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?

Washington Huskies take on California Golden Bears; flashback to 2009 win

By Kshell

When the Washington Huskies(4-6,3-4) travel down to Berkley to take on the California Golden Bears(5-6,3-5) this Saturday, a bowl berth will be at stake. If the Huskies win they will, of course, have to win the following week in Pullman, where they are already getting snow. If the California Golden Bears win they'll be bowl eligible at 6-6. Regardless of the outcome, this will be Jeff Tedford's worst regular season since he has arrived at Cal back in 2002. These two teams don't have much history against each other so I'll instead focus on last season's game.

The Huskies have had some memorable wins against California in years past that I'll briefly touch on. Back in 1991, the Huskies traveled down to California in a battle of two undefeated teams which saw the Huskies win 24-17. Beno Bryant would score a long rushing touchdown on a draw play of over 70 yards for the game winning score. That would be the only game all season where the Huskies would win by single digits. Another memorable win was also in Berkley just two years later as the Huskies rallied from a 23-10 deficit behind Damon Huard, who had thrown four interceptions earlier in the game, but connected on two touchdown passes including a five yarder to Mark Bruener to give the Huskies a 24-23 win. In fact, the Huskies went from 1977-2001 without losing to California. Things would change once Tedford would arrive. Tedford, who is 6-2 all-time against the Huskies, including some blowout wins in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2008 when California beat the Huskies by over 30 points. That all changed last season when the Huskies upset the Cal Bears on Senior Night. I'll talk about my first experience in the student section at a Huskies game.

December 5th, 2009: #19 California(8-3,5-3) at Washington(4-7,3-5)

This would mark the second consecutive year where the Huskies would end their season against the California Golden Bears instead of the traditional Apple Cup against the Washington State Cougars. The Huskies would honor their seniors on this particularly cold night, but what was on the fans' minds, this game, was would this be Jake Locker's final game in a Husky uniform?

Heading into the game there was speculation that Jake Locker would turn pro after the season and become the first player selected in the NFL draft despite having a career record of 7-20 at the time. There was a nervous tension in the crowd because of the Locker subplot which had controlled the game.

As I was driving to the game with a friend I was talking about how we could be witnessing Locker's last game as a Husky. I also told my friend, California is the most unpredictable team in the nation and if Cal destroyed Washington by 30 or lost by 30 I wouldn't be surprised either way. I was also talking to my friend about the previous game which we had both attended against Washington State. I was talking about how I wish Steve Sarkisian would let Jake run more like he finally did the previous week.

When we finally arrived at the stadium my friend and I met up with his sister and her friend to sneak into the student section. (Since Cal isn't a big time opponent it was quite easy to sneak into the student section.) Those were the best seats I had ever sat in and was a great atmosphere with a ton of "Stay Jake" signs in the student section. I was quite alarmed at the fact of how little the fans in the student section actually knew about the Huskies. They way overrated Jake Locker, but thought I was talking French to them when I was talking about some of the early 1990s teams.

Then the game began and the Huskies were honoring their seniors - like Donald Butler and Daniel Teo-Nesheim. That is when I was thinking 2010 should be special if Locker comes back since the Huskies were returning a ton of guys. The game had finally started and unlike the previous week against Washington State, California appeared to have a real offense. California drove down the field but missed a field goal. The Huskies, with Locker, possibly making his last start, took over.

On the very first play of the game, little-known receiver Cody Bruns was in motion, took the hand off, then threw a 38-yard pass to an open Jermaine Kearse. The crowd had erupted on that completion as Sarkisian showed some trickery for the first time all year. I pointed out that Bruns was out there so I figured something was up. Good thing I wasn't coaching for California. On the next play, Locker, on a play action, pass fired a beautiful pass to Jermaine Kearse for a 40-yard touchdown pass to give the Huskies a 7-0 lead.



The Golden Bears, led by quarterback Kevin Riley, drove down the field again, but this time made the field goal, cutting the lead to 7-3 heading into the second quarter. In the second quarter, Sarkisian finally unleashed Locker's legs. The Huskies didn't have much of a running game in the first half as Chris Polk was getting shut down. Locker was continuing to hit Kearse in the first half, as Kearse finished the game, and the first half, with seven receptions for 147 yards and a touchdown. The Huskies would score a touchdown in the second quarter when Locker ran one up the middle for a 19-yard score. That is when the "One more year!" chants began. Then on the next possession, down at the goal line, Sarkisian finally called a shotgun run with Locker and scored a 2-yard touchdown to give the Huskies a commanding 21-3 lead at halftime. The crowd was pumped, but I was still scared since the Huskies didn't exactly have the best defense.



