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UW will have emotional edge in Holiday Bowl

UW quarterback Jake Locker is tackled during a game against Nebraska at Husky Stadium on Sept. 18, 2010. Washington lost 56-21.
AP
UW quarterback Jake Locker is tackled during a game against Nebraska at Husky Stadium on Sept. 18, 2010. Washington lost 56-21.

The Washington Huskies may be all smiles when it comes to preparing for the Holiday Bowl on December 30th.  But that’s not the case for their opponent, Nebraska.  Sports commentator Art Thiel tells KPLU's Kirsten Kendrick the Cornhuskers are suffering from a double case of Déjà Vu. 

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kplu/local-kplu-939322.mp3

Nebraska was in the Holiday Bowl last year and they already played and handily defeated Washington in the regular season, 56-21.  College bowl games don't typically match teams that have already met in the regular season.  Nebraska wanted to play in the Insight Bowl in Phoenix.  But Art says the Big 12, which has influence over the Holiday Bowl team selection, wanted to "smack" to Nebraska, since the Cornhuskers are leaving that conference to join the Big 10 next year. 

Washington, on the other hand, is excited to be in its first bowl game since 2002.  They have some momentum - coming off three consecutive wins that they needed to make it to a bowl.  And Art says Nebraska's lack of enthusiasm could benefit U-W.

"There's a real good chance that Nebraska is pouting so much and its lower lip is out so far that they might trip over it. The consequence for Washington is they are so excited to be in a bowl game for the first time in eight years, they're like little puppies wagging their tails and breaking all the Christmas ornaments. Even though it's an opponent that just crushed them, the momentum in the program and the enthusiasm around (U-W coach) Steve Sarkisian's program is going to set them up emotionally very well."

Art thinks emotion will be worth a lot and that it will be a close game, but he's predicting Nebraska will beat Washington 35-31.  But he says "it would be fun to be wrong." 

You can now find Art's commentaries at the new website Sportspress Northwest.

 

 

 

 

Kirsten Kendrick hosts Morning Edition on KNKX and the sports interview series "Going Deep," talking with folks tied to sports in our region about what drives them — as professionals and people.
Art Thiel is a co-founder and writer for the rising sports website Sportspress Northwest. In 2003 Thiel wrote the definitive book about the Seattle Mariners, “Out of Left Field,” which became a regional bestseller. In 2009, along with Steve Rudman and KJR 950 afternoon host Mike Gastineau, Thiel authored “The Great Book of Seattle Sports Lists,” a cross between historylink.org and Mad Magazine that has become mandatory reading for any sports fan who has an indoor bathroom.