My sitdown with former Washington Husky and Kelso Hilander David Richie

By Kshell

The other day I had a nice football related talk at the local Starbucks here in my hometown. This wasn't your normal football talk about Washington Husky football as this conversation involved somebody who has actually worn the purple and gold. This guy had also went to a Rose Bowl, won a Super Bowl and even won an XFL championship. This football chat was with hometown legend David Richie who played for the Huskies from 1992-1996 where he was honorable mention all Pac-10 in 1995 and second team all Pac-10 in 1996. In this following story I'll talk about Richie's playing career at Washington, how he owes everything to a single coach who he still respects very much, and his current coaching job at a High School in Portland, Oregon.

When Richie was growing up he came from a small city in Southwest Washington which was Kelso High School. He played for the Hilanders from 1989-1991 while at Kelso he dominated as a three sport athlete who played football, basketball and did track. Richie due to his athletic ability and size was getting some looks from colleges. In particular he was being recruited by a school that was in the process of winning back to back Rose Bowls and a National Championship in 1991.

"I remember taking an amtrack train up there from 1989-91'. People locally would make sure I would get on that train. I missed a total of two homes games at Husky Stadium in those three years. Sometimes I'd crash on Steve Emtmans couch, it was a blast going to those games," recalled Richie.



Richie came to Washington primarily because of one coach. No the coach wasn't Don James although Richie has the upmost respect for James. Instead Richie came to Washington because of long time defensive line coach and current Stanford defensive line coach Randy Hart.

"Randy Hart is the greatest man I've ever known. I have known Randy for the last 22 years(since I was 15 years old). He was hard on you but he knew how to coach you up and bring the best out of you. He was a great father figure to those like myself who grew up in a single mother household," says Richie.

"Randy taught us everything from how to be a good husband to how to be a good father. He always stressed about staying on the right path and never going off that path. If you went off the path Randy would put you back on the right path real quick. He had a system going of succession from John Cook to Travis Richardson to Steve Emtman to Tyrone Rodgers to D'Marco Farr to Deke Devers then to myself. That is how it was back then everyone fell in place and was ready to take over when it was their time," as Richie remembers fondly.

As the years go by Richie has still stayed in touch with Randy Hart. When I asked him where he would go today if he was in high school he smiled and said Stanford. He said he would go wherever Hart was at. After Richie went on a recruiting trip to the University of Oregon that night he immediately called up Hart at 9:30 p.m. and told him he was going to Washington because of Hart.

Thankfully for the Huskies back then Hart was still their coach as the "redneck" from the little town of Kelso, Washington would become a household name while at the University of Washington. While redshirting at Washington Richie got to play under one of college football's legendary head coaches in Don James.

He also recalls one practice when he felt that he finally "arrived". "I was going through one of those rough stretches that every freshman goes through. I was having a bad week and it was USC week so that was always big. I remember one play I blew up fullback Leif Johnson, then very next play blew up fullback Matt Jones and on the following play I blew up fullback Darius Turner. That is when I heard whistles blowing and Don James screaming "will somebody block that #97!". That was a great feeling getting recognition from James all the way up in the tower," recalls Richie.

Unfortunately for Richie and the rest of his teammates playing under James wouldn't last very long. On August of 1993 college football would be rocked around the nation. The Washington Huskies were given a two year bowl ban and then head coach Don James resigned that day. Defensive coordinator Jim Lambright would take over as head coach.

"I remember when he would have you sit on his couch for his meetings, I had six of those in fact. He had me diagnosed with my mental disabilities, ADHD and dyslexia, got me tutors and made school life much easier to manage. DJ was a great man and I personally felt like all that work went down the drain and a little why did you leave us?" recalls David. "P.A. Emerson stood up first and threw his keys on the ground and that's when things went to hell in a hand basket. His last words were (talking through tears) "I am handing you over to Jim Lambright I am so sorry" and we watched him walk out the door with tears in his eyes.
BOOM!"- Richie remembers sadly.



The transition was rough but fortunately for Richie his defensive coordinator in Lambright was now the head coach and his defensive line coach Randy Hart was his defensive coordinator. In 1993 and 1994 Richie primarily played special teams but in 1995 he got his big break. He was going to start for the Huskies in the 1995 season at defensive tackle. As he said before this was finally his turn.

During the 1995 season Richie led the Huskies in sacks and scored his only career touchdown down at Arizona on a 32 yard fumble recovery. He was honorable mention all Pac-10 that year on the Huskies who finished tied for first place in the Pac-10. Richie also won John P. Angel award which is rewarded to the top offensive lineman and defensive lineman. Andy Mason from Mark Morris High School won that award in 1992 as did other greats like Steve Emtman in 1991, Reggie Rogers in 1985 and 1986, Ron Holmes in 1984 and plenty of other greats. Unfortunately for Richie his season was cut short as he was hurt in the 33-30 win over the Cougars in the Apple Cup. He also had to miss the 38-18 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Sun Bowl.

During his Senior campaign Richie started the year off with a bang. In the home opener and second game of the season him and Jason Chorak chased BYU quarterback Steve Sarkisian around all game long. Sarkisian was hyped up going into the game and would end the season 14-1 but on that day by those two was sacked and hit early and often. The Huskies would win 29-17 led by the great defensive performance of Richie and Chorak. Chorak would finish with three sacks while Richie would have two sacks on the day.

Later in the 1996 season Richie and the defense would beat the USC Trojans down in the L.A. Coliseum 21-10. The win was huge because it was the first time ever that a USC team had been held to negative rushing yardage. That defense that year went five straight games of holding opponents to 14 points or less going into the Apple Cup. The Huskies who would blow a 24-0 lead would hang on to win 31-24 in overtime. Richie had 11 tackles that day and three sacks while being Pac-10 defensive player of the week. Richie would end his Senior season as second team all Pac-10 defensive tackle and once again winning the John P. Angel award. Richie was the first Husky to win that award back to back years since Travis Richardson did in 1988 and 1989. His teammate Jason Chorak was Pac-10 defensive player of the year.



After dealing with the frustrations of not being drafted Richie would find himself on the Denver Broncos. He recalls as a rookie when Neil Smith picked him and gave him a ride to practice. Six years earlier he was walking the halls of Kelso High School to now he was getting lifts to practice from Neil Smith. Later that year the Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl over the Green Bay Packers 31-24. Richie just like in college where he tasted a Rose Bowl his first season would win a Super Bowl his first year in the NFL. From Kelso to University of Washington all the way to the White House.



