One of the top Quarterback Universities of the country is at it again, as the Washington Huskies bring their winning leadership to the Pac-12 Conference. This season has been a series of incredible battles for the Huskies as they bring their iconic offensive style to the field for the game after game of excellence. But the team is never stronger than it is when they defend Husky Stadium against all comers at every home game. You can feel the excitement in the air as fans roar the moment the team takes the field. The energy and passion that Huskies fans bring are only barely matched by the largest and winningest programs in the country and you could be a part of the fun if you come to Husky Stadium during every home game.
Just imagine, you could join over 70,000 other fans as they cheer every time Quarterback Jacob Eason fires the ball down the field to gain yards and touchdowns with the program’s excellent wide receiver staff. You could celebrate as the solid defensive line crushes any rush attempt or slaps away passes that dare to gain ground at Husky Stadium. You could enjoy the thrilling edge-of-your-seat excitement as head coach Chris Petersen leads his team to the well-earned victories the team hungers for. Whatever you love about football, you’ll find at Husky Stadium, so make sure you don’t miss out. Because fans and sportswriters are already booking the best seats in the house for their upcoming games.
A History of Excellence Straight Out of Washington
Originally taking the field in 1889, the Washington Huskies have played in their current home of Husky Stadium since 1920. The team has a history of success in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the North Division of the Pac-12 Conference. Over their storied career, the program has won 17 conference championships, 7 Rose Bowls, and two national championships recognized by the NCAA. As of the 2018 season, the team ranks as 20th in win percentages and 19th in total victories among FBS universities. Washington also holds the FBS record for the longest and second-longest winning streaks at an incredible 64 and 40 consecutive wins respectively. The program has also had a blistering twelve unbeaten seasons in their history, including seven perfect seasons.
The program also holds special honors as one of the four charter members of the Pac-12 Conference and, along with California, is one of the only two members with uninterrupted membership. The program is probably best known for holding the best streak of non-losing seasons in the Pac-12, with 27 consecutive non-losing seasons, the most of any Pac-12 team and the 14th best streak in the NCAA Division I. The long history of winning seasons makes it the second-highest ranked in conference history.
With all of this winning, you might forget about the biggest quirk of the university. It’s known as one of the most famous Quarterback U’s in the country since many of their quarterbacks have ended up playing professionally in the NFL. This tendency includes hosting the second-most QB starts in the NFL, including 14 of the last 19 passing leaders from Washington who have gone on to play in the NFL.
This points to one undisputed fact: That when you play with the Huskies, you are bound for success and fans get to enjoy the stellar football that comes from this program.
Examining Chris Petersen
Current Huskies head coach, Chris Petersen, has been with the program for six seasons, including 2019, and he has shown an excellent talent for getting the best performance out of his players. At present, his record with Washington is 52-24 with a 32-18 conference record. This record includes two Conference Title seasons (2016, 2018) and his 2017 title game berth. Coach Petersen is simply an excellent choice to lead the Huskies to postseason play and to keep the fans coming back to Husky Stadium game after game.
But what is it about him that makes him stand out and has kept him tied to the university for so long?
His coaching career began as a head freshman coach at UC Davis working under Hall of Fame coach Jim Sochor. In only two years, in 1989, he became the receivers coach for the varsity before later leaving to become the Pittsburgh quarterbacks coach in 1992. His leadership at that time led him to coach QB Alex Van Pelt who recorded over 3,100 passing yards with 20 touchdowns. But Pittsburgh couldn’t keep the talented quarterback as he moved to coach quarterbacks at Portland State in 1993. He was credited as being a key factor in the program advancing to the Division II playoffs in 1993 and 1994, which made Oregon quick to snap him up the following year as receivers coach. During his stay with the Ducks, he worked under Mike Bellotti as an assistant that led to huge numbers as he led WR Cristin McLemore to top 1,000 receiving yards. A record that was followed up in ‘97 by WR Pat Johnson and in ‘98 by WR Damon Griffin and Tony Hartley.
Later, he would have his chance as a head coach when Boise State hired him to lead the Broncos from 2006-2010 (Western Athletic Conference) and 2011-2013 (Mountain West Conference). During these seasons, he led the Broncos to 5 out of 8 conference titles with an incredible record of 57-6 within the conferences. These stats point to Petersen’s drive to succeed and his ability to get the most out of his players, but we can see where that drive and ability comes from by looking at his career.
All this points to Petersen’s talent at finding the best ways to use his teams and his strengths with guiding offenses with skill. The future looks bright for the Washington Huskies with Petersen at the helm.