Recently, Washington Husky athletic department officials and student-athletes showed their appreciation to its scholarship donors at its annual luncheon in the Don James Center.  Husky student-athletes Victor Aiyewa and Danielle Lawrie presented thanks to the benefactors on behalf of all of the UW's scholarship student-athletes. 

Check out this great photo gallery from the event.

Women's soccer coach Lesle Gallimore gave a passionate speech that outlined the tremendous responsibility each coach accepts as they makes decisions on who and when to award athletic scholarships.

"As a coach I am entrusted with the task of awarding scholarships to young women whom my staff and I determine are worthy of your generosity," said Gallimore. "This is a responsibility that I do not take lightly. I have done nothing for the dollars that I am doling out. It is not my hard work that has made these scholarships possible and yet it is my duty to select people that will live up to their commitment of striving for athletic and academic excellence.

A photo of Coach Romar from his playing days circulated around before practice started, causing some good pre-Halloween laughs.

The photo was from the January, 1980 edition of Mush magazine, a former Husky-only magazine. Coach Romar graced the cover in a blue sweat suit running in the snow -- like a scene from Rocky IV. The main comment of the photo was that Coach looked like Lionel Richie.

Here is a round up of Husky content from today and yesterday:

--GoHuskies.com had several stories, including a Q&A with Matthew Bryan-Amaning. From yesterday, there was a lot of news, including the Huskies getting love from both the AP and Coaches poll and being selected by the Pac-10 media to finish second in the conference standings. Also, inside those stories, make sure you check out the Pondexter video and photo gallery from the day. Almost lost in all the hoopla from Pac-10 Media Day is that Isaiah Thomas was selected to the Naismith Watch List.

--The Seattle Times' Percy Allen writes that Quincy Pondexter is the face of the team right now and takes a quick look around the Pac-10.

--Don Ruiz from the Tacoma News Tribune was also in LA yesterday and here is his roundup from the day.

PGATOUR.com produced videos on all 25 Nationwide Tour members that earned their PGA Tour cards for the 2010 season. Former Husky All-American was one such golfer and here is a link to his video:

Click here

FSN Northwest officials have confirmed the Nov. 7 Washington at UCLA football game will be televised live at 12:30 p.m. throughout most of the regional cable outlet's territory. 

The game, which will be produced by FSN Prime Ticket in Southern California, will be televised to all of FSN Northwest's subscriber based - except in the state of Oregon.  Oregon residents will receive the Oregon at Stanford game that will also kick-off at 12:30 p.m.

The Husky game will also be featured on Fox College Sports Central (FCS Central) as well as FSN Prime Ticket.  All three of the FCS regional channels (Pacific, Atlantic and Central) will feature a Pac-10 Conference game at that time.

Additional coverage of the game will be available via the Washington ISP Sports Network (radio) and GoHuskies.com (Internet).

Washington quarterback Jake Locker continues to receive a solid amount of attention in the fan voting for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award®.  As of this writing, Locker sits in second place with 3,226 total votes, just 38 votes behind Texas senior Colt McCoy.  He is 35 votes ahead of Florida's Tim Tebow. Penn State's Daryll Clark is in fourth place, nearly 2,000 votes behind the trio of front-runners.

Fans can vote once per day by registering at www.VoteObrien.org.

• View Pac-10 Media Day press conferences by clicking here.
The Flip Side: Q-Pon At Pac-10 Basketball Media Day

Pac-10 Media Day is getting ready to roll and most of the players have started filtering down to the lobby. Quincy Pondexter and the other players will enjoy breakfast in the Hilton's restaurant before moving room-to-room to conduct TV interviews. Coach Romar had a coaches meeting at 8 a.m. and will join the video interview fray at 9:00.

The buzz for Washington today is that they were picked second in the Pac-10 media poll and 13th in the first ESPN/Coaches poll.

Pondexter is currently having breakfast with Oregon's Joevan Catron and Cal's Jerome Randle as they rolled into the lobby at the same time.

Quick note: Quincy strolled out of the elevator and told me he forgot his belt, so we went into the gift shop in the lobby to see if they sold any. After discovering belts were $30, I offered him mine. Despite our 10-inch height difference, he fit nicely into my belt and is looking sharp. Make sure you compliment him on his nice belt if you see him in Seattle this week.

The Pac-10 is holding its annual media day this Thursday at the Los Angeles Hilton and it will be available to view online by clicking here.

Lorenzo Romar and Quincy Pondexter will both be arriving Wednesday night after practice. The coaches go in reverse order of where they finished in the Pac-10 standings last year, so for the first time in UW history, we're going last! Quincy will be on the podium after Lorenzo.

Here is a complete order:

Senior forward will be chatting online with SeattleTimes.com at noon today. Make sure you log in to the site by clicking here and submit your questions!

Dubs is looking for fellow canines who like to show their purple and gold pride. If you think your dog has what it takes to be a part of the pack, enter the Dubs Starting Line-up photo contest! Your 'Dawg' could win a photo shoot with Dubs and a free consultation with Dub's very own trainer... and you WIN two tickets to the UW vs. Cal football game on December 5th. All photos must be received by November 19th to be eligible to win.

For complete details, click here.

Need some inspiration for your purple and gold photoshoot? Click here to see the current submissions. Woof!

Yesterday, the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award® announced that Washington junior Jake Locker is among the 15 semifinalists chose for consideration for the national quarterback of the year honor.

Shortly after that announcement, the great staff at the O'Brien Award launched a special fan vote website that counts for five percent of the final tally for consideration to become a finalist for the award. 

The UW athletic department then went into action, posting the link on Twitter, Facebook, GoHuskies.com and other various media outlets and websites - including radio partner 950 KJR AM. The result of that effort has shown to be quite effective, with Locker jumping out to an early lead in the voting - outpacing Florida's Tim Tebow by more than 200 votes (as of this writing).

Fans can visit VoteOBrien.org and cast one vote each day for their favorite candidate.

Despite not having a Washington Husky football game, there are still a ton of athletics-related activities taking place this week.

• The Husky men's soccer team hosts Cal in a huge Pac-10 game Friday night at 7 p.m.  The Dawgs defeated the Bears 2-0 in Berkeley a couple of weeks ago, knocking Cal from its No. 4 national ranking!  A special promotion provides 4 tickets, 4 hot dogs and 4 sodas for just $25.  Call (206) 543-2200 for information.

• The Husky Ticket Office reports that approximately 64,000 tickets have been sold for the Nov. 28 Apple Cup game between rivals Washington and Washington State.  Tickets are available by calling (206) 543-2200 or through GoHuskies.com.

• Huskies All-Access is scheduled for eight airings on FSN Northwest this week, starting with Wednesday's debut at 7 p.m.  The show will also feature at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. that night, 12:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Thursday and at 12:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Friday.

• The nationally-ranked men's and women's cross country teams are participating in the Pac-10 Championships Saturday in Long Beach, Calif.  The No. 1 ranked women will be looking to win its second-straight title while the 13th ranked men are the third-highest ranked team in the league behind No. 1 Stanford and No. 2 Oregon.  Check out GoHuskies.com for complete coverage.

• The UW men's and women's golf teams are in action today.  The men are making a late run at the Isleworth Invitational, while the women are in the hunt at the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown.

• Women's soccer is on the road at Oregon Friday night, while the volleyball team is playing at Arizona.  Live coverage of those events is available on GoHuskies.com.

Q: You've played in four countries so far in Europe. What has been the biggest adjustment to life overseas? What's an aspect of life in United States/Canada you miss the most?

I think the toughest part is always the language barrier.  Every year I'm a visitor in a new country and am continually amazed by how many people can speak English.  Sometimes I feel so ignorant because I only speak one language fluently, whereas most people in Europe speak a minimum of two!  Other than that I feel I'm able to make the adjustment quite smoothly.

The thing I miss most is my family and friends being so far away.  I meet new people where ever I travel and they are wonderful, but it's not the same as having your close friends nearby to hang out and chat with.

Q: Have you picked up any foreign languages abroad? How often do you find yourself needing help when out and about in cities?

I've taken French since grade 5, all the way through high school and then took it for two years at UW.  I understand it, which has really helped me this season in Luxembourg - it is one of the 3 official languages!  Since I'm surrounded by French this season, I find it coming back to me and I'm able to converse with people in very simple sentences.  I'm thinking about taking some classes in the city to continue my improvement.

Every season I try and adapt to my new environment and make sure to pick up essential phrases in the language.  It's amazing how much people appreciate you trying to speak their language - if they see you trying, they'll often respond in English and do their best to help you!

Q: Has the advent of Internet/Skype made being abroad much easier? How often do you talk with friends and teammates?

I don't know what I would do without the Internet.  I couldn't imagine being abroad for seven months at a time without being able to connect/contact family and friends at home.  Even though I feel I adjust well in new places, the idea of being unable to read the paper/news online and checking in with the the familiarity of home would be difficult.  You're on an island when you're away from home and have to become extremely self dependant.  Being able to surf gohuskies.com, and googlenews.com among other things keeps the homesickness at bay.  Whenever I'm in my apartment my Skype is on and I chat with my best friends and family almost everyday.  Skype is a fantastic invention!

