Huskies takes on Aztecs for the first time since 1997

By Kshell

The Washington Huskies(7-6,5-4 last year, 4th in Pac-12 last year) kick off the fourth season under Steve Sarkisian against the San Diego State Aztecs(8-5, 4-3, 4th in Mountain West last year) at home. This year home for the Huskies will be at Century Link Field home of the Seattle Seahawks. Last season the Huskies won their first season opener since 2007 when they narrowly defeated D-1AA Eastern Washington Eagles 30-27. Sarkisian is 1-2 in season openers at Washington but has won his last two home openers. There will be plenty to be excited about in this game. The Aztecs like the Huskies are a bowl team who lost some key pieces but also return some key pieces. The Huskies will also have some anticipated debuts from some super freshman as these teams square off for the first time since 1997.

In the previous meeting between these two teams back in 1997 the #3 ranked Washington Huskies were coming off a big win at #19 BYU Cougars and were set to take on eventual national champion Nebraska Cornhuskers the following week. This was their home opener against San Diego State which they won 36-3 led by Brock Huard who was 16-26 passing for 313 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. While Rashaan Shehee ran for 72 yards on 16 carries and Maurice Shaw ran for 79 yards on 14 carries. Huard started the game off with a 12 yard touchdown pass to Jerome Pathon in the first first quarter as the Huskies led 7-0. In the second quarter after a  Huskies field goal it was Huard again who connected with Fred Coleman for a nine yard touchdown as the Huskies led 17-3 at halftime.

In the second half the Huskies kept the scoring up as Huard hit Pathon on a slant which he took for a touchdown 53 yards. Then in the fourth quarter Huard hit backup tight end Reggie Davis for a 12 yard touchdown as the Huskies won 36-3. Pathon finished with eight receptions for 182 yards with two touchdowns while Coleman had three for 70 yards with a touchdown. The Huskies held the Aztecs to negative seven yards rushing on that day something these Huskies are hoping they can duplicate.

The Aztecs return six starters on offense and five on defense. They lost quarterback Ryan Lindley who threw for 3,153 yards last year with 23 touchdowns and 8 int's. They also lost running back Ronnie Hillman who ran for 1,711 yards with 19 touchdowns. They do return both starting wide receivers. They return junior wide receiver Colin Lockett who had 56 receptions last season for 970 yards(16.8 YPC) with eight touchdowns. They also return Dylan Denso who caught 49 passes for 634 yards(12.9 YPC) with three touchdowns.

The Aztecs tight end Gavin Escobar who had 51 receptions for 780 yards(15.3 YPC) with seven touchdowns. The running game will see Adam Muema start who played in six games last year. Muema in those six games rushed for 253 yards(6.0 YPC) with three touchdowns. Backing him up is Walter Kazee who in nine games ran for 339 yards(4.6 YPC) with four touchdowns. The Aztecs have ready guys to replace Hillman and they feel like they have a ready guy to replace Lindley as he is a familiar face.

The starting quarterback will be former Oregon State Beavers quarterback Ryan Katz. Katz as a sophomore in 2010 had a solid first year as a starter. Katz threw for 2,401 yards(6.8 YPA) while completing 213 of 355 passes(60.0%) for 18 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. Katz struggled in the famous loss to Sacramento State and after hardly playing against Wisconsin the following week his Oregon State career was over.

 Katz has faced the Washington Huskies before playing in a game back in 2010 which the Huskies won 35-34 in double overtime led by Jake Locker throwing five touchdown passes. In that game Katz struggled he was 17-31(54.8%) passing for 206 yards(6.6 YPA) with one touchdown but three costly interceptions. He also added a rushing touchdown in that game. The Huskies are a much different team than two years as only Desmond Trufant and Talia Crichton started that game who will start this Saturday. That game was also at Husky Stadium while this game will be played at Century Link. The Aztecs are a bowl team with some key offensive pieces back plus a Pac-12 caliber quarterback facing a defense who is starting a former walk-on at corner. The Aztecs offense will look to put up some points but will it be enough against this potent Huskies attack led by Keith Price?

The Huskies team will go where Keith Price takes them. Price is a quarterback very few teams can stop especially a mountain west type team. Last year Price completed 242-362(66.9%) of his passes for 3,063 yards(8.5 YPA) with 33 touchdowns(school record) to only 11 interceptions while rushing for three touchdowns. He was at his best in the 67-56 Alamo Bowl loss to Baylor. Going up against heisman trophy winner Robert Griffin III it was Price who stood out that day despite the loss. Price was 23-37(62.2%) passing for 438 yards(11.8 YPA) with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran for 39 yards with three touchdowns. Price is hoping to build on that game and that season this year.

Price may have lost some weapons but he does return some key guys as well. His main target will be Kasen Williams who caught 36 passes for 427 yards(11.9 YPC) with six touchdowns which put him in a three-way tie for second place. He was also only a true freshman last season as he was a five star recruit coming out of high school. Another target Price will have is Austin Seferian-Jenkins who likeWillliams didn't disappoint as he was all pac-12 honorable mention for tight end. Seferian-Jenkins this past season caught 41 passes for 544 yards(13.3 YPC) with six touchdowns. He was also a five-star recruit true freshman last season. Price will also have two guys making their first career starts in their first career games as Huskies. The Huskies will also be having the debut of another heralded five-star recruit in Shaq Thompson.

Shaq Thompson will be making his highly anticipated debut for the Huskies. He is a five-star #1 safety in the nation and #3 player overall in the nation coming out of Sacramento California. He'll also play some offense as he ran for 1,134 yards with 15 touchdowns on only 120 carries as a senior. As a junior he ran for 1,882 yards with 25 touchdowns on 164 carries. He'll be a much added addition to the defense as well as the offense.

The Huskies are also starting four-star wide receiver Jaydon Mickens. Mickens is the 45th ranked receiver in the nation on scout and 11th ranked receiver in the nation on rivals. During his senior year Mickens was an all around athlete as he caught 32 passes for 558 yards(17.4 YPC) with seven touchdowns, he also ran the ball 82 times for 378 yards(4.61 YPC) with 13 touchdowns. He even attempted 32 passes on the year for 238 yards passing. The other starter is true freshman Kendyl Taylor who is a three-star recruit out of Arizona. During his senior year he caught 87 passes for 1,132 yards with 16 touchdowns. He also ran for 558 yards on 68 carries as he led his team to the state championship game where they lost snapping a 53 game winning streak. This Huskies recruiting class was pretty good as they were ranked for the third straight year but these three guys will be making their debuts in the starting role this Saturday.

The big question mark on offense this Saturday could be who replaces Chris Polk? Well for now not even Steve Sarkisian knows he has listed Jesse Callier and Bishop Sankey as co-starters. Callier as a freshman had 413 yards rushing (5.4 YPC) with 18 catches with 98 yards (5.4 YPC).  As a sophomore Callier battled injuries and thus his production fell off. Callier had just 260 yards rushing (5.5 YPC) with a touchdown. He had seven receptions for 65 yards and had 576 kickoff return yards.

While Sankey is a four star running back and 17th rated back in the 2011 class.  In his first season with the Huskies Sankey ran for 187 yards (6.7 YPC) with a touchdown. He also added six receptions and 134 yards in kickoff yards. With the Aztecs running a 3-3-5 nickel defense which is set up to stop the pass look for the Huskies to try and establish the run game. Many of their big passing plays came on play action passes which can only work if the run game is going. In short spurts both Callier and Sankey proved they can get the job done. Now there is no more Chris Polk to bail them out we'll see how these two can handle the work load. Those questions will be answered tomorrow in the first game in the post Chris Polk era. I think the Huskies are in good shape with these two plus others like Kevin Smith, Mickens and Thompson who will add to the running game.

