerful defense. Let’s play the game.