Richie would bounce around the league which saw him play for the San Francisco 49ers where in a preseason game against the Seahawks he had the best game of his life he describe. He had 11 tackles, four tackles for lost, two sacks, six quarterback hurries and he also picked off former teammate Brock Huard and ran back a touchdown for the game winning touchdown. He also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Green Bay Packers. He ended his career playing for the L.A.Xtreme during the 2001 season and won an XFL championship which featured Tommy Maddox. Unfortunately due to injuries on his neck he couldn't play no longer. He had a nice deal on the table from the New York Jets as well.



Now David is coaching High School football. He began coaching his old High School Kelso in 2002 which beat my R.A.Long Lumberjacks 35-28 in overtime. Thankfully he didn't rub that one in on me. He then moved on to helping University of Washington football players to now coaching at Central Catholic High School in Portland, Oregon.

Under the head coach of Steve Pyne, Richie is teamed up with Toots Kahauni in building the culture up in this program. Central Catholic High School has dominated league play the past decade but can't seem to get over that second round hump. Both Richie and Kahauni coach the defensive line on varsity and on J.V. His defensive line features Alex Balducci who is a defensive end and is also a three star recruit which Washington and other Northwest schools is looking at along with Randy Hart and Stanford. Another defensive lineman he has is Jacob Nall who was the leagues defensive player of the year. Nall isn't ranked yet but by this time next year you'll see his name on rankings. Like Balducci Washington and other Northwest schools along with Hart are also looking at. He also features a strong nose guard Tyler Nagee who figures to have a big year next season.

The Central Catholic Rams won the league title in varisty, J.V. and freshman football. They finished the year 8-3 but due to some injuries lost in the second round. The Rams will return plenty of good players as most likely they'll have 12 all-league calibar players back, only losing three Senior starters on defense and five overall. The defense they run is the "Grizzly" which is a 5-3-3 defense. What makes their defense unique is that you have two defensive ends, one nose guard and your two other defensive tackles stand up something that you would see Bill Bellicheck and the Patriots use.

Whether it's coaching football or living life David is using the Randy Hart philosphy. He hopes to spread the great coaching he received from James, Lambright and Hart down to his current group of High School kids. Richie has came a long ways from being the hick in a hick town like Kelso. He has been to a Rose Bowl, won a Super Bowl, won an XFL championship and now he is helping kids reach the next level like he did. Overall it was nice catching up with a good Husky like David Richie. This will be the first of many football chats I have with him. I wish David plenty of success down the road.

Top five Husky Apple Cup wins

By Kshell

In this blog post I'll break down in my opinion the top five wins for the Huskies in the Apple Cup. Unlike the Cougar list this was a bit more challenging as there were more victories to choose from. The Huskies lead the all-time series 65-31-6 and have enjoyed some great stretches of success. From 1974-2003 the Huskies were 23-7(76.6%) against the Cougars. So as you can see I had a tough time narrowing down the five best games because to qualify the game had to be close. That would eliminate over half the victories for the Huskies who when they have a dominant team roll the Cougars.

5. November 23rd, 1996: #12 Washington Huskies(8-2,6-1) at Washington State(5-5,3-4)

This is a game that doesn't get brought up nearly enough in my opinion. This game featured two NFL quarterbacks in Brock Huard who was a Freshman squaring off against Sophomore quarterback Ryan Leaf. The Huskies were enjoying their best season under head coach Jim Lambright which saw the team coming into this game on a five game winning streak led by Corey Dillon on offense and Jason Chorak on defense. The Huskies were a balanced team which featured the run and a good defense which had allowed 14 points or less in four consecutive games.



The Cougars were playing for their third bowl game in a five years. The Cougars had defeated the Huskies back to back years in Pullman and three out of four in Pullman dating back to 1988. The Huskies came out in the first half and dominated led by the rushing of Corey Dillon. The Huskies took a 10-0 lead at halftime.

Then in the second half the Huskies extended the lead 24-0 behind three Corey Dillon rushing touchdowns of one,one and five yards. Dillon would rush for 155 yards on 38 carries.It was looking like the Huskies were going to kill the Cougars but the Cougars stormed back to tie the game up at 24-24. Led by Ryan Leaf who ran for a touchdown then threw for another. The Huskies would miss a field goal as time expired to force overtime.

In overtime freshman Huard would hit Jerome Pathon on third and goal from the nine yard line for a touchdown. In a game of inches facing a fourth and goal Leaf's pass to Chad Carpenter was ruled out of bounds. Carpenter caught the pass but catch was ruled out of bounds. The Huskies survived with a 31-24 win in overtime. Huard would throw end up 12 of 24 passing for 144 yards and one crucial touchdown. Leaf would have to settle for a "moral" victory for the second straight year.

4. November 18th, 1995: Washington State Cougars(3-7,2-5) at #22 Washington Huskies(6-3-1,5-1-1)

This was my first Apple Cup I ever attended and it was quite the first game I went to. Heading into the game the big news was Cougar coach benching Chad Davis who won the Cougars a bowl game the year before and defeated the Huskies. Price was starting a freshman that nobody knew about but at the end of the game was the talk of the game....Ryan Leaf.

The Huskies had no answer for Leaf as he threw for 291 yards on the day. The Cougars were looking to pull off a huge upset in this rivalries history not seen since 1982 leading the Huskies at halftime 14-6. In the third quarter Rashaan Shehee would bust a touchdown 86 yards as he was running down the sideline my dad picked me up on his shoulders so I can see Shehee would for a touchdown. Shehee just a young sophomore at the time would rush for an Apple Cup record 212 yards and three touchdowns.

Even with Shehee's performance and Senior quarterback Damon Huard becoming the all-time passing leader in Husky history in the same game the Huskies found themselves trailing the Cougars 22-15 in the fourth quarter. The Huskies would finally erupt scoring two touchdowns to take a 30-22 lead over the Cougars. Leaf would lead the Cougars down the field scoring a touchdown and then a two point conversation to tie the game up with two minutes to go.