The Washington Huskies look to win their second straight season opening game for the first time since the 2006 and 2007 seasons. The Huskies also look to win their third straight home opener since winning four straight from 2000-03. The Huskies are favored by 14.5 points and should win this game without needing some sort of miracle like last season. I think Sarkisian has learned his lesson from the Eastern Washington game as he dialed back the offensive playbook quite a bit which almost cost him. I think the Huskies will treat this game like any other game so look for them to pull out all the stops. The Huskies are 1-1 all-time at Century Link Field will take the field against a hungry Aztecs team as both teams are coming off bowl seasons. If the Huskies hope to continue to grow as a program they will take care of business as they prepare for a tough match up the following week at LSU. For now the Huskies hope to start the season off 1-0 for the second straight year and give their fans a victory to open the season for a third straight year.

My top 5 favorite Mike Holmgren memories in Seattle

By Kshell

This week the Seattle Seahawks(2-3) travel to the Cleveland Browns(2-3) in an important game for both teams. This will also be the first time the Seahawks face off against Mike Holmgren who is now the president of the Browns. Holmgren won't have much of an impact on the game itself although the Browns are experiencing his impact already and will in a few years. In this following post I'm going to talk about my five favorite Holmgren moments in Seattle. While in Seattle Holmgren coached for 10 seasons, leading the Seahawks to seven winning seasons, six playoff appearances(hadn't made the playoffs for 11 years prior to his arrival), five division titles and one NFC championship. Holmgren is the franchises all-time winniniest coach and in playoff victories as well. Holmgren's stamp on the Seahawks franchise when he was coach for 10 years and also general manager for four years was the greatest run in the Seahawks franchise history.

5. Holmgren's final game at Qwest Field:

Very rarely does a team win one for a coach but I always felt the Seahawks won that game for Holmgren. Holmgren was introduced last as he ran out of the tunnel during a trying 3-11 season as they took on the 9-5 New York Jets. It was a great gesture the Seahawks did for Holmgren having him run out of the tunnel.

The Seahawks pulled off the upset winning 13-3 over the Jets. Holmgren unlike most successful coach was strict but always appreciated the fans. Holmgren never had outbursts to the media and always handled himself with class. After the game was over who he actually defeated Brett Favre the quarterback who he'll always be linked with. Holmgren jogged around the whole stadium slapping hands with the fans and waving to all the fans showing his appreciation. Holmgren who was basically forced into retirement never once blew up on the Seahawks. The Seahawks players showing how much Holmgren meant to them pulled off the upset over the Jets as Holmgren walked away from Seattle a winner.

4. Holmgren builds the greatest offense in Seahawks history:

Mike Holmgren inherited Walter Jones who is the greatest Seahawks offensive lineman ever. From there Holmgren built what was eventually the Super Bowl offense. Holmgren drafted Steve Hutchinson with the 17th pick in the 2001 draft, signed Robbie Tobeck, drafted Darrell Jackson, signed Bobby Engram, drafted Shaun Alexander and traded for Matt Hasselbeck.

Holmgren for all the flack he received as a GM actually was pretty good. He traded the Seahawks 10th pick in the draft(Jamaal Reynolds-Bust) to the Packers for Matt Hasselbeck and the 17th pick(Hutchinson). He also traded Joey Galloway for two first round picks to the Dallas Cowboys which was Koren Robinson who was a key contributer to the 2003 and 2004 playoff teams. Oh the other player was Shaun Alexander who won the 2005 MVP. The Holmgren-Tim Ruskell relationship started to fall apart when Ruskell let Hutchinson go. A move had Holmgren been GM never would have happened. The Seahawks haven't had a thousand yard rusher since letting Hutchinson go. With Hutchinson and big Walter Jones the Seahawks had the best rushing attack in the NFL from 2001-2005 and had the #1 ranked offense during their 2005 Super Bowl season.

3. Defeating the Dallas Cowboys 21-20 in the 2006 NFC wild card playoffs:

On a national scale this is probably the most famous Seahawks win in franchise history. Heading into this game the defending NFC champions were banged up. The 9-7 Seahawks had lost MVP Alexander for six games, pro bowl quarterback Hasselbeck for four games. Heading into this game the Seahawks lost three of their four top cornerbacks including Marcus Trufant. Despite being at home nobody expected the Seahawks to win this game as the Dallas Cowboys featured Tony Romo and Terrell Owens. Holmgren making a bold prediction all week long stated the secondary will not be the story of the week. Well Holmgren was right on that one instead it was a fluke play which ended up ending the career of hall of fame coach and friend of Holmgren's Bill Parcells career.

The Seahawks battled back to take a 21-20 lead over the Cowboys. The Cowboys had the game in end all they had to do was make a field goal for the win to eliminate the Seahawks. Instead Tony Romo fumbled the ball and the hero from the last time the Seahawks beat the Cowboys Jordan Babineaux stepped up again making the saving tackle on Romo. After the game it was recorded Holmgren screaming in joy to his guys "I told you secondary you weren't going to let me down!". Holmgren put his neck on the line and his players responded like they always did for him. Holmgren is like a father figure where you know not to walk over him but you care for him so much you can't help but rise up for that man.

2. Trading for franchise quarterback Matt Hasselbeck:

After Jon Kitna and Brock Huard proved they weren't the franchise quarterbacks during a 6-10 season in 2000 Holmgren knew he needed a quarterback. So Holmgren shocked everyone when he traded for a guy he drafted in the 6th round for the Green Bay Packers. Holmgren traded the 10th pick in the draft to the Packers for the 17th pick and Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck at that point in his career had just 29 pass attempts in his NFL career. Holmgren at the press conference said in a half joking/half serious matter "This right shoulder right here will decide how long I'm coach here."

At first the move backfield on Holmgren as Hasselbeck struggled during the 2001 season. The Seahawks were 5-7 with Hasselbeck while 4-0 with Trent Dilfer missing the playoffs by tiebreaker. Many fans were frustrated that Holmgren didn't go with Dilfer all season long. Holmgren often said he isn't going to sacrifice the long term success for a quick playoff appearance. After starting off 4-9 in 2002 rumors were circling that Holmgren was going to be fired. Hasselbeck caught fire and the Hawks finished 7-9 to end the season. After that the Seahawks went to the playoffs five straight seasons. For Hasselbeck he finished his Seahawks career with three pro bowl appearances, completed 60.2% of his passes for 29,434 yards(6.9 YPA) with 174 touchdown passes to 128 interceptions. Hasselbeck ended up winning five division titles, and won five playoff games including the NFC championship in 2005.

1. Taking the Seahawks to the Super Bowl in 2005:

The Seahawks entire 2005 season was a make or break season for Holmgren. The 2004 season had great expectations but fell short losing once again in the playoffs. This was a win a playoff game or leave town type of year for Holmgren. The team responded with a franchise record 13-3 season that saw seven Seahawks make the probowl including Alexander winning the MVP. That season included memorable wins over the Dallas Cowboys 13-10 as the Seahawks trailed 10-3 with two minutes to go only to win in regulation. The Seahawks also beat the New York Giants 24-21 in overtime as Jay Feely missed three field goals.

In the playoffs though the Seahawks lost Shaun Alexander to injury against the Washington Redskins. The Seahawks the #1 seed still won the game 20-10 behind Hasselbeck as Holmgren got the playoff monkey off his back. The following game against the Carolina Panthers in a game I was in attendance the Seahawks crushed the Panthers 34-14 which was the greatest win in franchise history. Prior to Holmgren the Seahawks had won the division title just once and had never made it to the Super Bowl. Holmgren turned the Seahawks into a top five franchise from 2003-2007 as only the New England Patriots and Indianopolis Colts had better records.

