Huskies humbled

COLUMBUS, Ohio — It looked like last year all over again for the Washington Huskies here last night.

The Huskies couldn't run, couldn't make key defensive plays to stop early drives against a fired-up opponent on the road, and were out of it quickly, losing their opener to defending national champ Ohio State, 28-9.

It looked just like many of the losses last season, when the Huskies stumbled to a 7-6 record, a year that got off to a bad start after a loss to another Big Ten team on the road, Michigan.

But afterward, the Huskies promised that any resemblance to last year will stop right there.

"We can't hang our heads on this kind of loss because they are an impressive team," linebacker Greg Carothers said.

Indeed. Ohio State barely seemed to miss running back Maurice Clarett and looked like they might be even better than the team that went 14-0 last year and beat Miami in the Fiesta Bowl to win the national title.

"They are as good as advertised," said UW coach Keith Gilbertson, who was making his debut as Huskies head coach. "They are big, powerful, quick and have lots of good athletes."

Certainly, bigger and more powerful than the Huskies, who were battered up front all night.

That the Huskies won't see another team as good as Ohio State until they host USC in midseason, however, gave coaches and players cause for hope.

"I'm disappointed but I'm not discouraged," said Gilbertson, who was named head coach July 29. "We have to have more leadership and character than to let this thing deflate us. We knew we were going to be in for an evening."

It was both a short and long evening. Short because the game was essentially over once Ohio State scored touchdowns on its second and third drives of the game to take a 14-0 lead late in the first quarter.

Long because the Huskies then had to slog through the rest of the night, trying to find something to feel good about.

Many of the Huskies found solace in Ohio State scoring just 14 points the rest of the way, with one touchdown coming on a 25-yard drive.

"As long as we go out there and keep competing like that, we're going to get a lot of victories," said defensive tackle Terry Johnson.

Maybe.

But they won't come easily if the Huskies continue to rush for just 7 net yards, convert just 2 of 17 third downs and allow opponents to take big early leads.

"Our deficiencies jump out at us," Gilbertson said. "We've got to find some running game. We can't start every game and get nothing done offensively."

Ohio State scored on drives of 72 and 78 yards in the first quarter, and outgained UW 170-35 in the first 15 minutes, led by the spectacular play of quarterback Craig Krenzel.

Krenzel outdueled UW's Cody Pickett — who likely saw his Heisman Trophy evaporate — in passing for 203 yards and running for 27 more, including two touchdowns.

Krenzel second TD run night — an 11-yarder with 11 seconds left in the first half — put Ohio State up 21-0 at halftime.

"That was a back-breaker," Gilbertson said.

Pickett, meanwhile, almost had his back broken as he was hit time and again by an Ohio State defensive front that completely dominated UW's offensive line.

Ohio State had just three sacks, but Pickett never had time to throw, which didn't allow UW receivers Reggie Williams or Charles Frederick to get deep. The Huskies didn't have a completion of longer than 21 yards until the fourth quarter, by which time it was 28-3 and Ohio State was playing mostly reserves.

Pickett completed 26 of 49 passes for 255 yards. Williams caught 10 passes for 107 yards.

"They're a pretty decent defense but we really underachieved tonight," said Pickett. "We can do a lot better than we did."

The Huskies were in danger of being held without a touchdown for the first time since a memorable 16-3 loss to Arizona in 1992. The Huskies avoided that when Pickett scored on a 2-yard run with 3:27 left.

Washington finished with 262 total yards, its fewest since getting 252 in a loss that looked similar last year against Arizona State.

The Huskies had just 77 yards at halftime — all through the air — and only 147 in the third quarter before racking up some numbers late.

Still, the Huskies seemed surprisingly upbeat afterward.

Offensive players said they feel a running game can be found, even if it was harder to see last night than a Michigan fan packed among the 105,078 at Ohio Stadium.

"It was just a lot of guys missing assignments and missing blocks, including myself," tackle Khalif Barnes said. "And once you get behind, it's hard to run."

And defensive players felt the last three quarters were a better representation of the kind of team they will be than the first 15 minutes.

"As long as we don't let this loss hang over Seattle we can be a pretty great defense," Johnson said.

The Huskies are sure to look better next Saturday when they host an Indiana team that lost to Connecticut 34-10. Then comes a bye before a home game against Idaho, followed by another home game against Stanford.

By then, the Huskies hope this night will be only a distant — if still painful — memory.

"This is not the end of the world," said running back Rich Alexis, who rarely had room to run and finished with 24 yards on 14 carries. "This is not the end of the Husky season. We just have to look past this."