Super Bowl Update

By Kshell

This week the #25 Washington Huskies(7-4,5-3) travel to take on their cross state rivals the Washington State Cougars(2-9,0-8) in their annual Apple Cup meeting. The Huskies lead the all-time series with the Cougars 67-31-6 and have won the last three contests all coached by Steve Sarkisian. While the Cougars coach Mike Leach who is having a rough first season in Pullman will be coaching his first Apple Cup. These two programs are going in different directions as the Huskies have won four games in a row looking to win five in a row for the first time in one season since 2000. While the Cougars are suffering a disaster season under Leach. The Cougars have lost eight games in a row and their star receiver Marquess Wilson quit the team two weeks ago. In this game though if the Cougars beat the Huskies that will make their season while the Huskies are trying to win eight games for the first time since 2001.

The Huskies offense has been playing well the last two weeks due to the improved play of Keith Price. This will be Price second apple cup game. Last year in the 38-21 win over the Cougars Price was 21-29(72.4%) passing for 291 yards(10.0 YPA) with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Price is also coming off of a career high five touchdown passes last week vs Colorado Buffaloes.

For the year Price is 223-359(62.1%) passing for 2,290 yards(6.4 YPA) with 16 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He has also ran in a touchdown. The Cougars passing defense has allowed 248-374 passing(66.3%) for 2,952 yards (7.9 YPA) with 24 touchdowns to 14 interceptions. Look for Price to continue his hot streak as he has been playing great the last two weeks.

For the Cougars they'll be going with Jeff Tuel who played against the Huskies in the 35-28 loss back in 2010. In that game Tuel was 25-35(71.4%) passing for 298 yards(8.5 YPA) with three touchdown passes to one interception. He also ran for 25 yards with a touchdown.

This year Tuel has split time with Connor Halliday. Tuel on the year is 178-279(63.8%) passing for 1,737 yards(6.2 YPA) with eight touchdowns to six interceptions. Halliday who won't play on the year was 152-291(52.2%) passing for 1,878 yards(6.5 YPA) with 15 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. The Cougars rely on their passing attack as their rushing attack has been non existent this year.

With sacks counting against teams rushing totals the Cougars this year have ran for only 330 yards on 228 carries(1.5 YPC) with three touchdowns. The Cougars two main rushers are Teondray  Caldwell who has ran for 262 yards on 53 carries(4.9 YPC). He has also caught 12 passes for 49 yards(4.1 YPC) on the year.

The other back is Carl Winston who last year in the Apple Cup loss ran for only 20 yards on six carries(3.3 YPC). This year he has ran for only 253 yards on 73 carries(3.5 YPC) with two touchdowns. He has also caught 12 passes for 63 yards(5.3 YPC). The Cougars rushing game has been non existent while their counter parts have a strong rushing attack.

What has to hurt the Cougars lack of a running game is that the Huskies have a strong running game led by Bishop Sankey. Sankey who was a Cougar commit decided at the last minute to go to the Huskies instead. Last year he didn't play in the Apple Cup and will be playing in his first career Apple Cup against the school he snubbed.

Sankey on the year has ran for 1,150 yards on 233 carries(4.9 YPC) with 13 touchdowns. He has also caught 27 passes for 175 yards(6.5 YPC). His backup Kendyl Taylor is a nice change of pace back as he has ran for 206 yards on 33 carries(6.2 YPC). He has also caught 13 passes for 99 yards(7.6 YPC) with a touchdown. The Cougars rush defense isn't very strong as they have allowed 1,884 yards rushing on 457 attempts(4.1 YPC) with 19 touchdowns. The Huskies have had four straight years with a 100 yard rusher against the Cougars.

The Huskies receiving group is led by Kasen Williams and Austin Seferian-Jenkins. Last year against the Cougars Williams had a breakout game. The true freshman caught five passes for 74 yards(14.8 YPC) with two touchdowns. He also had a memorable leap over a Cougar defender. That big game led way to a big season for Williams this year as he has caught 63 passes for 700 yards(11.1 YPC) with six touchdowns.

While Seferian-Jenkins last year in his first Apple Cup caught four passes for 62 yards(15.5 YPC). This year Seferian-Jenkins has caught 58 passes for 751 yards(12.9 YPC) with five touchdowns. The Huskies last couple of years have had other receivers step up as well. Jaydon Mickens the true freshman on the year has 18 receptions for 178 yards(9.9 YPC) with his first career touchdown last week. He has also ran for 26 yards on three carries. DiAndre Campbell has caught 12 passes for 125 yards(10.4 YPC) with two touchdowns. Senior Cody Bruns has caught 11 passes for 84 yards(7.6 YPC) with a touchdown. The Cougars will look to make someone else beat them this year. Last year going into the game they tried to stop Jermaine Kearse from killing them as he destroyed them the previous two years which allowed the freshman Williams to have a break through game. Look for Mickens or Bruns to step up with a career game this Friday.

The Cougars receivers took a hit when Marquess Wilson quit the team. Last year against the Huskies Wilson caught seven passes for 108 yards(15.4 YPC) with two touchdowns. For this season Wilson had caught 52 passes for 813 yards(15.6 YPC) with five touchdowns in only nine games.

The other Cougar receivers are true freshman Gabe Marks who has caught 47 passes for 547 yards(11.6 YPC) with two touchdowns. Brett Bartolone has caught 49 passes for 407 yards(8.3 YPC) with four touchdowns. Dominique Williams who has stepped up in Wilson's absence in only seven games has caught 26 passes for 403 yards(15.5 YPC) with three touchdowns. Bobby Ratliff has caught 27 passes for 377 yards(14.0 YPC) in only seven games. Isiah Myers in eight games has caught 38 passes for 391 yards(10.3 YPC) with four touchdowns. The Cougars will throw the ball all over the place and will try and test the talented Huskies secondary.

The Huskies rank 9th in the nation against the pass this year which is led by senior Desmond Trufant who is the brother of Marcus Trufant. Unlike his brother Marcus who was 0-4 in apple cup games Desmond is 3-0 in the apple cup. Last year with the Huskies leading 31-21, the Cougars tried a flea flicker to Wilson when Trufant tipped the pass straight to Sean Parker for a momentum changing interception.

Opposing quarterbacks are 157-302(51.9%) passing for 1,917 yards(6.3 YPA) with 14 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. The Huskies have recorded 22 sacks on the season while the Cougars have allowed 52 sacks(4.7 a game) on the season. The Huskies secondary will be tested all game as they hardly run the ball. You have a battle between a top 10 passing offense against a top 10 passing defense. For Trufant this will be his final Apple Cup and like Sankey his presence on the Huskies sideline has to kill Cougar fans. Trufant unlike his brother decided to come to the Huskies in Sarkisian's first every recruiting class at Washington. Trufant who will be playing on Sunday's next year has two more games left in his Husky career. For him to go out a perfect 4-0 in Apple Cups would be a nice end to his great Husky career so far.

