Where I Come From: My All-Time Favorite Washington Football Team
by John Berkowitz on Jul 6, 2010 7:33 AM PDT
in EA Sports NCAA FB 11
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(This is the second of a week long series sponsored by EA Sports NCAA Football 2011)
The Washington football program has been blessed with some great teams over the years. In my lifetime the program has won parts of three national championships but has never been truly named the undisputed champion of college football.
My favorite team was the 1984 squad which finished second to BYU in the final polls. This was an unbalanced squad that struggled on offense but won games with their defense the entire season. The Huskies started the season 9-0 but lack of offensive production caught up to them in a 16-7 late season loss to USC which cost Washington the Rose Bowl bid.
While the Huskies missed out on the Rose Bowl they were the first Pac 10 team ever invited to the Orange Bowl. The game featured an underdog Washington squad facing Oklahoma who were led by legendary coach Barry Switzer and a brash LB named Brian Bosworth.
The game is famous for the Sooner Schooner incident. After Oklahoma kicked a field goal to take a 17-14 lead in the fourth quarter, a penalty was called on the Sooners which nullified the score. The Sooner Schooner driver, who didn’t see the flag, drove the wagon on the field and was immediately flagged for unsportmanlike conduct.
The ensuing field goal attempt was blocked and led a momentum shift which saw Washington score two touchdowns in less than a minute en route to a 28-17 victory. Senior Jacque Robinson rushed for 135 yards and was named MVP, the first player in history to be named MVP of both the Orange and Rose Bowls.
What is your favorite Washington team?
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My favorite Dawg team
2010…is it to early to call these guys the best UW team ever?
Really though, it’s gotta be 1991 for me. I laid it out on the last thread, but the memories and having been hooked on UW football by that team is the deciding factor for me. It certainly doesn’t hurt that they went undefeated and won a title with one of the most dominating defenses of the modern era.
1990 and 2000
1990 for the way the defense dominated and 2000 for Tui’s sheer will for them to win.
1990 we were sitting in my cousin’s Tyee seats on the north side surrounded by Green and Gold at the beginning of the Oregon game. Oregon had a SR QB Musgrave I think, the duck fans had no doubts that they would leave winners. By the middle of the third quarter they started leaving, by the middle of the 4th Q the wife and I were sitting by ourselves. 2001 Rose Bowl the Purdue fans started leaving late in the 3rd Q.
'84 or '91? Can we just call it a tie?
So many memories from that ‘84 Orange Bowl game. Lambo coming up with a 2-5 defense (2 down linemen, 5 LB’s featuring pure freshman David Rill in the middle and playing lights out) that shut down Oklahoma’s option attack, Ron Holmes playing the game of his lifetime (19 tackles, I believe), Jimmy Rodgers was an absolute warrior playing the game with a broken wrist but never leaving the field, Jacque Robinson and Rick Fenney pounding away at the Sooners front 7 all night, UW’s undersized center Dan Eernissee handling Sooner All-American nose tackle Tony Casillas, Hugh Millen entering the game in the 4th quarter and leading an all-time comback, the Sooner Schooner, Mark Pattison with an amazing touchdown catch to give us the lead for good. What a game!
That ‘91 team, all you have to do is rattle off the names and they bring up so many memories on their own: Emtman, Hobert, Brunell, Emtman, Mario, Beno, Emtman, Clifford, Hoffman, Emtman, Breuner, Lincoln Kennedy, Emtman, Ed Cunningham, Chico Fraley, Emtman, Jaime Fields (rest in peace, Jaime), Dana Hall, Emtman, Napoleon, Tyrone Rodgers…and—oh yeah—some defensive lineman by the name of Steve Emtman. To this day I still believe if UW hadn’t allowed Michigan a garbage time TD in the Rose Bowl and Napoleon Kaufman hadn’t fallen down on his own with 50 wide-open yards to the end zone in the final minutes, the voters wouldn’t have had any choice but to give us the National Championship outright. But that’s all part of the fun of Husky Football, isn’t it?
2000 Husky Football Team
I guess for me the 2000 squad, with Tui at the helm, holds a special place in my heart. After winning the NC and going to 3 straight Rosebowls those sanctions hit hard. It just seems like the 2000 season was a culmination of a lot of hard work and belief in Husky Football. There were so many close hard fought games that year and yet we prevailed. Going to and winning the 2001 Rosebowl was just a culmination of everything falling into place, very special season! GO DAWGS!!
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Old Old School '59 & '60
My favorite team(s) were the 1959 and 1960 squads that won back to back Rose Bowls. They had a one eyed QB Bob Schloredt – ex marine Don Mcketa – State senator George Fleming – all American Chuck Allen – big bad Ben Davidson and a group of guys that gave it their all. These guys were real men – they played both defense and offense in those days. These guys set the stage for the rejuvenation of husky football.
Me Too
As noted by my name, those were the teams I rooted for as a Jr. & Sr. at the UW so they are special to me. A few more names to remember. AP AA Roy McKasson, Kurt Gegner, Barry Bullard, Bill Kinnune, Lee Folkins and Bruce Claridge. And on the 60 team, Charlie Mitchell and back up QB Bob Hivner, who filled in ably for an injured Schloredt.. All of the other teams mentioned were great too, but one never forgets their first love.
76 and 90
The 76 team was the coming out party. One of my favorite moments was watching Warren Moon run for a TD at the end of the SC game. I had an end zone seat and he came my direction. Awesome!
