SEATTLE — Washington will travel to a warm climate this weekend to play a ranked team in a nationally-televised December game. Sounds a bit like a bowl game, doesn’t it?
The Huskies aren’t looking at it that way, however.
“A bowl game is when you have a winning season, and that’s the bottom line,” said senior linebacker Dan Howell. “This is just a 13th game that we’ve got to win.”
That seems to be the prevailing feeling about this game. That Saturday’s game against 11-0 Hawaii is just another game, even if it’s anything but normal.
The last time the Huskies ended the regular season against a team other than Washington State was in 2001, when an early-season meeting with Miami was postponed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks (the Huskies lost that game 65-7, by the way). Before that, it was 1948, when Washington and Washington State played in the fourth game of the season. And the last time Washington played a regular season game in December? That was against USC in 1939.
Still, the Huskies say it’s business as usual this week.
“If you get too relaxed — you’ll be staying at a resort and all of that — if you get too relaxed you can get distracted,” Howell said. “But I think all of us are pretty well trained that every travel trip is a business trip. We really expect no fun, to be honest, except for the game. That’s the mindset I have. Especially coming off the loss that we are, there’s no fun and games. We need a win to finish out the season respectable. No fun, all business.”
The Huskies will travel Friday, like they would for any other road game. They will, however, stay until Monday instead of flying home after the game. Tyrone Willingham expects his team avoid distractions prior to the game, then enjoy Hawaii on Sunday.
“I think the leadership of our team will get to our guys,” he said. “Obviously it is a different environment. We’ll focus on winning the football game first, and then see the beauty of Hawaii.”
And while Saturday’s game may be an unusual season ender, the players are looking forward to an opportunity to go out on a high note after a disappointing Apple Cup loss.
“Just to go out right and to end out on win would be a good thing for this team,” said quarterback Jake Locker. “It would be a really good statement for our football team to end the season with a win against a team like that.”
Locker acknowledged that a game in Hawaii might feel different, even if the team is treating the game like any other.
“I think it will be a good experience for us,” he said. “For a lot of guys, it will be the first time we’ve ventured off the mainland, so that will be fun for us. I think we’re going to approach it with the same attitude that we’ve approached every game this year. We’re going over there to win a ballgame and that’s what our main focus is. Obviously there are a lot of distractions that could cause some focus problems, but I think we’re really set on going over and ending our season the right way and we’re going to do everything we can to make that happen.”
Then, on Sunday, the team can try to enjoy a trip off the mainland.
“I think after the game we’ll be able to relax and enjoy that time, but until we’re done playing that game, that’s where our focus is going to be, and it’s not going to be anywhere else.”
Contact Herald Writer John Boyle at jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more on UW sports, check out the Huskies blog at heraldnet.com /huskiesblog
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