It isn't often that a 33-7 score sounds closer than the game actually was, but that might have been the case here.

(Here is my game story. Here is columnist John McGrath's take.) And here's a final look at the whole Willingham/Weis/Notre Dame thing.)

The Huskies didn’t make it across midfield until six minutes were left in the game. And they came within three minutes of suffering their first shutout since 2004 and their first shutout at home since 1976.

And while they avoided that indignity, there were others.

The loss officially doomed them to their fifth straight losing season and mathematically eliminated them from bowl consideration.

They remain chained to North Texas -- who lost to Troy -- sharing the nation’s longest losing streak and the distinction of being the only winless schools in the NCAA Bowl Subdivision.

The loss dropped Washington to 0-7 all-time against Notre Dame, and it dropped coach Tyrone Willingham to 0-2 in his pair of chances against the school that fired him in 2004.

All of this played out before an ESPN2 national television audience.

The postgame mood and reaction wasn't that much different from the six losses that came before. No one's happy. No one's pitching a fit ... at least not in public. No one is saying anything but that they'll keep trying their best and believe they can win.

A sampling:

Willingham: “Right now the thing we’ve got to draw on is just basic pride. We’ve got to step up; coaches and players and all of us have to step up and do better than what we did (Saturday), because this was not a good performance.”

Offensive coordinator Tim Lappano: "It’s not that they didn’t try or anything. We got beat physically at times up front and in the backfield with all the pressures, and there were times when we dropped balls that took us out of drives and field position. I don’t think that was from lack of trying or anything like that. We just didn’t execute very well. That comes down on me and that comes down to making plays.”

QB Ronnie Fouch: “I had 5 passing yards most of the game. My last series we went out there and threw the ball around and had fun. We moved the ball well and guys made plays – the young guys like Cody Bruns and Charles Hawkins and D’Andre Goodwin made some big-time plays.”

Receiver D'Andre Goodwin, who had UW's lone touchdown: “If you’re going to lose you want to lose at least putting up points on the board. We weren’t going to stop fighting until we drove the ball down field and scored.”

Nate Williams on if the defense was frustrated with the offense: “We’re all frustrated. The offense is frustrated, the defense is frustrated the special teams is frustrated. … It’s a team game. I think we gave up a lot of big plays and (33) points so it’s our fault just as much as the offense’s fault. It’s a team game. We’re not pointing fingers, we’re not blaming anybody.”

More from Williams:
“I just think everyone came out a little too pumped because we’re on ESPN2 and Notre Dame and everyone has been making a huge deal of it all throughout the week and everything.”

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis:
“We talked before the game. … I think the media keeps (talk of a feud) going because there was no feeling of that on our team, and I don’t think there was any feeling of it on their team.”

Player of the gameNotre Dame receiver Michael Floyd caught four passes for 107 yards. That represents more than half of Notre Dame’s 207 passing yards. And 51 of those yards came on a touchdown reception on the games third play that gave the Irish a lead they would never surrender.

Husky of the gameGoodwin had a game-high seven catches, including UW’s lone touchdown. Goodwin was the only UW receiver to have more than one catch. He has led the team in receiving every game this season except for the Arizona game.

Turning point
Washington’s first possession was a three-and-out. Then Notre Dame needed only three plays to get its first touchdown, a short pass to the sideline that Floyd turned up the sidelines for 51 yards. By the time the third quarter came to an end, the Huskies had exactly 51 yards of total offense.

Bad good play
When things are going wrong, they just go wrong. In the second quarter, UW’s Nate Williams notched the Huskies’ first interception since the second game of the season. Unfortunately, it came at the UW 1 yard line on a fourth-down play from the UW 32 … meaning the interception cost the Huskies 31 yards of field possession.
“I expected everyone to criticize me for leaving my offense on the one,” Williams said. “But the way that a player is taught: When the ball is in the air you’re supposed to grab it. In the heat of the battle I didn’t know that I was on the one. I just saw the ball in the air and I grabbed it, and that’s what I’m supposed to do.”
Coach Tyrone Willingham confirmed that, although he acknowledged that he would have preferred the defender to understand the situation well enough to make his own decision to simply bat the ball down.

Personnel report
UW starting defensive tackle Senio Kelemete injured his left knee during pregame warm-ups and was carted off the field. His prognosis isn’t yet known. Tailback David Freeman suffered an ankle injury of undetermined severity. … Safety Victor Ayiewa suffered a groin injury. … True freshman receiver Cody Bruns played and recorded his first career catch for 21 yards. … Washington started the game in a nickel defense, resulting in linebacker Chris Stevens and cornerback Vonzell McDowell being credited for their first starts of the season.

