Dawgs & Ducks Set To Meet For 112th Time

Saturday, October 19

Seattle, WA

12:30 PM

University of Washington

Oregon

Photo by: Red Box Pictures

October 14, 2019 | Football

UW Game Notes

THE GAME: The Washington football team (5-2 overall, 2-2 Pac-12) returns to Husky Stadium for a Homecoming game vs. Oregon (5-1, 3-0), the 112th all-time game between the old Pacific Northwest foes. Kickoff is 12:30 p.m. PT and the game will air on ABC television. Oregon checks in at No. 12 in both the latest AP Top 25 and in the coaches' poll, while Washington returned to both rankings after a week out, at No. 25 (AP) and No. 23 (coaches).

QUICK HITTERS: Through seven games, UW has outscored opponents 90-6 in the first quarter ... Washington is 13th in the nation in net punting (42.78), having allowed just one touchback and only seven punt return yards all year ... PK Peyton Henry enters the week as one of only nine FBS kickers who has made all of his field goal attempts this season, and the only one with 14 or more attempts (next-closest is 12-for-12)... UW has forced 13 turnovers and has scored on 11 (8 TDs, 3 FGs) of 13 ensuing drives ... on the other two occasions, the UW ran the clock out to end the game ... conversely, the UW has allowed seven turnovers and opponents have scored on only three ensuing drives (1 TD, 2 FGs) ... the Huskies are all the way up to No. 15 in the nation in turnover margin ... UW ranks No. 2 in the Pac-12 in red-zone offense (.906) ... UW's defense has led the Pac-12 in both scoring defense and total defense each of the last four years ... of the 106 players on the current UW football roster, a little over half (55) are freshmen or redshirt freshmen ... Washington has played 11 true freshmen this season: DL Jacob Bandes, PK Tim Horn, OLB Laiatu Latu, CB Trent McDuffie, WR Puka Nacua, DL Noa Ngalu, DL Sama Paama, DL Faatui Tuitele, LB Alphonzo Tuputala, DB Asa Turner and DB Cameron Williams ... additionally, 19 redshirt freshmen have played ... Jacob Eason made his UW debut as starting quarterback vs. EWU and threw for 349 yards and four TDs ... his 349 yards were the most ever by a Husky QB in his first start ... his 4 TD passes tied for seventh-most in UW history ... UW head coach Chris Petersen entered the 2019 season with the highest winning percentage among active NCAA-FBS coaches with five or more years experience ... through seven games this year, Petersen has a career record of 144-35, good for a winning percentage of .804, still tops in FBS ... in five-plus seasons under Petersen, the Huskies have scored touchdowns on a total of 14 kickoff (4) and punt (10) returns ... in that same period, the UW hasn't allowed a single return for a score.

TELEVISION: The UW-Oregon game will air on ABC television, with Sean McDonough (play by play), Todd Blackledge (analyst) and Holly Rowe (sidelines) on the call. You can also watch via WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app.

RADIO: The Washington Sports Network, with its flagship station KOMO AM-1000 and FM-97.7, will carry the live broadcast of every football game on 18 Northwest radio stations. Play-by-play man Tony Castricone and color analysts Damon Huard and Greg Lewis are joined by sideline reporter Elise Woodward. The UW broadcast of the game will air on Sirius (119) and XM (203) satellite radio, and is available via TuneIn.com and the TuneIn app. ESPN Radio will air a national broadcast.

HUSKIES vs. DUCKS HISTORY:  Washington leads the all-time series against the Ducks with 60 wins, 46 losses and five ties.

In games played in Seattle, the Huskies are 32-21-4 against their cross-border rivals, while n games played in Eugene, the Ducks enjoy an 18-13 edge all-time (Oregon's home games vs. the UW were played in Portland for many years). The Ducks have had the edge of late, winning 18 of the last 24 against the Dawgs.

Last year in Eugene, the Ducks edged the Huskies, 30-27, in overtime. Washington got a field goal in the opening overtime period, but the Ducks scored a touchdown in their possession to win the game.

Two years ago in Seattle, UW's Dante Pettis broke the NCAA record with his ninth career punt return for a TD and the UW held Oregon to just 31 passing yards in a 38-3 UW win. In 2016, the Dawgs broke the Ducks' long win streak in the series with a 70-21 win in Eugene. Jake Browning was 22-for-28 for 304 yards and a school-record six TD passes (plus two rushing TDs) while Myles Gaskin rushed for 197 yards on just 16 carries.