In the last three years Steve Sarkisian is 3-0 against the Cougars. In fact he has never trailed the Cougars in his three years as Huskies head coach. In his first year the Huskies shut out the Cougars for the first time since 1964 30-0 in 2009. In his second year the Huskies blew a 28-14 lead only to see Locker hit Kearse for the game winning touchdown to 35-28 in 2010 to clinch their first bowl game since 2002. Then last year the Huskies won 38-21 behind Price and Chris Polk. Sarkisian has a chance to join Don James and Rick Neuheisel as Husky coaches who began their career going 4-0 against the Cougars. The Huskies are heavy favorites heading into this game and know what is at stake. A win would give the program their 8th win which they haven't done since 2001.

The Huskies are playing their best ball right now while the Cougars have been blown out in the first half in their last three games. The Cougars will be at home and for them a win over the Huskies would salvage a terrible season. With a win here Leach's first year would win over some fans and make this year a success for the Cougars. If the Huskies win and if the win is a blowout this could put some real heat on Leach. Leach has had a disaster first year going 2-9 so far and with a loss would go 2-10 clinching the Cougars 50th loss in the last five years. The Cougars are 11-49 and 4-40 in conference since 2008. This is a game the Huskies should win easily as the talent gap is too great. I expect a somewhat close first half where the Huskies lead then in the second half the Huskies pull away. The programs are just going in different directions once again as the Huskies program appears to be getting better while the Cougars program appears to be getting worse.

By Kshell

It was a tale of two programs going in completely opposite directions. The #25 Washington Huskies(7-4, 5-3) know all too well what the Colorado Buffaloes(1-10,1-7) are going through as they went 0-12 back in 2008. Now the Huskies are ranked and heading towards their third straight bowl appearance. The Huskies unlike last season are being led this year by their defense which has held their opponents to under 20 points this year in all seven wins this year.

This game was a blowout for the Huskies like last week was due to the play of Keith Price. Price who had a record breaking year last year has struggled this season. Well today Price found his magic once again as he tied a school record with five touchdown passes with Chris Rowland in 1973 and Jake Locker in 2010(in overtime).  Price was doing what he did best last year which was spreading the ball around as five different receivers caught those five touchdown passes. Three of those five that was their first career touchdown reception including one by fifth year senior Cody Bruns. The Huskies also dominated this game on the ground as Bishop Sankey went over 100 yards rushing for 139 yards. Overall Steve Sarkisian was pretty pleased as the Huskies enjoyed their biggest road win of the Sarkisian era and biggest conference win of the Sarkisian era.

The game started off sloppy for both teams filled with penalties and turnovers. The Buffaloes Connor Wood was making his first career start and it was a rough one. He was three for six passing for only 11 yards as he was intercepted twice by Shaq Thompson and later by Sean Parker as he was pulled. However the Huskies couldn't take advantage as Price missed an open Austin Seferian-Jenkins for a touchdown. Then Travis Coons would miss a 31 yard field goal. On another drive Bishop Sankey would fumble on the Buffaloes one yard line.

After a 13 yard punt return by Cody Bruns the Huskies took over from their own 35 yard line. Price was immediately dropped for a sack making it second and 19 from the 26 yard line. Price would finally go down field as he found his favorite wide receiver Kasen Williams for a gain of 25 yards for the first down. After two short runs facing a third and seven Price would hit DiAndre Campbell for a gain of six yards. Setting up a fourth and one from the Buffaloes 40 yard line. Sarkisian would go for it as Sankey ran for eight yards to the 32 yard line. Price then connected with Sankey over the middle for a gain of 12 yards. On the next play he would hit Campbell to the right for a gain of 14 yards down to the six yard line. Kendyl Taylor would rush for three yards down to the three setting up second and goal from the three. Price on play action would hit Bruns who dove into the end zone. For Bruns who is the states all-time touchdown receptions leader in high school history that was his first career touchdown reception as the Huskies led 7-0 going into halftime.

The Huskies would begin the second half by going three and out. Coons who had missed a field goal then fumbled a snap punted the ball. The ball would hit off of a Buffaloes blocker making it a live ball. Huskies junior wide receiver Kevin Smith would race to the sidelines before the ball goes out of bounds to save the ball. Smith would fly into the sidelines throwing the ball back into play as Huskies safety Will Shamburger receoverd the fumble at the Colorado 35. That play appeared to give the Huskies a spark and they wouldn't look back the rest of the game.

From the 34 yard line on second and nine Price would hit Bruns down the middle for a gain of 17 yards as he stepped up into the pocket. On first and 10 from the 17 yard line Price would hit Kasen Williams over the middle for a wide open 17 yard touchdown to give the Huskies a 14-0 lead over the Buffaloes. With the way the Huskies defense was shutting down the Buffaloes that 14-0 lead felt more like 50-0 as the Huskies were in cruise control after that. Also for Price he was starting to get into a groove like he had the previous week against Utah when Price had his first good game in over a month.

After getting a first down the Buffaloes were then facing a third and 10 from their own 38 yard line when Josh Shirley came in for the strip sack on quarterback Connor Wood. That is when Seferian-Jenkins who was playing defensive end recovered the fumble at the 24 yard line.

After an incomplete pass Price would throw his third touchdown pass of the day. He would throw a quick wide receiver screen to true freshman Kendyl Taylor who made a man miss then raced down the left sideline as he dove in for his first career receiving touchdown. Taylor who started the year off as the Huskies starting wide receiver has now been converted to running back. At that point the Huskies had led Colorado 21-0.

The Buffaloes finally got on the scoreboard after a 59 yard kickoff return and a penalty. The Buffaloes scored on a 37 yard field goal to cut the score to 21-3. After a touchback the Huskies began on their own 25 yard line. Price would immediately hit Williams for a gain of 25 to the 50 yard line. On second and 12 from the 48 yard line Taylor would run for 16 yards to the Buffaloes 36 yard line. Jaydon Mickens on the fly sweep would rush for 20 yards down to the 16 yard line. After a penalty the Huskies were facing a third and 18 from the 24 yard line. Price was about to get sacked instead did a shovel pass to Sankey for a gain of 20 yards. Unfortunately for the Huskies they would have to settle for a field goal. Travis Coons this time would make the 25 yard field goal to give the Huskies a 24-3 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Huskies defense would three and out the Buffaloes with two sacks by Travis Feeney and Josh Shirley. Starting from their own 34 yard line they pounded the rock. Sankey would rush for six yards then for two more. Facing third and two from their own 42 yard line Sankey would rush for five yards to the Huskies 47 yard line. Sankey on the next play would rush up the middle for 40 yards to the Buffaloes 13 yard line. After Taylor ran for three yards he would rush for eight yards to the two yard line. After back to back failed rush attempts the Huskies faced a third and goal from the three yard line. The Huskies called a play action pass as the Buffaloes blitzed all 11 guys as Price was drilled as he lofted the ball high in the air. That is when Seferian-Jenkins came down with the touchdown reception as he got one foot in to give the Huskies a 31-3 lead. For Seferian-Jenkins he would set the Huskies tight end record for most touchdown receptions in a career with that catch.

