PACIFIC 10 : Huskies Should Feel Right at Home

As the Pacific 10 Conference race heads into October, it is becoming apparent that Washington has the inside track to the Rose Bowl. Consider:

--The Huskies have already beaten the preseason favorite, USC, and will play Oregon, California, UCLA and Arizona at home.

--The Huskies will get a break in their first conference road game today against Arizona State. Paul Justin, the Sun Devils’ starting quarterback, has a separated left shoulder and will not play. His backup, sophomore Kurt Lasher, is inexperienced. Arizona State also has several other injured starters.

--The Huskies will be favored in their other road games, against Stanford and Washington State.

This season’s uneven schedule has Washington playing only three of its eight conference games away from home. UCLA, Oregon and Arizona, all contending teams, have four conference road games, and USC has five, counting the Nov. 17 date against the Bruins at the Rose Bowl.

This is the last year of such scheduling in the Pac-10. Starting next year, all teams in the conference will play eight conference games, four at home and four on the road.

Six teams--UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State, Stanford and California--play eight conference games this year; three teams--Arizona State, Oregon State and Oregon--play seven, and Arizona plays nine.

It would seem to be an advantage to play fewer conference games because that lessens the chances of losing. However, uneven scheduling has not been a factor in determining the Pac-10 champion and Rose Bowl representative.

The point system has not been invoked because teams have either been clear-cut champions, or a tie for first place has been resolved by the result of the outcome between contending teams. The Rose Bowl representative is the team with the best record in the lost and tied columns.

There was a possibility that the point system for multiple ties would have been used in 1981 when Washington finished with a 6-2 record, whereas USC and Arizona State were 5-2.

It was averted, however, because the Sun Devils were on probation and ineligible to play in the Rose Bowl. The Huskies got the bid on the basis of their victory over the Trojans.

Just when it seemed Stanford was shedding its image as a finesse team and becoming more physical, based on last-second losses to Colorado and UCLA, the Cardinal reverted to form by losing to San Jose State, 29-23, last Saturday for the third time in the past four years.

Stanford’s pass defense was particularly porous, as it was against UCLA, allowing the Spartans to gain 361 yards through the air.

Even though his team is 1-3 and will play top-ranked Notre Dame today at South Bend, Ind., Stanford Coach Dennis Green isn’t dismayed.

“Notre Dame has not put up the numbers offensively that they did at this time last year,” Green said. “Notre Dame is not going out and rolling over everybody.”

Green is basing his hopes for an upset on Stanford’s decent run defense, even though the Cardinal has allowed 235.5 yards a game passing.

“Notre Dame isn’t a 200-yards-a-game passing team,” Green said, perhaps grasping at straws.

Coach Rich Brooks wants a measure of respect for his Oregon team after it upset then-fourth-ranked Brigham Young, 32-16, last Saturday at Eugene, Ore.

“This is the biggest win over a highly ranked team that I have ever had,” Brooks said. “We have a good football team, and nobody can deny that now.”

After winning, Brooks changed into a T-shirt that read: “Respect. Demand it.”

Oregon has a 3-1 record, having barely lost to Arizona, 22-17, even though the Ducks outgained the Wildcats, 357 yards to 192, and had a 23-8 advantage in first downs.

Oregon will play host to Utah State (1-2) today, and it’s an unusual game in that the Aggies haven’t played since Sept. 15.

“I can’t recall that we’ve ever played a team that has had two weeks off prior to playing us,” Brooks said.