In his final career game at Husky stadium Huard drove the Huskies down the field to Washington State three yard line setting up John Wales to kick the game winning field goal. He would make the field goal giving the Huskies a thrilling 33-30 win. Then after the game it was announced that USC had lost to UCLA meaning the Huskies would be Co Pac-10 champions.

3. November 22nd, 2003: #8 Washington State(9-2,6-1) at Washington Huskies(5-6,3-4)

In the straight year where the Cougars were ranked in the top 10 heading into the game while the Huskies were having a disappointing season. Just like in 2002 this game left Cougar fans wondering if they are cursed. With the USC Trojans appearing they would play for the Rose Bowl(they would actually get snubbed) it appeared the Cougars with a win here could play in a Rose Bowl believe it or not two years in a row.

The Huskies had a streak to keep up in this game. I'm not talking about the five game winning streak against the Cougars either. Hard to believe now but at the time Huskies hadn't had a losing season since 1976. The Huskies who were led by Cody Pickett and Reggie Williams didn't want to be known as the guys who broke the streak.

As the game went on the Cougars controlled the game in fact led 16-7 heading into the fourth quarter. Then the Husky Stadium magic happened as the Cougars turned the ball over seven times in the game including five interceptions by Matt Kegel and Josh Swogger. The Huskies would cut the lead to 16-14, then after the Cougars would make a field goal to go up 19-14 the Huskies had one final possession.




The Huskies were facing a fourth and two when Pickett hit Frederick with a one yard pass which Frederick using his speed blew by two Cougar defenders for a big gain. Then a little over a minute left Pickett on the Cougars 21 yard line went back to pass and fired a ball that split two Cougar defenders to freshman Corey Williams in the right corner of the end zone. The Huskies took a 20-19 lead but the Cougars would have one last chance to win the game. The Huskies would blitz Swogger as he avoided the sack he threw the ball up for grabs which was snatched by Marquis Cooper who ran it back for a 38 yard touchdown to clinch the win at 27-19.

This was the last time Husky Stadium would ever be electric again. The team and fans rushed the field after beating the Cougars showing just how far the Huskies program had fallen at the time. For the three straight year the Cougars would enter the rivalry as the favorite and would leave the game wondering how?! Why us?! This game was the classic defination of the term "Coug it".

2.November 23rd, 2002: Washington Huskies(6-5,3-4) at #3 Washington State(9-1,6-0)

As I detailed in an earlier blog post this game was the biggest heartbreaker for the Cougars. The Cougars held a 17-7 lead late in the fourth quarter before the Huskies came back to tie the game. The Huskies would take a 29-26 lead in the third quarter.

Kegel on the first play was attempting to throw a wide receiver screen only the Huskies Kai Ellis who had two sacks already blew the play up by crashing through the line, tapping the Kegel pass then catching the pass but ultimately dropping the pass. Had Ellis simply caught the ball Gordon Riese life would have been made a lot easier. Now if a pass is a backwards pass that is considered a live ball which the Huskies had recovered. If the pass is a forward pass that is an incomplete pass and the Cougars would have second down. Then after two minutes of discussion Riese finally made the call.



"The ruling on the field is that it was a backwards pass, Washington has recovered that pass the game is over!"- announced by head referee Riese which saw the Cougar fans embarass themselves. First of all the Huskies players stormed the field because in the Neuheisel days the Huskies had zero class as well. The fans then soon followed celebrating on the Cougars 50 yard line and players were taunting Cougar fans. What followed next was a disgrace to the Pac-10 as Cougar fans started throwing beer bottles onto the field at the Huskies players and fans. The Cougars were stunned that the year they were ranked third in the nation they would yet again lose the Apple Cup for the fifth straight year. No player on that Cougars roster will ever get to say he beat the Huskies.




The Huskies were led by the passing duo once again. Picket would complete 35 of 57 passes for 368 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. He would also have added a rushing touchdown. His main weapon once again destroyed Trufant, Williams caught 12 passes for 169 yards giving him 23 receptions in two career games against Trufant. Gesser was enjoying a fine game before his injury completing 14 of 24 for 226 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The unsung hero's for the Huskies were John Anderson who after missing three field goals won Pac-10 special teams player of the week after drilling five in a row. Another one was true freshman Nate Robinson who would have a huge interception that gave the Huskies a chance to tie the score up.

1. November 22nd, 1975: Washington State Cougars(3-7,0-6) at Washington Huskies(5-5,4-2)

This is the biggest miracle finish to any Apple Cup in history. When I read about this game which has been well documented I'm still amazed how Washington State lost this game. You would have to try your hardest to blow this game and even then eight times out of ten you would still win.

Don James was coaching his first ever Apple Cup and struggling to win over the fans going 5-5 in his first year leading up to this game. While Washington State head coach Jim Sweeney was on the hot seat suffering through a winless Pac-8 season to date. The Cougars though jumped out to a 27-14 lead in this game. The rain was coming down hard in this game and Warren Moon and the offense was booed all game long as Moon was just 3 for 21 passing for 73 yards.

The Cougars were up 27-14 with under three minutes to go had the ball on the Huskies 14 yard line and managed to lose in regulation. Facing a fourth and one from the Huskies 14 yard line Sweeney decided to give in to his players who wanted to run up the score on the Huskies. Instead of kicking the field goal and ending the game right then and there he decided to go for it. Not only would Sweeney go for it but he would pass the ball in this miserable weather. What would happen next was pure disaster for Sweeney and the Cougars.




The pass was interecepted by Huskies safety Al Burleson(Yes he's related to former Seahawks receiver Nate) who sprinted down the sideline 93 yards to cut the lead to 27-21. Burleson at least made the game interesting. The Huskies then three and outed the Cougars getting the ball back. In another miracle the struggling Moon would fire a pass to Spider Gaines but under-throw him to two Cougars. The two Cougar defenders then hit each other as the ball reflected into Gaines hands for the touchdown. In front of only 25,000 remaining Husky fans they couldn't believe what they saw.

The Cougars head coach Jim Sweeney would never coach a game at Washington State ever again. While the winning coach Don James who wasn't popular his first two years might have even been fired if he had lost this game. James needed a miracle to defeat the Cougars on this day but overall he went 13-5 against the Cougars including winning his first seven Apple Cups. As always the lesson is don't get greedy had Sweeney just kicked the field goal or simply run the ball the Cougars win this game.

