UW Football | Huskies have an eye on Oklahoma

A week ago today, Huskies coach Tyrone Willingham sat down for his regular Monday news conference ready to talk about Washington's opponent that week, San Jose State. In his usual style, he came prepared with a list of talking points about the Spartans.

He found out quickly his work had gone for naught. "There was not one question about San Jose State," Willingham said.

That won't happen today when Willingham meets the media to talk about this week's opponent, No. 10 Oklahoma, which hosts the Huskies on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

It will be Washington's first trip to a nonconference powerhouse since facing a Notre Dame team coached by Willingham in 2004.

And it's a trip UW players admit they've been eyeing for some time.

"I've been looking at this game on the schedule since my freshman year," junior receiver Corey Williams said. "I was like 'Man, we are playing Oklahoma.' Just to play a big-name school like that is an honor."

It's also a game that, as Williams said, could put the Huskies back on the map.

"It would definitely be a great statement to go out and get this win," Williams said.

Williams said he didn't think any of the Huskies had looked past San Jose State to Oklahoma, and logic would indicate a team that had gone 3-19 the past two years shouldn't have been tempted to overlook anybody.

But Willingham pointed to the way the media ignored the Spartans during that news conference a week ago as a sign that the players could be excused if they had been distracted at times, as well.

"For me to stand here and think that our young men can defy human nature, that's impossible," Willingham said. "Why wouldn't our kids be looking, to some degree, at something else as opposed to [San Jose State], because you guys were."

Whether that had any impact in Saturday's somewhat lackluster 35-29 win over San Jose State is hard to determine.

The Huskies came out fast on offense, but blew a chance to blow out the Spartans early by committing three turnovers in the first half.

Seemingly on the way to a comfortable win as the third quarter began, they let the Spartans back into the game with some lax pass defense.

San Jose State basically gave up trying to run in the second half but used its spread passing offense to throw for 235 yards in the half. UW coaches said San Jose State's offense caught them by surprise.

Willingham added that the way UW almost got caught from behind is part of figuring out "the process it takes to win. I think our guys are going through that and there is a way you think and respond when you get in a crisis situation. I think our guys are learning how to do that and where to focus at and how to drive yourself."

What figures to be more of an issue this week is simply figuring out a way to match up physically with an Oklahoma team that was tabbed as a national title contender before quarterback Rhett Bomar was kicked off the team for violating NCAA rules prior to training camp.

His replacement, Paul Thompson, led a sluggish effort Saturday as the Sooners were tested to the very end before getting a 24-17 win over University of Alabama-Birmingham, which is picked to finish fifth this season in Conference USA's Eastern Division.

Similar to UW's sloppiness, the Sooners had four turnovers — two fumbles and two Thompson interceptions.

And in something that might auger well for UW, the Sooners had trouble defending UAB backup quarterback Sam Hunt, who rushed for 65 yards on 15 carries, many out of option-style plays reminiscent of what the Huskies are doing more of this season to take advantage of Isaiah Stanback's running ability.

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