Extra points
The Huskies are now 0-7 all-time against the Irish. The schools are scheduled to meet again Oct. 3, 2009, in South Bend, Ind. … In the third quarter, linebacker Donald Butler and defensive end Everrette Thompson recorded the Huskies’ fourth and fifth sacks of the season. The first three – all at Arizona -- had been recorded by end Daniel Te’o-Nesheim. … UW game captains were Garcia, Teo’Nesheim, Paul Homer and Chris Stevens.

Next
3:30 p.m. Saturday, at Southern California; Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum; FSN.

And yes, the Huskies all said they believe they can beat the Trojans ... or at least go down there and try their best.

Heading downstairs: I'm about to head down to the field, so there won't be any more entries for a while. I'll be back later tonight with notes and quotes ... I can hardly imagine what can be asked or answered that is new. In the meantime, your comments are always apprecaited.

Attendance: Announced at 70,437 ... under the official sellout figure of 72,500. And, of course, far fewer now.

12:33 of the fourth: Another methodical drive for a score, but the PAT missed.

Start of the fourth quarter: The Huskies have 51 yards of total offense.

In case you're wondering, UW hasn't been shutout since a 38-0 loss at USC in 2004... Keith Gilberson's final season. The Huskies haven't been shutout at home since a 7-0 loss to Cal in 1976.

4:30 of the 3rd: Notre Dame hit a 42-yard field goal on a drive that had been kept alive on a fake punt from their side of the field.

12:55 of the 3rd: It took Notre Dame less than two minutes to drive for a touchdown on their first possession of the second half

Start of third quarter: Looks like lots of fans have already decided to call it a night.

Halftime: The Huskies have been outgained, 238-38. Notre Dame has 13 first downs, UW 3. The Washington offense hasn't gotten across midfield. Notre Dame's first score -- a 51-yard touchdown -- covered more yards than UW had in the half. Etc.

11:10 of the 2nd: 28 yard field goal after yet another awful Jared Ballman punt plus penalty gave the Irish great field position.

End of first quarter: Total yards: Notre Dame 154, Washington 15.

7:48 in 1st: Recevier Golden Tate takes end-around 21 yards for TD. The drive had begun with a Nate Williams interception, but it was wiped out on a pass interference call.

12:35 of 1st: Huskies three and out. Notre Dame hits a quick out that is turned upfield for a 51-yard touchdown.

Kickoff: Notre Dame won the toss and deferred. Washington will receive to begin the game.

UW game captains are Paul Homer, Juan Garcia, Daniel Te'o-Nesheim and Chris Stevens.

Notre Dame took the field to more boos than we've heard previously this season. They're the NCAA's Dallas Cowboys, I guess: love 'em or hate 'em.

4:55: This isn't good either on face value or as an omen. UW starting defensive tackle Senio Kelemete has just been carted off the field after injuring his left knee during pregame warmups. We don't have details on the extent of the injury, but he is now listed as questionable to be able to play.

4:30: Both teams are on the field.

And the ND alumni band just marched by playing the victory march. It loses a lot in the translation from full band marching into the stadium in South Bend (one of the take-to-my-grave memories of my sportswriting life) to this dozen or so alums tooting away (something less than that).

Finally, either a lot of fans are taking advantage of this nice weather for tailgating or this is an uncommonly late-arriving crowd. Because this place is nearly empty now. But there are dots of fans in all reaches of the stadium, indicating that it will eventually grow to a sellout or something very close.

2:45: I'm at the stadium for what is probably the most beautiful day we've had for football so far. Nice fall nip in the air. Sunshine. Lake Washington a bright blue. And lots of fall colors on the upper campus.

We'll try the normal gameday game plan. I'll post with any pregame news. Then try to give at least quarterly updates. Then I'll turn the postgame over to you for comments before returning for one final post of notes and quotes.

I got an interesting call from a Tyee member who identified himself as "another Don." Unfortunately, he didn't leave a call-back number. So, Don, if you happen to read this blog and don't mind sharing the information, please give me another call and let me know how I can get in touch with you.

Meanwhile, I'd also like to touch base with any other Tyee members who read this blog. If any of you are willing, please email (don.ruiz@thenewstribune.com) or call (253-597-8808) with contact info. (No names or even opinions will be used in print without your content. I just have a few background questions I'd like to ask of some of these loyalest of the loyal UW fans.)

Thanks. We now return to our regular programming.