Eric Williams checks in from Hec Ed with a halftime report:

The Huskies took 8-2 lead early and threatened to break the game open but a couple poor decisions on offense kept Texas Southern close.

The most egregious was big man Matthew Bryan-Amaning attempting an around-the-back pass on a two-on-one fastbreak, which was quickly picked off by the Tigers and converted into a one-handed slam by Michael Drewy at the other end.

Bryan-Amaning found himself on the bench soon after, as Lorenzo Romar gave him a stern talking-to after a timeout.

Texas Southern actually tied the game at 14-all, but the Huskies went on another run and led by as many as 16 in the first half.

The Tigers remained in the game via some clutch outside shooting by Matthew Miller and Sollie Norwood. Miller had two 3-pointers in the first half, including a long-range bomb to beat the 35-second clock from the "W" near midcourt.

The Huskies have played man-to-man defense the entire first half and applied good pressure, forcing 11 turnovers. On offense, Jon Brockman is having his way inside, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds. And Quincy Pondexter continues to play aggressive but controlled. Pondexter finished with eight points. The Huskies shot 52 percent from the floor in the opening half.

Only hours after the Huskies completed a historically abysmal 0-12 football season with a 48-7 loss at Cal, the UW faithful cheered the future during the hoops game against Texas Southern at Hec Ed.

Eric Williams reports:

With 11:54 left in the first half, the Huskies ran a video collage of some highlights from the school’s glory days, and announced Steve Sarkisian as the next head football coach. The announcement received a standing ovation from the crowd.

“I’m thrilled to have Steve heading up our football program,” UW president Mark Emmert said in a press release. “He’s a very talented, energetic coach with a great work ethic and values that match the UW. His challenge is very clear – we believe he’s entirely up to it, and we look forward to a return to the glory years for Husky football.

The school will introduce Sarksian as Washington’s 23rd head football coach on Monday at the Don James Center at 9:30 a.m. The public is invited to attend.

“After a very thorough search, I am convinced that Steve is the right man to lead the University of Washington football program,” said UW athletic director Scott Woodward. “He exhibits the right combination of integrity, toughness and passion as well as an extremely strong desire to win. There are a number of characteristics that we were looking for in a head coach and we were really excited that Steve possessed every one of them.”

Said Sarksian: “I am excited about the opportunity to become the head coach at the University of Washington. I share the same expectations as the Husky Fan base and I fully expect that we will return Washington to the top of the Pac-10 conference and compete for national championships. I want to thank Mark Emmert and Scott Woodward for this opportunity and I am ready t oget to work on behalf of this great institution.”

From Eric Williams at Hec Edmundson Pavilion:

We’re just about to get things started at Hec Ed. Here’s some notes with the Huskies (4-3) hosting Texas Southern (0-7) this evening.

It’s the first time these two teams have met. The Tigers are 0-7 on the season, and have played just on the road to start the season, traveling to seven different states for games.

Texas Southern is led by 6-foot-6 swingman Deandre Hall, averaging 16.7 points a contest. Deante Jones, a 6-8 big man, is the team’s top rebounder at seven rebounds a contest.

There are no injuries or changes to the Huskies' lineup to report. The probably starters for Washington are Isaiah Thomas and Justin Dentmon at guard, and Quincy Pondexter, Jon Brockman and Darnell Gant up front.

It will be interesting to see if the Huskies can continue to build on the improvement they made the last two games. This contest against Texas Southern is one of six very winnable games – all at home – that the Huskies will play before beginning conference action Jan. 3 at Washington State in an afternoon tip.

Along with defending and rebounding well, Washington needs to continue to get it done at the foul line. Seattle shot a respectable 20-of-28 in an 83-65 win against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Thursday, raising the team’s overall free throw percentage to 61 percent.

Expect the Huskies to get out and run and try to put away Texas Southern early. The longer the Tigers hang around, the more confidence they’ll get and the Huskies then might have a game on their hands.

I’ll post an update at halftime.

Here's the release from the Huskies.

Here's some reaction:

Sarkisian:
“I’m excited. It’s been a great program in the past and they’re obviously down now. But I’m going to get them back to fighting for a championship.”

University president Mark Emmert:
“I’m thrilled to have Steve heading up our football program. He’s a very talented, energetic coach with a great work ethic and values that match the UW. His challenge is very clear. We believe he’s entirely up to it, and we look forward to a return of the glory years for Husky football.”

UW freshman Kavario Middleton:
“It’s a little revitalizing. Having a young guy coming in providing energy, it’s a little exciting.”

Linebacker Mason Foster:
“I think it’s going to turn around real quick. I heard he’s a great coach. He coached at a real good program, so hopefully we can just turn this around fast and take this year and never have this feeling in your stomach again, because it hurts.”

TRENTON TUIASOSOPO on his memories of the USC offense:
“Just up-tempo, just trying to run the ball down your throat and trying to get the first down on second down.(UW defensive coordinator Ed Donatell) was good friends with (USC coach Pete Carroll) and gave us the downlow really on their offense. … I thought it was basic, but up-tempo.”
Donatell and other UW assistants are under contract until the end of the school session. Typically, a new coach will bring in a mostly new staff, while often keeping some holdovers to help with continuity and serve as a bridge to recruits. Donatell is the only coach thought to have a contract that would assure him of a UW paycheck for another season, but he said Saturday he isn’t certain that’s the case.

From senior Michael Gottlieb:
“I have all the respect in the world for Coach Willingham. It’s just unfortunate that the marriage didn’t work out. It’s not his fault, it’s not our fault, it’s just a collective team fault. But I think the guys have a great future coming forward here. I think they’re going to really surprise some people next year. I’m definitely envious.”

A quick review:

Player of the game
Cal tailback Jahvid Best carried 19 times with 311 yards. That’s the most individual rushing yards in the single game in Cal history, the second-most surrendered by a Washington defense (UCLA’s Maurice Drew ran for 322 in 2004) and the fourth-most in Pacific-10 Conference history. The performance also gave him the Pac-10 regular season rushing title.

Husky of the game
UW linebacker Mason Foster had a game-high 13 tackles, including three tackles for loss. That gives him 105 tackles for the season and moves him into a tie with Oregon State’s Greg Laybourn for the Pac-10 lead.

Key plays
On Cal’s second play, Best went off tackle for 60 yards and a touchdown. Best opened the second half similarly: an 84-yard touchdown run that increased Cal’s lead to 38-0.

Personnel report
UW starting quarterback Ronnie Fouch suffered a concussion when hit while sliding after a second-quarter scramble for a first down. He did not return. … His replacement, walk-on Taylor Bean completed eight of 17 passes with one interception and also ran for the Huskies’ only touchdown in the first extensive playing time of his career. … Willie Griffin led UW rushers with 60 yards on 24 carries. … Linebacker Trenton Tuiasosopo has been granted a sixth season of eligibility, but he said he has not yet decided if he will use it. … Sophomore tailback Brandon Johnson did not travel for disciplinary reasons.

Extra points
UW will carry a 14-game losing streak into next season. The Huskies became the first winless UW team in more than a century and the first 0-12 team in the history of the Pacific-10 Conference. … The Huskies averaged 12.67 points per game and allowed 38.58. Their total 463 points allowed is most in school history, as is their average of 451.75 yards allowed per game. The UW offense averaged 263 yards per game. … Captains for the final game were Chris Stevens, Michael Gottlieb, Daniel Te’o-Nesheim and Juan Garcia. … After the game, Cal accepted an invitation to the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco. … A crowd of 50,038 allowed the Bears to barely keep alive a streak of 31 straight home games drawing 50,000 or more.

Next
Steve Sarkisian will be introduced as coach Monday. The 2009 team is expected gather for spring work in early April. Next season is scheduled to begin with a Sept. 5 visit from Louisiana State.

Meanwhile, any thoughts on the game, the season, the era? Any light at the end of this tunnel?

11:33/4th: Lots of subs in for both sides. Cal drove down and kicked a field goal, making it 48-7.

Start of 4th quarter: Husies begin the final quarter of the season ... and the Willingham era.

2:50/3rd: Taylor Bean completed a 31-yard pass to Hawkins, then ran it in on a bootleg, and the Huskies are on the board, 45-7.

Luke Kravitz played a lot of tailback that drive. I don't know if that's related to injury or if Willingham's just providing some carries for a good-guy senior Husky in his final game.

9:43/3rd Apparently Jahvid Best has called it a day, with a school-record 311 yards. That's the most ever by a Bear and the second-most ever by a UW opponent. However, Cal kept right on without him for another TD, making it 45-0.

13:57/3rd:Best goes 84 yards for his fourth TD. Cal, 38-0.

Halftime: Cal has 325 total yards, Washington 58.

We have gotten word that Fouch will not return.

0:05/2nd: Cal took over on its own 11 with 33 seconds left. And scored. A Best run off tackle for 53 yards. A 30 yard pass. A six yard pass. Cal, 31-0.

3:35/2nd Ronnie Fouch was hurt on a late hit while sliding after a scramble. Taylor Bean came in and, on 3rd and 8 after a couple of runs, threw his first pass and his first pick.

7:00/2ndBest goes 20 yards for another TD. He's at 133 yards already. Cal, 24-0.

8:57/2nd 48-yard line-drive Jared Ballman punt was returned 44 yards to the UW 8. Two plays later, it was Cal, 17-0.

Early second quarter: Cal got its field goal after a Fouch fumble while trying to pass. Now he's fumbled again while trying to pass and Cal takes over just across midfield.

12:40/1st: Huskies went three and out. And on Cal's second play, Jahvid Best went off tackle untouched for 60 yards. Cal, 7-0.