So that wraps up my top five Husky Apple Cup wins. I wish there was more media coverage on that 1975 game which still is pretty remarkable win. After reading this list you can now fully understand the term "Couged it". The Huskies have had some great Apple Cup wins but none that were as exciting as these five wins.

My very first Husky game ever: Flashbacks to 1995 vs USC

By Kshell

When the Washington Huskies(1-2) travel to Los Angeles to take on the 18th ranked USC Trojans(4-0) many fans will look back fondly of the great games between these two programs. When these teams faced off in the 80's and 90's typically the winner would go on to the Rose Bowl. The Huskies have had many great victories over the Trojans in years past.

Look no further than last years shocking win when UW coming off a 0-12 season and had lost the previous year to the Trojans 56-0. Steve Sarkisian who was the offensive coordinator at USC along with Nick Holt who was the defensive coordinator that game were now at UW. UW had shocked the #3 ranked Trojans 16-13 in the biggest upset win in Washington Huskies football history.

The Huskies under Don James had several great battles with the Trojans. They upset Marcus Allen and the Trojans 20-10 in 1980 down in Los Angeles for the first victory down in LA since 1964. The Huskies defeated the Trojans again in 1981 13-3 in a rain soaked game. Both victories helped UW go to the Rose Bowl.

In 1985 making his first career start sophomore Chris Chandler led a 98 yard game winning touchdown drive to defeat the Trojans 20-17. Then the Huskies would lose four consecutive times to the Trojans setting up the 1990 showdown when the 5th ranked Trojans came to town. UW led by Greg Lewis who ran for 126 yards a touchdown and was named Pac-10 player of the week. The Huskies shut out the mighty Trojans 31-0. Todd Marinovich was 7 for 16 passing for 80 yards and offered the most famous Husky Stadium quote an opponent has ever stated. When asked about the game his response was "I just saw purple, that's all, no numbers. Just purple."

Yes the Huskies have had plenty of great victories over the Trojans but I'm going to talk about a game in which the Huskies did not win. They also didn't lose this game either.

October 28, 1995: #13 USC Trojans(6-1,4-0) at #17 Washington Huskies(5-2,4-0)

This was the very first Husky football game I ever attended. I had just turned 10 years old the previous month. I was so excited when my dad got the tickets and instead of taking a friend he chose to take me to the game. At show and tell I brought the tickets and the tickets were by far the coolest thing on show and tell. The teacher asked me the odds of the Huskies winning and because I was a stupid 10 year old I said 50-50. Little did I know I would be sort of correct.

This game was a huge game for Rose Bowl aspirations. Washington coming off two years of probation was finally set to be eligible to play in a bowl game. Due to probation still this year in 1995 they were only allowed four games on T.V. all year long and this was obviously one of the games picked(Along with the opener vs ASU, at Ohio State and vs Notre Dame). This was back in the day when both programs were great Pac-10 powerhouses. The Trojans from 1987-1989 went to three consecutive Rose Bowls then the Washington Huskies went to three consecutive Rose Bowls from 1990-1992. This was the homecoming game for the Huskies.

At the time of this game the Huskies had lost just three games total in Husky Stadium dating back to 1990(UCLA November of 1990, USC November of 1993, and Notre Dame a few weeks earlier in 1995). USC had national championship hopes featuring future #1 pick overall in the draft wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson. The Trojans were picked to win the Pac-10 going into the year and started the year off hot going 6-0 but coming into this game they had lost to Notre Dame 38-10. The Washington Huskies had just two losses on the year both were competitive losses at Ohio State and a special teams meltdown at home to Notre Dame.

There was plenty of famous alumni on both sidelines. On the Washington Huskies sideline featured the all-time leading rusher in school history Napoleon Kaufman who was enjoying a bye week for the Raiders. On the USC sideline was former Trojan and at the time Mariner great Randy Johnson. He was the only guy wearing USC gear in Husky Stadium history to record a standing ovation since he had just saved Seattle baseball the previous months.

Former Husky defensive end standout Jason Chorak reflects on the game, "Yes a game of two powerhouses in the Pac 10 with a great receiver on one side Keyshawn Johnson a lot of missed field goals which cost us another Rose Bowl and two great traditions."

The Huskies raced out to a quick 21-0 lead. The man who had replaced Napoleon Kaufman, Leon Neal would rush for over 100 yards including a long touchdown run. The Huskies up 13-0 scored a touchdown and faked the extra point. Then backup quarterback Shane Fortney kept the ball and ran it in for a 2 point conversation giving the Huskies a commanding 21-0 lead. It had appeared the Trojans were going to get blown out in back to back weeks on the road. The Huskies defense led by Lawyer Milloy was shutting down Keyshawn the first three quarters. The Huskies offense was clicking behind Damon Huard who would pass for 209 yards and have zero interceptions. Then the fourth quarter happened.

" A goal line stance from the UW defense and a Pac-10 championship outright to the Rose Bowl instead it was a co-championship and the Sun Bowl. We started fast and the offensive could not move the ball than the defensive played conservative instead of out attack style defensive." reflected 1996 Pac-10 defensive player of the year Jason Chorak.

The Huskies would stall on offense and go conservative that entire fourth quarter. The defense played kind of a prevent defense. I remember not hearing that stupid USC fight song hardly at all first three quarters to hearing it non stop in the fourth. I remember all the fans getting that uneasy feeling. Next thing you know Keyshawn can't be stopped and is taking the game over. The game was cut to 21-14 when USC had the ball led by quarterback Brad Otton who had led Tumwater to the state championship in 1989 over Cheney 27-7.

USC was facing a 4th and six from its own 46 yard line, Otton scrambled for a 19 yard run to the UW 35 yard line. Then with 33 seconds left in the game Otton found Johnny McWilliams for a two yard strike to make the score 21-20. Knowing USC had held tiebreaker due to more non conference wins than Washington had John Robinson elected to kick the extra point to tie it at 21-21. Washington head coach Jim Lambright elected to run out the clock and end the game in a tie. This was the last year before college football had overtime.

I remember leaving the stadium surprised as a kid. The Husky fans were leaving the game as a loss while the USC fans were loud and cheering. That shows there are no ties in sports regardless of the scoreboard. Due to tie breakers and the fact USC overcame a 21 point deficit on the road in a hostile stadium which featured 74,421 which at the time was the largest in the series history including the games down in L.A.

