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Washington Huskies vs Eastern Washington Eagles Football Preview

Something is going to die this weekend in Seattle when Eastern Washington journeys to the western half of the state to take on the Washington Huskies.

In the long and sprawling history of college football, only a precious few teams had managed to make it through the2010 season without scheduling a single FCS (formerly Division I-AA) or Division II team at any point in time. Michigan finally succumbed to temptation a few years ago, and now Washington has done the same. Only USC, UCLA, and Notre Dame are left as teams that have never stooped to the FCS level when scheduling their seasons. Washington is sacrificing one of its better distinctions as a program so that it can hand a paycheck to a smaller school.

Washington is set to begin life without Jake Locker, its leader for the past four seasons. While his performance on the field as a passer was extremely mediocre—in his three healthy seasons, Locker completed only 54 percent of his passes, and averaged 2,375 yards and an 18:12 touchdown-to-interception ratio—he did lead Washington to a surprising bowl victory over 10-3 Nebraska to help the Huskies finish 7-6. Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian can thank Locker for his leadership and charisma; the bowl win has people around the program feeling that Washington is on the cusp of a return to relevance in the college football world.

The quarterback mantle now falls to Keith Price, the 6-1 sophomore who notched one start on his belt when he was given the unenviable task of filling in for Locker on the road at Oregon. Price has the good fortune of having a reliable target to look for when he scans the field this season. Receiver Jermaine Kearse returns for his last year of eligibility after a 1,005-yard, 12-touchdown campaign in 2010. While the Huskies do also welcome back running back Chris Polk after a 1,400-yard season, Polk will likely miss this game after recently having a procedure to clean up his meniscus. While he isn’t expected to miss much time, the timing of his return is unknown.

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Washington meets up with defending NCAA champion Eastern Washington, an offensive power at the FCS level that averaged 32 points per game. Bo Levi Mitchell – who played FBS ball at Southern Methodist before transferring to EWU – returns for his senior year at quarterback after passing for 3,500 yards and 37 touchdowns in 2010. He is joined by his number one target Brandon Kaufman, a 6-5 receiver who racked up 1,214 yards and pulled down 15 touchdown passes a season ago.

Washington is a team in transition because of the loss of Locker, but the Huskies have – by most accounts – recruited more quality depth than in the past. Eastern Washington, as a defending national champion in the FCS realm, should be feisty and fierce, but Washington is a program that should now own the resources needed to turn aside its in-state competitor.

By Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer