Husky Football: A Brief History of Washington-Colorado
By Carina Fung
It’s hard to believe that the college football season is almost over. The Huskies played (and won, 34—15) their final home game of the season last Saturday against the Utah Utes and they have two remaining regular season games. The next is on Saturday against the Colorado Buffaloes, then the following week against the Washington State Cougars in the annual Apple Cup. The good news for Husky fans is the numbers are in their team’s favor to cap off the season with some wins.
Oct 15, 2011, Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies head coach Steve Sarkisian and Colorado Buffaloes head coach Jon Embreee talk during pregame warmups at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-US PRESSWIRE
Let’s take a closer look at the Dawgs’ next opponent, the University of Colorado Buffaloes.
1) Series Record
The Huskies played their first game against the Buffaloes in 1915. However, they’ve only met a total of 12 times in school history due to the fact that before CU joined the Pac-10 in 2010, which subsequently became the Pac-12 (which also included the new addition of the University of Utah), the Buffaloes were a charter member of the Big 12 Conference since 1996.
UW leads the series, but marginally, with a 6—5—1 record, including a split of two bowl meetings: the Freedom Bowl in 1985, which the Huskies won, 20—17, and the Holiday Bowl in 1996, which Huskies lost, 21—33. However, Washington maintains a small streak, winning the last three games against Colorado. The most recent win was during the 2011 season when QB Keith Price threw four touchdowns for 257 yards, leading the Huskies to a 52—24 victory.
2) Season Record
Colorado’s having a rough season with an overall record of 1—9, 1—6 Pac-12. They’re nursing a six-game losing streak, of which the final scores were all separated by double digits, including a blow out by the currently undefeated Oregon Ducks, 14—70. The Buffs’ only win of the season was a nail-biter against the Cougars when Colorado scored three touchdowns late in the fourth quarter for the improbable win, 35—34.
The Dawgs, on the other hand, have a three-game winning streak, with decisive wins against Oregon State, Cal, and Utah – all who are more formidable opponents than the Cougs, who have a record of 2—8, 0—7 Pac-12.
3) Coach with a Blacklist Record
Besides a history of regular season games and post-season bowl meetings, the Huskies and the Buffaloes also share an infamous former head coach: Rick Neuheisel. Before his fall from grace with the gambling scandal, Neuheisel was the Dawgs’ head coach for four seasons, from 1999-2002. And before that, he was the Buffs’ head coach for four seasons, from 1995-1998. Neuheisel reached success as a coach with both schools, leading CU to win the 1995 Cotton Bowl and UW as the victors in the 2000 Rose Bowl.
Since the debacle, Neuheisel was blacklisted for two years, but paid his dues and went on to become the head coach for his alma mater UCLA, and he is now a Pac-12 analyst. And while both the Huskies and Buffaloes had their ups and downs with successor coaches, Washington is expected to end this season on a high note, while Colorado is just hoping to make the bleeding stop. Regardless, check out the game on Saturday!