• After the 42-31 victory over the Arizona Wildcats, Coach Sark stressed Monday during his weekly press conference that the Dawgs can perform at a higher level despite the win. He also noted that the Huskies responded well once pressed: “It was great to get a win. Great to watch our kids overcome some adversity.”
• Concerning the general feeling of the team during the rougher moments of the game, Coach Sark explained: “We were trying too hard, we were charged up too much.”
• Speaking to the best atmosphere for the team: “In my opinion , we play our best football when we’re not tense, when we’re relaxed.”
• Yet concerning the environment in the stadium, Coach thought it lived up to expectation: “Tremendous atmosphere with the blackout.”
• Speaking of stadium atmosphere, construction on the new Husky Stadium begins Monday after the Oregon game. Coach Sark reminisced on his memories as both a visiting quarterback and a visiting coach, speaking to how he really fell in love with the colossus on Montlake: “Part of the reason I took the job was really Husky Stadium.”
• Despite his love for the current stadium as it stands now, Coach expressed excitement for the new stadium because of the benefits to be reaped all around the program: “I’m excited for the sledgehammer to come. 18 months can’t come fast enough.”
• As we all know, Saturday will be the last game played in the old Husky Stadium and some Husky legends are coming back to celebrate. The 1991 National Championship team will be honored at halftime, and the coach of that squad and many other successful Husky squads, Don James, will be performing the coin toss.
• Coach Sark knows the symbolic importance of the game, but is not letting any of the pageantry interfere with the team’s preparation: “Focus on the task at hand and that’s playing the Oregon Ducks… We all want to play well Saturday night and for all the right reasons… Our focus has to be on the game and that starts today.”
• A challenge that Coach Sark wants to confront for his defense is: “Finding a way in the middle of the third quarter to be fresh.”
• Coach spoke highly of Chris Polk’s maturation both on and off the field, as well as Polk’s support of Jesse Callier and Bishop Sankey. But Coach Sark has been even more impressed with the product on the field: “If you’re going to have a Heisman conversation, Chris Polk’s name should be in that conversation.”

The accolades keep piling up for Husky running back Chris Polk, and he has earned every one yard by yard. In case you need a refresher of the showcase he put on Saturday night: 144 yards rushing, 100 receiving, 5 touchdowns, 18 100 yard plus rushing games breaking Napoleon Kaufman’s lofty Husky record, and 1000 yards rushing for the third straight year. Chris Polk is the Pac-12 Player of the Week on the offensive side of the ball for his lights out performance in the blackout game against Arizona.

On behalf of the football office, we would like to wish everyone a happy and safe Halloween!

GO DAWGS!!!

Surely, no one reads this with any sort of surprise in their expression, as Chris Polk was awarded a helmet sticker on Ted Miller’s ESPN blog .  Five touchdowns to go along with 144 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving were Polk’s game stats, but perhaps even more impressive were his accomplishing a third consecutive 1,000 yard rushing season and passing Napoleon Kaufman for most 100 yard rushing games in UW history with 18…and counting.

Could a man have a more incredible night? Five touchdowns. 144 yards rushing. 100 yards receiving. First Husky to accomplish 100 yards rushing and receiving in one game. All-time Husky leader in 100-yard rushing games with 18, passing Napoleon Kaufman.  1016 yards rushing in the season…with four regular season games left and a bowl game to go.  Chris Polk had a flat out, phenomenal night, accounting for 30 of the Huskies’ 42 points.

Polk and the refs agree--Touchdown

Arizona defenders were chasing Polk all night

The field is ready and the Dawgs are getting ready for Saturday’s matchup at 7:30pm against Arizona. The team will be decked out in their all blacks, so come sporting your best black Husky attire. We want Husky Stadium rocking for the game. Celebrate Homecoming and one of the last chances to catch the team in old Husky Stadium with a raucous environment. One more thing:

GO DAWGS!!!

James Johnson is putting up big numbers on the field as a part of the Huskies talented receiver group, and the press is taking note. The junior wideout has hauled in 25 catches, 314 yards, and three touchdowns for the Huskies and is on pace to surpass the totals from his impressive freshman season. Both the Seattle Times and UW Daily wrote features this week on Johnson.

Husky Legend, Ron Holmes, passed away today at the age of 48.  Ron was a force at defensive tackle from 1982-1984 under Don James.  Ron played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1985-1988 and the Denver Broncos from 1989-1992.  Ron holds the record for the most tackles for loss in a season in Husky history with 23 and most sacks in a game with five.  Here at the office, we say goodbye to a phenomenal talent as well as a great friend.