Here's my game story, along with John McGrath's bottom line conclusion that things aren't getter any better. If things are going to turn around, hope seems to rest with underclassmen such as true freshman safety Johri Fogerson, who talks here with Ryan Divish.

That was a bad performance, and no Husky was saying different.

However, they also were saying that the Sooners might be the best team in the country, and that the Oregon-BYU-Oklahoma start to this season might have been the toughest first three games any team in the country has faced.

What they didn't say -- but I will -- is that as ugly as an 0-3 start is, it's also probably just one game short of what most would have considered a best-case-scenario for the start of this season. Who really saw more than one win in these first three games?

The nagging problem is that the Oregon and Oklahoma games weren't just losses, they were blowouts. Although I guess in fairness, UW's controversial one-point loss to BYU last week looks a little better after Saturday's blowout of UCLA.

One other thing that the Huskies were implying is that the schedule gets far easier from here. After this bye week comes Stanford, at Arizona, Oregon State and Notre Dame.

None seem out of reach, although as of now the Huskies don't look like a team ready to run off four straight wins regardless of the schedule. However, these look to be fairer tests, and what UW does over those next four games should give a more realistic snapshot of where the program really is.

In fact, looking all the way to the end of the schedule, the Pac-10 was so miserable on Saturday, you've got to say that the only remaining game in which the Huskies would seem to have no shot at all is the visit to USC.

But that's getting pretty far ahead.

First, a look back at the Sooners:

Player of the game
Oklahoma sophomore quarterback Sam Bradford completed 18 of 21 passes for 304 yards and five touchdowns, including a 77-yarder. He also recorded his first career rushing touchdown.

Huskies of the game
On offense, D’Andre Goodwin had a game-high nine receptions for 82 yards. He has been UW’s reception leader in all three games this season.
On defense, safety Johri Fogerson had a game-high nine solo tackles in his college debut.

Turning point
There was none. Washington went three-and-out on its first possession. Oklahoma took over and marched 51 yards on its first possession for a 7-0 lead. The lead would grow to 41-0 before UW got on the scoreboard deep into the third quarter.

Key stats
Washington, which had committed only one turnover in the first two games, lost three fumbles Saturday. Oklahoma converted all three into touchdowns.

How bad was it?
The margin of defeat does not rank among Washington’s top 10. However it was the most one-sided loss of Willingham’s time at UW. … Oklahoma’s 55 points were the most by a UW opponent since Oregon’s 55-34 win last season. The most points of the Willingham era were scored in his second game at UW: a 56-17 loss to California.

Kicking troubles continue
The Huskies lost to Brigham Young last week when Ryan Perkins’ 35-yard point-after-touchdown attempt to tie was blocked.
The team’s place kicking troubles continued this week as Jared Ballman missed 48- and 47-yard attempts, while Perkins was wide right from 28 yards.

Injury report“I think we came out of this game reasonably healthy,” UW coach Tyrone Willingham said. “We saw a few guys come out, but they all went back in. I think the only one that did not go back in was Quinton Richardson (knee bruise), and I think he was OK.”
Also, UW tight end Michael Gottlieb made his first appearance of the season after suffering a hamstring injury in fall camp.

Oklahoma quote
“I’m just really overall pleased with the way our players executed and played, and with the attitude they came into the game with. I felt really confident in the way they practiced all week, the way they got on the plane, the way they came into the stadium. I really felt like they had something to prove.” – Coach Bob Stoops, who recorded his 100th career win.

Extra points
Oklahoma is now 2-1 all-time vs. Washington. … The Sooners topped 50 points for the third straight game. … UW’s first touchdown came on a 15-play, 83-yard drive – UW’s longest of the season in terms of yards and time: 7:56. … QB Jake Locker led UW in rushing for the third time with season, this time with 44 yards on 12 carries. … Four more true freshmen made their first career starts for Washington: Fogerson, tailback David Freeman and receivers Devin Aguilar and Jermaine Kearse. That brings the number of true freshman starters the Huskies have used this season to seven. … Three redshirt freshmen also made their UW debuts: linebacker Cort Dennison, defensive tackle Nick Wood and tailback Brandon Yakaboski. … Yakaboski and walk-on receiver Tony Chidiac each had their first career receptions, and Yakaboski’s also marked his first touchdown. … UW game captains were Mesphin Forrester, Luke Kravitz, Jake Locker and Daniel Te’o-Nesheim.

