PACIFIC 10 / MAL FLORENCE : Next Game Curtails Husky Celebration

Washington fans still are ecstatic about the Huskies’ 31-0 victory over USC last Saturday in Seattle.

A sign over a Seattle restaurant reads: “Go Huskies. Can You Smell the Roses?”

That may be premature because it’s only September. However, the Pacific 10 schedule certainly favors Washington. The Huskies will play their conference games against Oregon, California, Arizona and UCLA at home.

Unlike the fans, Coach Don James and his players aren’t spending much time savoring the win over USC. The Huskies will play Colorado Saturday in Boulder, Colo., and the team is mindful of last year’s game, which the Buffaloes won, 45-28, in Seattle while gaining 420 yards on the ground.

It was the most points scored against a James-coached team at Husky Stadium.

“People might think we’re still riding high on USC this week,” Washington linebacker Brett Collins said. “However, we know the importance of our next game. If we didn’t, all we have to do is look at the film of last year . . . 420 yards rushing.”

In referring to last season’s game against Colorado, James said: “We were taken apart.”

Washington seems better prepared to stop Colorado’s ground-oriented offense. The Huskies lead the nation in rushing defense, having allowed three opponents an average of only 23.3 yards a game.

James, while elated by his team’s runaway victory over USC, also seemed a bit mystified.

“Never in my wildest imagination did I think we could take them apart as we did,” James said of the Trojans. “I thought we could win the game, but I didn’t think it would be the way it was.”

Coach Dick Tomey of Arizona is already promoting one of his players, cornerback Darryl Lewis, for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s best defensive back.

Against Oregon last Saturday night in Tucson, Lewis, from Nogales High School in La Puente:

--Returned a punt 65 yards to a touchdown that was nullified by a penalty.

--Intercepted a pass by Bill Musgrave and ran 41 yards to set up a field goal.

--Returned a second interception--his fourth of the season--52 yards to a touchdown that put the Wildcats ahead, 19-14.

--Made a game-saving tackle on Musgrave a few inches from the goal line with nine seconds remaining to preserve the Wildcats’ 22-17 victory over the Ducks.

“I was just thinking, ‘Go get him, one on one,’ ” Lewis said of his stop on Musgrave. “He lowered his shoulder and was just coming and he was trying to get across, and I did my best to get him and stop him and I did.”

Lewis is 5 feet 9 and 186 pounds. Musgrave is 6-3 and 200.

On the surface, it would seem that California (1-2) is overmatched for its game against Arizona (3-0) Saturday in Tucson.

However, it has been a strange series. The Bears have a 5-4-2 edge, with eight of the previous 11 games decided by seven or fewer points.

Moreover, the visiting team seems to have an advantage. In games at Tucson, Cal is 4-2; at Berkeley, Arizona is 2-1-2.

Last year, the Bears overcame deficits of 21-0 and 28-10 to win, 29-28, at Berkeley.

California will have to improve defensively, though, to be competitive against Arizona. The Bears are last in the conference in total defense, having allowed an average of 463.3 yards a game.

Futility is the theme of Oregon State’s season.

As expected, Stanford defeated the Beavers, 37-3, last Saturday in Palo Alto, leaving them winless in four games, with Nebraska next at Lincoln, Neb.

How bad were the Beavers against the Cardinal? Said Coach Dave Kragthorpe: “We were awfully soft, slow and lethargic in the first half (as Stanford took a 31-0 lead),” Kragthorpe said. “We never did stop any given play. No offense, no first downs.”