The second half began with the Huskies offense continuing to click on all cylinders as Locker moved the Huskies down the field then hit Devin Aguilar, to the right, on a fade route for 21-yard touchdown pass to give the Huskies a 28-3 lead. The crowd started the "one more year" chant some more. California would respond with a touchdown of their own, by Riley to Nyan Boateng for a 22-yard pass, to cut the lead to 28-10. I was still nervous about the outcome of the game as California was the more talented team. The Huskies would score again when Locker would pass for his third touchdown of the game (and fifth overall touchdown) to Aguilar down the middle from 13 yards out to give the Huskies a commanding 35-10 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The Husky that was honored as the Husky legend was former linebacker John Fiala, who played for the Huskies in the mid 1990s. I bring up Fiala because my high school wrestling coach had coached Fiala and always told me stories about him. My coach, to this day, told me Fiala was the greatest wrestler he had ever coached. In the student section, the players walk up the aisle so I got to shake Fiala's hand. Made for a good story when I ran into my old coach at one of my high school's wrestling match.

As for the fourth quarter, the Huskies were drilling the Golden Bears so whenever Locker did anything at all the crowd kept chanting one more year. The defense kept harassing the Bears all game as Cort Dennison recorded two sacks as outside linebacker that game. The young sophomore looked really impressive and gave me hope for the following season. Then Daniel Teo-Nesheim recorded a sack and became the Huskies all-time sack leader in school history. A record that had snuck up on me as I was shocked. I mean, with the great pass rushers like Steve Emtman, Jason Chorak, Donald Jones, Reggie Rogers and Ron Holmes, I was surprised, but thrilled that Teo-Nesheim was the all-time leader. The Huskies would score once more on a Chris Polk 10-yard rushing touchdown to take the lead 42-10.

The only drama left in the game was how loud of an ovation Locker would receive when he was pulled. Locker was finally replaced in the middle of a series with a standing ovation from the crowd as the whole crowd - not just the student section - started to chant "ONE MORE YEAR! ONE MORE YEAR!" Then, when the PA announcer announced Ronnie Fouch was replacing him as quarterback, this fan in front of me goes, "Oh! No! Not Ronnie Fouch - he sucks! NO MORE YEARS! NO MORE YEARS!" Which I'll admit. I started to chant as well. The students had no clue what was going on for the most part though. A bunch of drunks who think Locker is a god and not perspective. Then my friend's sister's friend left at halftime on a Saturday night to go work on homework. I was in complete shock and couldn't understand what had happened there. Yet, with the exception of this game, those fans get better seats than me at most games for about 1/10th of the price.

The Huskies won the game 42-10 and finished a 5-game turnaround, going 5-7, after going 0-12 the previous year. Locker would have his best game, statistically, as a Husky, passing 19 of 23 (82.6%) for 248 yards and three touchdown passes. He also ran for 77 yards and two touchdowns. Locker had a terrific game along with Chris Polk who ran for 94 yards and a touchdown. On Husky Honks, the post-game radio talk show, the conversation was about Locker coming back. They had passed out team posters and I was pumped about our future. I remember telling my friend, "This will be remembered as the team who turned the program around." On Husky Honks, I remember Softy, Millen and Baird saying this time next year(2010) going 5-7 won't be acceptable if Locker comes back.

Well, Locker ended up coming back and passing up millions. Locker had looked so great that day and the team had finished the year, winning 72-10 the final two games. Possibly the fans just had an unrealistic expectations for the 2010 season. Another possibility is in those two games Locker ran for close to 200 yards, while this year he has had just 262 yards rushing on the season. Locker, in the final two games, had three rushing touchdowns while this year has had just four. For whatever reason, Sarkisian didn't allow Locker to run as he did the final two games of last season. Instead of unleashing Locker he has held him back even more. Locker wasn't running against Arizona State or BYU before the rib injury had or hadn't happened, depending who you talk to.

The Huskies find themselves in a 4-6 hole and must beat California and Washington State on the road. When I left Husky Stadium that cold December night I thought that was the berth of Husky football once again. I let Willingham fool me after the UCLA win in 2006 and I hope Sarkisian didn't fool me with those two wins to close out the 2009 season. If the Huskies close out this season with two more wins Sarkisian will appear to have this program in the right direction. If the Huskies get blown out against California or worse yet ... lose their final two games, then it appears the Huskies had failed once again to hire the right coach. These last two games can determine Sarkisian's, and most important, Husky football's fate.