After another three and out the Huskies took over on their own 34 yard line. On the first play Taylor would rush for his longest run of his career to date busting it 44 yards to the 22 yard line. Taylor would only rush for four yards on the next three carries. Sarkisian decided to go for it on fourth and six from the Buffaloes 18 yard line. Price would deliver a pass over the middle to Jaydon Mickens who dove in for his first career touchdown reception. For Price that pass tied the school record with five touchdown passes in one game. After that the Huskies would force one more turnover as they would win the game 38-3 over the lowly Colorado Buffaloes.

This was a dominant win for the Huskies as they won 38-3. The Huskies out gained the Buffaloes 476-140. The Huskies also forced four turnovers and held the Buffaloes to 10-23 passing for 51 yards with two interceptions. They also recorded five sacks in the game as the defense was flat dominant.

However the story of this game was the play of Keith Price. Price finished 22-29(75.9%) passing for 248 yards(8.6 YPA) with five touchdowns and no interceptions.  He spread the ball around this game as well. His leading receiver was Kasen Williams who caught seven passes for 80 yards(11.4 YPC) with a touchdown. Cody Bruns caught three passes for 33 yards with a touchdown. Austin Seferian-Jenkins caught three passes for 22 yards with a touchdown and had a fumble recovery. DiAndre Campbell caught two passes for 20 yards. While Jaydon Mickens caught an 18 yard touchdown pass and ran for 20 yards on one carry.

Bishop Sankey had a nice game as well. Sankey ran for 139 yards on 23 carries(6.0 YPC). Sankey also caught four passes for 48 yards. Kendyl Taylor had his best game as a Husky rushing for 78 yards on nine carries(8.7 YPC) with a 23 yard touchdown reception. The Huskies saw Marcus Peters and Shaq Thompson record interceptions. While Josh Shirley recorded two sacks and forced a fumble.

The Huskies were reminded first hand how far they've came as a program. Just four years ago they were sitting where Colorado is sitting right now. Those days seem like a distant memory to the Huskies as they have won four games in a row. Now the Huskies will look to win eight games for the first time since the 2001 season. The offense for the second straight week has scored over 30 points after not scoring over 21 points against a Division-1 team all year long. The defense for the seventh time this year has held their opponent to under 20 points. The Huskies are playing their best ball right now as they took it to a team like they should. Sure it was a slow start but at the end of the day the Huskies won by 35 points. Sarkisian couldn't be happier with this group after that 3-4 start they had. The Huskies appear to be rolling in the right direction.

Observations:

- The terrific season of Bishop Sankey just continues. He ran for 139 yards on 23 carries while catching four passes for 48 yards. He didn't score a touchdown for the first time since the USC game. Sankey started off slow and had a costly red zone fumble but once the game started to get going he was busting long runs.

For the year Sankey has ran for 1,150 yards on 233 carries(4.9 YPC) with 13 touchdowns. He also has caught 27 passes for 175 yards(6.5 YPC). Sankey is only a sophomore has ran for over 100 yards in three straight games. On the season he has ran for over 100 yards in six games while scoring a touchdown in eight games. Sankey has been the MVP of the offense this year and is a big reason why the Huskies are 7-4 right now.

- Nice to see Kendyl Taylor have the breakout game that he did. Taylor ran for 78 yards on only nine carries while catching a 23 yard touchdown pass. Taylor had a big game showing off his speed. Taylor turned a short passing play into a 23 yard touchdown. Then later one ripped off a 44 yard run. In the future Taylor could be a nice do everything type of back that the Huskies have seen out of Jesse Callier the last few seasons.

Taylor on the year now has ran for 206 yards on only 33 carries(6.2 YPC). He has also caught 13 passes for 99 yards(7.6 YPC) with a touchdown. Taylor began the year as the starting wide receiver first few games due to injury. Then Sarkisian moved him to running back to have a quality back up. Taylor has taken advantage of his sparse playing time. Like I said in the future look for him to be more part of the offense. Sarkisian I noticed likes to feature one running back but Taylor could be his jack of all trades type of back that Callier was in 2010. With Callier returning next year I'm curious if the Huskies move Taylor back to receiver or what they do with him. I'm excited to see how Taylor does as he has a bright future for the Huskies.

- One player who has no future with the Huskies is fifth year senior Cody Bruns. Bruns who was a heralded four-star recruit has been a bust so far. However, he's playing his best ball of late. He is only the only member of this team to have actually played on that 0-12 team.

Bruns had a nice game catching three passes for 33 yards with his first career touchdown reception. He also had two punt returns for 13 yards. For the year now Bruns has caught 11 passes for 84 yards(7.6 YPC) with a touchdown. He also has 83 punt return yards on nine attempts(9.2 AVG). I've really become a fan of Bruns for his hard work, never transferring and in a lot of ways has been a success at Washington.

- The Huskies defense was dominate. When the offense was screwing around in the first half the defense made sure the Buffaloes had no chance to get momentum. The Huskies defense allowed only three points all game. Held the Buffaloes to 141 yards of total offense, sacked them five times and forced four turnovers.

The Huskies defense now ranks 29th in total defense, 9th in passing defense, 80th in rushing defense and 36th in scoring defense. The Huskies are a totally different defense than they were last year. All seven wins this year the Huskies defense has allowed less than 20 points. The Huskies haven't seen this type of play from a defense since Jim Lambright was head coach. Justin Wilcox deserves all the credit for this turnaround.

- Shaq Thompson is a big reason for this defense turning around. One play he is intercepting a pass then another is lined up as a defensive end forcing pressure on the quarterback. Thompson now has 58 tackles on the year which is good for fifth on the team and is tied for the team lead with three interceptions. He leads the team with 7.5 tackles for loss as well.

The secondary has played great this year and there is a reason why they are a top 10 defense against the pass in the nation. Last year the Huskies were terrible against the pass. Now with Desmond Trufant as a senior, Sean Parker as a junior, Marcus Peters now starting along with Thompson the secondary is the strength of the Huskies defense.

- Kasen Williams had another terrific game. He had seven receptions for 80 yards with a touchdown. He had two separate 25 yard receptions which was nice seeing Williams making some big plays. Williams has been terrific this year as him and Seferian-Jenkins at times have carried this passing game.

Williams on the year leads the team with 63 receptions for 700 yards(11.1 YPC) which is second on the team. He also leads the team with six touchdown receptions. Williams is having a great sophomore season as the possession receiver who makes plays in the red zone.

