Huskies hope schedule helps in securing first win

It'll come too late to save either this season or coach Tyrone Willingham.

But a schedule that has been judged one of the contributing reasons for this season's failure finally presents some breaks for the Huskies.

After playing nothing but opponents with winning records, UW plays three straight against teams with losing marks, starting with Saturday's game with Arizona State, continuing the next week with UCLA and concluding with the Apple Cup at WSU.

In fact, the next three teams on UW's schedule have combined to lose exactly as many games — 19 — as the first eight. The difference is that the first eight are 49-19, a winning percentage of 72 percent, compared to a 6-19 record for the next three (24 percent).

Not that a Husky team that has lost a school-record-tying 10 in a row can count on anything, but Willingham talked about the easier upcoming slate Monday.

"There is an opportunity and we have to be able to take advantage of it and do the things that we can do, go back to playing basic football," he said. "If we can do that, then yes, we can push the door open."

Playing more downtrodden teams will also make it easier to judge if the team is still playing hard for Willingham, who was let go a week ago Monday but is coaching out the rest of the season.

The 56-0 loss to USC raised a lot of questions about the wisdom of keeping Willingham on the rest of the way, but then the Trojans might simply be that much better than the Huskies.

Willingham insisted again Monday that he can still effectively lead the team and that the players are still heeding his message.

"You always have some guys that don't," Willingham said. "That's on teams when everything is going well, you always have someone who doesn't agree with this or doesn't agree with that. But I think the majority of the guys are still listening and trying to do the things that we ask them to do."

Willingham said an emphatic "no, not at all, no" when asked if he had second thoughts about his decision to stay on as coach for the final five games.

"Obviously it's not easy," he said. "I've never been in a situation like this before. But the thing you do is you take young men and point them in the right direction and keep pushing them and keep prodding."

He later said on his radio show that he didn't envision any scenario where he might decide to reconsider before the season ends.

"The decision has been made by the administration and the decision has been made by me that the right thing for me to do is to lead this football team," he said. "And I will do that."

UW athletic director Scott Woodward said the decision to ask Willingham to stay on through the rest of the season was as much about what happens off the field as on the field.

Woodward felt keeping Willingham in place was the best way to ensure that players continued to go to class, do their conditioning work, etc., which will make for a smoother transition to the next coach, hopefully eliminating any eligibility issues or other off-field problems.

Willingham alluded to some of that on his radio show in saying that "there's a reason our administration wanted me to go forward."

And Willingham could point to a few obvious cases in Saturday's game of players who still seem to be going above-and-beyond.

One was defensive tackle Johnie Kirton, who raced downfield to catch USC tailback C.J. Gable from behind after a 50-yard run.

"Those are plays you like to see from your team because they are still hustling and caring and still doing some things that could have easily went the other way," Willingham said.

Kirton said Monday that he thinks the team is still trying to do right by Willingham.

"I can't speak for everybody, but I know for the most part, I look guys in the eye and say I'm not going to give up if you are not going to give up and I know that helped push them through to the very last minute of the game," he said.

But Kirton admitted it's a mystery why the result didn't seem to indicate a team still playing hard.

"That's where it's kind of just a blank," he said. "I really don't know how to explain that score."

NOTES

• The Nov. 15 home game with UCLA, which will feature the return of former UW coach Rick Neuheisel to Husky Stadium, has been moved to 7:15 p.m. and will be televised nationally on FSN.

• Willingham said WR Cody Bruns suffered a mild concussion but should return to practice today.

• Willingham, asked if he felt any sympathy for WSU coach Paul Wulff, said no. "I've got my own issues I'm worried about," he said. "I'll let Paul deal with his issues."

• DT Cameron Elisara suffered stingers but also is likely to return this week.

• Safety Mesphin Forrester, who missed the game with a knee injury suffered in practice last week, could return this week but may need another week or two.