Q: How has your game developed overseas? What are you working on during the offseason?

It's funny, I feel like I'm playing my best basketball now.  After all my high school and university years, I've finally become the player I knew I could become.  It just come together.  Obviously in Europe I have a different role than in college and I'm now very confident in my game.  I think the biggest improvement in my skill set has been in my shooting.  I feel I've become a great shooter and it is one of my best weapons, especially when guarded by bigger girls who just assume I don't have a jumper because I'm a forward.

Q: Describe a typical day with your new team in Luxembourg.

I normally get up around 9am, eat breakfast, reply to emails and read the news online.  After that I'm off to the fitness centre to lift and do some cardio for a couple hours.  Soon as that's done I head to a restaurant that provides me with my lunch and relax for a bit.  Since practice isn't until 7pm, I usually spend the rest of the afternoon in the City Centre or play tourist in neighbouring towns.

Q: Describe what it was like to train for and race a triathlon. Is that something you would consider post basketball?

Great question!  I've always wanted to compete in a triathlon and finally did this past summer.  The training was actually quite fun, because it was so different from basketball.  It was nice to step away from bball for a bit and try something else.  I think the toughest part of preparing for the event was the swimming.  I've never swam competitively, so forcing myself to swim lengths at the pool was a challenge - but one I started to enjoy.  Post-basketball I could see myself competing in triathlons every couple months.  I won't be trying to win the event, as completing it and bettering your time is a feat itself!

Q: Having spent so much time over the pond, what is one part of the world you would like to visit and why?

Hmmm...that's a tough one.  There are still so many places I want to see!  I've been fortunate enough that basketball has allowed me to visit various cities and countries around the world.  Right now, high on my list is Greece.  One of my best friends (Lindsey Wilson - Roosevelt High) is playing in Athens this year and I'm hoping I'll be able to visit her.  Other than that, I'd really like to see St. Petersburg, Russia, travel Croatia and eventually explore South America.

Q: How did the blog develop? Do you find it hard to keep it updated with playing ball? 

Prior to playing overseas, I'd always keep a journal when I traveled abroad.  I wrote down things I experienced and wanted to remember.  When I decided to play professionally, I figured it would be a great way to journal while keeping family, friends and family in the loop.  Instead of sending mass emails that often get deleted or sent to junk mail, people could check up on me whenever they had the time.  I actually got the idea from my friend Lindsey (who I mentioned above: http://lindseywilson.blogspot.com/) and I really enjoy posting week to week!  Basketball is my job, but when you're playing overseas there is a lot of down time.  I love writing because it not only allows me to journal my experiences, but keeps me busy off the court.   

Q: What do you see yourself doing post-basketball?

When my basketball career eventually comes to a close, I'd love to be in the media field doing some sort of writing. Whether it's PR, marketing or even writing for a magazine.  I love writing and actually didn't find this passion until I graduated from UW and started my blog.  I hated composing English papers and essays in university, but writing about things I enjoy like travel, sports and certain life experiences are fun.  The response I have had is amazing and I hope that post-basketball I'll be able to continue writing in some way.

For those who know Brandon Roy from his days as a Washington Husky, they should not be surprised to read this story in the Oregonian by Jason Quick stating the he is the Portland Trail Blazers undisputed leader.

Roy was the NBA rookie of the year in 2007 and an All-Star in 2008 and 2009, so the next natural step in the progression is to be the team leader -- which he put on display the other day after a tiring practice.

Roy has built quite a relationship with Portland coach Nate McMillan and serves as the voice of reason between the players and coaches -- all while maintaining respect from both sides.

Quincy Pondexter is the natural to play this role for the current Husky squad and he has been doing an excellent job so far in the leadership position. There are others that have shown they can fill that role, and the one player who in particular you can hear out on the floor during practice barking at his teammates to pick it up, box out or encouraging others has been Isaiah Thomas.

Washington junior All-American Mel Lawrence talked with the Pac-10 last week as part of the conference's Pac-10 Championships preview podcast. Lawrence, the Pac-10 Cross Country runner-up last year   to teammate Kendra Schaaf, will be one of the driving forces behind UW's quest for back-to-back titles on the conference and national level.

Click here to download the podcast which begins with an interview of Stanford men's runner Jake Riley. Lawrence's segment begins right about the 11-minute mark.

The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award® announced today that Washington junior quarterback Jake Locker is one of 15 semifinalists for national quarterback of the year.

A fan vote helps determine the award's finalists.  Husky fans can visit www.VoteObrien.org once a day and keep Jake in the hunt!

Locker, a native of Ferndale, Wash. is the current Pac-10 leader in total offense and has rushed for more career years than any quarterback in Washington football history.  He is listed by many National Football League draft analysts as the top quarterback prospect in college football this season.

The Huskies, under first-year coach Steve Sarkisian, are off this week with a bye but will return to action Nov. 7 with a trip to the Rose Bowl to face UCLA.

For more information and the complete story, along with a list of semifinalists, visit either www.GoHuskies.com or www.daveyobrien.com. 

The Huskies have moved their practice schedule around a little bit today deciding to cancel practice and make up for it with a practice on Thursday evening, previously an off-day. Quincy Pondexter and Lorenzo Romar will be in Los Angeles for Pac-10 Media Day on Thursday, but will be flying home that afternoon.

Both the UW men's and women's golf teams are on the links today participating in tournament on opposite sides of the country.

The men are playing in the second round of the Isleworth Collegiate Invitational outside of Orlando. They are still trying to find their footing and are 14th out of 15 teams. You can follow them live on Golfstat.com by clicking here.

Meanwhile, the women are preparing to tee off for the first round of the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown at Boulder Creek Golf Club.  Junior Anya Alvarez is aiming for her third-straight top-10 finish and is currently ranked 12th in the latest Golfweek individual rankings. Follow the Dawgs from Las Vegas by clicking here.

Husky alum Alex Prugh shot a 2-under par 70 in the third round of the Nationwide Tour Championship and is 4-under-par 212 overall and tied for 20th.

Prugh is 12 strokes behind leader Matt Every, who is tearing up the Daniel Island course in South Carolina. Seven golfers are at 10-under or better.

The top 25 money winners for the season earn their tour card for 2010. Prugh is currently 14th.

Welcome to today's homecoming edition of the GameDay Blawg!  We'll do our best to bring you the sights and sounds of today's 12:30 p.m. Oregon at Washington rivalry game!  So, check back early and often.

Interested in following today's game on television, radio or the Internet, check out this recent blawg entry!  For complete coverage, GoHuskies.com has a ton of pre-game news and analysis.

End of the Third: Washington gave up 21 points in the third quarter and trails 36-6 heading into the final quarter. The Husky Legend today is former All-American offensive lineman Benji Olson.

0:47: Washington catches its first break of the game as Oregon's Kenjon Barner tries to avoid touching the Husky punt, but the ball bounced up and hit him on the right thigh. Donald Butler was right there to pick it up. Washington's ball in Oregon territory on the 28.

2:33: Chris Polk just went over 100 yards for the second time in his career.

3:21: Things just went from bad to worse as Washington's Chris Polk fumbles and Oregon converts it into a touchdown two plays later. It is now Oregon 36-6. The Oregon section is now in full rowdy mode and it looks like the UW will need a miracle to keep Oregon from winning its sixth-straight game in the series.

4:54: Oregon's Jeremiah Masoli completes a 16-yard touchdown pass to D.J. Davis and the Ducks are rolling now -- 29-6.

9:02: Oregon's Cliff Harris picks off a pass intended for Devin Aguliar near the Husky goal line and the Ducks will take over. Today's paid attendance is 67,809.

10:30: Jermaine Kearse made an amazing 47-yard reception but had to be helped off the field afterward. The play came on 3rd-and-18. He went up with a defender draped all over him and managed to haul the Locker pass in.

12:36: Oregon marches into the endzone with ease. Three plays for 53 yards capped by a Jeremiah Masoli 3-yard run. Oregon leads 22-6.

13:26: Washington goes three and out and Oreson will start on the 47.

Second half rolling: Oregon will kick off towards the horse shoe to start the second half.

Halftime: This has been a strange game. Washington trails 15-6 at halftime. Oregon has used several special teams plays to turn the tide in their favor. They have a blocked punt for a TD and kept another drive alive by faking a field goal and running for the first down, which led to their second touchdown. Washington also had a 4th and goal from the 1-yard line and were unable to convert. And then there was the final second of the half (see below)...if this game follows suit to the way the Husky season has unfolded so far, the second half should be one for the ages.

The longest second ever: Washington gained a first down and the clock had apparently expired, but upon further review, one second was put back on the clock. Washington preceeded to call timeout before the snap. Then, Washington ran a play and were apparently sacked, but not so fast...Oregon was called for a personal foul, allowing the ball to be moved up to the 30 and give UW's Erik Folk an opportunity to kick a 47-yard field goal. Before he gets the opportunity, Oregon calls timeout. FINALLY, Folk gets his shot at the field goal and he converts. Total time elapsed, 30 minutes, 20 seconds....ok, that's an exaggeration! Anyways, halftime score of 15-6 in Oregon's favor.

