So, worse weekend --- Huskies or Seahawks?

While you ponder that, a few other notes and links. ...

--- After my entry on the last ASU TD, a few of you wrote that I was ignoring the real culprit in the game --- UW's last offensive series, if not the last two. I duly noted both in my game story for Sunday's paper. The second-to-last series before the Chris McGaha TD resulted in the tying field with 3:50 left. But Steve Sarkisian acknowledged later it was obviously a disappointment not to get a TD after driving to the 16.

Once UW got to the 16, the series went like this --- Locker run for two yards on a designed run that was well-defended by ASU; a play-action pass to James Johnson for three years; an incompletion on a slant to Johnson on which it looked like Jermaine Kearse was also an option but was double-covered so Locker threw quickly to Johnson.

The final series began with 1:17 and UW having all three of its timeouts --- none of which it ever used. On first down, Chris Polk ran for six yards; on second down, which snapped with 51 seconds left, Polk ran for three yards. The on third down, which snapped with 28 seconds left, Locker pump-faked and threw about 40 yards downfield to Johnson who was double-covered. That's the play Sarkisian said the team was trying to set up all night. Locker was in a shotgun with Polk next to him and he gave a quick fake, obviously trying to make the Devils think it was a run. But they didn't bite and Johnson was not open. The incompletion forced UW to punt and also stopped the clock, though as Sarkisian noted later, ASU would likely have uses its one remaining time out if it had stopped a UW run there, as well

Sarkisian said he wanted to try to score on the series, but that obviously raises the question why he didn't call time outs if that was the case. Sarkisian didn't explicitly say after the game --- he wasn't directly asked that, either --- but he did say that he bungled the game management late, basically admitting he wished he had done it differently there.

--- ESPN.com's Ted Miller wrote this today saying that Nick Holt needs to be more accountable for his actions as UW's defensive coordinator. Included is a correction that it's unclear who the penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct on UW in third quarter was on. The FSN crew implied it was on Holt by showing him and mentioning his name first when saying that the penalty was on the UW coaches. Two other news outlets also reported it was on Holt. (I didn't in part simply because having time for just one story after the game I didn't include it and there was no official confirmation in the press box who it was on --- the play-by-play doesn't say and the official didn't say who it was on at the time.) As for Holt not being available to the media, I can't say whether he was requested last night --- he wasn't by me in part since I had such tight deadlines I only had time for a couple of interviews and at the time we had to put in our requests (early in the fourth quarter) I didn't think I'd have the time or the pressing need for it. I know Holt has been requested after most of the other games and has not been available to the print/web media (I think he's done a couple of radio interviews). But he does meet with us on Wednesdays and he has been available for all of those.

--- My story for the Monday paper is posted on-line already.

--- Nick Daschel wondered if Tyrone Willingham was back on the UW sideline for a night. He also gives the Huskies a C-plus for the game.

--- Here's the ASU Rewind from the Arizona Republic, noting that after an apparent stiff talk at halftime, the Devils had just one penalty in the second half --- for celebrating after the final TD.

--- A Republic columnist says the Devils found their identity in the win.

--- Lots of Oregon news here if you want to catch up on UW's next opponent.

All for now.