GAME: Oregon State (6-0 overall, 4-0 Pac-12) at Washington (3-4 overall, 1-2 Pac-12) at Arizona (3-3 overall, 0-3 Pac-12). WHEN: Saturday, 7:15 p.m., CenturyLink Field. MEETING: 97th (Washington leads 58-34-4). COACHES: Mike Riley, Oregon State; Steve Sarkisian, Washington. RANKINGS: OSU 7 BCS, 7 AP, 9 USA Today; UW unranked. LINE: OSU by 4. TV: Pac-12 Networks. RADIO: KJR-950 AM, 102.9 FM.
For many years, the University of Washington toyed with Oregon State on the football field. Between 1975-2000, to cite one dominant stretch, the Huskies met the-then hapless Beavers 24 times and won 23, losing only the famous Barney Fife Game in 1985. Since then, the Beavers have turned history on its head.
Oregon State is now the nationally ranked program (No. 7 in this week’s BCS and AP polls) while Washington always seems to be getting back to basics. Oregon State owns Washington, not the other way around, with seven wins in the past eight meetings. Oregon State is already bowl eligible while Washington is still three wins away and fading with losses in three consecutive games, including a 52-17 embarrassment at Arizona Saturday.
Oregon State is favored to make it eight wins in nine games when the Beavers and Huskies tangle again. The Beavers will bring some impressive numbers with them:
- 5: Oregon State is fifth in the nation and second in the Pac-12 in rushing defense, allowing 80.8 yards per game (negating Washington’s only offensive strength). Only Alabama (58.7), Florida State (69.1), Rutgers (69.1) and Stanford (77.0) rank higher in the country.
- 6: Points Oregon State allowed in the fourth quarter of its last three games combined. In fact, OSU has gone the last 50:34 of fourth quarters without surrendering a touchdown. The last three opponents have converted just two of 10 third-down attempts in the final period.
- 7: First-quarter points allowed, fewest in the Pac-12. Stanford has allowed 13, followed by Oregon (26), Arizona (30), USC (31), Arizona State (32), UCLA (37), Cal (58), Washington (58), WSU (58), Utah (62) and Colorado (65).
- 11: One of 11 unbeaten teams left in FBS.
- 38.5: Average number of points against Washington in the last four games, which includes three OSU victories. In those four, the offense has averaged 407.5 yards, including 484 yards last season.
The other bad news for the Huskies is that they will have to face OSU quarterback Sean Mannion, who is returning to the Oregon State lineup after missing two games with a knee injury that required an arthroscopic procedure. Mannion is averaging 339 passing yards — Keith Price averages 190 — and throws to the Pac-12’s No. 2 and No. 3 receivers, Markus Wheaton and Brandin Cooks (Wheaton caught seven passes for 125 yards against UW last year).
Wheaton doesn’t receive the media attention that other Pac-12 receivers get, but he has been outstanding, pacing the Beavers in receptions with 48 for 654 yards and six TDs. Wheaton averages 109.0 yards per game while Cooks averages 111.2, having hauled in 35 balls for 667 yards and two scores.
Saturday at Arizona, the Huskies allowed the Wildcats to average 18.3 yards per completion. The last time UW permitted that many yards was Oct. 3, 2009 when Notre Dame, led by Golden Tate’s nine catches for 244 yards, also averaged 18.3 yards per completion.
The Huskies obviously need to find a way to control Oregon State’s two big receivers, but that’s going to be difficult because the Huskies don’t pressure the quarterback. Washington has nine sacks in seven games, last in the conference.
Compounding that, Washington also allows 196.4 rushing yards per game, also last in the conference.
The Beavers aren’t one of the more dominant offensive teams in the conference at 26.2 points per game (seventh), but Washington has yet to score more than 21 points against an FBS opponent.
The Huskies are at a crucial point. At 3-4, the Huskies need to win three of their final five to become bowl eligible. UW’s schedule sets up favorably. Washington will have games remaining against Cal (3-5) Utah (2-5), Colorado (1-6) and WSU (2-5), four clubs with a combined record of 8-21.
The downside is that three of the four, Cal, Colorado and WSU, are on the road. Washington hasn’t won away from home since Oct. 1, 2011 at Utah.
Prediction: Oregon State 27, Washington 17.
SERIES: Dates to Dec. 4, 1897, when Oregon Agricultural College defeated Washington 16-0 in Corvallis. Oregon State 38-21 last year in Corvallis. QB Sean Mannion threw for 339 yards and two touchdowns. Washington’s most recent victory was in 2010, 35-34 in two overtimes.
