Huskies LB Foster hopes Apple Cup isn't finale

SEATTLE (AP)

Mason Foster sat at his locker, letting the time pass as he wondered how it all went wrong.

A few minutes became a half-hour, which turned into nearly an hour as he tried figuring out how Washington had reached this point. An 0-12 season was one loss away. The head coach that brought him to Seattle was on his way out.

The 2008 Apple Cup and the Huskies' 16-13 double-overtime loss to rival Washington State is not a pleasant memory for Foster.

''Honestly man, I just try and forget about that game,'' Foster said. ''The thing about that, I felt it was a great game. It was great to be part of that even though you end up losing at the time and it hurts.''

That low Foster experienced two years ago makes the opportunity that awaits Saturday all that more meaningful for Foster and the rest of Washington's seniors. A win over the Cougars in the 2010 version of the Apple Cup will send the Huskies (5-6, 4-4 Pac-10) to a bowl game for the first time in eight seasons, perhaps a bowl as highly regarded as the Holiday Bowl.

It would complete a quick two-year turnaround from the lowest point in the program's history. And while most of the attention is on coach Steve Sarkisian and quarterback Jake Locker for being the faces of Washington's return from college football's basement, Foster's been just as important.

He'll likely finish the 2010 season as the Huskies' leading tackler for the second time in three seasons, joining 10 other Washington defenders since 1963 - mostly linebackers - who have accomplished that during their careers.

Foster currently leads the Pac-10 in tackles per game (12.45) and is second in the country, trailing only Boston College's Luke Kuechly. Only once this season - last Saturday against California - has Foster finished with fewer than 10 total tackles in a game.

''I want to make as many plays as possible. I feel like I'm having a solid year, but we should be winning more games,'' Foster said. ''I feel like the defense should be better, but we're getting there now. We still have got to win. If we don't win, none of that matters.''

Following Foster's lead, Washington's defense appears to have turned from its midseason struggles when Arizona, Stanford and Oregon tore apart the Huskies in three straight blowout losses. Washington allowed 1,459 total yards and was outscored 138-30 in the three setbacks.

But during the loss to Oregon, the Huskies defense started to improve. Washington became the first team to hold Oregon scoreless in the first quarter this season and trailed only 18-13 into the third quarter before the Ducks' fast-break attack took over and rolled to a 53-16 victory.

Washington followed up with a 24-7 victory over UCLA where the Huskies allowed just 163 total yards to the Bruins' inept offense and then held California without an offensive touchdown in last week's win. The Huskies have not allowed an offensive TD in their past seven quarters.

''Our kids are playing fast, they are playing confident, I don't feel like there is a lot of confusion. We are lining up and we are playing fast, physical football and believing in what we are doing,'' Sarkisian said. ''Exactly to pinpoint why that is I'm not sure. I'd like to think we've got pretty good coaches that are coaching and the kids are buying into them.''

Foster is one of Washington's 17 seniors, most of whom were recruited by former coach Tyrone Willingham and have endured unprecedented losing in their careers. Foster was an early commit out of Seaside, Calif., to come to Washington and was told he'd have the opportunity to help turn around the program.

He just didn't expect it to take until his senior year before the chance of reaching the postseason arrived. Foster's struggles, along with those of the rest of the Huskies senior class, aren't lost on those who will return next year.

''Just to have seen what they've gone through from freshman year till now and how far they've all come along, you want to do it for them,'' junior linebacker Cort Dennison said.