A month of Saturdays made its way onto the schedule as the Southern California Trojans traveled north to Seattle recently to face last year’s 0-12 Washington Huskies.
Yes, Southern Cal was currently ranked No. 3 in the nation in the AP Top 25 Poll. Even the Top 25 Coaches Poll ranked them No. 3. And yes, the Trojans had beaten Ohio State for No. No. 8 18-15 a week earlier on a last-minute drive by their new rookie quarterback Matt Barkley.
Southern Cal was heading for another typical USC season: at least 11 BCS wins and bowl game appearances over 7 straight years, the most successful football program in the country during the current streak. A big part of USC’s success story was Steve Sarkisian, their offensive coordinator, and Nick Holt, their defensive coordinator.
But that was the last 7 years. This year, both Sarkisian and Holt were not only absent from USC, but were the opponents when the Trojans flew north. When last year’s success was said and done, Sarkisian accepted the head coaching job in Washington and brought in Holt. And the coaching changes alone have made all the difference in the world for the Huskies.
Washington was a team that had forgotten what it was like to win: Just the week before, the Huskies defeated Idaho, 42-23, to snap a 15-game losing streak that was tied for the longest in Pac 10 Conference history. And now they were being asked to believe the impossible: that they could not only crack, but defeat the mighty monster USC.
Never underestimate the difference coaching can make. Some sports experts would have you believe that the players are more important than the coaches. Could not be farther from the truth. It is the coaches who recruit to train the players; not the other way. Never, ever, forget that.
Sarkisian and Holt were able to crack the USC giant; they, more than anyone, had built it along with head coach Pete Carroll. Part of Carroll’s genius is in hiring good people like Sarkisian and Holt. Now University of Washington President Mark Emmert and Athletic Director Scott Woodward had done the same.
The results have been nothing short of astounding. In three games under the new coaching staff inheriting an 0-12 team, Washington snapped a 15-game losing streak, defeated USC 16-13 at No. 3 and jumped into the AP Top 25 Poll at No. 24. The ranking was the Huskies’ first return to the Top 25 since September 2003.
The game itself didn’t look good for Washington early on. USC quickly built a 10-0 lead in its first two series and made it look as easy as playing a high school team. The Trojans ripped holes a Mack truck could drive through, and the USC running backs sped runs of 38, 25, and 27 yards to set up a touchdown and field goal.
It looked like Washington could be beaten 50-0.
Then junior quarterback Jake Locker, Washington’s most versatile player, completed passes of 12, 16, 14 and 18 yards to 4 different receivers before coming in from 4 yards out to make the game 10-7. Two drives later, sophomore Erik Folk would add a 28-yard field goal to tie the game at 10.
Once it was clear the Husky offense could score, their defense, led by linebackers Donald Butler and Mason Foster, used their newfound belief to dig in, stop the Trojan drive, and let their fellow Huskies on offense go to work. Butler had a game-high 12 tackles (2 for losses), forced a fumble and intercepted a pass. Foster forced another fumble on a 4th-and-1 run play, and deflected 3 passes, 2 of which were on 3rd-down plays.
Nearly a 3-touchdown favorite, USC had 3 drives inside the Husky 30-yard line that ended in turnovers, committed 8 penalties, and had an 0-of-10 conversion rate on third-down plays.
Neither team scored in the third quarter, Erik Folk later adding a 46-yard field goal to put Washington up 13-10. USC responded with a 25-yard FG to tie the game for the second time at 13 with 4:07 left.
Jake Locker, who is fast becoming an NFL pocket passer for the first time in his playing career, then engineered a 10-play, 63-yard drive that consumed 4 minutes and 4 seconds, leaving just 3 seconds to go. of the game when Erik Folk converted a 22-yard FG to win the game, 16-13.
Steve Sarkisian calls it clock management, and the Huskies haven’t had a coach this good on the field since the legendary “Dawgfather” Don James.
During the final critical drive, Locker was in his prime, completing a 21-yard pass to Jermaine Kearse on 3 and 15, rushing for 4 yards on a critical 3 and 2 play, completing a 9-yard pass. to James Johnson, and completing a 19-yard pass to Kearse.
Locker was 21 of 35 (60%) for 237 yards on the day.
Following their upset and upset victory, the Washington Husky football program was back on the national radar, as evidenced by their move to the AP Top 25 poll.
So what’s going on with these Huskies? Many of them played on the same team last year that went 0-12. The difference is clearly the leadership and enthusiasm of the coaching staff led by Steve Sarkisian and Nick Holt.
The players now believe in the coaches, believe in the new system, believe in themselves and understand that their improvement is really about work, work and more work, and constant, relentless, hard effort.
A prime example of players getting it came after Washington’s first win of the year against Idaho, when second-year wide receiver Jermaine Kearse had this to say:
“The whole philosophy is, if you make plays and play hard, you get more playing time. I tried to do everything right this week and I was rewarded.” Amen, Jermaine, Amen. Work hard and play hard. Pay attention. So work harder and play harder. And did I mention for fun? Fun? Yes, all this hard work is just that.
It seems that Sarkisian has two rules for success. The first is: Work hard, play hard, have fun and win. And the second rule? That would be to never forget the first rule.
Steve Sarkisian, who is of Irish-Armenian descent, is already one of the most popular people in Seattle. He has opened the Husky driving range to everyone, reached out to supporters and fans, and welcomed the Husky heroes of yesteryear.
People already feel comfortable referring to him as “Sark”. I hereby give Sark another nickname – the “Armenian hammer”. It is the carriage with the velvet touch in one hand and the hammer in the other.
Copyright © 2009 Ed Bagley