UW HEAD COACH: Steve Sarkisian (22-23-0) is in his fourth season. After a 5-7 record in 2009, Sarkisian guided the Huskies to a 7-6 record in 2010, which ended with a 19-7 victory over Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl. That marked Washington’s first postseason game since the 2002 Sun Bowl. Sarkisian coached the Huskies to another 7-6 record in 2011, including a berth opposite Baylor in the Alamo Bowl. Prior to joining the Huskies, Sarkisian served as a USC assistant under Pete Carroll (2001-03, 2005-08). He also worked as an Oakland Raiders assistant in 2004. Sarkisian played quarterback at Brigham Young University and later played in the Canadian Football League.
UW STATS / NOTES
- SEASON SUMMARY: Record: 3-4. Home: 3-1. Road: 0-3. Neutral: 0-0. Vs. Pac-12: 1-3. Vs. Pac-12 North: 1-1. Vs. Pac-12 South: 0-2. Vs. Non-Conference: 2-1. Points For: 145 (20.7). Rushing Yards Per Game: 130.0. Passing Yards Per Game: 196.4. Total Offense Per Game: 326.4. Points Against: 207 (29.6). Opp. Rushing Yards Per Game: 196.0. Opp. Passing Yards Per Game: 184.6. Total Defense Per Game: 380.6.
- PAC-12 RANKS: Scoring Offense — 10th (20.7); Scoring Defense — 9th (29.6); Total Offense — 11th (326.4); Total Defense — 7th (380.6); Rushing Offense — 8th (130.0); Rushing Defense — 12th (196.0); Passing Offense — 12th (196.4); Pass Defense — 2nd (184.6); Passing Efficiency — 11th (110.6).
- RB Bishop Sankey ranks sixth in the Pac-12 in rushing at 82.0 yards per game; seven touchdowns.
- QB Keith Price ranks 10th in passing yards per game (190.9) and 9th in passing efficiency (111.6).
- Austin Seferian-Jenkins has 37 receptions and needs 12 to set the single-season record by a tight end, held by Jerramy Stevens in 2000. Seferian-Jenkins also needs 17 catches to set a career record for receptions by a tight end. Seferian-Jenkins has 78, and the record is 95 by Mark Bruener was set between 1991-94.
- WR Kasen Williams is T9 with 5.5 receptions per game and 11th in yards (63.1).
- Jaydon Mickens ranks sixth in kick return average at 23.9 yards per game.
HUSKIES OFFENSIVE LEADERS
Rushing
| Player | G | Att. | Yards | TDs | Long | Y/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop Sankey | 7 | 122 | 574 | 7 | 61 | 82.0 |
| Erich Wilson | 4 | 25 | 140 | 1 | 31 | 35.0 |
| Dezden Petty | 6 | 29 | 99 | 0 | 17 | 16.5 |
| Kendyl Taylor | 7 | 15 | 96 | 0 | 30 | 13.7 |
| Total | 7 | 243 | 910 | 8 | 61 | 130.0 |
| Opponents | 7 | 285 | 1372 | 11 | 57 | 196.0 |
Passing
| Player | G | Att. | Cmp. | Yards | TDs/INT | Effic. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keith Price | 7 | 238 | 143 | 1336 | 8 /8 | 111.6 |
| Total | 7 | 244 | 146 | 1375 | 8 /9 | 110.6 |
| Opponents | 7 | 175 | 97 | 1292 | 12 /7 | 132.1 |
Receiving
| Player | G | Rec. | Yards | TD | Long | Y/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kasen Williams | 7 | 41 | 442 | 4 | 35 | 63.1 |
| A. Seferian-Jenkins | 7 | 37 | 447 | 3 | 40 | 63.9 |
| Bishop Sankey | 7 | 15 | 96 | 0 | 15 | 13.7 |
| Jaydon Mickens | 7 | 13 | 70 | 0 | 16 | 10.0 |
| D. Campbell | 7 | 9 | 96 | 1 | 21 | 13.7 |
| Kendyl Taylor | 7 | 8 | 47 | 0 | 11 | 6.7 |
| Kevin Smith | 6 | 6 | 68 | 0 | 22 | 11.3 |
| Cody Bruns | 7 | 5 | 18 | 0 | 8 | 2.6 |
| M. Hartvigson | 7 | 4 | 22 | 0 | 7 | 3.1 |
| Totals | 7 | 146 | 1375 | 8 | 40 | 196.4 |
| Opponents | 7 | 97 | 1292 | 12 | 70 | 184.6 |