It was a hard fought battle which featured plenty of great players on both teams. This game featured a ton of Rose Bowl possibilities and with good reason. From 1960-1992 the winner of this game went to Rose Bowl 23 times(15 by USC, 8 by Washington). These programs at the time were the class of the Pac-10.

"When you watched that game you where watching two traditions go at it like football is supposed to be played," recalled Chorak.

The Huskies the next week took on the Oregon Ducks at home and after trailing 24-0 rallied to pull within 24-22 but two missed field goals in the final minutes would cost the Huskies a win and ultimately a chance at the Rose Bowl. USC would drop its last game of the year to UCLA giving the Huskies a Co Pac-10 championship. USC would finish the year 9-2-1 after defeating Northwestern in the Rose Bowl. The Washington Huskies would finish the year 7-4-1 after losing to Iowa 38-18 in the Sun Bowl.

Had the Huskies not collapsed in the 4th quarter of either the Notre Dame game(tiebreaker was non conference record remember) or the USC game blowing a 21-0 lead they would have gone to the Rose Bowl. Had the Huskies simply just defeated Oregon at home they would have gone to the Rose Bowl. Ultimately the 1995 Huskies had three games where they went 0-2-1 all of which took place at Husky Stadium where they were prior to those games they were 31-2 at Husky Stadium dating back to 1990.

That was my very first Husky game. What are the odds that my first game would end in the last tie in UW history? It was a great game by two great teams and when I think of USC I have fond memories and hopefully this Saturday the Huskies can create some new memories.

Washington Huskies-Nebraska Cornhuskers flashback to the 90's

By Kshell

When the 8th ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers come to Seattle to take on the Washington Huskies it will bring back memories to the 1990's when both programs were at their peaks. The Huskies took on the Cornhuskers during their prime run in the early 90's and then they squared off again during the Cornhuskers prime run. In the 90's these schools were often ranked in the top 10 and you would always find their games on ABC. The schools have faced off 7 times previously with the results being 3 wins for Nebraska, 3 wins for Washington and 1 tie. With all due respect to those earlier games I'm going to focus on the games that were played in the 1990's. Just like this Saturday this game will feature a top 10 ranked team. In the 1990's in three of the four games both teams were ranked in the top 10.

September 21, 1991: #4 Washington(1-0) at #9 Nebraska(2-0) This was the defining game of the season for the Huskies. Going into the 1991 season the Huskies were the defending Rosebowl champs and finished the previous year ranked 5th in the nation after defeating Iowa in the Rosebowl 46-34. The expectations were high for the Huskies then the spring game happened. Rosebowl MVP Mark Brunell busted his knee in the game. He was expected out for the season. Highly touted recruit but just a sophomore Billy Joe Hobert would take over as quarterback for the 1991 Huskies.

The Huskies began the season by thrashing Pac-10 rival Stanford Cardinal 42-7 on the road. The Huskies knew though this wasn't Stanford. This was Nebraska in Lincoln where nobody wins. It was a 5 p.m. PT kick off on ABC. The crowd was rocking as this was a huge game for both teams. Nebraska had something to prove as well. Going into the game the question was could Tom Osborne win the big game? He had never won fewer than 9 games at Nebraska to that point but hadn't beaten a top 10 opponent in over 3 seasons.

This game featured the nations top rushing defense from 1990 in the Huskies and the nations top rushing offense from 1990 in the Huskers. The Huskies gave up a long touchdown run to Derek Brown found themselves trailing at halftime 14-9. Then Beno Bryant set up near the 10 yard line to return a punt. He fumbled the punt at the 1 yard line. Setting up a Derek Brown touchdown to make the score 21-9. The crowd was pretty loud at that point in the ball game.

"It was an electric game, prior to the Nebraska game I couldn't imagine how a small city could produce such a great atmosphere. I'm from a big city so flying into Lincoln, the biggest building in the entire region was the football stadium which was full of nothing but red and white. There was a sense of do we belong? Can we hold our own? This was a chance to answer those questions," recalled two time all american offensive lineman Lincoln Kennedy.

"It was by far the loudest stadium I had ever played in. We had to use hand signals because we could not hear Billy in the huddle," reflected by two time all Pac-10 wide receiver and 1991 Pac-10 offensive player of the year Mario Bailey. On facing a 21-9 deficit Bailey recalled "We never sulked ever."

"I felt we weren't out of it. I knew with our defense and our big hitters they would keep us in it. I was young and niave to realize how big of a moment this was and how hostile the crowd was. We could do some things on offense it's not like we were getting stuffed just stalling. We did a great job of overcoming adversity and penalties to regroup and get it all together. We just had to get over the intial crowd noise," recalled Kennedy.

That's when the season changed forever. Up until that point the telecast and the fans were focusing on who was missing at quarterback in Mark Brunell but in the next 20 minutes everyone would learn the name Billy Joe Hobert. The Huskies had just 5:32 left in the 3rd quarter trailing on the road in front of 76,304 sea of red in Nebraska.

After the Huskies had a touchdown pass from Hobert to Orlando McKay taken away they were facing a 3rd and 27 from the Nebraska 49. Hobert felt outside pressure and stepped and ran for 19 yards to set up a 4th and 8. Then offensive coordinator who raced back to the booth called a perfect play call. He called three receivers to run straight down the field and for Orlando McKay to go underneath for a first down. It was a terrific pass from Billy Joe. On the next play Beno Bryant busted a run 15 yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to 21-16.

The Huskies after forcing a three out led by Steve Emtman and Dave Hoffmann. The Huskies marched 69 yards in just 6 plays. Hobert found McKay with an 8 yard strike to make it 22-21. Hobert was feeling it at that point. He was pumped up and gestering and oozing of confidence. The late great Jamie Fields forced a fumble giving UW the ball again.

The Huskies marched again in six plays with Hobert rushing for his 2nd touchdown of the game giving him three total touchdowns. The Huskies now lead 29-21. The game was put away once and for all. The Huskies on their own 19 called a draw to Jay Berry on a 3rd and 12. Berry made a tackler miss and was off the races scoring 81 yards. As the Huskies were celebrating Keith Jackson had said "That was the sound of the door slamming shut." The Huskies led 36-21.