In 2015 in Seattle, Oregon won, 26-20, as a third-quarter, 72-yard run from Myles Gaskin and a three-yard pass from  Browning to Jaydon Mickens in the fourth brought the UW to within six points. The Ducks, however, intercepted a last-minute pass to preserve the win. In 2014 in Eugene, a 21-point output from Oregon in the second quarter was the major difference in a 45-20 Ducks win.  In 2013 at Husky Stadium, the Ducks stretched a seven-point lead heading into the fourth quarter into a 45-24 victory. Marcus Mariota passed for 366 yards and three TDs rushed for 88 and one while the Huskies got 167 rushing yards from Bishop Sankey. In 2012 in Eugene, second-ranked Oregon beat No. 23 Washington, 52-21.

In 2011, in the final game at the old Husky Stadium, the Ducks beat the UW, 34-17. In 2010 in Eugene, UW QB Keith Price made his first college start in a 53-16 Husky loss. Oregon led 18-16 in the third quarter before pulling away. In 2009 at Husky Stadium, Oregon won, 43-19. In 2008 in Eugene in the season-opener for both teams, Jeremiah Masoli came off the bench and led the Ducks to a 44-10 win. In 2007 in Seattle, the Huskies and Ducks were tied at 31-31 after three quarters before Oregon pulled away in the final period for a 55-34 win.

The Huskies' last win over Oregon prior to 2016 was in 2003, when Shelton Sampson and Kenny James both rushed for over 100 yards in a 42-10 Husky victory. Washington and Oregon first met on the football field in 1900, a 43-0 Oregon win in Eugene. The Huskies got their first win in the series in the next meeting, a 6-5 victory in 1903. From 1974 to 1993, Washington won 17 of 20 meetings. The series also features one of the biggest year-to-year turnarounds in college football history as the Ducks beat the Huskies, 58-0, in 1973 and then lost at the UW, 66-0, the following year.

DAWGS AND THE NORTHWEST:  Washington's most-played rivalries are against the other three other northwest Pac-12 schools. The Huskies have faced Washington State 111 times, Oregon in 111 games and Oregon State on 103 occasions. Washington owns the advantage in all three series. The Huskies lead the Ducks 60-46-5, Washington State 73-32-6 and Oregon State 65-34-4. Combined, Washington has a 198-112-15 (.632) record against its northwest rivals. Washington has played all three of the Northwest teams in a season on 90 prior occasions. Over those 90 seasons in which Oregon, OSU and WSU were all on the UW schedule, the Dawgs have swept all three 30 times (including 2016 and 2017). In the meantime, the Huskies have lost to all three in the same season on only seven occasions.

RETURNS ON FIRE:  Since the arrival of coach Chris Petersen and his staff prior to the 2014 season, Washington has had four kickoff returns for touchdowns (three by John Ross and one by Keishawn Bierria) and 10 punt returns for TDs (nine by Dante Pettis – good for the NCAA record – and one from Aaron Fuller vs. BYU, 2019). That's a total of 14 kick and punt return TDs. Ross actually had four career TDs, but his first came in the 2013 Fight Hunger Bowl, the last game before the start of the Petersen era. Even if you include that Ross TD, you have to go back 16 prior seasons to count the previous four Husky kick return TDs, and 27 seasons to count the last 10 punt returns. Touré Butler returned a kick for a score in 1998. Then, from 1998 to 2033, the Huskies had four: Ross in 2013, Louis Rankin in 2007, Roc Alexander in 2001, and Paul Arnold in 1999. As for punt returns, Demouy Williams had one in 1987 before Beno Bryant had three punt return TDs in 1990, and another in 1991. Then, over 23 seasons (1991-2013), the Huskies had just six more: Jesse Callier in 2011; Chris Stevens in  2006;  Charles  Frederick  in  2003  and  2001;  Joe  Jarzynka  in  1998;  and  Dave  Janoski in 1996 – and two of those (Callier & Stevens) were on blocked punts, so not "traditional" punt returns. What's more? Since Petersen's arrival in 2014, the Huskies haven't allowed a single punt or kick return for a score.

