Pac 10 Fans Home
Pac 10 Football
Pac 10 Basketball
Pac 10 Baseball
College Fansites
Pac 10 Apparel
Pac 10 Tickets

Washington Huskies vs UCLA Bruins Football Preview

On Nov. 6, University of Washington fans got a glimpse of their football future, a team without star quarterback Jake Locker. Despite the performance of redshirt freshman Keith price in his first start as a Husky, fan will be thrilled to know they have a few more games to rally behind Montlake Jake. The quarterback has been medically cleared to play Thursday evening against the UCLA Bruins.

For the Huskies, Senior Night will take priority; for many, including linebacker Mason Foster and Locker himself, this will be the final time they take the field as Huskies at home. To make this occasion more festive, the Huskies will take the field in new all-black uniforms and play to score in newly-painted black end zones for the first official blackout of Husky Stadium.

For the University of Washington the announced clearance for Locker is welcome news, since No. 10 gives the Huskies the best chance to win against a Pac-10 conference opponent at a time in the season when a win for the Dawgs keeps alive their hopes of a bowl game.

The Huskies, who lead the Bruins in every offensive statistic with the exception of rushing yards per game, will look to their big playmakers to boost them to a victory in this nationally-televised prime-time game. This means Locker will need to be on his game, whether that means scrambling outside the pocket or connecting for big gains with go-to wide receiver Jermaine Kearse.

For Washington, a ground game will also be important if the Huskies expect to come out victorious over the Bruins. Running back Chris Polk must continue to gain valuable yards after contact and the Dawgs will need Jesse Callier to continue to make big plays on special teams.

As for the struggling Bruins, playing without starting quarterback Kevin Prince has proven to be a difficult task. Sitting at 2-4 in the Pac-10 and 4-5 overall, the Bruins have played in quicksand on offense this year. They're stuck at 116th in the nation in passing yards per game, and they have been unable to find a good passing-based formula this season. Vertical, horizontal, intermediate, it hasn't mattered: UCLA just can't throw the ball effectively.

> Browse the selection of Pac 10 apparel & merchandise online as well as Pac 10 Football Scores through Pac 10 Fans and partner sites.

The Bruins will rely heavily on the rushing game of Johnathan Franklin who is averaging 5.3 yards per carry and is closing in on 1,000 yards rushing for the season (892).

Washington, which has struggled to stop the run, will need to find an answer for the powerful rushing play of the Bruins if it expects to win. Denying long gains on the ground to the Bruins will force UCLA into uncomfortable third-and-long situations which will most likely require big pass plays and therefore favor the Huskies' secondary.

Both teams have struggled this season and if any part of their game is off it could open the door for the opposition.  

The Huskies and the Bruins kick off Thursday Nov., 18, at 5:10 p.m. Pacific time at Husky Stadium.

By Ganelle Swehla
DFN Sports Staff Writer