PACIFIC 10 CONFERENCE FOOTBALL / DAN HAFNER : Despite Some Lineup Changes, Husky Season Comes Up Roses

Washington Coach Don James said he and his team are looking forward to spending their third consecutive New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl.

“Each season has been different and exciting in its own way,” James said as he prepared the 9-1 Huskies for today’s season finale at Washington State.

“Two years ago, it was a wild scene when we clinched. We were a young team and we hadn’t been there for eight years. I think when we beat Florida (34-7) in the Freedom Bowl in 1989, it gave the players confidence and we went on from there.

Last season, Washington expected to dominate, and did. When the Huskies clinched the conference championship at Oregon State last week, the team was subdued.

“We didn’t really know after the win over Oregon State that we had clinched,” James said. “It wasn’t until Sunday that we knew, so there wasn’t really a celebration.”

Yet, James said the victory was personally satisfying.

“Our coaching staff did a tremendous job,” he said. “With many top players gone and losing our tailbacks before the season opened, they did a tremendous job building an offense.

“I was impressed with the way we came back after the loss to Arizona. After all, some of our players didn’t know what it was like to lose.”

James said except for the quarterbacks, Washington had to rebuild its offense for 1992.

“It’s funny, we had many defensive players back, yet five teams in the conference had better defensive records than we did,” James said.

“Next year, except for quarterback, we will be a veteran team on offense.”

Although the annual battle with the Cougars for state bragging rights isn’t a “must” victory for the Huskies, it is for the Cougars. Despite an 8-3 record, Washington State might not get an invitation to a bowl game.

“I would think we would pretty much have to win the Apple Cup or play exceptionally well to have a bowl look at us,” Coach Mike Price told Gary Nelson of the Everett Herald.

James said that with all the offense the Cougars have, particularly quarterback Drew Bledsoe, they can’t be taken lightly.

“The Cougars had 14 players back on offense,” James said. “After all, they’ve won eight games in a tough schedule.”

The last time the Cougars beat the Huskies was 1988 at Pullman. Senior fullback Darius Turner, who didn’t play in that game, told Nelson he had no sympathy for Washington State.

“It’s not arrogance,” he said. “We seniors just don’t want to lose to them. I’d hear about if forever. I don’t want people to say, ‘Hey, you were on the team that lost to Washington State.’

“It would be much nicer to have them remember that we won three consecutive Rose Bowls.”

*

This is the week of area rivalries in the Pac-10 and although Arizona State and Arizona are relatively new to the conference, their rivalry is an old and bitter one.

Even in down years, the winner can pretty much salvage the season.

The Sun Devils, for instance, had lost eight and tied one in the previous nine years before beating the Wildcats, 37-14, last season. Furthermore, they had lost four of their previous five games during the season. So, it was a big lift.

Today, the Wildcats need a victory at Tucson to cap their fine comeback and assure a bowl bid.

“No matter what we’ve accomplished or the teams we’ve played, this is the big one,” Arizona Coach Dick Tomey said. “After the loss to USC, I think we’ll be ready for the Sun Devils.”

A Sun Devil victory, on the other hand, would be a fine ending for Bruce Snyder’s first season. Since all the early-season turmoil and suspensions, some related to criminal activities, the team has played resolutely to get this chance to finish above .500.

“(Arizona is) a great team,” Snyder said. “It would really be something if we could sneak up on them.”

*

The return of Bill Walsh to Stanford has already been a success. But a victory over California in the Big Game today at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley would make it something special.

For one thing it would probably assure the Cardinal of a berth in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1. It also would give the Cardinal a 9-3 record. The last time Stanford won nine games was in 1977, Walsh’s first season at Stanford.

After Stanford lost to Washington, 41-7, earlier this month, Walsh said the team needed to win two of its last three games for a successful season. Convincing victories over USC and Washington State have made the season.

“We’re looking forward to the excitement in Memorial Stadium,” Walsh said. “And we’re not taking the Bears lightly.

“Cal is as good as any team in the Pac-10. The Bears just haven’t had much luck over the course of a full game. They have talent at every position.

“There are a lot of great players in the Pac-10, but I would vote for (wide receiver Sean) Dawkins as the best in the conference.

“Russell White has been hampered by a groin injury, but he’s still had a good year.

“After looking at the films, I can’t fault the coaches. They have had the team prepared. It just seems they are unable to play a full game. It isn’t always their fault.”

It has been a rugged first season for Cal Coach Keith Gilbertson. After losing, for the sixth time in 10 games, last week to Arizona State, he said: “To be honest, I don’t know what to say. The harder we work, the worse it gets.

“I’ve never seen a team have this many bizarre things happen to it. I don’t understand why we never recover a fumble. I don’t understand why the penalties come at such terrible times.”

*

The Civil War is the battle between Oregon and Oregon State, which will be played at Corvallis. The Ducks have dominated for nearly two decades, going 14-2-1 in the last 17 games.

And today, the Ducks will be out to avenge last season’s defeat at Eugene, 14-3.

Pac-10 Notes

The Arizona-Arizona State rivalry has produced the expected. On the Arizona campus, they are taking shots at the ASU athletes who have gotten in trouble. One of them goes like this: “You know the athletes at Arizona State are on the honor system: ‘Yes, your honor. No, your honor.’ ” On the other hand, at Tempe they ask, “Do you know what the A on the U of A helmet stands for? It’s as far as they’ve gotten in the alphabet.” Stanford has come a long way since this class of seniors arrived. Linebacker Dave Garnett appreciates it. “We won only three games when I was a freshman,” he said. “Then we went to five, then eight and now we have a shot at nine. That’s progress.”