COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Freshman get start for Huskies

Kelemete not only made the starting lineup for the Huskies’ game Saturday night at Oregon, but he made it despite missing almost two weeks of fall camp because of a delay in getting his academic standing OK’d by the NCAA Clearinghouse.

“It got me kind of discouraged,” Kelemete said. “I was kind of down, wondering am I really going to be able to make it this year on the team or am I going to have to wait until January to get back in. But I had fans and teammates telling me, ‘It’s going to be OK, keep your head up,’ and all of a sudden it worked for me fine.”

The Huskies are hoping it will work out fine for them, too.

Only junior end Daniel Te’o-Nesheim returns from the front four of 2007. That meant the team would certainly have an inexperienced defensive line, and perhaps an extremely young one.

Starting alongside Kelemete and Te’o-Nesheim will be sophomore tackle Cameron Elisara and junior end Darrion Jones. A couple of other true freshmen could figure into the rotation: end Everrette Thompson and massive tackle Alameda Ta’amu.

Kelemete started his climb up the depth chart during the offseason, when he bulked up to 295 pounds, about 30 pounds heavier than his playing weight last season as a two-way star at Evergreen High of Seattle.

He also did the mental work, hitting the playbook, and trying to make up for lost time.

“His late arrival has made things quite interesting,” coach Tyrone Willingham said. “… We’ve given a fair opportunity to all, and he has shown himself to be able to do some things just a little bit different than some of the other guys.”

To most observers, Polk’s promotion to the starting backfield seemed less of a surprise.

After establishing himself as one of the best high school backs in California, he bypassed USC in favor of UW because of a better chance for immediate playing time. And those chances only increased when sophomore Brandon Johnson, the only UW tailback with college game experience, hobbled through camp with knee and calf injuries.

Coaches raved so much about Polk’s speed and quickness that it became almost assumed that he would top the depth chart. And Polk regularly talked so confidently – likening his running style to that of former Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush – that he seemed to assume that, too.

However, he said Wednesday that was not the case.

“When I was running with the ones, Brandon was hurt so I thought when he came back he’d be with the ones,” Polk said. “I’d have no problem being his reserve of whatever. He’s a heck of an athlete and he has game experience that a freshman doesn’t have. It was real surprising.”

Polk revealed another trait that runs contrary to his outward confidence: He gets so nervous that he vomits – a lot – before every game and has since he was a 6-year-old playing with 10-year-olds.

Now he’s a true freshman who will be going against a veteran Oregon defense.

But Willingham thinks Polk has enough natural gifts to more than get by.

“The thing I’ve said that what I’ve seen from Chris is kind of that ‘wow’ factor that you stand there as a coach and watch some of the plays he makes as a coach and you stand there and go ‘wow,’ ” Willingham said. “It’s a wonderful sensation to have as a coach when you have a player who does that, so it’s exciting.”

Extra points

The Huskies practiced under the lights for the second consecutive night Wednesday, preparing for the 7 p.m. Saturday kickoff at Autzen Stadium. Also for the second day, the entire practice was closed to the media, including the first 25 minutes that Willingham has traditionally held open. … The team will hold an afternoon practice today and bus down to Eugene, Ore., on Friday. … No new or unexpected health problems have been announced this week.