Kickff: The Huskies won the toss and elected to receive.

Here we go.

UW game captains for the final game are Chris Stevens, Michael Gottlieb, Daniel Te'o-Nesheim and Juan Garcia.

Cal has finished its pregame Senior Day introductions ... and with the earthquake stadium-evacuation warnings... just in case.

Beautiful day, small crowd.

One other note: The Pac-10 offices are nearby in Walnut Creek, and Pac-10 spokesman Jim Muldoon is here. I just chatted with him, and he says that while a search procedure is in place, he doesn't expect a new commissioner to replace the outgoing Tom Hansen to be named until after the start of the new year.

10:20: I've mentioned here that Cal has finally begun on the long-awaited facilities improvement. The main piece seems to be an all-sport athletic facility, which they seem to be putting sort of into the hillside and under a stadium walkway. In any case, the pressbox side of the stadium is fenced off as a construction zone.

It'll be interesting to see what has been created, two seasons from now when the Huskies next return.

9:40: On the cover of today's game program is Cal linebacker Anthony Felder, a senior from O'Dea in Seattle.

9:30 a.m. Beautiful day in Berkeley, the students have just been allowed into the stadium.

Here's my preview of today's season ending game: Washington at Cal, noon, FSN.

Here's John McGrath's take on Steve Sarkisian. (And here's a link to the TNT homepage, which includes an online poll where you can weigh in on the UW coaching selection.)

Here's the Oakland Tribune's preview, mostly focusing on Cal quarterback Nate Longshore, among the seniors playing at home for the last time today.

We plan the normal gameday coverage: news updates here as they break before kickoff, a running blog through the game, hopefully your comments on the game and the season, and then I'll be back with postgame notes and quotes, including what will likely be our final words from coach Tyrone Willingham (whose name is already coming up in connection with the New Mexico State and San Diego State jobs.

The football game will get most of the attention today, for obvious reasons, but the basketball team plays too.

I tried to link the two in my basketball story today, asking if the football coaching change makes coach Lorenzo Romar think about how quickly his own career fortunes might turn if his team misses the NCAA tournament for a third straight season.

And typically, Romar gave a pretty interesting answer. And since I couldn't use all of it in today's paper, here's the whole reponse:

"Absolutely. No question. You're judged on your wins and losses, period. You go too long without very many wins and people start looking at you cross-eyed. If you go too long without many losses and you don't win by enough points, then they start looking at you cross-eyed. It's win, win, win, win, win. I understand that. I totally understand that.

"When I played in the NBA I always said to myself, 'Man, one day I'm going to get cut. One day I'm going to be playing in the CBA or something.' And I always said, 'How long can I go?' I remember one day I was warming up in two-line layups and I looked around and nobody was in the stands and I said, 'Dawggit, I'm here. I'm in the CBA. It happened.'

"And I know it happens to a lot of coaches. So we've been fortunate to be here going onto seven years. And I think we've been fairly successful. And that's not something where I'm waking up every morning thinking, 'Uh, oh, am I going to have my job today?' I don't look at it that way at all, I'm pretty confident that we've been doing OK and we're going to continue to go OK. But I do understand the nature of the business."

I also took the opportunity this week to ask athletic director Scott Woodward what he expects for UW basketball and what he thinks of Romar.

WOODWARD on expectations:
"We should be competing for championships year in and year out. We should be very competitive. And the thing I’m most proud of about Lorenzo is his graduation rates with kids. … These kids are great kids, and we expect them to compete at the highest level.

WOODWARD on Romar:
We have the right guy, there’s no doubt about it. But am I concerned (about missing the tournament twice)? Absolutley. And coach Romar is concerned. He wants to get back to winning as badly as I do. I see that in him and I see the way the team competes."

Finally, a quick look at UW's game today:

TEXAS SOUTHERN (0-7)
AT WASHINGTON (4-3)
6:30 p.m., Hec Edmundson Pavilion.
TV: FSN.
Radio: 950-AM
Series: First meeting.

Statistical leaders: For TSU, G Deandre Hall, 16.7 ppg; F Ricky Bowles, 7.1 rpg; G Matthew Miller, 5 apg. For UW, F Jon Brockman, 17.2 ppg and 11.5 rpg; G Isaiah Thomas and G Justin Dentmon, 3.8 apg.

Scouting report: The Tigers come from Houston and are a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. They went 7-25 last season and are winless this season against competition that has included UTEP, Cincinnati, Northern Iowa, Marquette and Arkansas – all on the road. They are scoring 62.7 ppg and allowing 75.6. … The Huskies are coming off their best win of the season, 83-65, over Oklahoma State. In that game, Dentmon became the 33rd Husky to reach 1,000 career points. UW is the top rebounding team in the nation, with a plus-15.3 rebounds per game advantage.

Next: 5 p.m. Dec. 14, vs. Portland State, Hec Edmundson Pavilion.