1:13: Washington goes three and out and the Ducks get the ball back, and now Oregon apparently does the same (barring another trick play).

2:22: Oregon converts from one-yard out and takes a 15-3 lead. They have out-witted the UW on several special team occassions to take a stunning 12-point lead. The wind has been knocked out of the crowd's sails and we'll have to see how Washington regroups in the final two minutes.

2:53: Nate Costa makes the second special teams trick play conversion and keeps Oregon's drive alive.

4:12: Oregon completes a third and forever pass play to continue a drive that looked like the Huskies were going to stop.

8:13: Oregon stops Washington on a 4th and goal from the one yardline with a pick in the endzone. Pretty much a disaster in all manners as instead of keeping Oregon on the 1-yard line, they now get the ball out on the 20. Washington is dominating the time of possession and yards (151 to 40) yet are trailing 8-3.

13:07: Oregon's Rory Cavaille blocked the Will Mahan punt and Tyrell Irvin recovers in the endzone for a Ducks' touchdown. Then, they caught Washington off guard and  showed some trickery and convert a two-point conversion. Just like that, Oregon leads 8-3.

End of First: The Dawgs had a huge stop on third down with a group sack and got the ball back right before the end of the first quarter. The Ducks were held scoreless, the first time Washington has held an opponent scoreless through the first quarter of play.

1:28: The Ducks are running a no-huddle offense on their third drive. It has been successful so far as they are having their best drive yet.

3:27: The Huskies' drive stalled and Nick Folk converts a 33-yard field goal and Washington takes the early 3-0 lead. The fans wanted a facemask penalty at the end of the third down sack as Locker had his helmet ripped off. It looked inadvertant, so the refs let it go.

5:18: Nick Wood has to be helped off the field and Mykenna Ikehara replaces him for a third and short. Locker is able to convert the first down! 

6:22: Washington is driving into Ducks territory!

8:17: Washington held Oregon to a three and out on their opening drive. The only other time the UW has held an opponent to a three-and-out on their first drive was against Idaho.

10:43: Each team has had one possession and Washington gained 32 yards and Oregon 12. Oregon will start their second drive on the four yard line after a beautiful Will Mahan punt pinned them deep in their own territory.

14:45 (clock): We're underway here at Husky Stadium. The Huskies won the toss and deferred to the second half. Jeremiah Masoli is in the lineup for the Ducks. The game is not a total sellout, but it is packed and LOUD!

12:06 p.m. - The teams are warming up just 30 minutes prior to kickoff.  Washington is in its traditional purple jerseys with gold pants.  Oregon is wearing black pants, white jerseys and black helmets.  A near capacity crowd is expected today and they are filing into the stadium and The Zone is packed!

Alex Prugh is 28th after two rounds of the Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island, South Carolina. He shot a 4-under 68 on Friday and is 2-under overall.

The event is not only the final one of the season, but the most important one. On Sunday, 25 PGA TOUR cards for 2010 will be awarded to the Nationwide Tour's leading money winners. The leading money winner is fully exempt on the PGA TOUR in 2010 and earns a spot in THE PLAYERS Championship.

The other top-25 money winners are exempt on the PGA TOUR in 2010.

Currently, Prugh is 14th on the money list.

Click here to follow live scoring from South Carolina.

In the second installment of the Dawg Dish on GoHuskies.com, the cameras went behind the scenes of Midnight Madness with Quincy Pondexter. The senior carried a flip camera with himself all day and captured a lot of unique material.

You can check ou the entire show or if you want to watch the segment on just Quincy, click on the links below:

SI.com came out with a list of its 16 most entertaining players to watch list. Isaiah Thomas came in at No. 9.

You can check it out by clicking here.

A chance encounter with an article in The Oregonian this past July has created quite a stir in Portland, Oregon. When Peter Buck (UW '91) read about the Willamette Light Brigade and the opportunity to sponsor the lighting of the Morrison Bridge in any color for a week... this Dawg knew what he had to do! He immediately contacted eight of his friends and asked if they were in on this unique investment opportunity. This is how Husky Heritage Week in Portland began, a 'celebration' of the University of Washington during the week leading up to the Washington vs. Oregon football game on October 24th and the Morrison Bridge twinkling in purple and gold lights.

Here's a great article on the purple pride lights from The Oregonian.

If you want to bathe the bridge in a color scheme of your own, visit the Willamette Light Brigade for more information.

Want to read how fired up the Duck fans are about the bridge? Check out the message board at Duck Sports News.

We hope you wore your purple and gold today, as October 23rd was dubbed "PURPLE AND GOLD DAY" by Governor Gregoire. It's official... Real Dawgs wear PURPLE!

Just like every weekend, there is no shortage of live coverage options to watch the Washington Husky football team when it hosts rival Oregon tomorrow at Husky Stadium (12:30 p.m.).

Most importantly, a few thousand tickets remain available for sale through the Husky Ticket Office by visiting GoHuskies.com or calling (206) 543-2200.  A little more than 65,000 tickets have been sold in advance of the game.

If you aren't able to make the game in person, you can watch the live regional broadcast on ABC-TV.  Here is a coverage map that will help you determine if it is being shown in your area.  If it is not ABC on your your area, you can watch it live on the Internet on ESPN360.com.  The game will also be offered as part of ESPN's Pay-Per-View "Gameplan" package.

In addition to television, there are a number of ways to follow the game on the radio and the Internet. 

As usual, GoHuskies.com has plenty of coverage of Husky football throughout the week. On Saturday, the site will feature a live Gametracker, an in-game Dawg Blawg and Twitter updates throughout the game (@UWSportsNews). After the game, GoHuskies.com will also have a full recap, stats, notes, quotes and photos.

Fans of Bob Rondeau, Elise Woodward and Chuck Nelson will be able to catch the radio broadcast of the game through the Washington ISP Sports Network. Flagship radio station 950 KJR AM will begin its coverage at 8 a.m. and will continue a few hours after the conclusion of the game. Click here for a list of network affiliates throughout the Pacific Northwest. You can also listen to the game live on GoHuskies.com as part of the exclusive Dawg Channel All-Access subscription package.

Also, don't forget you can watch the weekly Huskies All-Access on FSN Northwest today at 12:30, 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

Former Husky runner Zachary Gussin has a couple more good reads on the cross country team. Here he has a notebook-style look back at UW's Pre-National run in Terre Haute including an update on All-American Mel Lawrence.

Also worth a read is a creative description of frontrunning sophomore Kendra Schaaf from last week. The defending Pac-10 Champ has never been entirely comfortable with self-promotion, so Gussin went to her teammates to learn about the real Kendra.

Here is an excerpt:

"Sophomore Kendra Schaaf is often mistaken as timid or shy. Because when you ask the people who know her best, her teammates and coaches, that's one of the only words omitted when they describe her. Granted the assurance of anonymity, the adjectives ranged from "cat-crazy" to "caffeinated," "graphic" to "goofy" and "random" to "ruthless," the last of which was repeated many times. Schaaf embodies all of these attributes and dozens more."

Click here for the wide range of Schaaf descriptors.

The Husky volleyball squad is featured on the latest episode of Runnin' With The Pac, which was on campus last week. Head coach Jim McLaughlin sat down for the cameras as did seniors Tamari Miyashiro and Airial Salvo to talk about the intense competition among the players themselves and the lofty goals the women are aspiring to.

The piece also includes some behind-the-scenes clips that the team shot over the past weekend before facing the L.A. schools.

The segment occurs early on in the episode following a feature on UW quarterback Jake Locker.

There will be several chances to check out the piece on Friday. Runnin' With The Pac airs Friday on FSN Northwest at 2:30 p.m., 5:00 and 5:30 p.m., and finally at 9:30 p.m. Pacific.

The Washington athletic department's 12th Annual Donor Appreciation Scholarship Luncheon is scheduled for Tuesday, October 27 at 12:30 p.m. in the Don James Center at Husky Stadium.

Several UW coaches, staff and student-athletes will be in attendance to help show their appreciation to the scholarship donors who provide financial gifts that help secure the future of Husky athletics. 

If you are an an endowed scholarship donor, please RSVP to LaGayle Sosnowy at (206) 616-0475.

Washington State Governor and UW alumna Chris Gregoire has proclaimed Friday, Oct. 23, 2009, to be "Purple and Gold Day" in the Evergreen State.

"The University of Washington has a rich history of academic excellence, groundbreaking research, winning athletics, and life-changing innovation," the proclamation reads. "I urge all citizens to don purple and gold in honor of this world-class institution."

Gregoire, a 1971 UW graduate, has issued "Purple and Gold Day" proclamations each of the last three years. That's Friday, October 23, 2009. Wear your UW colors!

See the Purple & Gold Day Toolkit if you want to help spread the word!

