UW Sees Opportunity Knocking And Lou Holtz And His Irish Are At The Door

Washington coach Jim Lambright can’t think of a better way to close the book on his team’s tarnished past than by beating a team like Notre Dame.

“What this means to us is a national image,” Lambright said of his team’s game Saturday against the venerable Fighting Irish in Husky Stadium. “It’s a chance to establish something that we’re trying to get back after two years of sanctions.”

Indeed, a victory over a team with a tradition as deep as Notre Dame’s would send a clear message that the No. 15 Huskies (2-0 Pac-10, 3-1) have rebounded from the NCAA rules violations in 1993 that banned the program from bowl games for two years.

A win over the Irish on national television would also help to bring Lambright out of the shadow of former coach Don James, who quit after the NCAA’s sanctions were issued.

Lambright, a former Huskies defensive coordinator in his second year as head coach, says his team is ready to move on.

“This is a chance to be seen around the world,” Lambright said of Saturday’s matchup. “A lot of positive things can be derived from this.”

And seldom has an opportunity to beat Notre Dame seemed so plausible.

The Irish are 3-2 after a shocking 17-15 opening loss to Northwestern and then the surrender of 45 points to Ohio State last week.

The fifth-ranked Buckeyes scored three touchdowns in 5-1/2 minutes of the second half en route to a 45-26 victory last Saturday for the first Ohio State win over the Irish in 59 years.

Notre Dame dropped from 15th to 23rd in the AP college football poll.

“Losing to Ohio State was really a crushing blow to us,” said Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz, who will watch Saturday’s game from the press box while he recovers from spinal surgery. “I don’t know what that will do to our team as far as big implications.”

Holtz said facing the Huskies in Seattle isn’t the best way to recover from such a damaging loss.

“Washington has won something like 34 out of 36 games at home,” Holtz said. “It is on AstroTurf. I know they are looking forward to us … we are going to face what I think is probably the second-best team in the Pac-10.”

One Husky, in particular, who is looking forward to the game is quarterback Damon Huard.

“I’ve always kept track of (Notre Dame) and know what the mystique is all about,” Huard said. “I think this a great opportunity for us to get some national recognition.”

During a 26-16 Husky victory over Oregon State last weekend, Huard surpassed the 4,000-yard mark in career passing during Washington’s eighth consecutive triumph over the Beavers.

Holtz said he knows a threat when he sees it.

“I think Huard is a big strong quarterback,” Holtz said earlier this week. “He is like a linebacker’s mentality. He has the ability to scramble. He is a very, very fine passer.”

Husky center Lynn Johnson will miss his fourth game of the season after pins were removed on a broken thumb. Doctors ruled him out of Saturday’s game and he will wear a cast for two weeks.

Johnson is the only one of the injured Huskies who has been ruled out of Saturday’s game.

Notre Dame will be without outside linebacker John McLaughlin, who suffered a hamstring injury.