3. Washington
For sophomore quarterback Brock Huard, the most exciting part of this year's Purple and White spring game wasn't the first half, in which he completed 10 of 16 passes for 203 yards. It was the halftime ceremony honoring players from the '91 Huskies team that won a share of the national title. "A lot of people got goose bumps when those guys came out," Huard says.
If Huard, the latest in a long line of fine Washington signal-callers, can live up to his hype, Huskies fans might again be getting the chills come January. That's because Washington has 16 starters returning from a 9-3 team that finished second to Arizona State in the Pac-10. In addition to Huard, a 6'5" lefthander already dubbed the West Coast Peyton Manning, the Huskies boast a Butkus Award candidate in senior linebacker Jason Chorak, an Outland Trophy candidate in junior guard Benji Olson and maybe the best offensive line and best secondary in the nation.
Like his Tennessee counterpart, Huard can be dazzling. Last fall he became the starter in the third week of the season and went on to set a Huskies freshman record with 1,678 yards passing. Off the field, he is a devout Christian who preaches celibacy before marriage, speaks to youth groups, doesn't smoke or drink and carries a 3.6 GPA as a premed student.
Huard grew up in Puyallup, Wash., dreaming of playing big-time college football. Inspired by his brother, Damon, who finished his career in '95 as the Huskies' alltime passing leader and who is now in the Miami Dolphins' camp, and inspired by his father, Mike, a renowned high school football coach at Puyallup High, 30 miles south of Seattle, Brock spent hours throwing spirals every day after school. But while Huard might be the main cog in the Huskies' attack, he'll get plenty of help. Senior receivers Jerome Pathon and Fred Coleman combined for 111 catches and 12 touchdowns last year, and 6'4", 275-pound senior tight end Cameron Cleeland is a clutch receiver and adept blocker. In the backfield, the return of speedy senior tailback Rashaan Shehee, recovered from the ankle and heel injuries that nagged him last season, should help fans get over the early departure of Corey Dillon (1,555 rushing yards, 22 touchdowns) to the NFL.
Huard & Co. will operate behind a line as rugged as the nearby Olympic Mountains—and nearly as big. Olson, a 6'4", 310-pound All-America dubbed the Road Grader, sat out spring drills while recovering from back surgery but is expected to return at full strength. He'll be joined by 6'4", 290-pound junior center Olin Kreutz, an All-America candidate.
On defense seven regulars return from a line that held its last seven opponents (including Colorado in the Holiday Bowl) to an average of 56 yards rushing per game. The leader of the D will be Chorak, a 6'4", 255-pounder who racked up a school-record 14.5 sacks in '96 to earn Pac-10 defensive player of the year honors. The secondary looks solid as well, with senior All-Pac-10 free safety Tony Parrish one of four returning starters.
The big questions for the Huskies revolve around the kicking game and the backup quarterback spot. Washington must replace its punter and its placekicker as well as last year's No. 2 quarterback, Shane Fortney, who unexpectedly quit the team in the spring and transferred to Northern Iowa. Washington begins the season at BYU, then hosts San Diego State, Nebraska and Arizona State. If the Huskies can make it through that stretch unscathed, talk of another national championship should be swirling when USC invades Husky Stadium on Nov. 1. That's fine with Huard. "If you're talking goals, you might as well set them high," he says. "We're shooting for the top."
—Marty Burns
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TELLING STAT
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82 Scoring percentage by the Huskies when they reached the red zone last season. Washington converted on 41 of 50 trips inside its opponents' 20. |
| TWO GAMES TO WATCH |
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SEPT. 6 AT BYU The Huskies' quest to repeat the national title they won in '91 begins in Provo. The Cougars, still seething after last season's bowl-alliance snub and smarting from a 29-17 loss to Washington a year ago, will be looking to make a statement.
SEPT. 20 VS. NEBRASKA Can you say respect? Nothing will bring it to the Huskies faster than a victory over the Cornhuskers.
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RETURNING
LEADERS
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| Passing | Brock Huard, Soph. | 108 comp., 217 att., 1,678 yds., 13 TDs |
| Rushing | Rashaan Shehee, Sr. | 242 yds., 4 TDs |
| Receiving | Jerome Pathon, Sr.
| 41 catches, 618 yds., 7 TDs |
| Tackles | FS Tony Parrish, Sr. |
71 |
| Interceptions | CB Mel Miller, Soph.
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Top 20 | The Master List | Conference Rankings | Lower Divisions
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