With only one home meet at the start of the season, it can be hard for local fans to catch a glimpse of the fast-moving Husky cross country teams. Luckily, Flotrack.org provides some great race coverage throughout the year, and they were out at the Pre-National Meet in Terre Haute, Indiana this past Saturday.

The No. 1-ranked Husky women rolled to the victory, their ninth in a row, and the 13th-ranked UW men placed fifth out of a field of 34 D-I teams.

Click here for the women's race footage and here for the men's race.

Q13 News ran its feature on Husky volleyball senior Jill Collymore last night. Jill showed off her piano dexterity for the local news station last week up in UW's Music Building.

Check out the clip here. 

Husky fans be sure to be glued to your TV sets with the volume cranked up to 11 tonight as senior Jill Collymore will be featured on the Q13 News sportscast, showing off some of her wonderful talents on the piano.

Collymore and Q13 sports anchor Aaron Levine headed up to a practice room in the Music Building on the UW campus last week and Jill laid down several beautiful excerpts, by memory no less, of some her favorite classical pieces. Levine and Collymore then talked about her history with music and ways the discipline can carry over to the volleyball court.

The Q13 News broadcast runs from 10-11 p.m. tonight on Channel 13, but if you've got an early bedtime, the broadcast is also carried on Channel 10 in the Seattle area from 9-10 p.m. Expect the Collymore feature to be around the last 10 minutes of each airing.

After the episode is aired, we will try to provide a link to the clip online as well.

A production crew from Intersport Television was in town today filming a few interviews and practice video for a special called "The Best of College Football 2009" that will feature a segment on Washington's thrilling victory over USC earlier this season. 

The show is currently scheduled to air on CBS-TV on Friday, Nov. 27 at 10:30 a.m. (Pacific), immediately prior to the network's coverage of Alabama at Auburn.

Producer Tom Sandak spoke with Steve Sarkisian after his weekly press conference.  He also talked with quarterback Jake Locker (pictured) and Donald Butler, two players who figured prominently in Washington's 16-13 victory in Husky Stadium.  UW sophomore kicker Erik Folk nailed a 22-yard field goal with just :03 seconds left on the clock to secure the win - which was especially satisfying considering the close ties between the two team's coaching staffs.

The Husky men's basketball team will be holding walk-on tryouts this Thursday, Oct. 22 at 6:00 pm at Bank of America Arena. The tryouts are open to full-time students at the University of Washington and potential walk ons must have  an updated physical from within the last six months. Candidates must turn in their physical prior to tryouts to the Men's Basketball office. If you have questions, contact Trevor Wade at 206-446-8629.

Here is some news from outside sources:

--GoHuskies.com has a Q&A with Venoy Overton.

--CBSSportsline's Gary Parrish ranks his top point guards and Isaiah Thomas comes in at No. 9 on the list. His teammate Abdul Gaddy is not far behind him, appearing No. 13.

--The Sacramento Bee has an entertaining piece on Jon Brockman and the competition among Kings' players to have the most Twitter followers.

--Todd Dybas of the Seattle P-I.com had a chance to catch up with ESPN's Steve Lavin while he was in town. He had a conversatition that ran on their website in two parts. Here they are: Part I | Part 2

--The UW Daily had some great video of Friday's dunk contest.

Senior Quincy Pondexter would someday like to pursue a career in sports broadcasting and this past Friday's Midnight Madness gave him ample opportunities to be exposed to ESPN and all the glitz and glamour that surrounds having the broadcasting giant in the house.

Early in the evening, Pondexter invited himself into the ESPN TV trucks outside of Bank of America arena, with his flip cam in tow. He joked around with the hardworking-crew inside the truck as they prepared for the night's show. The group, led by producer Jeff Dufine, seemed to enjoy the interest that Pondexter showed and took him on a tour of the cramped quarters.

Pondexter then sought out former UCLA coach and current ESPN broadcaster Steve Lavin. He had wanted to meet up with the former coach to turn the tables and interview him. It turned into a great 3 1/2 minute segment that had Pondexter and Lavin joking with each other and then coach Lorenzo Romar.

Lavin suggested that maybe if he had recruited Pondexter out of Fresno, he still might be working at Westwood. He also heaped praise on Pondexter and said that he has a lot of basketball in his future and will have to put his broadcasting future on hold until his NBA playing days are over.

Click below to watch the interview in the entirety:

The Washington Husky football team begins the second half to its season tonight with a 7 p.m. kickoff at Arizona State (TV: FSN).  The Dawgs enter the game with a 3-3 record against one of the nation's most daunting schedules and has a 2-1 Pac-10 record.  Arizona State is 3-2 overall and 1-1 in league play.

For a complete menu of live coverage options for tonight's game, visit this recent Dawg Blawg entry that outlines all your options.

Headed Down To Post-Game Duties:  Postgame responsibilities mean the end of tonight's ongoing game blawg.  With 10:51 left in the 4th quarter, UW is down 17-14.  Check GoHuskies.com for live stats, post-game recap, a photo gallery, notes, quotes and more.

Aguilar Having Solid Night:  With 2:30 left in the 3rd period, receiver Devin Aguilar caught his sixth pass for 133 yards, both career highs.  So, anything he does for here on out will add to his best single-game total of his career.

Husky "D" Stiffens In Red Zone:  After Sun Devil running back Cameron Marshall rambled for 75 yards early in the 3rd period - the longest for a Sun Devil in two years - The Dawgs then stiffened up inside the 20 yard line and held Arizona State to just a 24-yard field goal.  ASU has had the ball inside the 20 on four occasions tonight and has ended-up with one TD and one FG. 

Second Half Starts A Little Different Too:  After holding the Sun Devils on 3rd down, Mason Foster was flagged for a helmet-to-helmet it on the ASU reserve quarterback, who had just entered the game to run an option play.  The UW sideline was also flagged for a personal foul/unsportsmanlike conduct penalty - resulting in a 30-yard penalty.  The Dawgs then stopped the Sun Devils and ASU kicker Thomas Weber missed a 42-yard field goal attempt.

First Half Photo Gallery:  Thanks to the efforts of the folks working with CoachSark.com, we have posted a photo gallery of images from the first half of play.  The editors at CBS College Sports will add Associated Press photos from the game upon its conclusion.

Chaotic End To The First Half:  In an ending that could only be described as chaotic, the Huskies drove the ball down the field, starting at its own 20 yard line, following an ASU catch and fumble through the end zone.  A series of penalties, timeouts and timing errors, Erik Folk lined up for a 48-yard field goal.  He connected on his first attempt, during which official whistles blew and flags flew.  The referee explained there was no penalty, however ASU had called a timeout.  When the teams returned to the field, Folk lined up and the Sun Devils called another timeout.  Finally, he attempted the field goal and missed it wide left.

Penalties The First Half Story (2Q, 1:20, 7-14:  The two teams combined for 16 penalties for 149 yards in the first half.  ASU registered eight penalties for 84 yards, while Washington was flagged eight times for 65 yards.

Trick Play Sun Devils (2Q, 14:44, 7-14):  The Sun Devils ran a double-reverse flea-flicker with 14:51 left in the 2nd period that resulted in a 32-yard touchdown to give ASU a 14-7 lead.  The play was the second double-reverse of the game for ASU.

Starting Defense:  Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, Alameda Ta'amu, Cameron Elisara, Darrion Jones, Mason Foster, Donald Butler, E.J. Savannah, Adam Long, Nate Williams, Victor Aiyewa, Desmond Trufant.

Locker Moving Up UW Rushing Charts:  Jake Locker entered tonight's game needing around 300 yards to catch Junior Coffey (1962-64) for 16th on the school's all-time rushing list.  He is the Dawgs' all-time leading rushing quarterback.

Mahan Debuts New Punting Style:  With 7:00 left in the 1st period, junior punter Will Mahan came on to punt for the Dawgs and displayed a new "rugby" style sidewinding punting technique.  He blasted the ball downfield for 59 yards, where ASU's returned briefly fumbled it before gathering himself.  An illegal block in teh back penalty pushed the ball back to the ASU 4 yard line.

Opportunistic Huskies (1Q, 12:28, 7-0):  On the play preceeding Jake Locker's 49-yard TD pass to Devin Aguilar, Locker's third down pass attempt was knocked down at the line of scrimmage.  However, an ASU defender connected on a late hit on Locker, giving the Dawgs a first down on the ASU 49-yard line.  On the next play, the Husky duo connected on the longest passing TD of the season for Washington this year.  A total of 64 of Washington's 65 yards of offense on that opening drive were through the air.

Starting Offense:  Jake Locker, James Johnson, Devin Aguilar, Kearse, Chris Polk, Kavario Middleton, Cody Habben, Senio Kelemete, Ryan Tolar, Nick Wood and Ben Ossai.

Pregame Captains:  Fred Wiggs and Chris Polk joined Jake Locker, Ryan Tolar, Daniel Te'o-Nesheim and Donald Butler as captains for tonight's game.  ASU won the coin toss and elected to defer its decision to the second half.  Washington will receive and defend the South end of the field.