- What a game for Austin Seferian-Jenkins. Seferian-Jenkins caught only three passes for 22 yards but he caught a touchdown pass in the process. He also played defense which is never seen in today's game while recovering a fumble during the game. Seferian-Jenkins who is an all-american tight end is playing both ways on defense while also playing significant minutes for a Pac-12 championship basketball team last year.

On the year Seferian-Jenkins is second on the team with 58 receptions for a team leading 751 yards(12.9 YPC) while being second on the team with five touchdowns. Seferian-Jenkins is also the Huskies all-time receptions leader in tight end history with 99. He is the all-time leading receiver in tight end history with 1,295 yards receiving. This game he became the all-time touchdown leader with 11 receiving touchdowns. The Huskies have seen Aaron Pierce, Mark Bruener, Ernie Conwell, Cam Cleeland and Jerramy Stevens pass through the program who went on to the NFL at the tight end positon. For Seferian-Jenkins to shatter all their records speaks to volumes how great of a player he is. For him to also play basketball and then play defensive end shows what an amazing athlete he is as well.

- I couldn't be happier seeing Keith Price playing well these past two weeks. He is spreading the ball around, stepping up into the pocket and going down field. More importantly he isn't turning the ball over at all.

Price this game was great completing 22-29 passes for 248 yards with a school record tying five touchdown passes. Price the last two weeks has thrown for seven touchdown passes with zero interceptions.

For the year now Price is 223-359(62.1%) for 2,290 yards(6.4 YPA) with 16 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He isn't having a great year but with Washington State's poor pass defense looming and a bowl game he could still end up with a good year. Price also has 51 career passing touchdowns which puts him four behind Cody Pickett for the school record. Price has a shot at breaking that record this season and then shatter the record next year for his senior campaign.

- Steve Sarkisian improves to 26-23 as head coach of the Huskies. Sarkisian's program has never looked better including last year when the Huskies were 5-1. The Huskies are winning with defense, good running game and making plays with the pass. They are winning the turnover battle as well. Sarkisian is featuring the run game as the Huskies are 5-1 this year when Sankey has ran for over 100 yards.

Sarkisian deserves credit for turning this program around even if it seems like it's going at a slow pace. Still if the Huskies finish at 8-4 in a tough conference with two of those losses coming to LSU and Oregon while beating Stanford that is progress. Sarkisian as long as he continues to feature the run and stress defense in his recruiting(which he is) the Huskies program should continue to grow.

The Huskies took care of business against a terrible team. Now it's time to do it once again when they take on the Washington State Cougars in the Apple Cup. The Huskies will be double digit favorites on the road yet again as they should be. The Huskies are playing their best ball in over a decade which has been great to see. Price is playing like Price last year while Sankey is making fans forget about Chris Polk. The defense is playing the best they have since the days when Lambright roamed the sidelines. The Huskies are looking good this year and hopefully they can finish this season strong as they've already won four in a row.

By Kshell

This week the #25 Washington Huskies(6-4,4-3) travel to take on lowly Colorado Buffaloes(1-9,1-6). The Huskies will try to improve to 7-4 something they haven't been since 2001 when they went 8-4 that season. The Huskies have won three games in a row and are looking to win four in a row in a single season for the first time since ending the 2010 season on a four game winning streak. The Buffaloes on the other hand have only one win this year which was against last place Washington State Cougars where the Buffaloes overcame a 31-13 deficit on the road. The Huskies have only one road win but the Buffaloes have yet to win at home this year. Once two proud programs appear to be going in two completely different directions.

Last year the Huskies killed the Buffaloes 52-24 led by the performance of Keith Price. Against the Buffaloes Price was 21-28(75.0%) passing for 257 yards(9.2 YPA) with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran for 11 yards. All four of Price's touchdowns that day were to four different receivers. Three of those four have graduated unfortunately for the Huskies.

This year it has been a different story for Price who is coming off his best game last week. Price on the year is 201-330(60.9%) passing for 2,042 yards(6.2 YPA) with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He has also rushed for a touchdown. Price should have a big day tomorrow as Colorado has allowed opposing quarterbacks to go 213-312(68.2%) passing for 2,774 yards(8.9 YPA) with 33 touchdowns to only 3 interceptions.  Look for the 2011 Price to bust out tomorrow.

The Buffaloes will be starting their third different quarterback in Nick Hirschman. Hirschman played against the Huskies last year in the blowout loss as he was four for eight passing(50.0%) for 52 yards(6.5 YPA) as he was sacked twice. Hirschman on the year is 25-42(59.5%) passing for 283 yards(6.7 YPA) with one touchdown and three interceptions. He also suffered a concussion last game so he might not be able to go.

If he can't go then Connor Wood would start. On the year Wood is 18-36(50.0%) for 254 yards(7.1 YPA) with one touchdown and two interceptions. Both have replaced starter Jordan Webb who was 138-249(55.4%) passing for 1,401 yards(5.6 YPA) with eight touchdowns to eight interceptions. The Huskies pass defense led by Desmond Trufant and Shaq Thompson have been stout this year. Opposing teams are 147-279(52.6%) for 1,866 yards(6.7 YPA) with 14 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. Look for the Huskies pass defense to create problems for the Buffaloes struggling quarterback play.

If the Buffaloes are to pull off this upset it will be cause of the ground game. The Buffaloes are led by Christian Powell who this year has ran for 625 yards on 141 carries(4.4 YPC) and seven touchdowns this year. Powell has also caught seven passes for 32 yards(4.6 YPC). His backup is Tony Jones who has rushed for 261 yards on 52 carries(5.0 YPC) with two touchdowns. Jones has 23 receptions for 145 yards(6.3 YPC). Last year against the Huskies Jones ran for 49 yards on 14 carries(3.5 YPC) with two touchdowns.

The Huskies rush defense has been pretty bad this year as they have allowed 1,863 yards rushing on 380 carries(4.9 YPC) with 14 touchdowns. The Huskies rush defense has struggled and teams have been able to run on their defense. If the Buffaloes can get the run game going they might have a shot in this game.

Last year against Colorado was a breakout game for true freshman Bishop Sankey. Sankey ran for his first career touchdown against the Buffaloes. Sankey ran for 71 yards on just eight carries(8.9 YPC) with a touchdown. Last year the Huskies ran for 295 yards on 40 carries(7.4 YPC) with three touchdowns against the Buffaloes.

Look for the Huskies to continue to pound the ball on the Buffaloes as Sankey is having a great year. Sankey has ran for 1,011 yards on 210 carries(4.8 YPC) with 13 touchdowns. He also has 23 receptions for 127 yards(5.5 YPC). His backup Kendyl Taylor has rushed for 128 yards on 24 carries(5.3 YPC) while catching 12 passes for 76 yards(6.3 YPC). The Huskies should pound the ball down the Buffaloes throats as their defense has allowed 2,276 yards rushing on on 384 carries(5.9 YPC) with 25 touchdowns. The Huskies have ran on every opponent this year so look for Sankey to have a big game if not a career high against this Colorado team.