OPPONENTS 35-AND-UNDER: Washington hasn't allowed an opponent to score more than 35 points in a game since a 44-30 loss at UCLA in 2014 – one of only three games in Chris Petersen's UW tenure that an opponent has scored more than 35 points. That's a streak of 63 games in a row that the Huskies' opponent has failed to score more than 35. In that 63-game stretch, Husky foes have scored 30 or more just nine times (of those nine, five were exactly 30 points) and have been held to 14 or fewer points 28 times. In that same span of 63 games, the UW has scored more than 35 points on 28 occasions.

RETURNING STARTERS: While the official number of "returning starters" this year for Washington included just two defensive and seven offensive players, a deeper look at the numbers reveals a lot more experience. In fact, not counting specialists (UW returns its starting placekicker, punter, holder and long snapper), Washington had 20 current players who had started at least one game on offense, and nine who had started on defense prior to the 2019 season – though obviously most of those were not the primary starter at any one position last season.

DEFENSE vs. BIG PLAYS: The UW allowed just ONE scrimmage play of 40 or more yards all last season. No other FBS team allowed fewer than four and 102 teams allowed 10 or more. Washington also allowed just 11 scrimmage plays of 30 or more yards (only Appalachian State, with 10, allowed fewer). The Husky defense also ranked No. 5 in fewest 20-yard plays allowed (34). In 2017, the UW also led the nation with fewest 40-yard scrimmage plays allowed (3) and were second in fewest 30-yard plays (14). They were tied for 5th and 2nd, respectively, in 2016. The Huskies have given up four scrimmage plays of 40 yards or more through the first six games of 2019.

YOUTH: Washington's roster remains on the young side. Of the 106 current players, more than half – 55 – are freshmen or redshirt freshmen, due in large part to the fact that every freshman on last year's team preserved their redshirt season. Washington's roster includes 18 seniors, 20 juniors, 13 sophomores, 25 redshirt freshmen and 30 true freshmen.

THE PAC-12: Prior to the 2011 season, the Pac-10 Conference added Utah and Colorado to expand to the Pac-12. Washington, which along with California is one of two schools who have been in the conference since its founding in 1915, plays in the Pac-12 North, along with the other three Northwest schools (Oregon, OSU, WSU) and Stanford and Cal. Under the current system, each school plays all five division rivals, plus four of six teams in the other division each season. The first two seasons, the Huskies did not face UCLA or Arizona State. In 2013 and 14, the Huskies didn't play Utah or USC. In 2015 in 2016, neither UCLA nor Colorado were on the UW schedule, while the Huskies didn't face USC and Arizona in 2017 or 2018. The 2019 season marks the start of a new cycle, moving the rotation back to where it started. Therefore, the Huskies will not play UCLA and Arizona State this season and again in 2020.

THE 100-YARD FACTOR: Since the 1947 season, Washington is 220-68-3 (.761) when a Husky player rushes for 100 yards in a game. The Huskies are 21-3 in such games dating back to the 2016 season, and 3-1 this year.

HISTORY LESSON: Successfully rushing the football and winning go hand-in-hand for the Huskies. Since 1990, UW has rushed for 200 yards in a game 119 times. The Huskies' record stands at 102-16-1 (.861) in those contests.

HUSKY STADIUM RENOVATION: Husky Stadium underwent a major renovation over from Nov., 2011, through Aug., 2013, as the entire lower bowl and south upper deck were demolished and replaced. The new facility features a new, state-of-the-art football operations center (weight room, training room, locker room, meeting rooms, coaches' offices) in the west end, much more premium seating options and a new playing surface. Husky Stadium had featured a track up until 2011, so seats that were once far from the field, particularly in the west end, are much closer to the action. UW is 37-9 at home since the re-opening of Husky Stadium.

ALASKA AIRLINES FIELD AT HUSKY STADIUM: The Oregon game on Nov. 5, 2011, marked the final game in Husky Stadium prior to major renovations that were completed in summer, 2013. The Huskies re-opened their home field with a 38-6 win over then-No. 19 Boise State on Aug. 31, 2013. The 2018 season marks the 99th season of play in Husky Stadium. Original construction on the facility was completed in 1920 when Washington played one game in the new campus facility. UW's all-time record in Husky Stadium stands at 393-178-21 (.682).