Huskies, Sun Devils look to end skids

In lieu of the postseason that each is likely to miss this year, maybe Washington and Arizona State can just declare their game Saturday the "Dubious Distinction Bowl."

Because one of them is assured of setting a school-record losing streak when the two teams play Saturday at 4 p.m. at Husky Stadium.

Washington (0-8), fresh off a 56-0 massacre at USC, enters the game riding a 10-game losing streak dating to last season, tying a mark previously set in the 1968-69 seasons.

Arizona State, meanwhile, has lost six in a row after a 27-25 defeat at Oregon State Saturday night, tying a school mark previously set in 1929. The Sun Devils are 2-6 and would need to win out to have a chance at a bowl game, a steep fall for a team ranked No. 15 after the second week of the season.

Because one of the two has to win Saturday's game, the other will go down in school infamy.

The Las Vegas oddsmakers think it will be UW, installing the Sun Devils as 15-point favorites. That means the Huskies are big underdogs to a team that took its first lead in nearly two months when it led Oregon State twice in the third quarter Saturday. Neither lead held up.

But then, Washington's effort Saturday night gave little reason to think the Huskies can beat any Bowl Subdivision team that doesn't play in the state of Washington.

The Huskies suffered their second shutout since 1981 while also allowing the Trojans to score touchdowns on their first six possessions.

Washington is being outscored by an average of 41.6 to 14.1 and ranks 113th out of 119 teams in total offense, and 116th in total defense.

The Huskies are on pace to allow 501 points this season, which would smash the school record of 411 set last season.

Saturday's tepid showing only raised more questions about the decision to make it public that Tyrone Willingham won't return next season but leave him in place the rest of this season.

Willingham, however, gave little evidence he was second-guessing his decision in his postgame news conference, saying he was still the right man for the job for the rest of the season and that the issue had already been settled.

Defensive coordinator Ed Donatell, in his first year with the Huskies, said later the commitment of the coaching staff shouldn't be questioned even if few, if any, figure to return next year — the fate of the assistants won't be determined until a new head coach is hired.

Speaking specifically of longtime UW assistants Chris Tormey and Randy Hart, Donatell said "they really bleed for this program. So don't think they aren't working. They really are. And I care as well. That [lack of commitment] isn't the case. We are not sure of our futures, or how long we will be here, but we want to help Husky football and that's our goal to try to carry it out.

"If someone thinks we didn't try this weekend, these guys busted their tails to try to do that. And we are going to keep doing it. And if we can help them [the players] get a little better for next year, we want to do that. That is our intent and our focus."

Donatell defended the effort of the players, as well, saying the result had as much to do with USC as the Huskies.

"I think you see that it's pretty clear that we couldn't match up and really get control of it at any time," he said. "So that's kind of where the truth lies. You go through it [big losses] a couple of times and it wears on you a little bit. But I think all of our guys are trying to fight through it.

"It's been an interesting and difficult week for them. But they are all fighting and trying and working. They are just not getting results."

Bob Condotta: 206-515-5699 or bcondotta@seattletimes.com.