In conclusion, Holmgren won't make an impact on the game today but I'm glad Seahawks fans are talking about Holmgren. He set the bar high for this current group of Seahawks to achieve and what made him so great was he valued the importance of the quarterback. Holmgren will always be a legend in Seattle and I can't wait for the day he is elected into the Seahawks ring of honor. As you can see Holmgren did so much for this franchise and although he'll be up in the booth or maybe even on the sidelines it will feel weird seeing him not with the Seahawks. I will now know how Packers fans felt when Holmgren coached against them. This will be strange but let's remember all the great things Holmgren did for this franchise.

Huskies big men destroy Redhawks 95-74

By Kshell

The Washington Huskies(19-8,10-5) behind their two big men destroyed cross city rival Seattle University Redhawks(10-17) 95-74 behind a record crowd at Key Arena. In front of a Seattle University record home crowd of over 11,000 fans which had plenty of purple the Huskies were quite dominant with Matthew Bryan-Amaning and career game from Aziz N'Diaye. This was the type of game Lorenzo Romar's team needed after a heartbreaking loss to Arizona on Saturday. The Huskies besides the bigs scored plenty of points with six guys scoring in double figures. Most of those points were scored on fastbreak dunks as the Huskies once again have continued their trend of having a block party. In fact the Huskies set a school record for most block shots in a season. The Huskies also won their first non conference road game since December of 2007 when they defeated the LSU Tigers. Now the Huskies must maintain their focus as they have three critical home games left in the Pac-10 season.

The Huskies got off to a fast start never once trailing to the Redhawks. In fact the game started off with two quick dunks by Matthew Bryan-Amaning and Aziz N'Diaye which saw Redhawks coach Cameron Dollar call a timeout 30 seconds into the game. After that the Huskies let the Redhawks and at times looked like they didn't want to be there. Unlike last year when the Huskies led by 40 points at halftime they only led 37-29 at halftime. The Huskies were 14-30(46.7%) from the field but just 1-9(11.1%) from three point range and 8-14(57.1%) from the free throw line. The Huskies led because of good defense holding the Redhawks to 10-31(32.2%) from the field, 2-8(25.0%) from three's and the Redhawks shot just 7-13(53.8%) from the foul line. The Huskies also controlled the glass outrebounding the Redhawks 28-15 while blocking six shots.

The Huskies were led by Bryan-Amaning who was wearing the number 55 because he forgot his usual number 11 back home at Hec Ed. Bryan-Amaning scored 12 points and pulled down seven rebounds. Isaiah Thomas also scored seven points to help the Huskies in the first half. Off the bench Darnell Gant scored seven points for the Huskies. N'Diaye also added five points and two blocks in the first half. The Huskies were letting the Redhawks hang around in the first half. However in the second half the Huskies would ride the big men to victory.

The Huskies began the second half with a 20-6 run that stretch their lead to 57-37 and the Redhawks never pulled within 20 points. The Huskies were still struggling with their three point shot but that didn't matter as they dominated inside. Bryan-Amaning added another 12 points in the second half along with N'Diaye who scored 10 points as well. The Huskies even got a spark off the bench by Terrence Ross who hit two three pointers as the Huskies cruised to a nice 95-74 victory over the Redhawks. The Huskies in the second half outscored the Redhawks 58-45 which saw a combined 51 free throws attempted in the second half. The Huskies for the game shot 31-60(51.7%) from the field, 4-18(22.2%) and 29-42(69.0%) from the free throw line. Unlike last game the Huskies dominated the glass outrebounding the Redhawks 47-23 including 19 offensive rebounds, six of which were by N'Diaye. Overall it was a good victory for the Huskies who got a nice bounceback win and now will focus on their true rival the Washington State Cougars.

The Huskies were led by Bryan-Amaning who scored 24 points on 9-11(81.8%) from the field while pulling down 13 rebounds. Now for stat geeks like myself I can quote the all-time scoring and rebounding average for a guy wearing number 55 is Bryan-Amaning with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Thomas broke out of his mini slump by scoring 20 points on 7-12(58.3%) shooting from the field including a three pointer with four assists. Then the Huskies received a career game to date from N'Diaye who scored 15 points on 5-7(71.4%) shooting from the field and 5-6(83.3%) from the free throw line. N'Diaye also pulled down 10 rebounds including six offensive and blocked three shots. Then the Huskies got 10 points from Justin Holiday on three for eight shooting but had five rebounds, two steals and a block shot. Off the bench the Huskies got 13 points from Terrence Ross who was three for five shooting while making two of three three pointers. Ross was also a perfect five for five from the foul line. Ross also had one of nine block shots as well. Then the other contributer for the Huskies off the bench was Gant who scored 10 points on three for seven shooting while pulling down four rebounds while blocking two shots. All around it was a good team win for the Huskies as they saw six of their eight scholarship guys score in double figures.

Overall this was a good game given the timing. I think after a tough loss like the Huskies experienced in Arizona it was good to get back out there and get a victory heading into the Washington State game. Also in blowouts sometimes you can build some confidence. Take the California game for an example where C.J. Wilcox hit four three pointers. Wilcox went on a roll for four games and made his first career start today. Wilcox although had just three points on one for eight shooting still had six rebounds and two steals with a block. Just like today hopefully broke Ross and N'Diaye's slump. N'Diaye was a monster and it was nice to see him shoot so well from the free throw line. The Huskies won't beat their chest over this win and this win won't raise them at all in bracket. What this win will do is put that past tough loss behind them and focus on the Washington State game. The Huskies won in a fun atmosphere at Key Arena and now must regain focus for the Pac-10 schedule and ultimately the NCAA tournament.

Observations:

- The Huskies big men were just to much for the Redhawks. First of all the Huskies blocked nine shots today. The Huskies set a school record with 152 block shots. Bryan-Amaning averages 1.7 blocks a game in 27.9 minutes a game. N'Diaye averages 1.4 blocks a game in just 17.2 minutes a game. Two years ago when the Huskies were led by Jon Brockman they rarely got any blocks. For all the good Brockman could do blocking shots wasn't one of them.

In fact the Huskies have been on a block party roll since the disasterous three game road losing streak. In the last five games the Huskies have blocked 44(8.8 blocks) shots during that stretch. In four of the last five games the Huskies have blocked 41 shots. The Huskies with Bryan-Amaning, N-Diaye, and Gant have some block shot guys. The Huskies also have athletes like Holiday, Ross and Wilcox who are getting blocks as well. Just remember come tournament time when teams want to drive the paint the Huskies will be sending some of those shots into the stands.

- Which brings me to today's game. The Huskies big man trio of Bryan-Amaning, N'Diaye and Gant combined to score 49 points on 17-25(68.0%)shooting from the field. They also combined to pull down 27 rebounds including 11 offensive rebounds and had five block shots.

The bigs since the fiasco in Oregon have played well. First I'll talk about the career high in points by N'Diaye. N'Diaye was simply taller and more physical than the Redhawks. He was also getting to the free throw line and making his free throw's. The big mystery will be his free throw percentage same with Isaiah Thomas both guys have nice strokes yet shoot below their capabilities. I feel the Huskies need to feature N'Diaye more as he is pretty accurate in the paint. In N'Diaye's last nine games he is shooting 19-26(73.1%) from the field. During this five game block streak N'Diaye also has 12 blocks(2.4 per game) so it appears N'Diaye is slowly coming around.