"When Jay Berry busted that the whole sideline was freaking out. It was such a great feeling watching him run down the sideline knowing we were going to win," reflecting superbowl champion and Husky great defensive lineman D'Marco Farr.

The Huskies would go on to win 36-21 having scored 27 unanswered points in the final 20 minutes of the game. The Huskies amassed 618 yards of total offense. The Huskies had two 100+ yard rushers in Beno Bryant rushing for 139 yards on just 17 carries and a touchdown. Jay Berry had 110 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown. Billy Joe Hobert was 23 of 40 passing for 283 yards and a touchdown plus two rushing touchdowns.

This was a huge win for the Huskies to walk into Lincoln and come out with the win. As Mario Bailey recalled "Beating Nebraska in Nebraska was the signal to our team that we could and would win the national championship." He also described his quarterback Billy Joe Hobert as simply a winner.

"In 1991, we started off ok but were surprised by a couple new formations they had. We always felt we were much more physical on defense than anyone we played. Although the Huskers were tough as nails....our hammers were bigger. We played smart and wore them down. We overcame a couple turnovers and really owned the last quarter and a half. This is all off of memory, but how can you forget such a great experience. Both my German Grandfathers were from Nebraska and were at the game.....they were proud men and it made me feel great. My brother Steve was a redshirt and got to come on the trip too because he had such a great week of practice. The whole thing couldn't have been better," recalled two time all american middle linebacker Dave Hoffmann.

"It was very loud in Lincoln. I remember walking off the field at half time and having sodas and waters being dumped and thrown at us by their fans. You actually had to walk through a roped off area to get from the locker room and the field.... Screaming fans were just a few feet away. I was thinking this place is nuts! They just poured fuel onto the fire. We came out and hit 'em the mouth. Walking off the field after the game we were met with cheer and applause. Many of those cheering were wearing red and white. I think we earn their respect," stated Shane Pahukoa remembering back. Pahukoa was the starting safety on that team and would enjoy some years in the NFL.

"I just remember the hostile crowd and the blinding sea of red (1991). We had to walk through their concession lines at half time.........we were boo'ed and talk about so bad. All in the spirit and passion of the game however, but man were we pissed off to the highest of pisstivity! I had just fumbled a punt on our end of the field and then came a Nebraska touchdown. I think we were losing 21-6 at half. I looked around the locker room and saw a "Sense of urgency" not panic! The coaches came to speak to us and I saw nothing but confidence. That's when I knew we had something special at the Dub! Steve and the defense shut the Cornhusker offense down and Billy Joe was like a surgeon out there. Our offensive line was incredible. I don't believe Billy was touched after the 2nd Quarter. Finally, J-Barry pop a 82 yard run which was like "Poetry in motion" the beauty of that run and Orlando Mckay sprinting 82 yards to shield Jay the rest of the way.............WOW, THEY DON'T MAKE EM' LIKE THAT ANYMORE! Or do they..."HINT"!" reflected by starting running back Beno Bryant who was a highlight film sensation.

The Huskies would finish this season ranked #1 in the coaches poll, #2 in the AP and would share a National Championship. They would also win their second straight Rosebowl highlighted by Mario Bailey's Heisman pose.

September 19th, 1992: #12 Nebraska(2-0) at #2 Washington(2-0) This big game marked the first time since 1985 that Husky Stadium would be played under the lights. The defending national champions were playing in a prime time game on ESPN. This game was also on my birthday. Nebraska wanted to get some revenge on the Huskies after blowing the game the year before.

"I was just blown away at the night game. This was the first night game I had ever played in at Husky Stadium. It was like God intended this day to be great any other day it might have been bad weather but today it was beautiful. Clear sky and blue sky you couldn't have asked for a more special place. You had the boats out there and the crowd was loud it was pretty special. After 1991, we had the swagger we knew what it took to win these type of games since we proved the year before we could do it. We lost some key players but we also returned plenty of talent from the year before plus a healthy Mark Brunell and Napoleon Kaufman was a year older," recalled two time all american Lincoln Kennedy.

There was some new faces for the Huskies as Mario Bailey, Orlando McKay, Ed Cunningham and Aaron Pierce had graduated on offense. On defense the Huskies also had to replace graduates Dana Hall, Shane Pahukoa, Donald Jones and most importantly lost Steve Emtman who had left early to be the #1 pick overall in the NFL draft. Ask to fill in his shoes were D'Marco Farr and Mike Lustyk. They were facing what Tom Osborne had described as his greatest offensive line he ever had.

"Individually this was the pinacle of my career. The year before my job was easy, just sit on the sidelines watch Steve Emtman dominate then come in and be a role player. This year Steve wasn't there anymore it was on me and Mike Lustyk. Steve was like a big brother to me and he wasn't there anymore so it was my turn. I was also blessed to have the greatest defensive line coach in Randy Hart. Randy always had us well prepared for the games and it was great playing for Randy.It was always a line of succession back then and this was my turn," recalled defensive tackle D'Marco Farr.

Farr's thoughts on the game, "The atmosphere was great. It was a night game and the crowd was amazing I couldn't believe how loud our crowd was that game. Going into the game I was a bit intimated because Steve was gone so it was on me. I also had to face a tough Nebraska offensive line which featured future NFL hall of famer offensive guard Will Shields. He was a great player and it was a great challenge. I felt our defense played really well that day."

The game was a defensive struggle to start the game off. With Nebraska having the ball on their own six-inch line with the crowd going crazy they decided to have quarterback Mike Brandt drop back and pass. Tommie Smith on a safety blitz came in untouched and just smashed Brandt into the end zone turf giving the Huskies a 2-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

In the 2nd quarter the Huskies erupted for three touchdowns. Napoleon Kaufman had a long run setting up a 1 yard touchdown run and Beno Bryant who hadn't played in the first two wins over Arizona State on the road and Wisconsin at home scored on a 1 yard touchdown run. Then right before halftime leading 16-7 Billy Joe Hobert had hit former high school teammate Joe Kralik for a long touchdown catch which Kralik had to dive at the back end of the of the end zone. That was set up by an interception by Walter Bailey. Eric Bjornson who had served as the backup quarterback in the 1991 Nebraska game had 3 receptions for 72 yards. He was moved to receiver due to graduation and later moved to tight end in the NFL.