HUSKIES DEFENSIVE LEADERS
| Category | Skinny |
|---|---|
| Tackles | Parker 42, Feeney 41, Glenn 39, Timu 39 |
| Sacks | Feeney, Hudson, Shirley, 2.0 |
| Interceptions | Peters 2, Thompson, Glenn, Watson, Trufant 1 |
| Passes Defensed | Watson 5, Trufant 5, Peters 4, Glenn 2 |
| Forced Fumbles | Parker 2, Feeney, Fuimaono, Shirley 1 |
| Fumbles Recovered | Tutogi, Glenn, Hudson, Shamberger 1 |
Pac-12 Standings / North
| Schools | Overall | Conf. | Next |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 7-0 | 4-0 | Saturday vs. Colorado, 12 p.m., Pac-12 |
| Oregon St. | 6-0 | 4-0 | Saturday at UW, 7:15 p.m., ESPN |
| Stanford | 5-2 | 3-1 | Saturday vs. WSU, 3:15 p.m., Pac-12 |
| California | 3-5 | 2-3 | Saturday at Utah, 6:45 p.m., Pac-12 |
| Washington | 3-4 | 1-3 | Saturday vs. OSU., 7:15 p.m., ESPN2 |
| WSU | 2-5 | 0-4 | Saturday at Stanford, 3:15 p.m., Pac-12 |
Pac-12 Standings / South
| Schools | Overall | Conf. | Next |
|---|---|---|---|
| USC | 6-1 | 4-1 | Saturday at Arizona, 12:30 p.m., ABC |
| ASU | 5-2 | 3-1 | Saturday vs. UCLA, 12 p.m., FX |
| UCLA | 5-2 | 2-2 | Saturday at ASU, 12 p.m., FX |
| Arizona | 4-3 | 1-3 | Saturday vs. USC, 12:30 p.m., Pac-12 |
| Colorado | 1-6 | 1-3 | Saturday at Oregon, 7 p.m., Pac-12 |
| Utah | 2-5 | 0-4 | Saturday vs. Utah, 12 p.m., Pac-12 |
OREGON STATE NOTES: 6-0 for the first time in 105 years. The 1907 team finished that season 6-0 . . . 4-0 in conference play for the first time since 1968 . . . OSU defeated Wisconsin (10-7), UCLA (27-20), Arizona (38-35), Washington State (19-6), BYU (42-24) and Utah (21-7) . . . The Beavers have held three opponents to fewer than 10 points, first time since 2008 . . . Oregon State ranks 7th in the Pac-12 in scoring offense (26.2), 1st in scoring defense (16.5), 6th in total offense (419.2), 5th in total defense (352.7), 10th in rushing offense (108.5), 2nd in rushing defense (80.8), 3rd in pass offense (310.7), 9th in pass defense (271.8) and 4th in pass efficiency (143.0) . . . Freshman RB Storm Woods, who scored three TDs against Utah last week, averages 75.2 yards per game . . . The Oregon State roster includes 12 players from the state of Washington, including TE Kellen Chute (Spokane), DE Scott Crichton (Tacoma), OG Grant Enger (Bothell), LB Charlie Gilmur (Tacoma), TE Connor Hamlett (Edmonds), CB Tyler Hasty (Newcastle), OT Colin Kelly (Kelso), OL Josh Mitchell (North Bend), LB Caleb Saulo (Kent), TE Caleb Smith (Kent), TE Dustin Stanton (Marysville), S Anthony Watkins (Burien) and CB Brian Watkins (Burien) . . . Oregon State is undefeated at the Clink, beating Washington State last year 44-21. Sean Mannion passed for a then career-high 376 yards and four touchdowns in front of 49,219 fans. Malcolm Agnew rushed for 103 yards and Markus Wheaton made five receptions for 99 yards.
OREGON STATE HEAD COACH: Mike Riley, winningest coach in Oregon State history, in his 12th season, is the longest-tenured coach in the Pac-12. Riley’s resume sparkles. He was the 2008 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Pac-10 Conference and State of Oregon Coach of the Year, and his teams have appeared in the final Associated Press top-25 rankings in three of the last six seasons. Riley also guided the Beavers to six bowl games in the past nine years. He is a graduate of Alabama.
COMING UP: The Huskies will travel to Berkeley to play the California Bears Nov. 3.