I still think the 90 team may have been slightly better than 91, they just did not know it. If they beat UCLA, they win the title that year, go into 91 as consensus #1, and end up with two in a row. I will always think the coaches out smarted themselves that day. I can remember watching man child Bruener dismantle the DE on his side, and the Dawgs kept running away from him. Oh well. It was indeed great fun. That was also the year of “All I saw was purple!” Maybe my favorite game ever, of course there are a large number to choose from!
The 1991 Team Was Of Another World
The ‘91 Dawgs were truly an elite and exceptional team for a variety of reasons. But, their DEFENSE was surreal; I’ve never seen a D that fast, aggressive, and lethal. And, the Linebackers were scary quick.
Former u of o coach Mike Belotti has stated on many occasions that the ‘91 Huskies were the best college football he’d ever seen. For once, I completely agree with a duck.
Finally, it’s a shame the Dawgs had to share the National Championship/Title with Miami. Had they met in a playoff, the Dawgs would have won by at least two TD’s.
I love this story! Reminds me...
of the KJR radio interview months ago in which “Softy” and Hugh Millen had Barry Switzer on the phone as a guest…when asked of his memory of the 84 Orange bowl he said it was the dagger play…a pass to Mark Pattison from the QB:“Macmillan”! I almost laughed till I cried! Hugh was too polite to correct the “old boy”…I also agree 91’,2000…Maybe there is something about the “every ten year theory?” (2010?)
It’s got to be the 1991 team for me, obvious as that sounds. Nothing will beat seeing how dominant that team was on both sides of the ball, them going into Lincoln, falling behind and then storming back to a decisive victory over the legendary Cornhuskers, surviving the close call with Cal, dominating the majority of the schedule, seeing them dismantle Michigan in the Rose Bowl and knowing that the quest was complete – an undefeated season and a National Championship were ours, something that had eluded the 1990 team.
Lots of others that stand out – 1977 (DJ’s first Rose Bowl team), 1981, 1984, 1990, 2000. And knock on wood, hopefully 2010 will join those as a memorable season…
91
They were the best college football team that I have ever seen…utterly dominating.
by John Berkowitz on Jul 6, 2010 1:47 PM PDT up reply actions
The defense...
…was special. Dominating…what struck me is how many sacks and tackles for loss they had. Team’s offenses would literally move backwards. It really slanted the stats of those games. I mean the Husky offense would just keep getting the ball again and again with fantastic field position. Though the Husky offense wasn’t dominating, it was solid. Beno Bryant, Mario Bailey, Billie “outlaw” Hobert, Aaron Pierce, Mark Bruner, Supeli Malamala, Lincoln Kennedy (one of the biggest men I’ve ever stood next to) Too many studs to name or remember….Incredible!
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Because of how dominant that defense was, people tend to downplay just how good that offense was. Yes, the defense helped out the offense with a lot of great field position situations, but the offense also helped out the defense by allowing them to focus on pinning their ears back and coming hell-bent for the QB by getting out to big leads, as well as by controlling the clock.
That ‘91 offense is still #1 all-time in yards per game, and it’s not close at 471.9 – next closest was the 2002 team at 420.7. Hobert was outstanding, passing to an all-time great in Mario Bailey and a really good WR in Orlando McKay. The offensive line was as good as we’ve ever had, allowing Beno Bryant and Jay Barry to rack up close to 1700 yards between them and generating just under 232 yards per game for the whole rushing attack.
Look at the ‘84 team for an example of a great defense paired with a solid but unspectacular offense, and compare that with the ’91 team. That offense wasn’t just solid, it was great. Not as great as the defense, but the probably the best offense the school has ever had.
Everything came together with that team, not just the defense.
utterly dominating 91
I remember that season well. Most games were over in the first quarter. Might have happenend again if TY had sworn off golfing and tried to recruit Suh.
Steven Charles Emtman was the most dominating player the Huskies have ever had period.
I waited 31 years as a season ticket holder for that 91 season but it was almost melodramatic and the games boring. Boring I say that with hesitation but there was never doubt of the outcome at home games after the first quarter.
I was bummed at the end of the Rose Bowl game when the DB misplayed a pass and let the Michigan “Heisman poser” guy catch a pass.
but it was only one pass...
…not bad considering the guy was their heisman winner. Mario Bailey’s heisman pose in the endzone after a TD catch was priceless!
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
#2 Oklahoma shoud be #1 if they beat #3 Washington
That was Switzer’s logic for the 84 Orange Bowl, and apparently he sold the sports writers on it. Thankfully, we will never know. But we did learn that #3 beating #2 was not worthy.
1991
You guys have already mentioned why that season was so great. The defense was unreal, the players were animals, it was just too much fun to watch. Then you have Mario Bailey, Orlando McKay, Beno Bryant, Jay Barry, and Lincoln Kennedy on offense, you just couldn’t go wrong.
Great coaches, great players, great atmosphere, and utter domination. You’ve got to love it.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
1991 is the obvious answer for me
Like John said “best college team I’ve ever seen”. I was fairly young(8-9) those years but i still revelling in our trancing of michigan in the Rose Bowl like it was yesterday. 2000 was a great season for many reasons but especially because of Marques’ 300/200 game, one of the best indvidual performances I’ve ever seen.
My favorite team is 1994. I love going down to Miami, tombstones lining the stadium, and breaking their 56 game home winning streak. Cocky a-holes even tombstone made out for us, must have hurt something fierce to write down the final score on that one. I watched that game on FSn classic or whatever and I still got a schadenfreude high all these yers later.
"I call the big one Bitey."-Homer J. Simpson
by Willie Mays Haze on Jul 7, 2010 3:21 PM PDT reply actions
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