Dawgman Predictions

Washington heads down to Pasadena to take on former head coach Rick Neuheisel and the UCLA Bruins. UCLA has lost all five conference games they’ve played this year but showed some signs of life in their last game against Oregon State. Will they get over the hump against the Huskies, who have yet to win on the road this year?

Pat Thrapp – Numbers Guy: I feel our defense will contribute a lot to winning this game. I see them giving the offense lots of opportunities to score. I also see UCLA’s defense creating all kinds of problems for our offense. I don’t really see this as a shootout. More of who can make the fewest mistakes.

Washington 27 - UCLA 23

Molly Waldron – Intern Extraordinaire: This is a hard prediction to make based on the uncertainty surrounding Jake Locker this Saturday. If Jake were at 100 percent, I wouldn’t hesitate to pick the Huskies to win this one. But he’s not healthy, the Huskies don’t have a road win yet this year, and they haven’t won at the Rose Bowl since 1995. I think UCLA will finally get it together and win their first Pac 10 game, and unfortunately the Huskies could be their victim.

UCLA 27 – Washington 24

Aaron Beach – Hoops Guru: I am in my 30's and I feel like the last time the UW won a game in the Rose Bowl was against Desmond Howard in the National Championship year. Let's face it, UCLA is desperate for a win, and the Dawgs slide must win this game to give new energy to a young team and fan base that badly needs it. I just don't think a Jake Locker playing at 70% and a UW defense which has put up some historically bad games in Pasadena will be able to find a winning solution this weekend. If Jake cannot run, the only strength of the UCLA secondary is that they intercept a whole lot of passes, and I see two more coming this weekend. I suspect Chris Polk will have a solid game, but I see us losing another close one as Sarkisian continues to learn the "hard-knox" lessons that first year coaches must learn.

UCLA 24 – Washington 21

Chris Fetters – Editor In Chief: So much of the season has now been boiled down to one thought - finish. The Huskies have to finish drives, quarters, games in order to have any chance at bowl eligibility. It's just that simple. The bye week gave the team - and most notably Jake Locker - a chance to heal physically, mentally and emotionally, and the UW team that hits the Rose Bowl Saturday should play with a renewed sense of purpose. That being said, it's not just a coincidence the Huskies haven't beaten UCLA in the Rose Bowl in nearly 15 years. It's just been a tough place to get things done. However, I suspect a late Erik Folk field goal will help propel UW forward as they try and find wins to finish games the way they are capable of.

Washington 23 – UCLA 20

Scott Eklund – Recruiting Guru: UW hasn't beaten UCLA in the Rose Bowl since 1995. However, this is the year they might actually have their best shot as the Bruins on offense are brutal. Defensively though, Rick Neuheisel's charges are solid with Brian Price clogging the middle. Washington must control that big, powerful junior defensive tackle in order to do anything on offense while getting some pressure of their own, at all costs, on redshirt freshman QB Kevin Prince who has a bright future but still makes a lot of rookie mistakes. This one will be a nail-biter, but I see the Huskies squeaking by with a late score.

Washington 21 - UCLA 20

David Samek – Dawgman: This is one of the weaker UCLA teams that Washington will have faced in quite some time. However the Bruins are the one team in the Pac-10 that has had the Huskies’ number for the past two decades. The Dawgs just struggle mightily against the boys in powder blue. Do I think this Saturday will be any different? No. Washington’s secondary will give up too many big plays through the air because of youth and nonexistent pass rush, and the Bruins will continue their mastery over the Huskies. Having a less-than-100% Jake Locker is just asking too much.

UCLA 27 – Washington 17

Kim Grinolds – Business Operations: The Rose Bowl has not been kind to Washington in a long time. A LONG time. Is this the year? The key is UCLA QB Kevin Prince. Does UW’s defense allow him the time to throw, pick them apart and make him look like a legit Pac 10 QB, or do they make him look like what he is…..a freshman. I don’t expect it to be pretty but………

UW 24 - UCLA 23