Whoever is starting at quarterback for the Buffaloes their main targets will be wide receiver Nelson Spruce. Spruce this year has 34 receptions for 349 yards(10.3 YPC) with two touchdowns. Another target is Nick Kasa who had 20 receptions for 340 yards(17.0 YPC) with three touchdowns. Tyler McCulloch has caught 26 passes for 334 yards(12.8 YPC) with two touchdowns.

The Buffaloes will have a hard time in the passing game against the Huskies secondary that features Desmond Trufant, Sean Parker and Shaq Thompson who will all someday play in the NFL.

The Huskies receivers are led by tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins and wide receiver Kasen Williams. Last year against Colorado Seferian-Jenkins caught three passes for 42 yards(14.0 YPC) with a touchdown. This year Seferian-Jenkins is having a great season catching 55 passes for 729 yards(13.3 YPC) with four touchdowns.

The other main weapon is Kasen Williams who was hurt last year against Colorado and didn't play other than receiving punts. Williams on the year has 56 receptions for 620 yards(11.1 YPC) with five touchdowns. Besides those two another weapon is Jaydon Mickens who finally had a good game last week. Mickens has caught 17 passes for 160 yards(9.4 YPC) as the third leading receiver. DiAndre Campbell who had a touchdown last week has caught 10 passes for 105 yards(10.5 YPC) with two touchdowns. The Huskies passing attack should light up the Buffaloes this week. Look for some of the other receivers to have a break out game as last year Price threw four touchdowns to four different players.

This is a game the Huskies should destroy the Buffaloes. The Huskies are favored by 21 points on the road and for Steve Sarkisian getting a blown out win on the road would go along ways to moving this program forward. If the Huskies were to win they would have won four games in a row heading into the Apple Cup where they should be favored to win. The programs are going in different directions as Colorado seems to be sputtering like the Huskies did in the Tyrone Willingham years while the Huskies program under Sarkisian appears to have turned the corner. Look for a break out game from Price and another terrific game from Sankey. The early start could be a pain for the Huskies but that is no excuse. I see the Huskies winning this game pretty easily and the offense getting some confidence heading into the Apple Cup.

By Kshell

This Saturday at Century Link Field the Washington Huskies(5-4,3-3) will be hosting their final home game as they take on the Utah Utes(4-5,2-4). Both teams are coming into this game on a two game winning streak and riding some momentum. With a win on Saturday the Huskies will clinch their third straight bowl appearance under Steve Sarkisian. The Utes come into this game favored despite the Huskies being 4-1 at home and the Utes being 0-4 on the road averaging only 12 points per game. Last year in their first meeting since 1979 the Huskies won their only road game of the season blowing out the Utes 31-14 down in Salt Lake City. The Utes are going to try and get some revenge this year against the Huskies.

Last year against the Utes, quarterback Keith Price struggled in the first half. Then in the second half Price torched the Utes. In the win over Utah, Price was 22-30(73.3%) passing for 226 yards(7.5 YPA) with three touchdowns and one interception. All three touchdowns were in the second half.

Unfortunately for Price such performances as that game last year haven't happened this year. This year Price is 177-297(59.6%) passing for 1,765 yards(5.9 YPA) with only nine touchdowns to 10 interceptions. Price has already been sacked 26 times this year and his struggles has been a big part of the Huskies offensive struggles. Sarkisian is hoping Price can regain that magic that he had last season when he was lighting up opponents such as Utah last year.

The Utes have had some quarterback issues this season. Jordan Wynn started the first two games then was injured. He was replaced by senior Jon Hays who played against the Huskies last year. Hays in that game was 10-16 passing for 156 yards with a touchdown and interception. Recently he was replaced by freshman Travis Wilson.

Wilson this year is 79-116(68.1%) passing for 817 yards(7.0 YPA) with four touchdowns and five interceptions. He has also ran for 27 net yards with three touchdowns. Last week in the 49-6 win over the Washington State Cougars Wilson had a breakout game. Wilson was 17-21(81.0%) passing for 171 yards(8.1 YPA) with two touchdowns and one interception. He also ran for 14 yards in that blowout win. Wilson has been up and down this year for the Utes which explains the inconsistency of the Utes season.

To help ease a freshman quarterback playing in a hostile environment the Utes will feature the running game. Last year John White was actually shut down by the Huskies defense as he only had 35 yards rushing on 14 carries(2.5 YPC) with his longest rush being for six yards.

White is hoping the results are much different this time around. This year White has ran for 619 yards on 149 carries(4.2 YPC) with five touchdowns. He also has 10 receptions for 86(8.6 YPC) with a touchdown. His backup Kelvin York has ran for 248 yards on 50 carries(5.0 YPC) with two touchdowns. The Utes will try to run the ball on the Huskies defense which has been very poor against the run. The Huskies defense this year has allowed 1,730 yards rushing(4.9 YPC) with 12 touchdowns. The Huskies are allowing 192 yards rushing a game which the Utes will look to exploit.

The best part of the Huskies offense this year has been sophomore running back Bishop Sankey. Sankey is coming off of a career game last week against the California Golden Bears where he ran for 189 yards with two touchdowns.

Sankey this year has ran for 855 yards on 176 carries(4.9 YPC) with 11 touchdowns. Sankey has also caught 19 passes for 114 yards(6.0 YPC) on the year. His backup true freshman Kendyl Taylor has ran for 122 yards on 22 carries(5.5 YPC). Taylor also has 11 receptions for 69 yards(6.3 YPC) on the year.

Sankey will have a tough time against the Utes rush defense. This year the Utes rush defense has allowed only 946 yards rushing(3.2 YPC) with 10 touchdowns. Although last year the Huskies were quite successful in running the ball on the Utes as Chris Polk ran for 189 yards on 29 carries(6.5 YPC) including 101 yards rushing in the third quarter alone. The Huskies will hope to repeat that type of performance on the ground as they simply lack weapons in the passing game.

The Huskies passing offense is led by Kasen Williams and Austin Seferian-Jenkins. Last year against the Utes, Williams had two receptions for 30 yards with an eight yard touchdown reception. This year Williams has caught 49 passes for 547 yards(11.2 YPC) with four touchdowns. Williams has been held out of the end zone the last three weeks so perhaps he'll find the end zone this week.

The other big weapon is Seferian-Jenkins who is coming off a career high 152 yards receiving last week in the win over Cal. Seferian-Jenkins on the year has 48 receptions for 630 yards(13.1 YPC) with four touchdowns. Seferian-Jenkins last year in the win over Utah caught three passes for 32 yards. He has also caught at least one touchdown in three of the last four weeks.

