With a backdrop of Mt. Rainier and the Cascade Mountains, logging, fishing, and Boeing machinists, Seattle cuts its economic teeth as a blue-collar city.  The hard-nosed mentality was embraced and celebrated with tough defenses at Husky Stadium.  Purple Reign, Purple Haze, Death Row Dawgs–all names that fans affectionately called some of the most dominant defenses in the country in the 80s, 90s, and the last eight or so years.

In fact, in 1992 when Nebraska came to Husky Stadium it was a defensive play that produced the loudest roar recorded in a college football stadium.  It was set up by Darius Turner downing John Werdel’s shanked punt at the Nebraska 3.  From there the Husky Stadium and the defense took over.  A sequence of negative running plays and miscues by the Cornhuskers.

The Huskers were lucky to get the ball out of the end zone.  Twice UW defenders, first defensive back Shane Pahukoa then defensive tackle Mike Lustyk signaled for safeties keeping the home crowd on edge.  Then with the tail of the ball nestled up to their own goal line, NU quarterback Mike Grant dropped back to pass and what happened next has echoed for eternity.

Washington defensive back Tommy Smith put his helmet in the back of Gant 8 yards deep in the end zone, dropping him for a safety.

Husky Stadium’s eruption created a of 133.6 decibel roar.  That became the loudest crowd in college football history–a mark that still stands today.

Then there’s the adage says that offense puts butts in seats but defense wins championships, but that wasn’t the case in 2021.  The defense gave up just 23 points a game but the offense could only muster 21.  With the offense struggling to move the ball for extended periods of time it put the defense in bad positions time and time again–and it took the crowd out of the game.

Offensively, it’s difficult for Husky Stadium to impact a game the way it did it in the Nebraska game in 1992.  The offense feeds on the crowds energy, but when Husky Stadium is at its best is when the opposition has the ball.

“We used to say ‘the roar prevents the score’ because of how the loud fans were on 3rd down,” said former defensive assistant coach Skip Hall.

In 1984 the point differential between home and away games proved to be a 10 point advantage.

Thirty-two years later, in 2016 Husky Stadium was up to its old ways as “Death Row Dawgs” dismantled Stanford it was worth far more.  Psalm Wooching got an early sack, his toe-drag strut with got the crowd onto its feet early in the game–and they never sat back down the rest of the night as the Huskies won 44-6.

Washington offensive lineman Kaleb McGary recalled looking up into jam-packed Husky Stadium that night

“This is what I came here for,” he recalled seeing the Cardinal offense unraveling as trying to hear offensive calls over the unrelenting crowd.  “I’m glad I’m not facing the Husky Stadium crowd.”

“When the Husky is going, it sounds like an airplane is landing on your head,” former Washington offensive lineman and Husky Hall of Famer Gary Hyatt recalled.  “When the wave is going around the stadium it was like being in the middle of a NASCAR race.”

The defense was stingy under Chris Petersen and even Jimmy Lake.  The purpose of their defenses was to manage risk and put the offense in position to win.

However, with Michael Penix running the the offense, Washington’s defense might be taking a back seat this coming season.  At Indiana and Fresno State DeBoer’s offenses put points on the scoreboard.  How will Husky fans respond?

Offensively, if the Huskies could have managed to get the ball into the end zone one more time last season the team’s record would have been closer to 8-4 than 4-8.

In fact, last season at FSU DeBoer’s offense scored over 30 points in nine of 13 contests.  Against two Washington opponents this season, Oregon and UCLA, the Bulldogs scored 24 and 37 points in 2021 while giving up 31 and 37 points, respectively.  Moreover, against the three ranked teams DeBoer faced last season the his team averaged just over 30 points.

Under Chris Petersen and Jimmy Lake, the Husky defense was designed to minimize each team’s possessions and take away the big plays with a well-disciplined defense.  However, with the new attacking offensive and defensive schemes Washington fans may have to get used to giving up more points defensively as DeBoer and Grubb are ready take the offense to new heights.

Washington’s 2022 offense the opportunity to cheer loudly should be more frequent than in any season since 2016.  Likewise, with a more aggressive defense Husky Stadium can once again be up to its old tricks.