Today's Game: Celebrating 29 Years Of ‘All I Saw Was Purple’
September 28, 2019 | Football
By Brian Tom
It's too bad today's game against USC couldn't have been played in Los Angeles – but only for historical purposes. If today's matchup would have been played in L.A., the Dawgs would have hosted the Trojans at Husky Stadium in 2020, which would have marked the 30th anniversary of the famous, "All I Saw Was Purple" game.
Instead, we're stuck with the 29-year anniversary of the matchup in which the Huskies dominated, 31-0, and helped propel them to three-straight Rose Bowl appearances. While "29th anniversary" doesn't really roll off the tongue or quite fit as a milestone year, it is still fun for Husky fans to reminisce about the significance of that game and what it meant for Husky history.
It's also quite enjoyable for UW players to remember back upon that Sept. 22 game, which was played in 90-plus degree heat in front of 72,617 rabid fans. Greg Lewis, who won the Doak Walker Award as the top running back in the nation during that 1990 season, cherishes that game and remembers it like it was yesterday.
"It was probably one of the most memorable games I played in because it was my senior year and we had such a big coming-out party," Lewis, who rushed for 126 yards, added another 99 yards receiving and scored the first touchdown of the day, said.
"It still sticks out in my mind like it was just yesterday, although it was 29 years ago."
The Trojans entered that 1990 game as five-point favorites after having won the previous four matchups. They were led by precocious left-hander, Todd Marinovich, who was anointed as the next-great quarterback in USC lore.
But that day, the Huskies' would dominate and the mighty Marinovich would not finish the game after taking a vicious pounding from the rabid Dawgs' defense. He famously said after the thrashing, "I just saw purple. That's all I saw. No numbers, no faces, just purple."
Lewis wasn't surprised by Marinovich's post-game reaction. He was used to seeing his defense dominate daily in practice.
"I always felt like Saturdays were easy because our defense was so good," Lewis said. "Practicing against them during the week was the toughest competition we would see. He got a chance to see that up close and personal.
"He was deemed the Robo-Quarterback," Lewis added. "People thought he was built to be this great player from birth. Everyone thought that he was going to lead USC to the national championship and Rose Bowls.
"We flipped the script on them. All the sudden, our defense made him not just a mere mortal quarterback, but he actually looked terrible in the game. He had no time to throw. The DB's were smothering the receivers. He ended up throwing a lot of picks and he saw what I got to see during the week every day."
The Huskies would go on to finish that 1990 regular season with a 9-2 record before earning their 10th win with a 46-34 Rose Bowl victory over Iowa. The Huskies would follow the 1990 season with an undefeated 12-0 record and a share of the 1991 National Championship. They would then start the 1992 season 8-0, before dropping three of their last four games, including a 38-31 loss in the Huskies third-straight Rose Bowl appearance.
Many people – Lewis included – believe that the 1990 game against USC propelled the Huskies to their dominant early-90s run.
"That game was definitely a catapult," he said. "It gave us supreme confidence that we could play with anybody. To dominate USC the way we did let us know that we were the team to beat and that maybe we could even win the National Championship."
So Husky fans, strap on your purple and bring your voices. Perhaps in 30 (or 29!) years, you'll celebrate this game as: All I Saw Was Purple – Part II.
It's too bad today's game against USC couldn't have been played in Los Angeles – but only for historical purposes. If today's matchup would have been played in L.A., the Dawgs would have hosted the Trojans at Husky Stadium in 2020, which would have marked the 30th anniversary of the famous, "All I Saw Was Purple" game.
Instead, we're stuck with the 29-year anniversary of the matchup in which the Huskies dominated, 31-0, and helped propel them to three-straight Rose Bowl appearances. While "29th anniversary" doesn't really roll off the tongue or quite fit as a milestone year, it is still fun for Husky fans to reminisce about the significance of that game and what it meant for Husky history.
It's also quite enjoyable for UW players to remember back upon that Sept. 22 game, which was played in 90-plus degree heat in front of 72,617 rabid fans. Greg Lewis, who won the Doak Walker Award as the top running back in the nation during that 1990 season, cherishes that game and remembers it like it was yesterday.
"It was probably one of the most memorable games I played in because it was my senior year and we had such a big coming-out party," Lewis, who rushed for 126 yards, added another 99 yards receiving and scored the first touchdown of the day, said.
"It still sticks out in my mind like it was just yesterday, although it was 29 years ago."
The Trojans entered that 1990 game as five-point favorites after having won the previous four matchups. They were led by precocious left-hander, Todd Marinovich, who was anointed as the next-great quarterback in USC lore.
But that day, the Huskies' would dominate and the mighty Marinovich would not finish the game after taking a vicious pounding from the rabid Dawgs' defense. He famously said after the thrashing, "I just saw purple. That's all I saw. No numbers, no faces, just purple."
Lewis wasn't surprised by Marinovich's post-game reaction. He was used to seeing his defense dominate daily in practice.
"I always felt like Saturdays were easy because our defense was so good," Lewis said. "Practicing against them during the week was the toughest competition we would see. He got a chance to see that up close and personal.
"He was deemed the Robo-Quarterback," Lewis added. "People thought he was built to be this great player from birth. Everyone thought that he was going to lead USC to the national championship and Rose Bowls.
"We flipped the script on them. All the sudden, our defense made him not just a mere mortal quarterback, but he actually looked terrible in the game. He had no time to throw. The DB's were smothering the receivers. He ended up throwing a lot of picks and he saw what I got to see during the week every day."
The Huskies would go on to finish that 1990 regular season with a 9-2 record before earning their 10th win with a 46-34 Rose Bowl victory over Iowa. The Huskies would follow the 1990 season with an undefeated 12-0 record and a share of the 1991 National Championship. They would then start the 1992 season 8-0, before dropping three of their last four games, including a 38-31 loss in the Huskies third-straight Rose Bowl appearance.
Many people – Lewis included – believe that the 1990 game against USC propelled the Huskies to their dominant early-90s run.
"That game was definitely a catapult," he said. "It gave us supreme confidence that we could play with anybody. To dominate USC the way we did let us know that we were the team to beat and that maybe we could even win the National Championship."
So Husky fans, strap on your purple and bring your voices. Perhaps in 30 (or 29!) years, you'll celebrate this game as: All I Saw Was Purple – Part II.
Head Coach Jedd Fisch Press Conference: October 20, 2025
Monday, October 20
Head Coach Jedd Fisch Postgame Press Conference: Michigan
Saturday, October 18
Jonah Coleman finishes off a 70-yard drive with 6️⃣
Saturday, October 18
UW Football Press Conference: October 14, 2025
Tuesday, October 14