Another receiver in the passing offense is Jaydon Mickens who has 16 receptions for 113 yards(7.1 YPC). He did drop a 68 yard touchdown last week. The Huskies are hoping to exploit a weak Utes defense which has allowed 174-289(60.2%) passing for 2,080 yards(7.2 YPA) for 14 touchdowns to only 4 interceptions. Look for the Huskies to feature Williams and Seferian-Jenkins early and often to take advantage of the Utes poor secondary.

The Utes receiving core isn't that strong this year although last year DeVonte Christopher had a big game against the Huskies. Last year Christopher caught five passes for 125 yards(25.0 YPC) including a 63 yard reception. This year Christopher is having a down year having only caught 19 passes for 217 yards(11.4 YPC) with a touchdown.

The Utes leading receiver is tight end Jake Murphy who has caught 29 passes for 304 yards(10.5 YPC) with three touchdowns. Kenneth Scott has caught 21 passes for 283 yards(13.5 YPC) with three touchdowns. Dres Anderson has 27 receptions for 258 yards(9.6 YPC) with two touchdowns. Last year against the Huskies Anderson caught three passes for 37 yards with a touchdown.

The Huskies pass defense has actually been pretty tough this year. Opponents are 139-256(54.2%) passing for 1,811 yards(7.1 YPA) with 14 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. Given the weak receiver core, freshman quarterback and a stingy Huskies secondary look for the Utes to try and establish the run all game long.

The main reason teams struggle to pass on the Huskies is the play of Desmond Trufant. Trufant will be playing in his final home game which I talked about yesterday how the Trufant era is ending . Now Trufant is going to be a game-time decision which changes the Huskies defense entirely. With Trufant in there the Huskies can leave him on an island and allow Shaq Thompson to simply roam. Thompson the talented true freshman had a big interception last week.

The Huskies secondary features some highly recruited guys such as Shaq Thompson and safety Sean Parker. Trufant still at the end of the day is straw that stirs the drink. If Trufant can play the Huskies secondary should be able to neutralize the Utes passing attack. Look for the Huskies to have a similar game plan they had against the Stanford Cardinal. I see the Huskies having an eight man box and leaving their corners on an island daring the Utes to beat them with the pass.

This is a big game for both programs who are stuck in the middle of the conference and would like to rise towards the top. For the Huskies a win here would clinch a bowl appearance for the third straight year not to mention they end the season with the two worst teams in the conference. While a loss to Utah would drop the Huskies to 5-5 and ensure that the Huskies didn't make any progress from the previous year in the regular season. For the Utes a win here puts them at 5-5 which puts them in a good position to earn a bowl appearance for the second straight season in the Pac-12. While a loss would put the Utes backs against the wall meaning they'd have to beat both Arizona at home and win at Colorado to earn a bowl berth. The Utes also haven't won a road game all season long which is what they have going against them. The Huskies are 11-2 in their last 13 home games which bodes well for them. Sarkisian is also 3-0 on senior night as he looks to send the seniors out right once again.

By Kshell

For the fourth straight year the Washington Huskies(5-4,3-3) have defeated the California Golden Bears(3-7,2-5) 21-13. Just like the previous two meetings this game came down to the fourth quarter where the Huskies defense came up big with turnovers. The offense did just enough led by career games from tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins who caught eight passes for a career high 152 yards with the go ahead touchdown. While running back Bishop Sankey had a career game rushing for 189 yards on 29 carries for two touchdowns. The Huskies win also clinches the fact that the California Golden Bears will miss a bowl game for the second time in three seasons.

The Huskies won the toss and chose to take the ball first. Starting from their own 37 yard line on second down Bishop Sankey ran for 27 yards down to the Bears 36 yard line. Facing a third and seven from the 33 yard line Sankey would rush for seven yards setting up a fourth and one from the 27 yard line. Steve Sarkisian elected to go for it and the Huskies were blown up on the fourth and one call. Taking over from their own 28 yard line the Bears went to work. Facing a third and seven from the 31 yard line Zach Maynard completed a pass to Chris Harper who made a terrific one handed catch for 23 yards to the Huskies 45 yard line. On the next play Maynard scrambled to his left and found Harper for a gain of 16 yards although it appeared he was out of bounds. On the 29 yard line the Bears elected to run with Isi Sofele who ran for eight yards before fumbling as Marcus Peters for the Huskies recovered the fumble at the Huskies 21 yard line.

Starting from their own 21, Keith Price hit a quick receiver pass to Kasen Williams who made his defender miss for a gain of nine yards. Sankey would rush for five yards to their own 35 yard line. On second down Price would hit tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins over the middle for a gain of 13 yards. Sankey would rush for nine more yards to the Bears 43 yard line. On second and one the Huskies called a play action pass where Price found an open Seferian-Jenkins for a gain of 28 yards to the Bears 15 yard line. Facing a third and eight from the 13 yard line Price connected to Cody Bruns over the middle for a gain of nine yards to the four yard line. After an incomplete pass the Huskies went back to the run as Sankey ran it up the middle from four yards out for his 10th rushing touchdown of the season. That score would give the Huskies an early 7-0 lead.

Cal was looking to tie it up facing a third and five from their own 21 they called a running play to C.J. Anderson who ran for eight yards for the first down. The Huskies also committed a 15 yard personal foul penalty moving the ball to the Bears 44 yard line. On the following play Maynard would over throw his receiver but Harper was behind the receiver to catch it for 36 yards down to the Huskies 20 yard line. Facing a second and six from the 16 yard line Maynard completed a pass to the former Husky recruit Brendan Bigelow who gained five yards then Sean Parker poked the ball out as Justin Glenn receovered the ball for the Huskies. The Huskies would fail to capitalize on that mistake as Jaydon Mickens would drop a 68 yard touchdown pass from Keith Price.

The Huskies had another opportunity to expand their lead on the Bears starting from their own 19 yard line Price would connect with tight end Evan Hudson for a gain of 11 yards to the 30 yard line. Price would attempt a deep pass to Williams but Williams was interfered with as the Huskies got the penalty moving it to the 45 yard line. Sankey would rush for 15 yards to the Bears 43 yard line. After an offsides penalty by the Bears moving the ball to the 38 yard line. The Huskies would try a passing play which Price was sacked. After a 10 yard penalty on second and 16 Sankey would rush for nine yards to the Bears 40 yard line. On third and seven Price would hit Seferian-Jenkins for a gain of six which was one yard short of the first down. On fourth and one from the 34 yard line the Huskies ran the same exact play as earlier on fourth and one. Just like the previous time the Huskies were stuffed on fourth and short.

