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Washington will play its first conference game as a member of the Big Ten on Saturday when it hosts Northwestern.

But that wasn’t what all the talk was about in Seattle this week.

Instead, the Huskies (2-1) had to answer questions about last weekend’s 24-19 loss to Washington State in the Apple Cup.

“It’s always crazy when a (game) goes down to a fourth-and-one on the 1 (-yard line) in the fourth quarter with a minute left,” Washington coach Jedd Fisch said. “But I could point to a lot of plays that the game wouldn’t have ever had to get to that, and that’s the unfortunate part of the game.”

The Huskies were stopped on their final offensive play, an option to the short side of the field, as the Cougars won the rivalry game for just the second time in the past 14 meetings.

Fisch took the blame for the play call and vowed to have his team ready for its Big Ten opener.

“Unlike a normal year where (the Apple Cup) is the last game of the year, we play Northwestern … and it’s our job to be ready for that game and never let a team beat us twice,” he said.

Will Rogers III completed 23 of 31 passes for 314 yards and a touchdown, but the Huskies’ offense kept stalling and had to settle for four Grady Gross field goals. Washington was hampered by 16 penalties for 135 yards.

Washington and Northwestern last met on Sept. 8, 1984, a 26-0 home win for the Huskies.

Northwestern (2-1), which will be playing its first road game of the season, is coming off a 31-7 victory against Eastern Illinois. Redshirt sophomore Jack Lausch made his first start at quarterback, overcoming a shaky first half to complete 20 of 31 passes for 227 yards and two TDs. He added 62 yards on seven carries.

“He’s unfazed by what’s going on around him,” Wildcats coach David Braun said of Lausch. “That comes back to a sense of self-confidence. Not ego, not false confidence, but true self-confidence because of his preparation.”

Lausch seems excited by the prospect of playing at Husky Stadium.

“The great part about football is that there’s always something to get better at,” Lausch said. “We’re all about trying to get better ourselves. Just find ways to do that every day, and I think we’ll put ourselves in the best position possible.”

–Field Level Media