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Huskies` season opener this Saturday - So what?

So Ty Willingham hasn`t named a starting quarterback yet for the Huskies` season opener this Saturday. Honestly, you expected something different from a man looking -- and very much needing -- every possible advantage in his battle to resurrect a Washington football program that has sunk so low only 20,000 tickets have been sold for the Air Force game at Qwest Field?Willingham didn`t exactly inherit the USC Trojans with Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. He didn`t take over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish with Julius Jones and Courtney Watson, men he helped lead to a 10-2 season his first year at South Bend in 2002. This isn`t even comparable to his first year at Stanford, when he was handed a 3-7-1 Cardinal club and turned it into a 7-4-1 Liberty Bowl qualifier his rookie season as a head man.

No, folks, this is the 1-10 Washington Huskies. This is the group coming off the worst Husky season in, well, ever. This is what Willingham has to work with. He`ll start two wide receivers -- Corey Williams and Anthony Russo -- who have a combined two starts and 26 receptions on their college resumes. Yes, eventually Willingham must select a signal caller. Truth is, I",m sure he already has. But informing the rest of the world figures as zero benefit to Willingham at this juncture, so what`s the purpose in giving out information that might help Air Force prepare its game plan even one iota?

Some say Willingham owes it to the university and fans to promote the program by publicizing his most important player, pointing to the low ticket sales and non-buzz surrounding this year`s opener. But let`s be honest. Selling tickets to the Air Force game is the least of Willingham`s problems. That contest is Air Force`s home game, bizarre as that seems, and only the Falcons and promoter Bob Walsh are responsible for pumping it up. Husky fans aren`t buying tickets for two reasons: Their team was terrible last year and the game isn`t part of their season-ticket package. UW fans keep their season tickets in order to maintain seating priority at Husky Stadium and to see big games like USC, Notre Dame, Cal and Washington State. Very few are looking to add an extra nonconference contest at full price against a middling opponent, even if it is just down the street in Qwest Field.

This would all be different, of course, if the Huskies were coming off a good year. Winning hides all blemishes, which is why Willingham`s quarterback indecision makes perfect sense. The new coach is of the opinion that the less his opponent knows, the better his chance to win this one. And right now, Air Force knows next to nothing about what to expect on Saturday. Falcon coach Fisher DeBerry acknowledged Monday he doesn`t even know what offensive system Washington will employ, let alone who the quarterback might be.