Pregame Weather:  The temperature is 91 degrees with no humidity and clear skies.

Trivia Question:  Which of Washington's 2009 opponents is the first to become bowl-eligible?

Trivia Answer:  Idaho defeated Hawai'i 35-32 today to move to 6-1 on the sesaon.

Pregame: 38:00 left on the countdown clock

A quick reminder, you can watch tonight's game live on FSN with Barry Tompkins, Petros Papadakis and Michael Eaves describing the action.  If you can't catch the telecast, you can check out the live Gametracker (free) and listen to Bob Rondeau, Chuck Nelson and Elise Woodward (subscription required) on GoHuskies.com or you can listen to the radio through the Washington ISP Sports Network and Seattle-based flagship station 950 KJR AM.

Pregame:  84:03 left on the countdown clock

A few fans starting to file into Sun Devil Stadium for tonight's game against the Dawgs.  There are a few hundred students already in the stands and the tailgaters gave the Washington team buses a very "welcoming" reception as they arrived.  The team is starting to come out onto the field for warm-ups.  Looks like Washington will be wearing the white jerseys and white pants again tonight.

Approximately 6,000 fans were treated to quite a show at Bank of America Arena on Friday night. For a recap of events from GoHuskies.com, click here. And make sure you check out the photo gallery courtesy of Max Waugh. There are some great shots of the dunk contest there and he did a nice sequence of shots from Isaiah Thomas' winning slam.

Here are some viewpoints and other article from the newspapers around Seattle:

• The Seattle Times' Percy Allen focuses on the scrimmage in his recap and has comments from several of the players, including C.J. Wilcox saying that this is why he came to Washington. Also here are some more recent Seattle Times stories:

Husky fans think UW basketball primed for super season
Jerry Brewer: Huskies' Quincy Pondexter has grown into leadership role
Washington men's basketball team long on confidence

• The Tacoma News Tribune writes that although Friday was fun, the real work starts tomorrow. Here are some more stories from the newspaper leading up to the event:

Hopes run high for Husky hoops

• The Everett herald writes that the UW men will play basketball with different focal point this season.

The Huskies spent Friday in Terre Haute, Indiana testing out the LaVern Gibson Championship Course to get prepped for Saturday morning's Pre-National Meet. Flotrack.org was out at the course as well today, as it will be providing a live stream from the race. The Flotrack folks got to spend some time with the UW women's team and Coach Metcalf on a very momentous day for him.

Here are some videos courtesy of Flotrack:

Head Coach Greg Metcalf gives his take on the year thus far.

Senior Katie Follett talks about the season.

Sophomore Kendra Schaaf pre-race.

Lastly, Coach Metcalf gets serenaded and UW trainer John Jackson sets some big goals...

At the start of the practice jog, and at the finish.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Husky women's golf head coach Mary Lou Mulflur will be inducted into the Grant High School (Portland, Ore.) hall of fame on Monday.

The Porland-area school is honoring 53 former athletes and 10 former coaches in the inaugural event. Mulflur is one of several speakers for the event. Former NBA basketball player Terrell Brandon will also be inducted into the school's hall of fame and be a featured speaker.

The public is invited to this free event. The school is located at Northeast 36th Avenue and Thompson Street in Portland.

While attending Grant, Mulflur won state high school titles in 1974 and 1975. She also won the 1975 Oregon junior championship. Mulflur won Southern Oregon titles in 1980, 1982, 1995 and 1997 as well as the Oregon Coast Invitational in 1979, 1982, and 1990. Mulflur has competed in five United States Golf Association events - The U.S. Open in 1979 and 1980 and the U.S. Amateur in 1979, 1980 and 1982. In addition she competed in four National Collegiate Championships.

Mulflur, regarded as one of the most successful golfers to come out of the UW, came to Washington in 1976 and was one of the first female athletes to receive a scholarship at Washington.

During her collegiate career Mulflur won three regular-season tournaments, including the inaugural Ihlanfeldt Invitational in 1980. To date, Kamimura is the only Husky golfer with more career wins than Mulflur.

Mulflur is entering her 27th season as the head coach at the University of Washington.

Here are some important details about Midnight Madness which hopefully can help make your plans for the evening easier:

 • Students are encouraged to come extra early to guarantee a seat in the Dawg Pack. The volleyball team plays UCLA at 6pm, so if you are a student and expect a prime seat, you better plan on attending the volleyball game (admission free to students). Besides, the 4th-ranked UW volleyball team rocks and puts on the best show on the hardwood in town!

 • The scheduled time of Midnight Madness to start is 7:45pm, depending on the length of the UW volleyball match. Doors open for those in the general public who wish to attend for free at 7:15. Again, fans are encouraged to guarantee the best seats in the house by purchasing a ticket to Volleyball. Reserved seats are $9 and general admission seats are $6 for adults, $4 for youths and senior citizens.

• For those who cannot attend, ESPNU will be telecasting the Midnight Madness at nine different locations from 6-10 pm PT. ESPN2 will also simulcast from 8:30-9 PT. Steve Physioc and Steve Lavin will be the commentators in Washington. The Washington site will not be carried in it's entirety. ESPNU will provide whip-around coverage from all the different sites throughout the evening.

• The events scheduled to happen are: dunk contest, three-point contest, team skit, student contests and a scrimmage. Members of the audience will be asked to participate, so bring your enthusiasm and Husky spirit!

• The entire event should last about 75 minutes. Afterwards, the team will mingle in the crowd and sign autographs...so plan accordingly! 

There is no shortage of ways to follow the Washington Husky football team this week, thanks to the UW's partnerships with FSN Northwest, CBS College Sports and ISP Sports. 

Let's start with television.  Tonight at 7 p.m. (PT), FSN Northwest will debut this week's episode of Huskies All-Access.  The show will take a quick look back at the "Immaculate Interception" by Mason Foster that gave UW an unbelievable win over Arizona last weekend.  It will also feature a look ahead to Saturday's game at Arizona State as well as an insider's view with Coach Steve Sarkisian and Husky players.  The show will also be replayed at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m tonight, at 12:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday), 12:30 p.m., 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday.

Speaking of Saturday's game at ASU, FSN will carry the game live nationally in high definition, beginning at 7:15 p.m. FSN Northwest is planning to replay the game Monday at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.

As usual, GoHuskies.com has plenty of coverage of Husky football throughout the week.  On Saturday, the site will feature a live Gametracker, an in-game Dawg Blawg and Twitter updates throughout the game (@UWSportsNews).  After the game, GoHuskies.com will also have a full recap, stats, notes, quotes and photos.

Fans of Bob Rondeau, Elise Woodward and Chuck Nelson will be able to catch the radio broadcast of the game through the Washington ISP Sports Network.  Flagship radio station 950 KJR AM will begin its coverage at 2:30 p.m. and will continue a few hours after the conclusion of the game.  Click here for a list of network affiliates throughout the Pacific Northwest.  You can also listen to the game live on GoHuskies.com as part of the exclusive Dawg Channel All-Access subscription package.

Washington dropped one spot from second to third in the latest Golf World / Nike Coaches Poll. Oklahoma State remains first, followed by Arizona State, which leap-frogged the Huskies despite finishing behind the UW at the PING/Golfweek Invitational.

Washington garnered 503 points, 28 behind ASU and 70 behind Oklahoma State. The Cowboys received 21 first-place votes, while the Sun Devils and Florida State each received one first-place vote.

Here's a look at the top 10:

1. Oklahoma State, (21) 573
2. Arizona State, (1) 531
3. Washington, 503
4. Florida State, (1) 457
5. Stanford, 440
6. Illinois, 413
7. Tennessee, 398
8. Florida, 380
9. USC, 350
10. Texas, 306

CBS College Sports recently sent its website partners a network ranking of various web traffic metrics for the month of September - items such as page views, unique visitors, online store revenue and All-Access subscriptions.

GoHuskies.com continues to set site records in nearly every area.  And, for the first time in recent history, ranks among CBS's top-10 properties in terms of user interaction. 

GoHuskies.com attracted approximately 469,000 unique users to the site during the month and served 3.1 million page views during that time.  The page view total ranked 10th among CBS' 216 partners, while the unique visitor total rated 12th.  Both totals also rank as single-month records for the site.

The site's traffic ranked ahead of school such as Texas A&M, Auburn, Florida State, Miami, Michigan State and a host of others.

"GoHuskies.com traffic really blew up last month," said Eric Foote, CBS' senior director of national university sales.  "Clearly the improvement of the football team and the enthusiasm for Coach Sark has played a major role in the increase.  But, there is also a great deal of compelling content on the site that fans of the Huskies and other casual viewers find interesting."

The Husky Team Shop also had a great month, ranking sixth on the network in online sales - finished just one spot behind USC and ahead of Auburn, Penn State, Kansas and North Carolina among others.  CBS operates 161 different online stores.