The Bears would finally take advantage. On third and four from their own 41 yard line Maynard would complete the pass for nine yards. On second and seven from the Huskies 47 yard line Maynard would complete the six yard screen to Anderson setting up a third and one. Maynard would complete another pass for 12 yards down to the Huskies 29 yard line. On third and nine from the 28 yard line the Huskies would commit a hands to the face penalty giving the Bears a first down at the Huskies 14 yard line. The Bears then had a double reverse to Harper who ran to his left as he dove in for the 14 yard touchdown to tie the game up at 7-7. It was looking to be another typical Washington-Cal game like the previous two seasons had been.

The Huskies would look to answer back. Starting from their own 28 yard line Price would hit Williams for a gain of seven yards to the 35 yard line. Sankey would rush for five yards on back to back carries. After a penalty the Huskies had third and 10 from the 40 yard line where Price hit Seferian-Jenkins down the middle for a 19 yard gain to the Bears 41 yard line. Price on the next play would throw it up for grabs as Williams came down with it for a gain of 27 to the Bears 14 yard line. After a Kendyl Taylor rush for five yards to the nine yard line setting up a third and five. Price would have an open Seferian-Jenkins but the pass was jumped by linebacker Nick Forbes who would run the interception back 26 yards. Another opportunity lost for the Huskies as they went into halftime tied at 7.

The game had plenty of offense for a game only being tied at seven at halftime. The Huskies had 268 yards led by Bishop Sankey who ran for 126 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown. Sankey had 96 yards rushing on 13 carries in the first quarter. Price continued to struggle as he has all year long completing only 10-20 passes for 137 yards with an interception. His main targets were Seferian-Jenkins who had four receptions for 66 yards and Kasen Williams who had three receptions for 43 yards.

The Bears had 221 yards but were hurt by those two turnovers. Zach Maynard was 12-20 passing for 141 yards as his main target was Harper who had four receptions for 74 yards plus Harper ran in a touchdown from 14 yards out. Anderson had 45 yards rushing on six carries.

The Bears start to the second half was costly on the first play. Maynard would throw a backwards pass to Bigelow who fumbled it again, then after another fumble finally recovered it for a loss of 17 yards before fumbling again. End result was a loss of 21 yards as the Bears faced a second and 31 from their own eight yard line. After Anderson for eight yards making it third and 23 from their own 16 yard line. The Bears playing it safe decided to hand it to Anderson again as this time he busted the run 64 yards as he was horse collared giving the Bears more yards. The Bears would have the ball first and goal from the 10 yard line. The Bears though would have to settle for a 23 yard field goal by Vincenzo D'Amato to give the Bears a 10-7 lead.

Starting from their own 35 yard line the Huskies handed it off to Sankey who had his second fumble of the game. This time that fumble was recovered by Forbes who intercepted Price earlier. With great field position the Bears looked to put the Huskies away. The Bears would go on a 32 yard drive covering 11 plays but ultimately would have to settle for a field goal. The field goal gave the Bears a 13-7 lead over the Huskies midway through the third quarter.

The Bears would kick the ball out of bounds giving the Huskies great field position on their own 47 yard line. After a one yard pass to Mickens the Huskies were facing a second and nine situation. Price would throw the ball up for grabs to his hobbling tight end who had single coverage. Seferian-Jenkins would make the terrific catch as he went for the ball giving the Huskies first and goal from the nine yard line.

The Huskies then began to self-destruct. First a five yard penalty moved the ball back to the 14 yard line. After a one yard run by Taylor the Huskies tried a play action pass but instead Price was sacked for a loss of 16 yards putting the Huskies in a third and goal from the 29 yard line. At that point the Huskies were looking at a long field goal. Price then went back and threw the ball up for grabs in the end zone as Seferian-Jenkins went up high to catch the ball, tap it in the air then come down with the touchdown catch to give the Huskies a 14-13 lead. With that touchdown reception by Seferian-Jenkins tied David Williams record for most career touchdown receptions by a Washington tight end with 10.

Starting from their own 32 the Bears look to regain the lead as Sofele ran for 29 yards down to the Huskies 39 yard line. Maynard would rush for six more yards to the Huskies 33 yard line setting up the fourth quarter. The Bears offense would stall as Maynard would throw an incomplete pass, complete a five yarder to Anderson then another incomplete pass. This time D'Amato would miss the 41 yard field goal that would have given the Bears the lead.

Then the fourth quarter had one shift in momentum after another. Cody Bruns would return a punt 32 yards to the Bears 26 yard line. On the first play Sarkisian would call for a play action pass instead of going to the run. Price flushed out the pocket would be sacked and then fumble the ball as the Bears recovered the fumble. Bigelow would rush for 30 yards to the Huskies 44 yard line. Maynard on the following play would fumble as Danny Shelton would recover it. Sankey would rush for 16 yards on the next two carries to the Bears 36 yard line. Price would hit Seferian-Jenkins on a screen that was blown up and he would fumble the ball right back to the Bears.

The Bears would take over from their own 35 yard line. On third and 15 Maynard would connect with Harper for a gain of 16 which was initially ruled an incomplete pass. On second and eight from their own 48 yard line Maynard would be intercepted by Huskies true freshman and former California commit Shaq Thompson as he returned the interception 32 yards to the Bears 28 yard line.

This time Sarkisian didn't get cute as he fed Sankey the ball from the Bears 28 yard line. Sankey would take the first carry 11 yards down to the 17 yard line. Sankey would rush for four more yards making it second and six from the 13 yard line. On the following play Sankey would rush for 12 yards giving the Huskies a first and goal from the one yard line.

Then from the same formation as same end zone where Chris Polk scored the game winning one yard touchdown to end the Bears bowl game hopes two years ago the Huskies gave it to Sankey who scored the touchdown from one yard out giving the Huskies a 21-13 lead with 4:11 left in the ball game.

Like last year the Bears offense would take over down by eight needing a touchdown and a two point conversation to send the game into overtime. After a pooch kickoff the Bears started from their own 31 yard line which Maynard after a one yard run was injured. Maynard would not return being replaced by his backup Allan Bridgford. The Bears would have a 10 yard holding penalty making it third and 19 from their own 22 yard line. That is when Bridgford would connect with Richard Rodgers for a gain of 23 yards to their own 45 yard line. Anderson would rush for seven yards on the following play then an incomplete pass. On third and three Bridgford would connect with Harper for three yards for the first down to the Huskies 45 yard line. The Huskies would be called for pass interference putting the ball on the 30 yard line. Anderson would rush for five yards to the 25 yard line. Bridgford would throw an incomplete pass setting up third and five. After offsetting penalties Bridgford would throw an incomplete pass down the middle. Facing a fourth and five Bridgford would throw another incompletion.

The Huskies would take over with 1:14 left in the game and the Bears only having two timeouts having to waste one to avoid a delay of game penalty on the final drive. After a Sankey run of one yard to the 26 yard line the Bears called timeout. Then Sankey clinched the win with a run of 13 yards out to their own 39 yard line for the first down. The Bears could no longer stop the clock and the Huskies came away with the 21-13 victory over the Bears. The Huskies have now won four in a row against the Bears and five of their last six against them.

