Washington Huskies getting ready for Rick Neuheisel’s return

The last time Rick Neuheisel coached at Husky Stadium, he left a winner, leading Washington to a 41-29 win over Oregon State.

That was Nov. 9, 2002, and the Huskies have won on their home field only a dozen times since then: six in two seasons under Keith Gilbertson and six in four seasons under Tyrone Willingham.

At 7:15 PST on Saturday night, two eras of Washington football collide as Neuheisel returns for the first time as coach of the UCLA Bruins, and Willingham coaches his final home game as a Husky.

That coincidence has been the primary story line in the days leading up to Saturday night’s nationally televised game, and both coaches have taken the high road.

Willingham: "I don’t think it’s that big a deal. My situation is done. Everyone knows what is going on with me. So, that’s pretty much old news, today’s fish wrap. He’ll come in and he’ll be directing his team. He has proven with his record he’s an excellent coach."

Neuheisel: "I have great respect for Coach Willingham. I know how hard he works. My first year in the Pac-10 he was the Pac-10 Coach of the Year and had the conference champions in Stanford. So, I know there isn’t any lack of effort, and I know that they are going to play their tails off this weekend. And so will our team. And even though the records don’t indicate it, it should be a whale of a college football game."

Before that game can begin, Neuheisel must make his way from the visiting locker room to the visiting sideline. And despite guiding UW to its last Rose Bowl, he doesn’t not expect a hero’s welcome.

"If my family comes, there will be some people clapping when I come in," he said. "It will be what it will be. There will be some people that will be angry and look at me as the guy that caused some of the problems that exist; and there will be some people that will want to be excited about my being on the field. But the fact of the matter is that hopefully they are coming to watch a bunch of good young kids play hard."

Neuheisel’s first UCLA team is 3-6 overall and 2-4 in the Pacific-10 Conference. The Bruins come in with a two-game losing streak.

Willingham’s fourth and final UW team is 0-9 and 0-6. The Huskies come in with a school-record 11-game losing streak, longest in the nation.

That sets up a game in which weakness-vs.-weakness may determine the outcome: Washington scores 15 points per game, UCLA allows 31; UCLA scores 19 points per game, UW allows 41. UCLA rushes for a Pac-10-low 78 yards per game, UW allows 236.

"One of the things that we’ve not done as well as we’d like to do is stop the run game, and that’s an area that they haven’t been productive in this year," Willingham said. "But then when you look at (UCLA tailback Kahlil Bell), and knowing the history of that back, you know he can run the football and you get very concerned because you know they have athletes at the position that are fine athletes. So I get concerned more than anything else than looking at anything that they haven’t done."

Washington hasn’t won since Nov. 17, 2007. The Huskies hope to avoid a full year of losses for all the obvious reasons, but also to send this senior class out of its home stadium with a good memory to ease all the disappointments.

Nineteen Huskies playing their final home game will be introduced for the final time.

"Of course, the season has not gone how all the seniors thought it might go," said linebacker Trenton Tuiasosopo, whose family connections link directly to the Huskies’ glory days. "... I thought I was going to come here, do some damage. Try to make some noise my freshman year. Sophomore year, trying to get on the roster, travel squad. My junior year, maybe go to a bowl game. Senior year, clean things up and be looking good as a team of old."