Don't give up on these Huskies

By Ben Miller

Oct 14, 2005, 12:00 AM

They are 2-14 over the last two seasons. They are on a 10-game losing streak in the conference. It seems like the opposing team always makes the big play to win the game. But I still can't give up hope on this Husky football team. It's my job to follow this team every week -- win or lose, I have to watch the games. I have to write something about them. Sometimes that's hard, especially after the loss to UCLA when I just kind of stared at the TV, wondering what is there to say about such disappointment. Yet in that case, the disappointment was that they lost a game they could have won against a good team. It is much different than the let-down at Qwest field, after they lost a game they should have won against a bad Air Force team. Sure, looking at the record (1-4), the results on the scoreboard are no better than they were at this time last year. However, looking at the results on the field, this year's Huskies don't look anything like the agonizing turnover machine they were last season. In all five games this season, they have made progress. Every team they faced has caused this team to take a step forward, not backwards. And here we are, at the biggest point we will see all season, as Washington goes into the always-hostile Autzen Stadium for their biggest test of the year. Whether they win or whether they lose, the Huskies have to show the progress that they have been making is real. They need to step up like they did against the Bruins and continue to compete with the teams at the top of the Pac-10. I was in Eugene last year, sitting in the upper decks of Autzen, waiting for my chance to stand up to the Duck fans around me and cheer on the Dawgs with all the energy I could muster. Unfortunately, in last year's 31-6 shellacking at the hands of our interstate rival to the south, the Huskies never gave me that opportunity. I just had to sit painfully and watch Duck fans cheer after each of the seven UW turnovers, waiting for the big Husky play that never came. This weekend, things should be different. If each game has been a stepping-stone on the path to winning, then logically, this is the one where everything turns around. From the team that got blown out by Cal, to the team that looked competitive against Notre Dame, to the team that barely lost to UCLA, this team has progressed enough and looks ready for a win. Not only does the team look primed for the victory, but beating Oregon -- a team hated more than the Cougars in some cases -- could turn the program around. There is nothing like a win over a hated rival to push a team in the right direction. This team has shown it has the talent to compete against top teams- it is only a matter of time before they show that they can win in those same situations. Even if that doesn't happen for a while, I will continue to keep the faith as long as they keep showing me signs of progress. As long as they play their guts out and leave it all on the field like they did against UCLA, I will believe. But if the Ducks blows them out again, this believer might run out of faith.

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