"The following year was fabulous! To see Nip run (look so fast) in black shoes was incredible. The offense line dominated the Cornhuskers at the FIRST EVER night game in Husky Stadium. The Cornhuskers were to have a One-Two punch that year, however we still had the stifling defense whom I loathed to compete against Monday thru Thursday! The crowd was so loud I sometimes had to focus extremely to hear the calls. The most interesting thing about the game was that we knew what Nebraska was going to do before they did. Our coaches had us well prepared from SPECIAL TEAMS down to how they tied their shoes. It was always like that! I will always remember those days......and most importantly that first night! U don't come in our home and leave without being scrapped and bruised. Most importantly..........BEAT THE HECK UP!" recalled senior tailback Beno Bryant.

"People might not have realized that game was when Jim Lambright started a new era in college football. Lambright always stressed to us to get the second quarterback in the game. Well we had knocked the quarterback out of the game. They had brought in Tommie Frazier. You can tell even though he was just a freshman that he was a stud. He was unbelievable and he was better than the first string quarterback," recalled Farr.

The Huskies would go on to win this game 29-14 and on that following Monday would rise to #1 in the AP poll. The Huskies would run their winning streak to 22 games before falling to Arizona. The Huskies were 8-0 at the time. The Huskies would win the Pac-10 and go to the Rosebowl for the third straight year. The Cornhuskers were on the verge of going on a run themselves. The next season Nebraska led by Tommie Frazier who played in the 4th quarter of this game would play for the national championship. Then in 1994 and 1995 they would win the national championship.

September 20th, 1997: #7 Nebraska(2-0) at #2 Washington(2-0) In another big game for both schools which was featured on ABC. The Huskies fresh off of killing #19 BYU on the road and beating up San Diego State at home were taking on the big boys. The Huskies had returned most of their team from 1996 which finished 2nd in the Pac-10 and went 9-3. The Cornhuskers featured future NFL pro bowl running back Ahman Green and Scott Frost who had defeated the Huskies in 1994 when he was at Stanford.

The Huskies found themselves in the hole quickly. Led by Scott Frost rushing for two long touchdowns the Huskies were trailing at home 21-0. Making things even worse was when future NFL Superbowl champion Grant Wistrom injured sophomore phenom quarterback Brock Huard. The team had to turn to true freshman quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo. Tuiasosopo found Pathon early and often. Pathon would finish the game with the 9th best receiving game in NCAA history to this point with 195 yards receiving. Tuiasosop would find Cam Cleeland for a touchdown right before halftime to make it 21-7.

"The 1997 game at home was a huge game. We were both ranked in the top 5 and both teams had great athletes all over the field. I remember struggling with both of their defensive ends. Grant Wistrom ended up rolling up Brocks ankle after Brock got rid of the ball on one play and Marcus had to come in I believe. That was a tough loss against a really good football team and was a momentum changing game for us," recalled former three year offensive line starter Tony Coats.

In the third quarter Tuiasosopo would find senior fullback Mike Reed for a short score to make the game 21-14. The Huskies crowd was loud at that point. Then Jim Lambright the head coach at the time decided to onside kick the ball despite UW having all the momentum. Nebraska recovered the ball and would score a field goal. The Cornhuskers would tack on another field goal and win the game 27-14.

Former Pac-10 defensive player of the year Jason Chorak reflects on the Nebraska game. "Yes a big game think we were Number 1 and they(big red) had a great team. Brock went down and Marcus came in the game and lit it up. Shows that if you just play the game at a high speed you can do things. The whole game they ran away from me and rolled the QB away from me out coached and schemed that game."

The difference in the game was rushing. Nebraska had held first team all Pac-10 running back Rashaan Shehee to just 43 yards rushing. Nebraska's Ahman Green and Joel Makovicka rushed for 129 yards each. The bright spot was the passing game of Marques Tuiasosopo who passed for 270 yards and two touchdowns.

Nebraska used this win to roll the rest of the season to win a share of the National Championship with Michigan. Osborne had rid himself of that can't win the big one label by winning three national championships in a four year period. He would retire at the end of the season.

The Huskies remained in the top 10 most of the season and were 7-1 at one point. Then Shehee went down and the Huskies finished the regular season losing their last three games. The Huskies despite being ranked in the top 10 all year long finished the year just 8-4. "If we had good coaches 96 and 97 would of been a lot more different than what was," reflecting by Jason Chorak.

September 26th, 1998: #8 Washington(2-0) at #2 Nebraska(3-0) The Huskies were supposed to be in a rebuilding season having lost 13 guys to the NFL. The defending national champions Nebraska with a new coach Frank Solich also lost some key people. The Huskies began the year with a miracle win over 8th ranked Arizona State in Tempe, Arizona.

This was another big game on ABC which featured ESPN's game day crew.Brock Huard decided to come back this season after flirting with the idea of going into the NFL draft. This game was a joke for Husky fans. Which appeared to be the theme for the Huskies in the mid 1990's they Dawgs got blown out on the road 55-7.

"The 1998 game in Lincoln I went in much better prepared for both mentally and physically. Unfortunately we just couldn't match up against them my Senior year. We lost 55-7 I think and had a standing ovation from the crowd as we left the field. One of the most humiliating feelings I've ever felt leaving that field," reflecting offensive lineman senior captain Tony Coats.

The Huskers ran for 434 yards on the ground led by 146 by DeAngelo Evans. The Huskies were held to just 273 yards of offense. This was a humiliating loss for the Dawgs. This was when Husky nation had finally turned on Jim Lambright.

After finishing the year with a 6-6 record and a blowout loss to Air Force with the Oahau bowl Lambright was fired. The Cornhuskers finished the year 9-4 and suffered a home loss to Heisman trophy winner Ricky Williams for the first time since the 1991 Washington Huskies had beat them.

This Saturday once again a top 10 team will be playing in this game. Nebraska appears to be back to where they belong with a running quarterback in Martinez. The Huskies meanwhile have a chance to make a statement that they are back. If the dawgs win this Saturday they could find themselves in the rankings. This game is also huge for Jake Locker and his heisman chances.