Matthew Bryan-Amaning has been a man amongst boys the last six games dating back to the Oregon game. During that stretch Bryan-Amaning is averaging 20.7 points per game on 53-80(66.3%) shooting from the field. He is pulling down 8.8 rebounds per game while blocking 2.7 shots a game. During that five game block fest for the Huskies Bryan-Amaning has 15 blocks(3.0 blocks per game). So it appears the Huskies big man duo have been stepping their game up lately which is critical in the NCAA tournament as the game tends to slow down a bit.

- This game had a different feel to it than your typical powerhouse playing a small team. First of all the atmosphere at Key Arena was pretty electric. The Redhawks came out to a light show with the Chicago Bulls song of the 1990's playing in the background it was great. Then before both halves the Redhawks blared Zombie Nation by Kernkraft 400. The Seattle U crowd was pretty loud and into the game.

Also saw some famous faces in the stands. First saw Seattle Supersonics legend Slick Watts sitting courtside at the game. Then the picture to my right in the purple coat was former Washington Huskies quarterback Brock Huard(1996-1998). Then to cap off my night I saw Sonics legend and six time NBA all-star Shawn Kemp. Kemp in fact came up through my section as he was leaving and high fived us. I was lucky to have sit on the aisle so I shook one of my childhood hero's hands.

Seeing Slick Watts, shaking Kemps hand, seeing Lenny Wilkens telecast the game while being in Key Arena brought back some great memories. Like I said hopefully the city of Seattle steps up and gets a team. I don't want guys like Watts, Wilkens and Kemp to be forgotten for the next generation of sports fan in Seattle. That was the common thing that brought Redhawks and Huskies fans together at the game was bring an NBA team back to Seattle! The ball is in your court lawmakers because the fans have spoken now for a while. We want a team and not just any team but the Sonics and our history!

There was some debate on why the Huskies play Seattle University so late in the year(which we have the last two years and have Pac-10 championship banners hanging up so maybe it's working just a thought). Well one of the reasons is Lorenzo Romar is trying to help out former Huskies assistent and current Redhawks head coach Cameron Dollar out. You think 11,000 fans show up if this was in December? Not to mention some pretty big names in the audience.

I also think Romar is thinking big picture. That game had a great atmosphere and everyone knew the Huskies would win in a blowout. Romar knows in five years maybe even 10 years this could be a decent rivalry. A rivalry which will benefit both programs as the whole Seattle of Seattle will be rocking hopefully in our new NBA arena. I also think Romar realizes it's best to stay in rhythm by playing two games a week at the end of the year. No sense having an eight day lay off heading into a critical home game against the Washington State Cougars.

Romar is helping his team stay in rhythm while gaining some confidence. If Aziz N'Diay or Terrence Ross(Future NBA Slam Dunk champ) go off at the end of the year you can look at this game was the start of something. Ross has shown flashes but was in a slump. Hopefully this was the start of something for both guys going forward. This game will help the Huskies out like it has the last two years which saw them beat the Washington State Cougars.

All in all it was a good win for the Huskies. The Huskies at times didn't look interested but still won by 21 points. The Huskies scored 95 points mostly on defense like I said and unlike previous games didn't jack up three's. The Huskies have actually been pretty disciplined on their three point shot attempts the last three games. That could be because Suggs is hurt or they finally realized in March that will equal an early exit.

The game experience for myself was pretty fun and had good seats. I had a good time and I hope the Huskies continue this series. Due to the Huskies being so good finding tickets at Hec Ed can be tough so I hope they keep playing every other year at Key Arena. The Huskies are also one win away from another 20 win season under coach Lorenzo Romar. With this win against Seattle University Romar has won at least 19 games in seven of his past eight seasons. The Huskies won and the common theme from all the fans walking out of the gym was bring our Sonics back! It felt good to be back in Key Arena hopefully I can watch NBA basketball soon in Seattle!

Huskies take on Cornhuskers in Holiday Bowl

By Kshell

When the Washington Huskies(6-6,5-4) take the field tonight in their first bowl game in eight years facing them will be a familiar foe. The Huskies will be facing defending Holiday Bowl champion #17 Nebraska Cornhuskers(10-3,6-2) who destroyed the Huskies earlier in the year 56-21. That was a game which saw Jake Locker have his career worst day passing just 4 for 20 with two picks and another pick that was called back. The Huskies will now have a chance for redemption against the Cornhuskers. The Huskies will also be trying to do something no Huskies team has ever done which is win the Holiday Bowl. The Huskies have lost three close games in years past in the Holiday Bowl. In this following blog post I'll review those Holiday Bowl games which this year will be the fourth time sine 1996 the Huskies have played in this bowl.

December 30th, 1996: #8 Colorado Buffaloes(9-2,7-1) vs #13 Washington Huskies(9-2,7-1)

This was when the Holiday Bowl featured on most occasions two highly ranked teams. This game featured Rick Neuheisel before he supposedly ruined Huskies football as Colorado's head coach. The Buffaloes were led by Senior quarterback Koy Detmer and future scumbag Rae Carruth. The Huskies were led by running back Corey Dillon and freshman quarterback Brock Huard.

The Huskies began the game up 14-0 behind Dillon rushing for two touchdowns on the first two possessions. After that the Buffaloes defense wouldn't allow another score. Detmer would hit future murderer Carruth for a 76 yard touchdown pass to pull within 14-7. Then Huard threw an interception that was ran back for a touchdown to even the game at 14-14.

Jerome Pathon would give the Huskies the lead back when he ran back the kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown to give the Huskies a 21-14 lead. The Buffaloes would lead 24-21 in the first half which looked to be a shootout. Instead both defenses settled down as the Buffaloes won 33-21 led by game MVP Detmer who completed 25 of 45 passes for 371 yards and three touchdowns for the Buffaloes.

December 29th, 1999: Washignton Huskies(7-4,6-2) vs #7 Kansas State Wildcats(10-1, 7-1)



This game featured two teams who didn't want to be there. First for the second straight year Kansas State saw their national championship hopes die once again late in the year. Add insult to injury the Wildcats wouldn't be playing on January 1st. Hoping to avoid what happened the previous year where they were upset the Wildcats were focused this game.

The Huskies under first year head coach Rick Neuheisel saw them almost reach the Rose Bowl. In fact all the Huskies had to do was beat the two worst teams in the Pac-10 to reach the Rose Bowl but instead fell to UCLA in overtime to end their hopes. Both teams featured running threats quarterbacks as Kansas State had Jonathan Beasley while the Huskies had Marques Tuiasosopo who nicknamed by Keith Jackson as the "warrior" when he bruised his tail bone but threw for 300 yards and ran for 200 yards against eventual Pac-10 champion Stanford Cardinals.

This was a terrific back and forth game which saw the Huskies kick two field goals in the first quarter but Beasley for a one yard touchdown to give the Wildcats a 7-6 lead at the end of the first. After trailing 10-6 the Huskies would take the lead at halftime when Pat Conniff would rush for a three yard touchdown to give the Huskies a 13-10 lead at halftime.

In the second half Beasley would rush for an 11 yard touchdown to give the Wildcats a 17-13 lead. The Huskies would then answer back with a touchdown from Maurice Shaw from five yards out to give the Huskies a 20-17 lead heading into the fourth quarter. That is when Kansas State went on a 20 play 92 yard drive after intercepting Tuiasosopo on the eight yard line for the game winning touchdown. The touchdown was capped by Beasley's third rushing touchdown of the game from one yard out.

The Huskies would lose the heartbreaker but go on to the Rose Bowl the next year. Tuiasosopo finished 18 of 27 for 197 yards with 11 rushes for 30 yards. Beasley the games MVP had just 48 yards rushing but three touchdowns along with 216 yards passing.

