Angry Huskies primed for victory

If ever there has been a game that Huskies coach Tyrone Willingham must pull out in his two-plus seasons at Washington, it is Saturday afternoon's game at Stanford.

Since 2002, only Stanford's 12-36 Pac-10 record is worse than Washington's conference showing over the same period.

If the Huskies lose in Palo Alto on Saturday, they will match that record.

That notion has fans clamoring. It has boosters waiting to hold the Husky Stadium renovation project hostage until there is a coaching change.

It also has players and coaches working harder, doing everything they can to prepare better.

For the first time since Willingham arrived in Seattle before the 2005 season, the word "angry" is escaping players' lips.

Linebacker Trenton Tuiasosopo, who will get his second consecutive start in place of the injured Donald Butler, said, "Everyone is sick and tired of the results."

Cornerback Byron Davenport, who was benched last week but will start, said, "Do we (have to make a statement)? Of course. Do we! We've just got to play angry, man. It's to a point ... what else can we do?"

The even-tempered Willingham even OKs that mentality.

"I think it's a good term. I'm not opposed to them being angry, but the whole key is we got to continue to work toward a level of excellence, just strive to be the best we can and finish the deal," he said.

"We've knocked on the door long enough -- let's kick the sucker down."

A win would begin to quiet fans, loosen up the boosters and take a harassing monkey off the Huskies' backs.

The Huskies (2-6, 0-5 in Pac-10 play) are coming off two increasingly impressive offensive showings led by redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Locker.

But two increasingly ugly defensive outings have resulted in two losses in which Washington gave up 103 points and 1,199 yards.

Stanford presents the perfect opportunity to reverse that defensive trend.

The Cardinal (3-4, 2-3) ranks last in the Pac-10 in scoring (21.9 points per game) and is down to its fourth- and fifth-string running backs because of injuries.

Last week in a 23-6 loss to Oregon State, Stanford rushed for a total of 5 yards.

But Arizona proved on the same day against the Huskies that a team doesn't need two dimensions to beat Washington.

Arizona rushed for just 25 yards, but threw for 510 yards and five touchdowns in the 48-41 come-from-behind win.

Stanford's first-year coach, Jim Harbaugh, will be well aware of that fact.

The Cardinal quarterback is sophomore Tavita Pritchard, who took over for T.C. Ostrander (seizure) five weeks ago. In his first start, the Tacoma native led Stanford to a stunning upset over top-ranked USC.

Pritchard is 59 of 118 for 700 yards with four touchdowns and five interceptions. He struggled against Oregon State's pressure and went 16 of 32 for 189 yards with two interceptions. He proved in a 12-for-27, 171-yard, two-touchdown performance against TCU he can be effective, though.

Willingham called the Cardinal "feisty," as evidenced in its two conference wins.

"It's the personality of their football team -- a very feisty team on both sides of the ball; they seem to get after it," he said.

So far, the Huskies have challenged all of their opponents but, over the past seven weeks, haven't had a feistiness of their own to push over the top.

Tuiasosopo said: "It all comes down to everyone buckling down and finding what they really want out of this season. We've had our ups and definitely had our lows, but now it's all coming down to individual efforts coming together as a team."

Anger, with Willingham, is fine. Frustration, however, isn't.

"Frustration should not be there," he said. "In my vocabulary, frustration is something you can't change. We can change what is happening."

And Willingham knows that change must happen now.

WASHINGTON (2-6, 0-5) AT STANFORD (3-5, 2-4)

WHEN/WHERE: Saturday, 3:30 p.m., Stanford Stadium, Stanford, Calif.

TV/RADIO: FSN; KJR-AM/950

WASHINGTON PLAYER TO WATCH: CB Roy Lewis. The Huskies pass defense is under the microscope after its shocking 510-yard bloodletting against Arizona last week.

Stanford, down its fourth- and fifth-string running backs, isn't going to crush the Huskies on the ground, so the Huskies have to be ready.

Lewis is the emotional leader of the secondary and has to be the guy -- through leadership and on-field play -- who rallies this group back to respectability.

STANFORD PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Tavita Pritchard.

The sophomore has been hit-or-miss in his four career starts, but he is 2-2. He is 59 of 118 for 700 yards with four touchdowns and five interceptions.

He was under constant pressure last week against Oregon State and that showed -- he went 16 of 32 for 189 yards and two interceptions and the Cardinal failed to score a touchdown.

But, as he proved against TCU, Pritchard can throw effectively and hurt a soft defense.

HISTORY LESSON: Tyrone Willingham goes back to the Farm for the first time as Washington coach. Willingham coached Stanford for seven years from 1995 to 2001 and was named Pac-10 coach of the year there twice.

He led the team to the 2000 Rose Bowl and compiled a 44-36-1 record. Willingham also had a three-year stint at Stanford from 1989-2001 as running backs coach.

Willingham is 3-1 against his former team, with all three wins coming while he was at Notre Dame. Washington is 39-34-4 all-time against Stanford, but the Cardinal has won the past two.

LINE: Washington by 3

P-I PICK: Jake Locker and the Huskies offense are on a roll. That has to be scary for opponents. Injuries have clobbered Stanford and left the Cardinal without much ability to run the ball. Not that it mattered against the Huskies last week against Arizona. But the Huskies' memory should sizzle over last year's embarrassing home loss to Stanford and they should ache to silence fans' cries for the job of Kent Baer, their defensive coordinator.

Washington 37, Stanford 21.