Saturday, August 31
Seattle, WA
12:00 PM
University of Washington
vs
Eastern Washington
2019 Husky Football Season Begins Saturday Vs. EWU
August 26, 2019 | Football
THE GAME: The Washington football team opens the 2019 season this Saturday, Aug. 31, as Eastern Washington comes to Husky Stadium for a 12:00 noon game. The matchup will air on Pac-12 Network. The contest matches a Husky team ranked No. 13 in the preseason AP top 25 and No. 12 in the USA Today coaches' poll against an Eagles squad that earned the No. 3 spot in the NCAA-FCS preseason coaches poll. It's the third UW-EWU game ever, following two previous contests that both went down to the wire. Following the EWU game, the Huskies, who play at home in four of the first five weeks of the season, begin Pac-12 play vs. California on Sept. 7 (7:30 p.m./FS1).
QUICK HITTERS: Washington lists just two returning starters on defense and seven on offense ... however, the UW returns "starters" at all of the specialist positions and (not counting specialists) has 29 players on the roster who have started at least one game in their career (20 on offense, 9 on defense) ... the UW has won 14 consecutive home games, the fourth-longest such active streak in FBS ... the Huskies have won 18 home, non-conference games in a row ... 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 ... while UW had 10 true freshmen play last year, none of those 10 played in more than four games, thus preserving a year of eligibilty under rules introduced prior to last season ... UW head coach Chris Petersen enters the 2019 season with the highest winning percentage among active NCAA-FBS coaches with five or more years experience ... Petersen has a career record of 139-33, good for a winning percentage of .808 ... Washington has won 32 games over the last three years (32-9), the highest three-year wins total in UW history and the only time that the Huskies have posted double-digit wins in three straight seasons ... the Huskies have been to a bowl game nine years in a row, and during that stretch have gone to nine different bowls, with no repeats ... including the 2002 Sun Bowl, the UW's last 10 bowl berths have been to 10 different bowl games.
TELEVISION: The UW-EWU game will air on Pac-12 Network with Ted Robinson (play-by-play), Yogi Roth (analyst) and Lewis Johnson (sidelines) on the call. Fans can also set notifications to watch the game live in the Pac-12 Now app and on Pac-12.com.
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 analyst Damon Huard are joined by sideline reporter Elise Woodward. The UW broadcast of the game will also air on Sirius (108) and XM (197) satellite radio, and is also available via TuneIn.com and the TuneIn app.
HUSKIES vs. EAGLES HISTORY: Washington and Eastern Washington have faced one another just twice in the two teams' history, but both games have gone down to the wire – with the Huskies coming out on top in each. Here's a look:
Sept. 3, 2011 • Washington 30, Eastern Washington 27
The first game was the 2011 season opener. The UW was coming off of a Holiday Bowl victory over Nebraska that ended the 2010 season, and starting a new quarterback in Keith Price. Meanwhile, the Eagles came to Husky Stadium as the defending NCAA FCS champions, having edged Delaware, 20-19, in the 2010 title game. The game was close throughout. The Eagles took a 10-7 lead through one quarter, but a TD pass from Price to James Johnson and two Erik Folk field goals put UW on top. Eastern got a field goal to end the first half, with the Dawgs in front, 20-13. The teams traded TDs in the third quarter and Folk made his third field goal to give the UW a 30-20 lead in the fourth period. But EWU QB Bo Levi Mitchell closed the gap with a scoring pass with 3:50 on the clock. On the ensuing drive, UW picked up one first down, but had to punt, giving the ball back to Eastern on its own five-yard line with 1:17 left. Mitchell completed passes of 15, 23 and 32 yards before taking a shot at the endzone from the UW 25. That pass was intercepted by UW cornerback Desmond Trufant, essentially ending the game with 29 seconds on the clock. Mitchell ended the day 39-for-69 for 473 yards. His 69 attempts are still 10 more than any other UW opponent in history. Price was 17-for-25 for 102 yards and three TDs while Chris Polk rushed for 125 yards for the Huskies.
Sept. 6, 2014 • Washington 59, Eastern Washington 52
The second UW-EWU game was the Huskies' second game of the 2014 season, coach Chris Petersen's first year on Montlake. Eastern had won the Big Sky and made it to the NCAA FCS semifinals the year before, and had another hot quarterback in Vernon Adams, who would go on to transfer to Oregon following the 2014 season. As the score indicates, the game was an offensive showcase with the 111 combined points making for the third-highest total in Husky football history. Washington actually jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter before the Eagles came back. The teams traded shots until Adams connected with Cooper Kupp for one of three such TD passes on the day, giving the Eagles a 38-37 lead early in the third quarter. But the UW scored three of the next four TDs, on a run by Dwayne Washington and two others from Cyler Miles, to build a 59-45 lead. Adams threw his seventh touchdown of the day to cut the lead to 59-52, and after an unsucessful onsides kickoff, the Huskies took over on the EWU 44 with 3:14 on the clock. The UW converted one third-down attempt, good enough to run out the clock. Adams (31-for-46, 475 yards) set a UW opponent record with his seven TD passes while the Huskies rushed for 356 yards and seven scores.
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 56 games in a row that the Huskies' opponent has failed to score more than 35. In that 56-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 less points 26 times. In that same span of 56 games, the UW has scored more than 35 points on 24 occasions.
RETURNING STARTERS: While the official number of "returning starters" this year for Washington includes 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 has 20 current players who have started at least one game on offense, and nine who have started on defense – though obviously most of those were not the primary starter at any one position last season.
WINNING AT HOME: Washington's 14-game home winning streak is the fourth-longest current streak in the FBS entering the 2019 season. Only Alabama (26), Clemson (15) and UCF (15) enter the year with longer home win streaks in tact. The UW is 20-1 over its last 21 games at Husky Stadium, a stretch that dates back to November of 2015. The Huskies have won 18 straight non-conference home games, dating back to a loss vs. Nebraska on Sept. 18, 2010.
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.
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.
SEASON OPENERS: Washington is 87-36-6 all-time in season openers, good for a mark of .698. Since 1989, Washington has posted an 17-12 record in season openers – 10-1 at home, 7-9 on the road, 0-2 neutral site. Last year in Atlanta, the Huskies fell to Auburn, 21-16. In 2017, the Huskies opened with a 30-14 win at Rutgers, who they also beat in Seattle to begin the 2016 season. The year before, the Huskies fell, 16-13, at Boise State. In 2014, the UW beat Hawai'i, 17-16, in Honolulu, while in 2013, Washington beat Boise State, 38-6, in the UW's return to newly renovated Husky Stadium. In 2012, the Huskies beat San Diego State, 21-12, at CenturyLink Field, and in 2011, the Huskies beat defending NCAA Division I FCS Champion Eastern Washington, 30-27, for the UW's first season-opening win since 2007. In the 28-season span dating back to 1989, the Huskies have opened vs. a ranked team 13 times (5-8): vs. No. 15 Stanford in 1993 (W, 31-14), at No. 17 USC in 1994 (L, 24-17), at No. 20 Arizona State in 1996 (L, 45-42), vs. No. 19 BYU in 1997 (W, 42-20) at No. 8 Arizona State in 1998 (W, 42-38), vs. No. 11 Michigan in 2001 (W, 23-18), at No. 12 Michigan in 2002 (L, 31-29), at No. 2 Ohio State in 2003 (L, 28-9), at No. 21 Oregon in 2008 (L, 44-10), vs. No. 11 LSU in 2009 (L, 31-23), vs. No. 19 Boise State in 2013 (W, 38-6), at No. 23 Boise State in 2015 (L, 16-13), neutral vs. No. 9 Auburn in 2018 (L, 21-16).
HOME vs. NON-CONFERENCE: Washington has been very tough to beat in home, non-conference games over the last several decades. Going back to (and including) the 1981 season, the Huskies have posted a 69-13 record against non-Pac-10/Pac-12 foes in Husky Stadium. Those 13 losses have come to Nebraska (2010), LSU (2009), BYU (2008), Oklahoma (2008), Ohio State (2007), Notre Dame (2005), Fresno State (2004), Nevada (2003), Air Force (1999), Nebraska (1997), Notre Dame (1995), Colorado (1989) and Oklahoma State (1985). Notable wins wins during that stretch include victories over No. 19 Boise State in 2013, No. 22 Boise State in 2007, No. 11 Michigan in 2001, No. 4 Miami in 2000, and No. 12 Nebraska in 1992. Prior to the 2004 loss to Nevada, Washington hadn't lost a home game to a non-league opponent since falling to Air Force, 31-21, on September 18, 1999. The Huskies had won 10 such games before that Nevada loss. The UW is 20-2 over its last 22 home, non-league games, with a current, 18-game winning streak.