December 28th, 2001: #21 Washington Huskies(8-3,6-2) vs #9 Texas Longhorns(10-2,7-1)



This game goes down as one of the top Holiday Bowl games ever played. The Texas Longhorns were hoping to play for the National Championship but were upset in the Big 12 title game by Colorado a team they had destroyed earlier in the year. The Huskies began the year 7-1 saw themselves limping into this game after being destroyed by eventual national champion Miami Hurricanes 65-7. Rick Neuheisel was the Huskies coach who in his first three years as Huskies coach saw his teams finish second in the Pac-10, win the Pac-10 and finish second again. Both teams featured strong passing games from Texas Quarterback Major Applewhite who replaced Chris Simms, Applewhite's main target was Roy WIlliams. While the Huskies featured sophomore quarterback Cody Pickett whose main weapon was Reggie Williams.

After a scoreless first quarter the fireworks began in the second quarter. After two John Anderson field goals for the Huskies they finally scored a touchdown when Terry Johnson a defensive lineman intercepted a pass and ran it back 38 yards for a touchdown to give the Huskies a 13-0 lead. The Longhorns would answer back when Applewhite would hit a 43 yard touchdown pass then a 25 yard touchdown pass to Roy Williams to retake the lead at 14-13. The Huskies would kick score a touchdown when Pickett would hit seldom used tight end Joe Collier for a four yard touchdown. With no time remaining Anderson would kick his third field goal to give the Huskies a 23-14 lead at halftime.



The Huskies would began the second half with Pickett hitting Jeramy Stevens in the flat as Stevens would rumble in the end zone for a 17 yard touchdown. After a Longhorns field goal cut the lead to 30-17 the Huskies would score another touchdown by Willie Hurst from four yards out. The Huskies would fail on the two point try but hold a commanding 36-17 lead. That is when Applewhite would start picking on Chris Massey over and over again. The Longhorns would get another field goal pulling within 36-20 heading into the fourth quarter.

In the fourth Applewhite would throw for a two yard touchdown, then the Longhorns would rush for another touchdown pulling the game within 36-33. Applewhite would then hit tight end Bo Scaife from four yards out to give the Longhorns a 40-36 lead with six minutes to play. The Huskies Willie Hurst playing in his last game would bust a 34 yard touchdown run with a little over a minute left which everyone thought the Huskies would win. Applewhite wasn't done just yet he would hit some more long passes to Roy WIlliams which set up the game winning touchdown by Ivan Williams from three yards out. The Longhorns would win 47-43.

The MVP award was Co-MVP which was fitting as there was no losers in this game. Applewhite would complete 37 of 55 passes for 473 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions. He was the Co-MVP and his main target was Roy WIlliams who caught 11 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown. For the Huskies WIllie Hurst ran for 137 yards on 16 carries for two touchdowns in earning the Co-MVP in the loss. Cody Pickett completed 27 of 54 passes for 293 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. His main weapon was tight end Jerramy Stevens who caught nine passes for 109 yards and a touchdown.

As you can see the Huskies all three times were huge underdogs much like today. All three times the Huskies had leads in the game but couldn't hang on. After what everyone saw in September when Nebraska spanked the Huskies 56-21 Husky fans would take a close game and build for the future. The Holiday Bowl has always had some crazy scores and finishes and hopefully this year the Huskies can pull off the upset.

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.

Who has the better quarterbacks historically? Huskies or Cougars?

By Kshell

When the Washington Huskies(5-6,4-4) travel to Pullman to take on cross state rival Washington State Cougars(2-9,1-7) this Saturday there will be a ton of focus on quarterbacks Jake Locker and Jeff Tuel. Now if you talk to Cougar fans they'll have you believe Tuel is better than Locker but that simply isn't the case at least not now. Tuel has a bright future ahead of him for the Cougars who have produced some good quarterbacks in their time period. While Jake Locker will most likely be the first Husky quarterback drafted in the first round of the NFL draft.

With all this talk about quarterbacks that started up a friendly debate on which school has the better quarterbacks? Now I'll admit when it comes to stats WSU wins as their quarterbacks have put up some great statistics. As I know from watching Locker or Cody Pickett statistics don't always tell the story for a quarterback. Like 15 of the last 17 starting quarterbacks for the Huskies have played professionally. The Cougars just can't compete with the Huskies depth and quantity of good quarterbacks. In this following blog post I'll debate with Tory Johnson who is an avid Coug fan who you might see post on Seattle PI's Jim Moores page quite often. Now don't be afraid he is a classy Cougar who loves his Cougars while remaining respectful to the Huskies. I'll let him make his points first then I'll give you reasons why the Huskies have better quarterbacks.

Tory Johnson:

Many people nowadays would say that, if you look at their recent history, Washington State is no longer Quarterback U. It cannot be argued, however, that Washington State earned that title by having a vast array of talent at that position through the years.

Even though I’m showing why Washington State has had the better quarterbacks historically I am, in no way , saying that Washington quarterbacks have been bad (because they’re not). I will just state why Washington State quarterbacks, historically, have been better.

Here is my list of the top 5 Washington State quarterbacks since 1975:

5. Mark Rypien
The first Canadian born quarterback to start in the NFL, Rypien was best known for his accuracy as a deep passer. Rypien may not have had the best pass you’ve ever seen, but he could throw a 50 yard pass more accurately than any quarterback.. He was a two time All-American (1984 & 1985) and was named the PAC-10 best quarterback in 1985. He finished his career at Washington State with 4,573 yards, 28 touchdowns, and a 53.2% completion percentage. His completion percentage ranks 10th all-time.

Rypien was the perfect example of hard work, determination, and strong will.




4. Jack Thompson
Named “The Throwin’ Samoan” by the Spokesman-Review, Thompson racked up 7,818 yards and set PAC-10 records (at the time) for attempts, completions, and touchdowns. When he left for the NFL in 1978 he was deemed the most prolific passer in NCAA history and arguably still is. His senior season he finished ninth in Heisman voting.

In my opinion Thompson is the face of Washington State football and is the bar every quarterback there strives towards.

3. Jason Gesser
His passion to come play at Washington State was so strong he signed his letter of intent without even visiting the campus or seeing the stadium.

Although he wasn’t drafted Gesser finished his college career breaking Jack Thompson’s illustrious records and had the most wins of any quarterback in Washington State history. In 2002 he finished seventh in Heisman voting and was named Co-Offensive Player of the Year.

Jason Gesser and Washington State is one of only two teams to beat Boise State in Boise in the last decade. He played through more injuries than any athlete I have seen in a long time.



2. Ryan Leaf
Leaf was the first quarterback in 67 years to lead the Cougars to a Rose Bowl and helped them win the first PAC-10 championship in school history. That same year he averaged 330 yards per game, was third in Heisman Trophy voting (behind Charles Woodson and Peyton Manning), was selected PAC-10 Player of the Year, named first-team All-American, and finished second in the nation in passer efficiency rating.

Leaf was the #2 pick in the draft (behind Manning) and, although he was a bust in the NFL, his legacy at Washington State will live on forever.




1. Drew Bledsoe
My favorite quarterback of all-time, Bledsoe was best known for his bullet pass. I would swear that a receiver gained five yards just from the ball knocking him back that far. Bledsoe racked up 7,373 yards and 46 touchdowns in only three years. In ‘92 he led the team to a #15 ranking in the AP poll and an invitation to the Copper bowl, where they beat Utah. He set WSU records in single-game passing yards (476), single-season pass completions (241), and single-season passing yards (3,246). He also was named PAC-10 Player of the Year in 1992.

He was drafted first in the 1993 NFL draft and, with the impressive career he had, leaves Seahawk fans to wonder what would have been if the Patriots let him fall to second.