Next
The Huskies are off this week. They return to action at 7 p.m. Sept. 27 versus Stanford at Husky Stadium.

Meanwhile, both Realdawg.com and Dawgman.com are reporting that Zach Fogerson, a junior running back at O'Dea and brother of current Husky Johri Forgerson, has become the UW's first oral commit for the freshman class of 2010.

"I told Coach Willingham", Fogerson said in a phone interview with Realdawg.com , "He said it made his night."

Postgame: The 41-point margin of defeat was the largest of the Tyrone Willingham era. The 55 points was the most given up since the 55-34 loss to Oregon last season. The last time UW gave up more was Willingham's second game at UW: a 56-17 loss to Cal.

And it can't possibly be seen as encouraging that the gap between Oklahoma and Washington is greater today than it was in 2006. (John McGrath writes about that in his Sunday column.)

Today's attendance was 67,716, but most of those were long gone as the final quarter began.

I'm going to have to be leaving for the field and then the postgame interviews soon.

In addition to hearing your thoughts on the game -- and the program. I'd also appreciate it if some of you could give me some indication of what kind of messages about the UW program the ESPN announcers gave to the nation -- or at least any of the nation's football fans who weren't watching the OSU-USC game.

I'll be back later with notes and quotes.

Third quarter: Locker is 16-of-24 and has run for 44 yards and the lone touchdown.

Halftime: Locker left in the final seconds, but he simply had the wind knocked out of him and will return in the third quarter. Ronnie Fouch came in to finish the drive.

Ty Willingham's decision to kick the field goal on the final play from the 11 yard line drew some boos... which only increased when Ryan Perkins' kick was wide right.

The game got a little chippy on the final drive with a personal foul penalty on Oklahoma and Juan Garcia taking particular offense.

Otherwise, not much to say. This is a team that is right there with the nation's best simply laying wood to one that isn't yet close.

Oklahoma leads first downs, 19-9; total yards 330-164; rushing yards 188-39.

1st quarter: UW seems to be opening up the offense and defense more today, but the Sooners still seem to have the horses. They scored touchdowns on the first and last possessions of the quarter. (The second PAT hit the right upright.)

Unofficial stats show Oklahoma leading 8-2 in first downs, 152-56 in total yardage, 104-25 in rushing yards.

Jordan Polk suffered a right ankle injury on a nice kickoff return. He is likely to return.

Kickoff: UW won the toss and elected to receive.

UW captains are Jake Locker, Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, Mesphin Forrester and Luke Kravits.

The officials were booed as they took the field.

Lots of crimson in the end zones.

4:35: Both teams have left the field after warm-ups. The most interesting notes to come from those warmups was true freshman/converted tailback Johri Fogerson running with the first-team defense at safety, and near-forgotten Brandon Yakaboski running with the twos at tailback.

4:30: Oregon just won in overtime, salvaging a little Pac-10 pride.

2:50 Just a beautiful day at Husky Stadium just under a couple of hours until kickoff.

Usual gameday drill: I'll keep this single running blog though the game, then turn it over to you guys for during- and postgame thoughts, and then pop back in late with late notes and quotes.

The Huskies are three touchdown underdogs ... and on a weekend when the Pac-10 is getting mashed all over the country.

Kickoff is 4:45 p.m. on ESPN.

Home team Washington State is putting its single-game tickets on sale at 10 o'clock this morning for this season's Apple Cup game at noon Nov. 22 in Pullman.

They can be purchased from the WSU athletics website.

Here is the full release from WSU:

All remaining tickets for the Nov. 22 Apple Cup will go on sale this Saturday (Sept. 13), beginning at 10 a.m., only at wsucougars.com, the official website of Washington State University Athletics.

To date, only season ticket holders have had the opportunity to purchase Apple Cup tickets; combined with the WSU student allotment and the University of Washington’s allotment, this has left a limited supply of tickets available for the annual renewal of the intrastate rivalry. All tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis until the game has sold out. There will be no refunds or exchanges on tickets purchased through the online sale.

Sales will be limited to 12 tickets per customer. Tickets are $60 apiece, plus a one-time $10 processing charge, which is applied to every order regardless if it’s one or 12 tickets. If any tickets remain after the weekend, orders will be taken by phone at 1-800-Go-Cougs beginning Monday, Sept. 15 at 8 a.m. Any remaining premium seats in areas that require an additional donation ($30, $50 or $100 per seat) to the Athletic Foundation will also be made available on Monday by phone.