HOME OPENERS: The Huskies are 94-28-5 in home openers (whether the first game of the season or not), a percentage of .760. (Washington did not play any home games in the 1890 or 1893 seasons.) That mark includes a 28-game streak of home-opener wins that ran from 1908 to 1935. Before falling to Air Force in the 1999 home opener, Washington had won 13 straight such games since having fallen to Oklahoma State on Sept. 7, 1985. The Huskies have won their last nine home openers in a row, dating back to a loss to No. 11 LSU in the 2009 home opener.
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 34-8 at home since the re-opening of Husky Stadium, and have won 14 consecutive home games (through the end of 2018 season).
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 390-177-21 (.681).
QUICK HITTERS: Washington lists just two returning starters on defense and seven on offense ... however, the UW returns "starters" at all of the specialist positions and (not counting specialists) has 29 players on the roster who have started at least one game in their career (20 on offense, 9 on defense) ... the UW has won 14 consecutive home games, the fourth-longest such active streak in FBS ... the Huskies have won 18 home, non-conference games in a row ... 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 ... while UW had 10 true freshmen play last year, none of those 10 played in more than four games, thus preserving a year of eligibilty under rules introduced prior to last season ... UW head coach Chris Petersen enters the 2019 season with the highest winning percentage among active NCAA-FBS coaches with five or more years experience ... Petersen has a career record of 139-33, good for a winning percentage of .808 ... Washington has won 32 games over the last three years (32-9), the highest three-year wins total in UW history and the only time that the Huskies have posted double-digit wins in three straight seasons ... the Huskies have been to a bowl game nine years in a row, and during that stretch have gone to nine different bowls, with no repeats ... including the 2002 Sun Bowl, the UW's last 10 bowl berths have been to 10 different bowl games.
TELEVISION: The UW-EWU game will air on Pac-12 Network with Ted Robinson (play-by-play), Yogi Roth (analyst) and Lewis Johnson (sidelines) on the call. Fans can also set notifications to watch the game live in the Pac-12 Now app and on Pac-12.com.
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 analyst Damon Huard are joined by sideline reporter Elise Woodward. The UW broadcast of the game will also air on Sirius (108) and XM (197) satellite radio, and is also available via TuneIn.com and the TuneIn app.
HUSKIES vs. EAGLES HISTORY: Washington and Eastern Washington have faced one another just twice in the two teams' history, but both games have gone down to the wire – with the Huskies coming out on top in each. Here's a look:
Sept. 3, 2011 • Washington 30, Eastern Washington 27
The first game was the 2011 season opener. The UW was coming off of a Holiday Bowl victory over Nebraska that ended the 2010 season, and starting a new quarterback in Keith Price. Meanwhile, the Eagles came to Husky Stadium as the defending NCAA FCS champions, having edged Delaware, 20-19, in the 2010 title game. The game was close throughout. The Eagles took a 10-7 lead through one quarter, but a TD pass from Price to James Johnson and two Erik Folk field goals put UW on top. Eastern got a field goal to end the first half, with the Dawgs in front, 20-13. The teams traded TDs in the third quarter and Folk made his third field goal to give the UW a 30-20 lead in the fourth period. But EWU QB Bo Levi Mitchell closed the gap with a scoring pass with 3:50 on the clock. On the ensuing drive, UW picked up one first down, but had to punt, giving the ball back to Eastern on its own five-yard line with 1:17 left. Mitchell completed passes of 15, 23 and 32 yards before taking a shot at the endzone from the UW 25. That pass was intercepted by UW cornerback Desmond Trufant, essentially ending the game with 29 seconds on the clock. Mitchell ended the day 39-for-69 for 473 yards. His 69 attempts are still 10 more than any other UW opponent in history. Price was 17-for-25 for 102 yards and three TDs while Chris Polk rushed for 125 yards for the Huskies.
Sept. 6, 2014 • Washington 59, Eastern Washington 52
The second UW-EWU game was the Huskies' second game of the 2014 season, coach Chris Petersen's first year on Montlake. Eastern had won the Big Sky and made it to the NCAA FCS semifinals the year before, and had another hot quarterback in Vernon Adams, who would go on to transfer to Oregon following the 2014 season. As the score indicates, the game was an offensive showcase with the 111 combined points making for the third-highest total in Husky football history. Washington actually jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter before the Eagles came back. The teams traded shots until Adams connected with Cooper Kupp for one of three such TD passes on the day, giving the Eagles a 38-37 lead early in the third quarter. But the UW scored three of the next four TDs, on a run by Dwayne Washington and two others from Cyler Miles, to build a 59-45 lead. Adams threw his seventh touchdown of the day to cut the lead to 59-52, and after an unsucessful onsides kickoff, the Huskies took over on the EWU 44 with 3:14 on the clock. The UW converted one third-down attempt, good enough to run out the clock. Adams (31-for-46, 475 yards) set a UW opponent record with his seven TD passes while the Huskies rushed for 356 yards and seven scores.