The Husky women's golf team is heading to the Stanford Intercollegiate, which starts on Friday and runs through Sunday. We'll have more details later, but here are the early nuts and bolts:

 For Stanford our lineup is:

1. Anya Alvarez
2. Molly Aronsson
3. Sadena Parks
4. Darcie Richmond
5. Brittany Tallman

The field is as follows:

1. Stanford
2. Arizona
3. ASU
4. Cal
5. Denver
6. Hawaii
7. Oklahoma State
8. San Jose State
9. USC
10. Texas
11. UCLA
12. UNLV
13. San Francisco
14. Vanderbilt
15. Washington

Our first round starts at 8:30 Friday and we are paired with Denver and Vanderbilt.

Olympic filmmaker Bud Greenspan will provide his signature style of storytelling to the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, and fans of the crew program at Washington - and rowing in general - should tune in.

On Monday, Oct. 19, Showtime will debut Bud Greenspan Presents: Beijing 2008 - America's Olympic Glory at 7 p.m. PST. The film is the 12^th in the series, which features behind-the-scenes interviews with the participating athletes.

Included in the two-hour piece will be a section devoted to the gold-medal winning women's eight in Beijing, the first for the United States since the 1984 Olympics. Two former Huskies are prominently featured. Mary Whipple coxed the wire-to-wire winning boat, while Anna (Mickelson) Cummins rowed in five seat.

"We're proud our story will be told for the American public," said Whipple. "Rowing is not a mainstream sport, and I believe this documentary captured the essence of the dedication it took to achieve something this great in the sport of rowing. I'm proud to be able to share the experience with our supporters."

Other notables in the documentary will be stories on American swimmer Jason Lezak, as well as American gymnast Nastia Liukin, both of whom won Gold Medals in Beijing.

The Oregon at Washington football game, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 24 at Husky Stadium, has been set for a 12:30 p.m. kickoff and will be televised live regionally by ABC-TV.

The telecast, which is slated as Washington's homecoming, keeps alive the Huskies' streak of live television appearances.  The UW has played 32-straight games on live television, heading into this weekend's contest at Arizona State. 

Saturday's game in Tempe, Ariz. will be televised live by FSN beginning at 7:15 p.m. (PT). 

Washington has appeared on five networks this season - ESPN (LSU), ABC (USC, Oregon), FSN (Idaho, Arizona, Arizona State), Fox College Sports (Stanford) and NBC (Notre Dame).

Tickets for the Oregon game are available by visiting GoHuskies.com or calling the Husky Ticket Office at (206) 543-2200.

Follow the activities from in and around Husky Stadium before and during the UW-Arizona football game. We'll provide updates throughout the day, so make sure to keep checking back on GoHuskies.com.

• Pre-Game Photo Gallery
• Listen To Game Live (subscription required) | Gametracker

AMAZING FINISH! The Huskies definitely pulled one out from nowhere. If you want to see Steve Sarkisian's post-game reaction, stay tuned for his press conference live on GoHuskies.com. Click here to watch!

8:30: I have to start my post-game duties and will not be able to update the Blawg for awhile. Tune into Gametracker to follow along live.

11:00: The Huskies looked like they might have the start to a nice drive, but stalled and were forced to punt. You can bet Arizona will try to milk the clock and shorten this game up, leading by 11 with not a ton of time remaining.

13:02: Chris Polk made his first big play on offense of the day gaining 17 yards on a first down carry. He has 34 yards on the day.

13:20: Arizona extended its lead to 30-21 on a 29-yard Alex Zendejas field goal. Zendejas has three field goals on the day. Washington needs another quick drive that finds them in the endzone.

End of 3rd Quarter: A disastorous third quarter finds the Huskies on their heels and searching for answers. Arizona quarterback Nick Foles is methodically picking apart the Husky defense and has his team on the doorstep for more points. Washington needs a turnover badly! They have seemingly not caught a break the entire game.

Joe Jarzynka was honored as the Husky Legend. Always a fan favorite and sporting long golden locks, Jarzynka now has a shaved head, but his young daughter is upholding the long blonde hair look!

2:04: The Huskies struck back quickly in just two plays. Locker ran for 10 yards and that was followed by a 29-yard Locker to Aguilar strike, the second time the pair hooked up during the game. It is now Arizona 27, Washington 21 and there is renewed life inside of Husky Stadium.

2:55: Arizona has taken it to the Huskies here in the third quarter. The UW offense has had two three and outs, while Arizona has poured on 17 points in three possessions. The wheels have fallen off the wagon for the UW and they will need to pick it up pretty quickly or they're going to find themselves in too big of a hole to dig out of. They have made numerous mental and physical mistakes that have left the fans stunned. LET'S GO DAWGS! Arizona leads 27-14.

9:31: All things considered, the Huskies got off easy. Arizona had to settle for a 23-yard field goal after starting with the ball on the 9-yard line. The crowd is pretty quiet right now and the Huskies need to give them something to cheer about. The score is now Arizona 20, Washington 13.

10:36: The Huskies are not having the kind of start they envisioned for the second half. The UW offense went three-and-out and then punter Will Mahan dropped the long snap and tried to force a punt. Instead, he was called for an illegal kick and Arizona got the ball on the UW nine yard line.

11:49: Arizona regained the lead after marching down the field in 11 plays and scoring on an 11-yard Nick Foles to David Roberts pass. The Wildcats now lead 17-14.

Start of the Second Half: An interesting start indeed. Arizona returned the kick off 48 yards to get immediately in Washington territory. The Wildcats then were forced to burn a timeout before they even got off their first play.

Halftime report: The first half was a pretty even affair. Washington has the 14-10 lead despite being outgained 200 to 171 total yards and having the ball 5 minutes and 10-seconds less than the Wildcats. Take away Locker's 56-yard run and the discrepancy between yards is even greater.

Arizona appears to have a pretty special quarterback in Nick Foles. He has completed 16 of 22 passes for 160 yards. He has a great presence in the pocket and is not afraid to wait for his checkdown receivers to get open.

The second half should be an exciting one! Go Dawgs.

Halftime Entertainment: The IRA Champion Washington Husky crew team is being recognized at halftime. The incredible video of the finish from the Varsity-8 race was shown on the HuskyTron and drew cheers and from the fans. It was like we were watching the race live again.

After that, about 1,000 cheerleaders from around Washington high schools took the field in what is being called Husky Cheerleader Day.

0:31: Husky offensive guard Gregory Christine has an apparent right leg injury that has halted the game for several minutes and forced him to leave via a cart.

0:45: The Huskies made an excellent goal-line stand from the 3-inch line -- which is especially welcome after the Huskies were stopped twice at Notre Dame last week from their own goal line. They take over with less than a minute left in the first half.

3:30: The Arizona offense is exposing the Husky defense in the middle of the field a lot. It seems like most of their big plays come across the middle. Right now, Arizona quarterback Nick Foles is 14-of-19 passing for 147 yards. 

6:30: The Huskies took the 14-10 lead after an 8-play, 75-yard drive that was capped by a 5-yard touchdown pass on play action from Locker to Devin Aguilar. It was the first career TD of Aguilar's career.

9:47: The defenses for both teams held each other on alternating possessions and the fans got to see their first punting action of the game.

Start of 2nd Quarter: Time expired right as Arizona's Alex Zendejas was preparing to kick a chip-shot field goal. The Husky defense made an excellent stand that started as a first-and-goal from the three-yard line. They only managed two yards after that. Zendejas converted the attempt from 18-yards. It was a 9-play, 68 yard possession that consumed 4:51 of the clock. UA 10, UW 7.

4:55: Jake Locker just added one to his highlight reel. In probably one of the most electrifying runs in quite some time, Locker ducked under an apparent sack and took off on third down. He made a couple would-be tacklers miss before finding clear sailing 56-yards down into the endzone. The score is now 7-7.

5:41: Demetrious Bronson gained three yards on second down, his first career carry.

5:50: A fumble or not a fumble? That is the question. It will be a close call as Jordan Polk took a screen pass from Jake Locker and may never had possession of the ball before having it knocked out of his hands. The officials reviewed the ball and it was determined that Polk never had control of the ball. So, all Arizona's Devin Ross gets credited for is a pass breakup and not a fumble caused.

6:51: A 12-yard touchdown run by Greg Nwoko gives Arizona the 7-0 lead. The Huskies had Arizona stopped on a third down, but a late hit on the play gave the Wildcats new life. Arizona marched right down the field and and made the Huskies pay in the form of a touchdown. It is only the second time this season the opponent has scored after a Washington turnover.

10:27: An interception by Arizona's Robert Golden stopped the Huskies right in their tracks as they were marching down the field. Jake Locker's pass went off the hands of Jermaine Kearse and took a nice bounce right into Golden's mitts. Nathan Fellner is making the start at free safety for the Dawgs.

Kickoff: The Huskies have Chris Polk and true freshman walk-on running back Cole Sager deep to receive the kickoff.

7:16 pm: The band just completed the National Anthem. We're just minutes away from kickoff!