Background on UW-BYU rivalry

By: Kshell

The Washington Huskies take on the BYU Cougars this Saturday September 4th down in Provo, Utah. The Huskies lead the all-time series vs BYU Cougars 4-3. The Huskies and Cougars have had plenty of good battles in years past. In the previous 7 meetings at least one of the two teams was ranked in six of those matchups and both teams were ranked in two matchups. The biggest battle of them all occured before either team had ever played each other on the field.

In 1984 these two teams finished #1-#2 in the final rankings. The BYU Cougars won the national championship despite not playing a single ranked opponent all season long. They finished the season 13-0 and defeated 6-5 Michigan Wolverines 24-17 in the Holiday Bowl a bowl which is held before New Years day. The Washington Huskies that season went 11-1 and ended the year defeating the Oklahoma Sooners in the Orange Bowl. The Huskies that year only loss was to Rosebowl Champion USC Trojans in USC 16-7 late in the season. BYU is the only team in the AP's history to be rewarded a national championship despite not playing a single ranked opponent during the season. The two teams then agreed to play each other in the 1985 and 1986 seasons.

The Washington Huskies coming off a home defeat to Oklahoma State in 1985 wanted to get some revenge at BYU. The 16th ranked Cougars destroyed the Huskies at Cougar stadium 31-3. Don James was furious with his team after this performance. James very rarely would get blown out in big non conference games. He even threaten to bench some of the older guys on the team. BYU Quarterback Robbie Bosco called it the biggest win in school history. Which set up a nice rematch the following year in Seattle.

In 1986 the 11th ranked Cougars were crushed 52-21 by the 7th ranked Huskies. The Huskies coming off a blowout win over Ohio State 40-7 had this game marked on their calenders for a year. The crowd was pumped up for this game in Seattle until Robert Parker took the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown to give BYU a 7-0 lead. After that the Huskies scored 52 unanswered points. Future NFL quarterback Chris Chandler was to much for BYU. When Don James took out his remaining starters with 6 minutes to go in the game BYU had just 70 yards of total offense. These teams wouldn't play each other for 10 years after this win by the Huskies.

In 1996 the 14th ranked BYU Cougars came to town led by Quarterback Steve Sarkisian. The Huskies coming off a 45-42 defeat at ASU wanted to avoid their first 0-2 start since 1985. The Huskies won this game 29-17 behind Rashaan Shehee who ran for 131 yards and 2 TD's. The Huskies lead by 1996 Pac-10 defensive player of the year Jason Chorak lead a fierce pass rush on Sarkisian all game long.That would be the Cougars only defeat of the season ending 14-1 with a win in the Cotton Bowl. The Huskies that year also wanted to go to the Cotton Bowl with their 9-2 record and having beat BYU head to head. The Cotton Bowl chose BYU instead which again left a bad taste in Washington's mouth. These teams were scheduled to play for the next three seasons.

In 1997 the Washington Huskies began the season ranked 4th in the nation and traveled to 19th ranked BYU Cougars for their first trip to Provo since the disaster of 1985. After the game was tied 7-7, the Huskies opened up the playbook to Jerome Pathon. Pathon had over 160 yards receiving vs the Cougars. The Huskies also had a big rushing game from Rashaan Shehee who ran for 171 yards on 12 carries for two touchdowns. Brock Huard pass 18 of 23 for 285 yards with three touchdown passes as the Huskies won 42-20.

In 1998 the 9th ranked Huskies fresh off an improbable win over the ASU Sun Devils beat the Cougars 20-10. I was at this game in fact it was on my birthday September 19,1998. The game was featured the brand new scoreboard donated by Paul Allen. This scoreboard was the largest scoreboard in the nation. The scoreboard made it so no seat was a bad seat. I remember dying my hair purple for the game. This game featured the emergence of Toure Butler who had a 98 yard kick off return for a TD and a 35 yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. The Huskies stuffed the Cougars rushing attack that day. Brock Huard was 16 of 33 for 178 yards with a touchdown but two picks. The winning streak over BYU was up to 4 games. Current Washington head coach Jim Lambright would improve to 3-0 vs the Cougars.The Huskies still had one game left on its rivalry with BYU.

In 1999 was the start of a new era for the Huskies. This was the first game of the Rick Neuheisel era. The Huskies found themselves down 27-14 in the 4th quarter when Marques Tuiasosopo ran for two scores to give the Huskies the lead 28-27.Tuiasosopo
was 22 of 36 for 237 yards with a passing touchdown along with those two rushing scores .The Huskies couldn't stop Kevin Feterik who threw the game winning pass. In fact Feterik ended the game throwing for over 500 yards. These teams wouldn't face each other for another 9 years.

In 2008 the 15th ranked BYU Cougars came to town. Tyrone Willingham was in a make or break season for the Dawgs having just been blown out by #21 Oregon down in Eugene 44-10 and #3 Oklahoma looming the Huskies had to win this game to have any shot at a successful season and keeping Willinghams job. It was a back and forth game which saw BYU lead 28-21. Jake Locker had a magical 4th quarter drive. With 3 seconds left on the clock Locker escaped a couple of defenders to score what many thought was the game tying touchdown. He was so pumped he barely threw the ball in the air. He was called for unsportsmanlike penalty. The Cougars blocked the PAT and instead of overtime the 15th ranked Cougars escaped with a narrow 28-27 victory despite Locker throwing for 204 yards and a TD while rushing for 62 yards and two scores. The loss left a bitter taste in the mouth which could have lost a potentional big recruit.

In 2009 BYU beat the Huskies again only this time it was off the field. The Cougars landed the top quarterback in the country Jake Heaps. It was a big blow to Husky fans because Heaps went to Skyline highschool. Heaps at Skyline won three state championships. It was a major blow. Then the Huskies announced having been tired of having the toughest schedule in college football every year they are replacing BYU in 2011 and 2012 with Portland State and Eastern Washington.

This 2010 meeting could be the last meeting between these schools for another 10 years or so. I think its a shame because these schools have provided some good games in the past and also have some bad blood with the 1984 national championship, handing BYU their only loss in 1996, BYU getting the cotton bowl over UW in 1996, the end of the 2008 game and now Jake Heaps going to BYU. Its a shame the Huskies and Cougars won't be squaring off the next two years. So fans make sure to appreciate this 2010 game this could be the last time you see the BYU Cougars for a while.