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Washington Huskies @ Arizona Wildcats Football Recap

In a week filled with intense discussion of head injuries and the overall well-being of football players at both the college and professional levels, University of Washington quarterback Jake Locker endured a game in which he took to the field as a badly beaten and bruised player.

Locker, who saw limited practice reps for the Huskies during the week due to a thigh bruise and soreness in his shoulder and ribs, could not seem to find a way to rally his offense. The magic duo of Locker and receiver Jermaine Kearse could not find a way to get the job done against the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday night in Tucson. The tenth-ranked Arizona defense held the Husky offense to just 290 yards, and UW running back Chris Polk finished with just 65 yards on 14 carries.  

Completing 17 of 29 passes for just 183 yards and a single touchdown, Locker’s battered body limited the Husky offense. Washington depends on Locker for production, so his injuries prevented the Huskies' heartbeat from being able to utilize his strengths as a dual-threat quarterback. Locker, who traditionally has strong rushing games against the Wildcats, lost 24 yards on six carries before leaving the game early in the fourth quarter.

Arizona quarterback Matt Scott, the replacement for injured starter Nick Foles, was sacked five times by the Washington State Cougars on Oct. 16. In this game, he proved what a difference a week makes. Despite his uncertainty in the pocket a week prior, Scott completed 18 of 22 for 233 yards and two touchdowns. The Arizona field general also added 65 yards on seven carries and kept his 18th-ranked Wildcats out of the upset-filled headlines on a night when No. 1 Oklahoma tumbled at Missouri.  

Assisting Scott in the pocket was the less prepared Washington defense. The Huskies allowed a total of 467 yards, including 114 on the ground to running back Keola Antolin and 108 in the air to Arizona's leading receiver, Juron Criner. The Huskies have now allowed an astonishing 232 points in their last seven games and find themselves ranked 102nd in points against.

Despite a fumble on the first play from scrimmage by running back Taimi Tutogi - which was recovered by Washington cornerback Desmond Trufant - the Wildcat offense found its stride early and Scott connected on 14 of 16 passes in the first half to give Arizona a 30-14 lead at the break.

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Steve Sarkisian's Washington club now sits at 2-2 in the conference and 3-4 overall this season. The Huskies have managed to pair each exciting victory with a dismal loss.  

The Huskies head back to the Montlake to take on the 13th-ranked Stanford Cardinal on Oct. 30 — this will be the Huskies' fifth ranked opponent in six games.

The Wildcats look to improve upon a 6-1 record it (their best since finishing 12-1 in 1998) next week as they take on the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl.

By Ganelle Swehla
DFN Sports Staff Writer