6:55 pm: A couple of Huskies are officially out: safety Nate Williams, running back Johri Fogerson and wide receiver D'Andre Goodwin are all in street clothes. Fogerson has been sick with the flu the entire week, while Goodwin and Fogerson each suffered concusions against Notre Dame last week.

6:15 pm: There are 68 minutes on the clock inside Husky Stadium and on the field, the Husky special teams and quarterbacks are warming up -- as are the Wildcats.

5:00 pm: Made the rounds from the E-1 parking lot at Husky Stadium. At 3:00 pm the lot was already starting to fill up and fans were in full tailgating force. There were many unique motorhomes and cars in the parking lot, plus a lot of fun games being played around the lot. It was definitely a festive mood. The Husky fans will surely be in a festive mood once gametime rolls around.

The Dawg Dish, a unique, insider's look at Husky Athletics debuted today on GoHuskies.com. The show is hosted by former UW quarterback Johnny Durocher and provides viewers a different perspective on the lives and activities of Husky athletic teams, coaches and student-athletes.

The show is edited and produced by UW senior Maks Goldenshteyn under the direction of the athletic department's creative communications manager, Ebbie Thomas.

The first episode features men's basketball standout MBA, the 2009 women's softball NCAA national champions and women's soccer All-America candidate Veronica Perez. The Dawg Dish is available for free viewing via Dawg Channel All-Access.

Check it out now!

With the recent news of future football schedule changes by the Washington Husky athletic department, we thought it would be a good idea to list the Dawgs' current contracted non-conference opponents for the next several years.

With the Pac-10's round-robin scheduling that provides nine league games for each opponent, that leaves the 12-game schedule open for three non-conference games each year. The exception is the 2013 season in which the Huskies travel to Hawai'i and will receive a 13th game.

Remember these dates and opponents are always somewhat tentative and subject to change.

2010 (12 games)
Sept. 4 at BYU
Sept. 11 vs. Syracuse
Sept. 18 vs. Nebraska

2011 (12 games)
Sept. 3 vs. Eastern Washington
Sept. 10 vs. Hawai'i
Sept. 17 at Nebraska

2012 (12 games)
Sept. 1 OPEN
Sept. 8 vs. Nevada
Sept. 29 at LSU

2013 (13 games)
Sept. 14 at Illinois
Dec. 7 at Hawai'i

2014 (12 games)
Sept. 13 vs. Illinois

2015 (12 games)
Sept. 12 at Colorado
Sept. 19 vs. Hawai'i

2016 (12 games)
Sept. 10 vs. Colorado

2017 (12 games)
Sept. 2 at Wisconsin

2018 (12 games)
Sept. 1 vs. Wisconsin

Melissa Beal

Tina (Thompson) Bohlinger

Erin (Ash) Bowser

Katey (Ward) Briere

Katie Buser

Angie Crivello

Shannon Dillon

Erin Foley

Nikki Gamble

Katie Halll

Wendy (Jenkins) Hanna

Suzann (Culpepper) Hart

Melanie (Brennan) Jackson

Jeannine Jensen

Cathy (Roe) Johnson

Dana Kimble

Allison May

Diana McMillen

Nikki (Smith) Nease

Nicole (Martinez) Paus

Kelsey Rasmussen

Terry (Gleason) Richardson

Jenna Robison

Adrienne (Sellers) Rosenblaum

Kelley Schweighart

Lizzy Showman

Hope Solo

Megan (McKinstry) Sussman

Erin (Mayovski) Swanson

Melinda Torre

Shaela Ward

Jana Wilson

Fans of the Washington crew program will want to be in attendance at Saturday's football against Arizona (7:00 p.m.) at Husky Stadium.

The rowers will be recognized at halftime of the game for winning the 2009 IRA National Championship in the varsity eight, the second varsity eight, the freshman eight and the open four, as well as the Ten Eyck Trophy for team points.

Also, swing by The Zone where members of the team and coach Michael Callahan will be live on-air with Dave "Softy" Mahler at 5:30 p.m. Softy will then introduce the team during a tailgate at The Zone at 6 p.m.

Crew coaches will also provide periodic updates of the experience on the team's Twitter page.

Tickets are still available for the game with the Husky Ticket Office at 206-543-2200. We also put up a primer to get fans ready for Saturday's game.

The Washington Husky football team (2-3, 1-1 Pac-10 hosts the University of Arizona (3-1, 1-0) in a Pac-10 contest tomorrow night at 7 p.m. in Husky Stadium.  Tickets remain available either online at GoHuskies.com or by calling (206) 543-2200.  They will also be available at the Husky Stadium ticket office on game day.

The game will be televised live by FSN Northwest & FS Arizona with Tom Glasgow, Mack Strong, Jen Mueller and Jason Stiles describing the action.  The telecast is also scheduled to be carried live nationally on Fox College Sports Pacific.

As it does for every Husky football game, the Washington ISP Sports Network will begin its live coverage at 5 p.m. with a one-hour "Husky Gameday" show before Bob Rondeau, Chuck Nelson and Elise Woodward take over for the one-hour "Husky Pregame" show live from the Husky Stadium Press Box.  For an hour after the game, the trio will provide analysis and interviews with Coach Steve Sarkisian and UW players.

Husky flagship radio station 950 KJR AM will begin its Game Day coverage at 2:30 p.m. with "Pac-10 Today on Husky Game Day).  At 3:30 p.m., Dave Mahler, Dick Baird and Hugh Millen take to the airwaves with the 90-minute "Husky Tailgate Show," live from The Zone - the UW's pregame tailgate event located at the East Practice Field adjacent to Husky Stadium.  After the game, the trio will come back on the air for analysis and listener calls.

Speaking of The Zone - the new pregame event is scheduled to open at 4 p.m. and will feature music, food, beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and various games and activities.

If you can't make the game, there are a variety of online ways to keep up with the Dawgs.  The radio broadcast will be available live via the Dawg Channel All-Access on GoHuskies.com (subscription required).  The site will also have a live statistical Gametracker as well as a running Game Day Blawg, photo galleries, post-game statistics, notes, quotes and a full recap.  During the game, the athletic communications staff will also provide periodic updates via its Twitter page (@UWSportsNews).

There will be a replay of the game on FSN Northwest on Monday at 7 p.m.  And, you can check out the weekly Huskies All-Access today (12:30, 8:00 & 8:30 p.m.) or tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.

On Sept. 29, an 8.0 earthquake generated a tsunami that struck the islands of Samoa and American Samoa, killing and severely injuring hundreds, sweeping away whole communities and destroying or badly damaging infrastructure.

Through the efforts of the Tuiasosopo family, representatives of World Vision have put together a Tsunami Disaster Relief Effort for Samoa.  This group will be outside Husky Stadium this Saturday evening at the Arizona at Washington football game collecting donations.

The Tuiasosopo family and others are urging Husky fans to "Fill the Helmet" to help traumatized children and families receive much-needed supplies like clothing, personal hygiene items and medical assistance.  With schools, businesses and villages completely distroyed and thousands of people living in tents, recovery will be a long process and assistance of any amount is greatly appreciated.

100 percent of the donations received will go to Tsunami Disaster Relief.  World Vision is a Christian humanitarian charity organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities.

Director Brad McDavid stopped by to let us know the Husky Band will be performing at Friday's Mount Vernon versus Burlington-Edison high school game at Roland Kirkby Field in Burlington, Wash.  The band will perform during pre-game and halftime.  The pre-game show is expected to start around 6:30 p.m.

The football field at Burlington-Edison High School is named after former University of Washington running back Roland Kirkby - a three-year letterwinner (1948, '49 & '50) and an honorable mention All-America selection in 1950.  He set a school record as a senior with three touchdown catches against Kansas State and shared the UW backfield with All-Americans Hugh McElhenny and Don Heinrich.

When Lance Ringler and crew came to town for the PING/Golfweek Invitational last month they expected to see all the competition happen on the golf course... little did they know that these collegiate athletes would compete to win no matter what the game. Check out this cool video of the 'other' tournaments played at Gold Mountain during the weekend!

Interested in watching a replay of last weekend's epic Washington at Notre Dame football game?  Well, you are in luck.

Universal HD, a cable channel owned and operated by NBC, will be replaying the game in its entirety at 5 p.m. (Pacific) today.

Check your local cable lineup to find out if you have Universal HD and where on your listings the channel is located (It appears to be located on channel 660 on Comcast in the state of Washington).

If you go to the front page of the college basketball section on SI.com you will find Isaiah Thomas leading the page right now. He conducted a Q&A interview with Luke Winn yesterday and here it is today. 

Isaiah can be found on numerous college basketball preview covers. Visit your local Barnes and Noble, or if you're in the U-Village area, you can also get three different college basketball preview magazines at their news stands.

It's Game Day in South Bend, Ind. with the Washington Huskies traveling to face the unranked Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.  The game kicks off at 12;30 p.m. and will be televised live by NBC-TV.  For more coverage information on how to follow the game live, click here.

We'll be blawging throughout the game right here, so keep refreshing your screen to get the latest inside information on the Dawgs!

