What Are Washington's Best Wins In Petersen Era?

Caple posted an article about the 10 best wins in the Petersen era as a trip down memory lane before the season.


5. Stanford, 2016 (DoogCourics WAS THERE AND REALIZED WE WERE BACK!!!!)

UW was 4-0 after a weak nonconference slate and a harrowing victory at Arizona, so the Huskies’ showdown with perennial North power Stanford — on a Friday night at Husky Stadium — loomed as the ultimate prove-it game. And, boy, did they prove it. Behind a defense that had eight sacks and forced two turnovers, the Huskies rolled 44-6, in the process establishing themselves as the team to beat in the Pac-12.

It was something of a showcase game, too, for Browning, who was 15-of-21 for 210 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Gaskin rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, and Lavon Coleman added 74 yards and a score on 11 rushes. Pettis and John Ross each caught touchdowns. The Huskies led 23-0 at halftime and 30-0 before Stanford finally scored late in the third quarter.

Many in the sellout crowd of 72,027 stormed the field afterward, celebrating a victory that bumped UW to No. 5 in that week’s AP top 25.



3. Oregon, 2016

Has there ever been a more cathartic victory for Washington and its fans? Eight days after routing Stanford, the Huskies traveled to Eugene with hopes of ending an unprecedented 12-year losing streak against their most bitter rival. They were favored to do so: Oregon had struggled to a 2-3 start, including a 51-33 loss at Washington State the week before, and the programs finally appeared headed in different directions.

Still, nobody saw this coming. The Huskies put together one of their greatest offensive performances ever, Browning accounted for eight touchdowns and Washington left with a 70-21 victory that served as an exclamation point — OK, maybe two exclamation points — to their breakout win against Stanford. They finished with 682 yards of total offense and averaged 9.3 yards per play, and at one point, UW scored touchdowns on six consecutive possessions. The game also produced “The Point,” perhaps the most memorable play (and photo) of Browning’s career.

The nature of the loss hung over Ducks coach Mark Helfrich for the rest of the season, and Oregon fired him after a 4-8 finish, just two seasons after he had them in the national championship game.



1. Colorado, 2016 (Pac-12 Championship Game)

The highlight of Petersen’s tenure so far was the Huskies’ CFP appearance in 2016, and this is the victory that got them there. Despite a lack of any real passing game — Browning was only 9-of-24 for 118 yards that night at Levi’s Stadium — the Huskies still won in dominating fashion, riding 100-plus-yard performances by Gaskin and Coleman to a 41-10 victory and their first league title in 16 years.

This was a defensive masterpiece, too. Taylor Rapp, then a true freshman, won game MVP honors with two interceptions of Buffaloes quarterback Sefo Liufau, one of which he returned for a touchdown. Zeke Turner also added an interception, and Colorado managed only 3.0 yards per play and nine first downs. Meanwhile, Gaskin and Coleman combined to rush for 260 yards on 47 carries, and Ross turned in a highlight-reel touchdown catch, leaping to snag with one hand a pass that Browning appeared to be trying to throw away.

Though some lobbied for Penn State to leapfrog the Huskies in the final CFP rankings, the selection committee ultimately gave the No. 4 seed to Washington, setting up a Peach Bowl matchup against No. 1 Alabama. The Tide rolled, winning 24-7 with a suffocating defensive performance. But the Huskies still tied a school record for wins in a season (12) and set the tone for the consecutive 10-win campaigns that followed.






What were your favorites?