The Huskies earn their first road victory of the season over the Bears. Just like two years ago at Memorial Stadium the Huskies ended the Bears hopes at a bowl game as this was the Bears 7th loss of the season.

The Huskies were led by Bishop Sankey who ran for 189 yards on 29 carries(6.5 YPC) with two touchdowns. He also had a reception for eight yards as well. Sankey was a monster against the Bears rushing for a career high in yardage and carries plus tying a career high with touchdowns.

The passing game once again struggled with Keith Price completing only 16-29 passes(55.2%) for 234 yards(8.1 YPA) with a touchdown and an interception. His main target was Austin Seferian-Jenkins who caught eight passes for a career high 152 yards(19.0 YPC) with a touchdown. Kasen Williams caught three passes for 43 yards(14.3 YPC). Kendyl Taylor ran for 15 yards on four carries while catching one pass for 11 yards. Cody Bruns had a critical reception for nine yards and Evan Hudson caught a pass for 11 yards. The Huskies tallied up 409 yards of total offense but couldn't score points due to four costly turnovers.

The Huskies won the game which is the important part. A few years ago this team couldn't win close games which has been their theme the last few seasons under Sarkisian. This was a big win for the Huskies as they play their soft part of the schedule which is nothing but teams with a losing record as they sit at 5-4 on the season. The Huskies played sloppy and obviously must improve on things if they plan on winning out on the season which they will be favored to do so. This was a big win and once again the super sophomores stepped up when the game was on the line. The Huskies got that road win out of the way which was important as they finish the season with two games on the road.

Observations:


- What a game for tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins who recorded a career high 151 yards receiving. Last year he torched the Cal Bears and he did again this year with eight receptions for 151 yards and the go ahead touchdown.

In the game Seferian-Jenkins tied the Huskies tight end record for most touchdowns in a career with 10. He also set the new receiving yards record for a Huskies tight end with 1,174 yards while also setting the season record for receptions in a season with 48 receptions. Seferian-Jenkins is only a sophomore and his impact for the Huskies has been tremendous this season and for his career.

For this season Seferian-Jenkins has 48 receptions for a team leading 630 yards(13.1 YPC) with four touchdowns. That would put him on pace for 64 receptions for 840 yards with six touchdowns in the regular season. Those are great numbers for a tight end. Seferian-Jenkins has been playing on a bad wheel lately as he is hobbling around but when teams decide to single cover him he makes them pay. He made two terrific catches just going up for the ball then later had a terrific stiff arm on the defender for a first down. Seferian-Jenkins will be all Pac-12 and should be All-American as well.

- For the former California Bears prized commit Shaq Thompson to pick off a crucial pass in the fourth quarter down in Berkeley, California that had to be a special feeling for him. Thompson who was the #1 safety recruit in the nation has played outside linebacker most of the season for the Huskies to put more speed on the field.

In the fourth quarter with the Huskies only up 14-13 and the Bears at midfield Thompson recorded his second career interception then ran 32 yards to set up the Huskies touchdown to put them up 21-13. Thompson was all over the field like he usually is making tackles. He had two tackles for loss but that interception really turned the tide in this one and for Thompson to do that in his back yard is a feeling he'll never forget.

- Keith Price had another typical game for him which in 2012 means erratic. He was 16-29 passing for 234 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Price was sacked three times and also fumbled the ball. His interception was costly as that was in the red zone as was his fumble leaving potentially 6-14 points on the board which is never good in a close game.

Price was also hurt by a poor offensive line and once again his receivers did him no favors. If Mickens catches that 68 yard touchdown pass Price is 17-29 passing for 302 yards with two touchdowns and we are talking about how Price is back. Unfortunately for Price and for Mickens that didn't happen so Price's stats will have to suffer.

For the year Price is now 177-297(59.6%) passing for 1,765 yards(5.9 YPA) with nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Price must cut down on his turnovers but he also needs help as well. He needs another guy besides Seferian-Jenkins and Williams to step up in the passing game as nobody else in the receiving group is making any plays for him.

- Bishop Sankey is continuing his breakout sophomore season for the Huskies. He ran for 189 yards on 29 carries with two touchdowns. Sankey showed his speed busting a 27 yard run the first carry of the game. He also showed his durability as he kept pounding the Bears.

Sankey is having a great season so far rushing for 855 yards on 176 carries(4.9 YPC) with 11 touchdowns on the season. He also has 19 receptions for 114 yards(6.0 YPC) which ranks third on the team in both. Sankey is on pace to rush for 1,140 yards and 15 touchdowns this regular season.

This is the fourth time in Sankey's young career he has ran for over 100 yards and the fourth time he has ran for multiple touchdowns in a game. This year he has ran for at least one touchdown in seven of the nine games the Huskies have played in. Sankey shined today when the Huskies needed him once again. Sankey has been great this year and the Huskies are glad he jilted the Washington State Cougars last minute for the Huskies.

- For Steve Sarkisian he is above .500 once again as he is now 24-23 as Huskies head coach. He also improves to 5-15 on the road which has been his big bug a boo in his career. For Sarkisian there is things I like about him and things I don't like.

I think he tries to get too cute on his play calling instead of sticking to the basics like running the ball. I also feel the Huskies as a team lack discipline as they turned the ball over four times and racked up 108 yards on 12 penalties.

The thing I like about Sarkisian is the talent level at certain spots. The team is injured and in a good position to win eight games for the first time since 2001. The major contributors today were true sophomores Austin Seferian-Jenkins who was a five star recruit, Bishop Sankey a four star recruit and Kasen Williams a five star recruit. Then you had true freshman Shaq Thompson who is a five star recruit intercept a huge pass. The program appears headed towards another bowl game this season which didn't appear to be the case as of two weeks ago. For that Sarkisian deserves credit. The question many will wonder is he the coach ready to take this program to the next step? I'll guess we'll be able to answer that question better next year.

You don't earn style points based on your wins you just get a "W" in the good column. The Huskies are now 5-4 and are one more win away from clinching a third straight bowl appearance. If the Huskies were to win out and end this year on a five game winning streak that would be their first eight win season since 2001. This game wasn't impressive and the Huskies offense still has yet to score more than 21 points against a D-1 opponent but a win is a win. The Huskies won this game and the Golden Bears would much rather be where the Huskies are at than where they are. The Huskies from 1977-2001 hadn't lost to the Golden Bears then from 2002-2008 the Bears had won six out of seven against the Huskies. Well now order is restored as the Huskies have won four in a row against the Bears. For the second time in three years the Huskies knocked the Bears out of a bowl game in their own stadium as well. The Huskies are one step closer to going bowling while the Bears must wait another season before they get such an opportunity.