Check out this photo gallery that features shots from when the team arrived at Notre Dame stadium, on the field before the game and some action from the first half!

Heading To The Field (3:36 p.m., 24-22)

Postgame duties require we head to the field.  Keep in tune to GoHuskies.com for final recap, stats, photos and more.

Notre Dame Record-Setting Field Goals (3:31 p.m., 24-22)

Notre Dame's Nick Tausch connected on a 24-yard field goal with 12:23 left in the game, marking the Irish's fifth of the game.  That ties the Notre Dame all-time record and is the second-most ever for a Husky opponent (the record is six by Alexis Serna of Oregon State in 2005).  Washington has held Notre Dame to 2-for-10 on third down conversions.

After Three Quarters (3:20 p.m., 24-19)

Notre Dame leads the battle of statistics after three quarters.  The Irish have 371 total yards of offense, compared to Washington's 321.  Notre Dame has rushed for just 68 yards but Jimmy Clausen has passed for 303 (16-22-1).  Locker is 16-of-24 for 203 yards through the air.  Both QBs have one TD.  Chris Polk leads Washington in rushing with 14 carries for 88 net yards.

"Bend But Don't Break" Defense Forces Irish Punt (3:10 p.m., 24-19)

The Husky defense has held Notre Dame to just 2-for-9 on third down.  Despite the Irish holding a serious yardage advantage, Notre Dame has five field goals, one TD and two punts today.

Dawgs Hold Irish To Start Second Half (17-19)

As previously mentioned, Washington has been solid defensively in the red zone.  After a 77-yard pass gave them Irish possession inside the 5-yard line, the stingy UW defense held them to a 21-yard field goal.  ND is just 2-for-8 on third down in the game and has four field goals and one touchdown in five trips inside the 20-yard line.

Crazy End To The First Half (2:09 p.m., 17-16)

After Trufant's backwards pass return for a TD, Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen completes a 67-yard pass to Golden Tate for Notre Dame touchdown that made the score 16-14 Irish.  After the kickoff, Washington went three-and-out and punted the ball back to Notre Dame.  Donald Butler snagged his second career interception to give UW the ball with just 2:00 left in the half.  On the UW's second play, Locker went back to pass and the ball was knocked loose from his hand as he was throwing the ball.  The play was ruled a fumble and gave possession back to Notre Dame with 1:29 left on the clock. 

The UW defense then held, with Notre Dame having fourth and 25 from their own 36-yard line - punting with :59 seconds left.  Johri Fogerson fair caught the ball and the Dawgs took over at their own 30-yard line with :51 seconds left.  After consecutive pass completions, the Dawgs were called for ineligible lineman downfield.  Locker completed a long 29-yard pass to Goodwin with :13 seconds left.  He then completed a 23-yard pass to Kearse with :10 seconds left.  Locker spiked the ball to stop the clock and bring Erik Folk on for a 40-yard field goal that gave the Huskies a 17-16 lead at halftime!

Strange Days - Twice? (1:55 p.m., 14-9)

For the second week in a row, the Huskies scored on an errant backwards pass.  Last week at Stanford, QB Andrew Luck's pass was picked up by Justin Glenn and he scampered 51 yards for a TD.  Today, Jimmy Clausen's screen pass intended for Armando Allen was over his head.  Desmond Trufant picked it up and the 17-yard-line and ran in for the score to give UW a 14-9 lead.

Huskies Solid in First Half Red Zone (1:42 p.m., 7-9)

Notre Dame has entered the Red Zone three times and each time came away with just field goals.  On the year, Washington has limited opponents to just six touchdowns and nine field goals in 19 trips inside the 20-yard line.  The other four ended with three fumbles and time expired once.

First Quarter Ends With UW Holding Slim Lead (1:21 p.m., 7-3)

The first quarter is over and Washington holds a slim 7-3 lead.  The Huskies gained a total of 79 yards on 15 plays, but gave up 93 on 14 plays for Notre Dame.  The UW featured a balanced offense with 39 rushing yards and 40 passing.  Notre Dame had 52 yards rushing.  The Dawgs were 3-of-4 in third down conversions, while holding Notre Dame to 1-of-2.

Huskies Hold Irish Inside Red Zone (1:02 p.m., 7-3)

Washington holds the Irish to just a field goal despite a few long runs and quick march downfield by Notre Dame.  Quinton Richardson nearly had an interception on third and long in the end zone, but his foot was out-of-bounds.  Notre Dame connected on a 34-yard field goal to make the score 7-3.

Washington Drives For A Score (12:54 p.m.,  7-0)

The Husky offense was clinical in its first drive, going 56 yards on nine plays.  Jake Locker culminated the drive with a five-yard rush for the touchdown.  The Dawgs went 2-for-2 on third-down conversions, something that has worked for UW as the Huskies entered today's game ranked fifth nationally in that category.

Teams Enter The Field! (12:34 p.m.)

Notre Dame entered the field first with the Dawgs following a couple of minutes behind.  Interestingly, it appears that former UW (and current ND) assistant Randy Hart must be coaching from the press box.  He didn't run out with the team and isn't apparent on the sideline.

Washington is wearing white jerseys with white pants.  Captains today are Jake Locker, Ryan Tolar, Donald Butler, Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, along with Cole Sager and Mason Foster on the field for the coin flip. 

A solid Washington contingent on hand today - approximately 4,500 or so.  It was reported on ESPN.com that the UW athletic department returned a large number of tickets less than a week ago - jeopardizing a long ND streak of sellouts.  UW actually returned just 12 tickets in the last 10 days.

Preparation is nearly complete and, in just a couple of hours, the Washington Husky football team will make the 45-minute trek from Michigan City to South Bend for today's showdown at Notre Dame (12:30 p.m. PT, NBC-TV).  Rain and a high in the low 50's is expected.

There will be no shortage of live coverage of today's game from Notre Dame Stadium.  GoHuskies.com will have its usual GameDay Blawg, along with its live statistical GameTracker and an exclusive stream of Bob Rondeau, Check Nelson & Elise Woodward from the Washington ISP Sports Network.  We'll also provide periodic updates via the athletic department's Twitter page (@UWSportsNews).

Washington ISP Sports Network flagship radio station 950 KJR AM will begin its 11-hour coverage of the game at 8 a.m. (PT) with network coverage beginning at 10:30 a.m.

The game will be featured with a national television broadcast on NBC with Tom Hammond, Pat Haden and Alex Flanagan calling the action.

Check out a comprehensive preview of today's game through GoHuskies.com, which includes a photo galley from the team's trip yesterday to Michigan City (Ind.) High School and Notre Dame Stadium.

PRATTVILLE, Ala. - Paige Mackenzie shot a 1-under 71 on Friday and is 4-under 140 overall and tied for 33rd after two rounds of the Navistar LPGA Classic. Mackenzie is six strokes behind a pack of five -- including Lorena Ochoa, Laura Davies and 14-year-old Alexi Thompson --  that are 10-under for the tournament,

Mackenzie had three birdies and two bogeys on the Robert Trent Jones golf course. She made her fifth-straight cut after making only four in the the first 10 tournaments she had entered.

Mackenzie will tee off at tomorrow at 10:15 a.m. local time.

The Washington Husky football team arrived in the state of Indiana last night in preparation for Saturday's nationally-televised game at Notre Dame (12:30 p.m PT, NBC-TV).  GoHuskies.com has a story about the team's travel and practice plans here.

We've posted a photo gallery that will be updated throughout Friday with pictures from the team's two practices - the first at Michigan City High School then a walk-through at Notre Dame Stadium.

PRATTVILLE, Ala. - Husky alum Paige Mackenzie shot a 3-under 69 and is tied for 25th after the first round of the Navistar LPGA. Mackenzie shot a 1-under on the front nine and backed that up with three birdies and a bogey on the back nine.

She is five strokes behind leader Janice Moodie, who blazed through RTJ Golf Trail in Prattville, Ala., at 8-under 64. Moodie holds a one-stroke lead over 14-year-old Alexis Thompson.

Mackenzie, who is trying to make her fifth-straight cut, will be the first to tee off on Friday at 6:50 a.m. local time.

Several media outlets are reporting today that former Washington Husky running back Louis Rankin has joined the Seattle Seahawks on its practice roster.  Rankin signed as an undrafted free agent with the Oakland Raiders in 2008 and spent the recent preseason with the Raiders.  In a preseason game against Seattle, he burst throught the line for a 45-yard touchdown run.

Rankin is one of four Huskies on the Seahawks, including C.J. Wallace and Lawyer Milloy on the first team active roster and Roy Lewis on the practice squad.

The UW Daily has a nice update on Washington's cross country season thus far and a look ahed to tomorrow's run at the Notre Dame Invitational. The article is written by former UW distance runner Zack Gussin so he had no trouble getting straight to the sources!

Here's a brief excerpt:

On Sept. 19, a highly ranked college powerhouse program competed in Seattle. Unlike the USC Trojans' football team, the reigning NCAA champion and unanimous No. 1-ranked UW women's cross-country squad lived up to its expectations.

Click here to read the full story.