University of Washington 2012 Schedule/Results
| Date | Opponent | UW Rnk | Opp Rnk | W/L | Score | Rec. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/1/12 | vs. SD State | — | — | W | 21-12 | 1-0 |
| 9/8/12 | at LSU | — | 3 | L | 41-3 | 1-1 |
| 9/15/12 | vs. Port. State | — | — | W | 52-13 | 2-1 |
| 9/27/12 | vs. Stanford | — | 18 | W | 17-13 | 3-1 |
| 10/6/12 | at Oregon | 23 | 2 | L | 52-21 | 3-2 |
| 10/13/12 | vs. USC | — | 11 | L | 24-14 | 3-3 |
| 10/20/12 | at Arizona | — | — | L | 52-17 | 3-4 |
| 10/27/12 | vs. OSU | — | 7 | — | — | — |
| 11/2/12 | at California | — | — | — | — | — |
| 11/10/12 | vs. Utah | — | — | — | — | — |
| 11/17/12 | at Colorado | — | — | — | — | — |
| 11/23/12 | at WSU | — | — | — | — | — |
2012 RECAPS
UW 21, San Diego State 12 (Sept. 1): Keith Price completed 25 of 35 passes for 222 yards and an eight-yard TD to Kasen Williams, and Will Shamburger returned a fumble 44 yards to a touchdown as Washington defeated San Diego State in front of 53,742 at CenturyLink Field. The UW defense, maligned throughout the 2011 season, gave up 199 rushing yards but just 128 passing yards, recovered two fumbles, had three sacks and an interception.
LSU 41, Washington 3 (Sept. 8): No. 3 LSU sacked Keith Price four times, hit him an additional dozen times and romped easily to victory over Washington in the Huskies’ first trip to the Southeastern Conference since 1983. LSU outgained Washington 437 yards to 170 and held Price to 157 passing yards with one interception.
UW 52, Portland State 13 (Sept. 15): Keith Price threw three touchdown passes in the first 23 minutes, Bishop Sankey ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns, Shaq Thompson blocked a field goal that Tre Watson returned 79 yards for a touchdown, and the Huskies massacred the Vikings at CenturyLink Field. It marked the Huskies’ biggest win since a 53-3 win over Idaho in 2001.
UW 17, Stanford 13 (Sept. 27): Keith Price threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Kasen Williams late in the fourth quarter and Desmond Trufant made a game-sealing interception as Washington shocked No. 8 Stanford at CenturyLink Field. One year after UW lost to Stanford by 44 points and a week after the Cardinal defeated national title contender USC, Washington used a stifling defense to upset Stanford, holding the Cardinal to just 235 yards and no offensive touchdowns. Bishop Sankey ran for 144 yards for UW and scored on a 61-yard run on the last play of the third quarter, sparking Washington’s stagnant offense.
Oregon 52, UW 21 (Oct. 6): Oregon freshman Marcus Mariota passed for four touchdowns and the No. 2 Ducks recorded their ninth consecutive victory over UW in Eugene. The 23-ranked Huskies aided the Oregon cause with a series of mistakes, including three personal fouls. Quarterback Keith Price completed 19 of 31 for 145 yards and two interceptions. Bishop Sankey scored on a pair of short runs and Eric Wilson added a TD with 32 seconds to play.
USC 24, UW 14 (Oct. 13): Anthony Brown blocked a punt and returned it 21 yards for a touchdown, Jawanza Starling forced a key fourth-quarter fumble, and No. 11 USC used big plays from its defense and special teams to overcome an inconsistent offense. The Huskies held Trojans (5-1, 3-1 Pac-12) scoreless in the second half but got help from a defense that sacked Washington QB Keith Price five times and forced four turnovers to give USC its third straight win. The Huskies points were on a 17-yard TD pass from Price to Kasen Williams and a two-yard pass from Price to Austin-Seferian-Jenkins.
Arizona 52, UW 17 (Oct. 20): Matt Scott threw for 256 yards and four touchdowns, Ka’Deem Carey ran for 172 yards and Arizona raced out of its bye week with a rout. The Wildcats had their way with Washington’s defense from the opening drive, eclipsing 500 total yards (533) for the sixth time this season. Washington (3-4, 1-3) had no chance against Arizona’s fast-paced offense. Quarterback Keith Price had another so-so game in the Huskies’ third straight loss. Price matched Scott with 256 yards passing, but his line didn’t look quite as good, needing 52 attempts to get there, and with two interceptions to offset his one touchdown.