My honorable mention would have to be Collin Henderson. While this is tongue-in-cheek, Collin had a passer rating and completion percentage that most quarterbacks would be envious of. He finished 11-12 with 6 touchdown passes.

Kshell:

I'm here to convince you that the Huskies have the better quarterbacks. When you look at my top Husky quarterbacks list since 1975 you'll notice one thing about them. They were all winners and four of my five guys won Rose Bowl MVP's. You see at Washington going to the Rose Bowl isn't good enough but winning the Rose Bowl is what truly matters. I'll also show off the depth in my honorable mention list at the names who didn't crack the top five.

Here is my top five Husky quarterbacks since 1975 that I'm sure will get some fans to disagree with me.

5. Chris Chandler
Don James once called Chris Chandler the greatest athlete he had ever coached. James also said there is no one player he regrets most by not putting enough talent around him than Chris Chandler. Chandler is the only guy on my list who never won a Rose Bowl MVP. Chandler played at Washington from 1984-87 and as a sophomore beat out Senior starter Hugh Millen in the middle of the season.

In Chandlers first career start he led the Huskies down the field on a 98 yard drive to defeat the USC Trojans 20-17. Chandler in his career at Washington finished third all-time in total yardage at 4,442 yards. He also threw for 32 touchdowns in his career at Washington where he won the 1988 Senior Bowl MVP in his last game as a student athlete. Chandler finished his career with 4,360 yards passing with 32 touchdowns and also ran for seven touchdowns. Don't think Chandler was a loser either because he didn't go to a Rose Bowl Chandler finished his career with a record of 17-8-2 with a 2-1 record in bowl games. Chandler is also the only Husky quarterback to ever start a Super Bowl when he led the lowly Atlanta Falcons to their first ever Super Bowl in the 1998 season when they upset 15-1 Minnesota Vikings.

4. Mark Brunell
If it wasn't for a tragic injury in a spring game Brunell could possibly be #1 on this list as is he'll have to settle for #4. Brunell took over as starting quarterback as a Sophomore on a loaded 1990 team. All Brunell did was guide the team to a 10-2 record and a 5th national ranking. Brunell was also Rose Bowl MVP as a Sophomore defeating Iowa 46-34. During his Sophomore year Brunell threw for 16 touchdown passes to 9 interceptions.

Heading into the 1991 season Brunell and everyone else was coming back so it was expected the Huskies would contend for a National Championship. Then in the spring game Brunell went down with a knee injury and many felt his season was over. Not many schools could overcome losing a Rose Bowl MVP at quarterback but James was a great recruiter had highly touted backup Billy Joe Hobert waiting in the wings. Hobert who I'll talk about later took over the starting job and won the National Championship in 1991. As for Brunell in a miracle he would return for the third game. It was so emotional players were crying in the huddle. Brunell would have the signature moment in the 1992 Rose Bowl 34-14 win over Michigan hitting Mario Bailey for a touchdown pass.

In 1992 many people would forget before the Billy Joe Hobert scandal had broken out Brunell had beat out Hobert for the starting job after the fifth game. Brunell would finish his career in his third straight Rose Bowl this time a loss to Michigan 38-31. If the Huskies had won Brunell would have won another Rose Bowl MVP as he threw for 308 yards on the day. Brunell would become the all-time leading passer in Rose Bowl history. Brunell would finish with a 14-5(.736%) record in games he started while at the University of Washington. He threw for 3,734 with 25 touchdowns to 16 interceptions. He also ran for 710 yards with 19 rushing touchdowns in his career.

Brunell would later enjoy a lengthy NFL career that is still going on as he is the backup quarterback for the Jets. For his NFL career he has thrown for 31,935 yards, 182 touchdowns to 107 interceptions. He has made three pro bowls including the 1997 MVP and led the expansion Jaguars to the AFC Championship game in their second year of existence and fifth year of existence. Brunell will always go down as a great Husky and before that knee injury he was like Michael Vick on the field with his running. If not for that knee injury he possibly could have been a three time Rose Bowl MVP and a first round pick.




3. Billy Joe Hobert
My most controversial pick so far. Remember just like with Tory picking Ryan Leaf this list is about what you did on the field for that school. When you think of Billy Joe Hobert you think of winner and it's that simple. Billy Joe Hobert went 17-0 as starting quarterback for the Huskies. It does seem a bit weird how I don't have Hobert #1 with a 17-0 record as starting quarterback.

When the Huskies landed Hobert he was a highly touted recruit from Puyallup, Washington. It also appeared with Brunell being one year older than him that Hobert would never see the field. In fact Hobert thought about transferring after the 1990 season when Brunell cemented himself as the starting quarterback. After a tragic injury happened in the 1991 spring game Hobert took over as starting quarterback. He led the Huskies to a 12-0 season and a National Championship where he won the Rose Bowl MVP along with Steve Emtman.

I put Hobert third because he was on the greatest collection of talent the Huskies have ever had. He was allowed to have bad games like against USC where the Huskies only won 14-3. No other quarterback had as much support as Hobert did. Now Hobert is in the top three because he had the fire and passion while at Washington. His signature game was in 1991 in his second career start at Nebraska in Lincoln. With the Huskies trailing 21-9 a young sophomore quarterback screamed at his teammates "WE WILL NOT LOSE THIS F***ING GAME!" that is when Hobert made his legend. He put on a passing clinic and hit a crucial fourth and nine pass to Orlando McKay. Hobert would throw a touchdown pass, run for two touchdown passes that game.

I can't talk about Hobert without talking about 1992. Hobert was benched after five games to Mark Brunell. Hobert was playing poorly possibly because he got a big head in the offseason, maybe he knew a storm was coming but either way he wasn't playing well. After the Huskies had defeated Stanford 41-7 in which Hobert busted a 42 yard touchdown run he was kicked off the team. Hobert was an underrated athlete by the way as he could run, had a rocket arm and was the teams punter early in the 1991 season. Once Hobert was dismissed from the team the Huskies finished the year 1-3 after winning 22 games in a row. The Huskies would be placed on probation, two year bowl ban, loss of 10 scholarships for two seasons, and worst of all Don James retired out of protest.

It it wasn't for those unfortunate sanctions Hobert would be a legend. He is often the fall guy for why Washington football fell apart and that simply isn't the case. Blame the adults in this situation not a 21 year old kid. Hobert would be drafted in the third round after being forced to leave a Junior. Hobert could never find success in the NFL but I rank him third. In his Huskies career he finished with 3,028 yards passing with 27 touchdowns to only 13 interceptions. He also ran for 290 yards with eight touchdowns. He won the only National Championship that most fans recognize. He was the MVP of the bowl game that won the Huskies a national title that has to count for something.

2. Warren Moon
The most successful quarterback for either school is Warren Moon. He is the only quarterback in pro football's hall of fame and if not for racism would be the all-time passing leader in NFL history. Since this is a list about what they did at Washington though he is ranked 2nd as the NFL stats are nice but don't go a whole ways on this list.

Warren Moon thanked Don James at his Hall of Fame speech because James believed in him when nobody else did. You see Moon wasn't a polished quarterback in the 1970's and back then the belief was black people weren't smart enough to be quarterback. James was the only coach who gave Moon a shot at quarterback. Moon wasn't successful his first two years going 11-11 and started off his Senior year 1-3. The fans were booing Moon and wanted him and James out of town ASAP. You think Sarkisian and Locker take heat now? That was nothing compared to the stories I've heard back then.