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 56 games in a row that the Huskies' opponent has failed to score more than 35. In that 56-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 less points 26 times. In that same span of 56 games, the UW has scored more than 35 points on 24 occasions.
RETURNING STARTERS: While the official number of "returning starters" this year for Washington includes 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 has 20 current players who have started at least one game on offense, and nine who have started on defense – though obviously most of those were not the primary starter at any one position last season.
WINNING AT HOME: Washington's 14-game home winning streak is the fourth-longest current streak in the FBS entering the 2019 season. Only Alabama (26), Clemson (15) and UCF (15) enter the year with longer home win streaks in tact. The UW is 20-1 over its last 21 games at Husky Stadium, a stretch that dates back to November of 2015. The Huskies have won 18 straight non-conference home games, dating back to a loss vs. Nebraska on Sept. 18, 2010.
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.
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.
SEASON OPENERS: Washington is 87-36-6 all-time in season openers, good for a mark of .698. Since 1989, Washington has posted an 17-12 record in season openers – 10-1 at home, 7-9 on the road, 0-2 neutral site. Last year in Atlanta, the Huskies fell to Auburn, 21-16. In 2017, the Huskies opened with a 30-14 win at Rutgers, who they also beat in Seattle to begin the 2016 season. The year before, the Huskies fell, 16-13, at Boise State. In 2014, the UW beat Hawai'i, 17-16, in Honolulu, while in 2013, Washington beat Boise State, 38-6, in the UW's return to newly renovated Husky Stadium. In 2012, the Huskies beat San Diego State, 21-12, at CenturyLink Field, and in 2011, the Huskies beat defending NCAA Division I FCS Champion Eastern Washington, 30-27, for the UW's first season-opening win since 2007. In the 28-season span dating back to 1989, the Huskies have opened vs. a ranked team 13 times (5-8): vs. No. 15 Stanford in 1993 (W, 31-14), at No. 17 USC in 1994 (L, 24-17), at No. 20 Arizona State in 1996 (L, 45-42), vs. No. 19 BYU in 1997 (W, 42-20) at No. 8 Arizona State in 1998 (W, 42-38), vs. No. 11 Michigan in 2001 (W, 23-18), at No. 12 Michigan in 2002 (L, 31-29), at No. 2 Ohio State in 2003 (L, 28-9), at No. 21 Oregon in 2008 (L, 44-10), vs. No. 11 LSU in 2009 (L, 31-23), vs. No. 19 Boise State in 2013 (W, 38-6), at No. 23 Boise State in 2015 (L, 16-13), neutral vs. No. 9 Auburn in 2018 (L, 21-16).
HOME vs. NON-CONFERENCE: Washington has been very tough to beat in home, non-conference games over the last several decades. Going back to (and including) the 1981 season, the Huskies have posted a 69-13 record against non-Pac-10/Pac-12 foes in Husky Stadium. Those 13 losses have come to Nebraska (2010), LSU (2009), BYU (2008), Oklahoma (2008), Ohio State (2007), Notre Dame (2005), Fresno State (2004), Nevada (2003), Air Force (1999), Nebraska (1997), Notre Dame (1995), Colorado (1989) and Oklahoma State (1985). Notable wins wins during that stretch include victories over No. 19 Boise State in 2013, No. 22 Boise State in 2007, No. 11 Michigan in 2001, No. 4 Miami in 2000, and No. 12 Nebraska in 1992. Prior to the 2004 loss to Nevada, Washington hadn't lost a home game to a non-league opponent since falling to Air Force, 31-21, on September 18, 1999. The Huskies had won 10 such games before that Nevada loss. The UW is 20-2 over its last 22 home, non-league games, with a current, 18-game winning streak.
HOME OPENERS: The Huskies are 94-28-5 in home openers (whether the first game of the season or not), a percentage of .760. (Washington did not play any home games in the 1890 or 1893 seasons.) That mark includes a 28-game streak of home-opener wins that ran from 1908 to 1935. Before falling to Air Force in the 1999 home opener, Washington had won 13 straight such games since having fallen to Oklahoma State on Sept. 7, 1985. The Huskies have won their last nine home openers in a row, dating back to a loss to No. 11 LSU in the 2009 home opener.
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 34-8 at home since the re-opening of Husky Stadium, and have won 14 consecutive home games (through the end of 2018 season).
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 390-177-21 (.681).
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