Washington Huskies Back Up Confidence of Steve Sarkisian in Dominant Opener

The Washington Huskies have been stuck in the middle of the pack in the Pac 12 for the last several years. Steve Sarkisian hasn’t been able to break through the seven-win glass ceiling that the Dawgs seem stuck under but he felt before the season that this roster was his best chance. Washington’s head coach repeatedly called this the best team he has had since becoming the head coach, and UW’s performance in their season-opening win over the Boise State Broncos backed up their coach’s high praise.

Washington looked dominant in every phase of the game. Their new up-tempo offense looked explosive with Keith Price calling the shots as he threw for 324 yards and two touchdowns. The running game ate up yards in bunches with Bishop Sankey gaining 161 yards and two touchdowns and the receivers were uncoverable down the field, led by Jaydon Mickens‘ nine catches for 109 yards.

On the defensive side, the Dawgs were incredibly disruptive. They stymied the Broncos offense, including their quarterback Joe Southwick who finished the 2012 season as one of the hottest quarterbacks in the nation. Washington’s defense held him to just 152 yards passing, averaging just 3.8 yards per completion. They physically dominated the Broncos’ offense, holding them to just a pair of field goals on the night.

The 32-point margin of victory was a gigantic statement for the Huskies as they opened up their new stadium and avenged their season-ending loss in the Las Vegas Bowl last year. The win was also the biggest loss for Boise State in the Chris Petersen era, surpassing the previous 14-point loss also suffered against Washington. It was an opportunity to show exactly what the Huskies were capable of against a ranked team and they delivered in a major way.

While it’s still too soon to know just how good this Huskies team can be, the performance in their season opener indicates that big things are in store for UW in 2013. Can they turn this strong play into a habit and finally break through in the competitive Pac 12 North this season?

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