Then everything changed for the Huskies as they finished the year Pac-10 champions. Moon had led the Huskies to their first Rose Bowl in 13 seasons. He was trying to win their first Rose Bowl in 16 seasons. In that Rose Bowl against heavy favorite Michigan who was ranked fourth in the nation Moon threw for a touchdown and ran for two more in the stunning 27-20 upset of the Wolverines. Warren Moon just like the previous two guys on my list was named Rose Bowl MVP. That win cemented Don James was the right man for the job and under James the Huskies would win six Pac-10 championship, four Rose Bowls, one Orange Bowl and one National Championship. Moon was the man who started it all and he was reward was being not drafted by the NFL.

Moon would have to wait for the NFL but would go to the CFL where he would win five Grey Cups including two Grey Cup MVPs, one CFL MVP and throw for 21,228 yards with 144 touchdowns to just 77 interceptions. To prove that wasn't a fluke when he finally got a chance to play in the NFL where he mostly starred for the Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings he threw for 49,325 yards and 350 touchdowns. He was selected to nine Pro Bowls winning the Pro Bowl MVP with the Seattle Seahawks at 41 years old in 1998 becoming oldest player to win the games MVP. Moon was also a three time all-pro quarterback in 1988-90.

Yes Moon was a great pro and is the symbol of Don James football. Without Moon breaking out in 1977 good chance James is fired and the Huskies never go on their 25 year run of excellence which saw them win five Rose Bowls and eight Pac-10 titles. Warren Moon never forgets where he came from either always thanking Don James and the Huskies for believing in him when nobody else did.




1. Marques Tuiasosopo
He didn't put up the greatest stats in his college career only passing for 14 touchdowns to 11 interceptions his Senior year. So you must be asking with average stats like that why is he is number one out of all these great quarterbacks?

He is number one because he willed an average team to an 11-1 record finished ranked third in the nation. Tuiasosopo nicknamed the "warrior" by Keith Jackson was the ultimate team leader. Tuiasosopo during his Senior year at Washington led seven fourth quarter wins. He wouldn't let his team quit ever. During the Stanford game when Curtis Williams was in the hospitital and nobody had any clue if he was going to survive Tuiasosopo was there to bark orders. He led the team on an 80 yard drive in just three plays in under 40 seconds for the win.

Tuiasosopo made his name as a true freshman when he threw 270 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-14 loss to eventual National Champions Nebraska Cornhuskers. The following year Tuiasosopo filled in for the injured Brock Huard and was 2-0 as a starter which was huge as the Huskies went just 6-6 on the year. As a Junior Tuiasosopo led the team to a Holiday Bowl appearance taking second place in the Pac-10. Against Pac-10 champion Stanford, he threw for over 300 yards and ran for over 200 yards becoming the first and so far to date only player to ever do that in a single game. Then his Senior year he beat future Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees in the Rose Bowl and won Rose Bowl MVP in a 34-24 win over Purdue.

When I think of Tuiasosopo I think of winner as he went 20-7(.740%) in his career as a starter. He was also a good player as well finishing eighth in the heisman his Senior year and was named Pac-10 offensive player of the year in 2000. Tuiasosopo when he graduated was the all-time yardage leader in Husky history, second in passing yards behind Brock Huard and led all quarterbacks in rushing yards which was later broken by Jake Locker. Tuiasosopo would later be a second round pick in the NFL draft but wouldn't enjoy much success. He finished his career with 5,501 yards passing, 31 touchdowns. He also ran for 1,379 yards with 20 touchdowns.  He is my number one Husky quarterback because he took an average team who would have zero future pro bowlers on the roster to the third national ranking. He defeated Miami Hurricans and Oregon State that year giving them their only losses. When I think of Tuiasosopo I think of winner and that is what Husky football is all about.

Honorable Mentions:
HB: Cody Picket- All-time passing leader in Husky history with 10,220 yards and 55 touchdown passes. Went 3-0 in the apple cup

HB: Brock Huard- When he left Washington was the All-time passing leader in yards. Is currently second in passing touchdowns all-time with 53. Went 19-11 as a starting quarterback. Was a third round draft pick.

HB: Damon Haurd- When he graduated he was the All-time passing leader in yards. Went 21-12-1 as a starting quarterback. Went 2-1 in Apple Cups.

HB: Jake Locker- Statistically one of the great Husky quarterbacks. Due to lack of wins he makes honorable mention. As a PASSER he needs four touchdown passes to become the all-time leader in Husky history. As a rusher he already has the most combined touchdowns in Washington history


At the end of the day the Huskies have the depth. I'm also leaving out such guys like Steve Pelluer, Tom Flick, Cary Conklin, and Hugh Millen. All guys who played in a Rose Bowl or Orange Bowl and enjoyed some time in the NFL. The Huskies quarterbacks have another thing over Cougar quarterbacks which is Rose Bowl wins and Apple Cup wins. On Tory's list the Cougars quarterbacks combined won three applecups as starting quarterbacks while the Huskies quarterbacks won nine apple cups to just two losses. Both schools have had great tradition in producing quarterbacks though and this Saturday features another pair that both schools can be proud of. This is why rivalry week is so special so we can debate on which school is better at what. I won't attempt to debate who parties the best though we all know WSU is ranked first at that. Hey gotta be number one at something right?

Huskies take on Beavers flashbacks to thrilling 2000 game

By Kshell

The Washington Huskies(2-3,1-1) host the #24 Oregon State Beavers(3-2,2-0) this Saturday for homecoming at Husky Stadium. The Huskies are hoping to end a six game losing streak to the Beavers including four which took place at Husky Stadium. This rivalry has certainly changed quite a bit this decade. The Huskies had a stretch from 1975 to 2003 where they only lost to the Beavers two times. Oregon State was a terrible program for nearly three decades. The Beavers were the school you had hoped you played on the road because you were going to destroy them no matter where they played. Don James went 14-1 against the Beavers in his Husky coaching career the man who replaced James, Jim Lambright went 6-0 against the Beavers.

It was in Jim Lambrights last year when the rivalry and the Oregon State program started to change a bit. It was in 1998 and the Huskies were 4-2 entering that game and hosting the Beavers meant another easy win. Brock Huard had returned from injury so he'd most likely rack up some numbers then turn the game over to electric sophomore Marques Tuiasosopo. Huard would have a fine game in his return throwing for 260 yards and four touchdowns on the day. His back up Tuiasosopo would run for a 41 yard touchdown and the Huskies led 35-14. The Huskies were also wearing the ugly purple helmets combined with the white pants this game. It was another standard game against the Beavers where the Huskies were destroying them. Then something happened head coach Mike Riley switched quarterbacks he went with freshman Jonathan Smith who at best 5'8". Thats when the game changed and Beaver fortunes changed forever.

Smith started throwing bombs all over the field. He would hook up with Ronnie Tompkins for a 90 yard touchdown along with hooking up with Greg Ainsworths for an 80 yard touchdown. Smith would end up throwing for 469 yards which is a record against the Huskies. Smith lead the Beavers down for another touchdown making the game 35-34. On the road going for the upset against the heavy favorites Riley decided to go for two. Huskies captain and current Portland State Head Coach Nigel Burton knocked down the two point pass and the Huskies had survived the game to improve to 5-2.

The Huskies "won" the game and the Beavers had "lost" the game that day but it didn't feel that way given how the programs were at the time. Huskies would finish the year a lowly 6-6 by their standards and Jim Lambright would be fired. While Oregon State almost had its first winning season since 1970 they just missed it going 5-6. The Beavers had almost knocked off #1 ranked UCLA later in the year and did upset state rival the Oregon Ducks. Going 5-6 at Oregon State was so unheard of that Mike Riley was offered the San Diego Chargers job which he accepted. Thats how much the programs were different one coach went 5-6 and got a promotion while the other coach went 6-6 and was fired. This game would set up to be the biggest game in this rivalry just two years later only nobody knew it at the time.

