Huskies’ offense in full retreat

SEATTLE — Tim Lappano wasn’t going to pin this on just one unit.

The mere 135 total yards of offense by Washington last Saturday against UCLA was a complete breakdown involving all aspects of the Huskies’ offense, Lappano said Tuesday.

“We’ve taken a couple of steps backward and I don’t think we’re playing with any confidence right now,” the Huskies’ offensive coordinator said. “We’ve got to be able to execute, go out and not make mistakes and play with confidence. ... We didn’t do that Saturday.”

The 135 yards against UCLA was the second time in four weeks the Huskies failed to crack the 150-yard mark. They had just 124 yards in their 33-7 loss to Notre Dame.

Lappano said there were mistakes made by everybody — linemen, receivers, running backs and quarterback Ronnie Fouch. Washington’s passing game threw for just 39 yards, the lowest total in 24 years. He believes the regression began after the Huskies’ 56-0 loss at USC, but Washington has topped 200 yards of offense just once since losing to Oregon State on Oct. 18.

“That’s going to have to change to win a game,” Lappano said.

If the Huskies can find a healthy running back, they might have some success in Saturday’s Apple Cup against the Washington State Cougars, who rank 118th out of 119 teams in the country in rushing defense, giving up more than 266 yards per game.

Lappano said the Huskies were down to Brandon Johnson last week against UCLA as both Willie Griffin and Terrance Dailey had injuries. Griffin has a toe injury and Dailey a hip pointer.

FOUR OF A KIND: Sixth-year senior Matt Mullennix has a chance to do something no Washington State player has ever done: win four Apple Cups. Mullennix was a member of the 2004, 2005 and 2007 teams that beat archrival Washington. Mullennix, whose sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA was something of a surprise, will also be going through his second consecutive Senior Day recognition ceremony.

“He gives us everything he’s got,” coach Paul Wulff said. “You can’t have too many of those type of guys.”

LOCKER STATUS: Lappano said Tuesday that injured UW quarterback Jake Locker likely won’t even start throwing again until late December.

Locker had surgery last Friday to remove plates from his broken right thumb, an injury suffered in the Huskies’ loss to Stanford on Sept. 27. Lappano said doctors have indicated the surgery went very well and Locker’s thumb is healing nicely, but that it’ll be another four or five weeks before Locker considers throwing a ball again.

Locker has talked with John Morris, Washington’s associate athletic director for compliance and student development, about the possibility of getting his year back through a hardship redshirt. Morris said Tuesday that while Locker qualifies for a medical redshirt, he already used his redshirt year in 2006 and would only be granted a sixth year of eligibility if he missed most of a future season with injury.

“To get extension of the five-year clock, you have to have lost two seasons beyond (the) athlete’s control,” Morris said, adding that a traditional redshirt, like what Locker did in 2006, is considered by the NCAA to be under the player’s control.

HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE?: Wulff believes the matchup between the two teams is relatively close and that hosting the game in Pullman will be a boon to the Cougars.

Some 1,800 tickets were still available as of Monday night, according to a Washington State spokesman.

“Being in Pullman and having our crowd I think is an advantage,” Wulff said.

Wulff may have forgotten that Washington has won five of the last six in Pullman.

Associated Press Writer Nicholas K. Geranios in Spokane contributed to this report.