October 7th, 2000: #23 Oregon State(4-0,1-0) at #13 Washington(3-1,0-1)

Times had changed in the culture of Oregon State in just the two years that had passed by. Dennis Erickson who had been fired from the Seahawks after four mediocre seasons was hired by Oregon State heading into the 1999 season. Erickson who had won two national championships at Miami knew how to do one thing and one thing only in college and that was to win. In his first year with mostly Riley's recruits in 1999 he guided the Beavers to a 7-3 start and eventually a 7-5 record. The crowds were storming the fields as that was the Beavers first winning season since 1970. The Beavers head into this game shocking the #18 USC trojans who were picked to finish second in the Pac-10 the previous week. They faced the team who had been picked to win the conference in the Washington Huskies.

The Huskies were in a similar stage as well. Tired of going 7-4 every year and second rate bowl games the school fired Jim Lambright and his 44-25 record(.637%). The Huskies hired away young coach Rick Neuheisel who was 33-14(.702%) while at Colorado and was 3-0 in bowl games. In Neuheisel's first year he led the Huskies to a 7-5 record but the Huskies beat the Ducks, Beavers and Cougars all in the same season for only the second time since 1994. The Huskies had also finished second in the Pac-10 that year. With tons of players returning including star quarter back Marques Tuiasosopo the Huskies had tons of hope heading into the season.

Unlike the Beavers who had a soft non conference schedule the Huskies did not. The Huskies faced 4th ranked Miami Hurricanes at Husky Stadium the second game of the year. The Hurricanes that year featured such NFL players as Santana Moss, Clinton Portis, Ed Reed, Reggie Wayne and Jeremy Shockey among many more. The Huskies had upset the Hurricanes that day 34-29 in a game that was led by the Huskies 28-9 at one point. The Huskies then took their act on the road and faced Colorado in Colorado. That was a hostile environment for Neuheisal and the Huskies won 17-14. The Huskies magic would run out in their Pac-10 opener in Autzen stadium trailing 23-3 at one point but battled back to lose 23-16 at #9 Oregon. Setting up this game which at the time didn't appear big. It was big for Washington in the sense that a loss here and the Rose Bowl hopes would be dashed.

This game was a night game in Husky Stadium and had many Beaver fans packing the stadium in Orange in both endzones hoping for their first win over the Huskies since 1985. The Beavers who had now junior quarterback Jonathan Smith went down and scored on their first possession. Smith hit Robert Prescott for a 48 yard pass to give the Beavers a quick 7-0 lead. The Huskies would answer back when Tuiasosopo would hit freshman Justin Robbins for a 16 yard touchdown pass to even the score at seven. Before the end of the quarter Patrick McCall would bust a 43 yard touchdown run. McCall who had transfered from Michigan was trying to win two Rose Bowls with two different teams. He was backing up junior sensation Ken Simonton. Simonton would rush for 104 yards on 23 carries(4.5 YPC) while McCall had 89 yards on 11 carries(8.1 YPC). The Beavers led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter.

The Huskies knowing that the Beavers liked to blitz a ton used their screen game to their advantage. Then starting running back Paul Arnold would end up with 7 receptions for 65 yards. The Huskies were without their fullback so backup running back Braxton Cleman played fullback. Cleman would rush 31 yards on 6 carries(5.2 YPC) and would catch a pass for 8 yards. The Huskies drove down the field and tied the game on a one yard touchdown run by freshman Rich Alexis. After Jon Anderson would add two short field goals for the Huskies the Huskies led 20-14 at halftime.

In the third quarter facing a third and goal from the 11 yard line Smith would hit future pro bowl wide receiver T.J.Houshmandzadeh for an 11 yard touchdown pass. Ryan Cesca would make the point after kick and the Beavers would lead 21-20 going into the fourth quarter at Husky Stadium. The team who was picked to win the Pac-10 at the start of the year was looking like they were going to start off 0-2.

The Huskies in the fourth quarter facing a crucial fourth and goal from the one elected to go for it. The Huskies back then had a powerful offensive line and freshman Rich Alexis scored on a one yard run and wasn't even touched. Alexis would end up with two rushing touchdowns and 107 rushing yards on just 12 carries(8.9 YPC). The Huskies leading 26-21 would go for two in trying to go up a touchdown. Instead Tuiasosopo would fumble the snap and the ball would squirt out of the back and the Beavers Heyward-Johnson would scoop it up and run 98 yards for the two point conversation making the game 26-23. The Huskies basically scored a four point touchdown.

The Huskies would drive down the field again using Arnold effectivetly. Arnold along with his receiving totals would end up with 102 yards rushing with 16 carries(6.4 YPC). The drive would end with Tuiasosopo rushing for a four yard touchdown giving the Huskies a 33-23 lead with a little over eight minutes to go. The Beavers facing a third and long on their own 20 and Husky Stadium was going crazy. Jonathan Smith went back to pass facing a blitz unleashes a bomb and loses his shoe in the process and connects with future pro bowl receiver Chad Johnson(now Ocho Cinco) for an 80 yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 33-30.

The Beavers would have the ball last and were driving for at least the tie and possibly the win. The Beavers facing a 2nd and one from the Huskies 24 yard line tried to run the ball for a first down which stops the clock in college. Junior defensive tackle Larry Tripplett blew up Ken Simonton in the backfield for a loss of four yards making the situation third and five which forced the Beavers to spike the ball and set up a 46 yard field goal attempt. Ryan Cesca's kick was wide right and the Huskies had survived the game and won 33-30. It had appeared the Huskies weren't as good as advertised seeing how they lost to Oregon and barely beat Oregon State at home.

Marques Tuiasosopo would finish the game with 20 of 32 passing for 223 yards and 39 yards rushing with a passing touchdown and rushing touchdown. His counter part Smith who fell to 0-3 against the Huskies was 13 of 24 for 314 yards and three passing touchdowns. In fact both teams would combine for 978 yards of total offense including 504 by the Huskies. The Huskies also grounded out 281 yards against the Beavers defense which was pretty stout the rest of the year. As for the future NFL receivers Houshmandzadeh would end up with five receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown. Chad Johnson would have just two receptions but 116 yards and a touchdown.

The Huskies would finish the year 11-1 with a 34-24 Rose Bowl win over Purdue. The Huskies were in the Rose Bowl because of these same Beavers who intercepted Joey Harrington five times and beat the Ducks. The Beavers would finish 11-1 spanking Notre Dame 41-9 in the fiesta bowl. The Huskies would finish the year ranked 3rd in the nation while the Beavers would finish 4th in the AP poll and 5th in the coaches. This was the year of the Northwest Schools as the Oregon Ducks would finish the year 10-2 and ranked 8th in the nation.

Flash forward to ten years later and the rivalry has completely changed. The Beavers would finally get their win over the Huskies the following year spanking the #8 Huskies on senior day 49-24. The Beavers had lofty expectations heading into the 2001 season but failed to live up to them and finished 5-6. Both programs would again change coaches at the same time. The Huskies would fire Rick Neuheisel in June of 2003 due to a gambling pool in the NCAA tournament amongst other things. The Beavers head coach Dennis Erickson would leave them after four seasons and fired Chargers coach Mike Riley would return. Riley in his second go around has dominated the Huskies going 6-1.

The Beavers onced blocked a punt to beat the Huskies in Husky Stadium 21-20 in 1985 when they were 38.5 point underdogs. It was a miracle win and the only loss of Don James career to the Beavers. Now head coach Mike Riley chants "We always beat the Huskies" or "We always beat the Huskies in Husky Stadium". He can say that now because times have changed which is sad to so many Husky fans. I hope you enjoyed another trip down memory lane and remember things can always change back. Go Dawgs!