Huskies Haven't Forgotten -- At Arizona In 1992, Their World Collapsed

TUCSON, Ariz. - Washington completes a circle tonight, returning to Arizona Stadium for the football game between the 20th-ranked Huskies and the Arizona Wildcats.

Here, three years ago, the Washington football program's best days ended, and its two-year winter began.

The Huskies last came to Tucson on Nov. 7, 1992, undefeated, ranked No. 1 in the country, having won 22 games in a row. But earlier that week, quarterback Billy Joe Hobert was suspended after he admitted taking $50,000 in improper loans. The investigation that eventually led to Washington's two-year probation began. Don James didn't know it then, but he would coach only four more games. Jim Lambright didn't know it, but he was less than a year from becoming Washington's head coach.

Arizona beat the Huskies 16-3. Washington's only score was a field goal by Travis Hanson on the opening drive of the second half. It is the only game since early in the 1985 season that Washington failed to score a touchdown.

It lost three of its next four games, including the Rose Bowl, and finished the season ranked No. 11 a year after winning a share of the national championship.

The last weeks of the 1992 season were characterized by confusion and disillusionment that began with a loss under the desert sun. Some Arizona fans and players rubbed in the loss, a memory some Husky seniors have carried with them for three years.

"It sucked," said center Trevor Highfield, then a redshirt freshman defensive tackle. "After the game, the way the players acted, the way the crowd acted, we all looked at each other and told each other to make sure we remember this our senior year. It's been in the back of my mind ever since. For guys my age, there's still a revenge factor.

"The fans were pretty annoying, getting in our faces yelling profanities. It was a big game, and football is an emotional game, so fans are going to act a certain way when their team wins, especially when they're underdogs.

"But there's a classy way to do things. We're going to show them the classy way."

To say it was a big game for Arizona is an understatement. The Wildcats started that season 1-1-1 with a tie to Oregon State.

Later, Arizona would lose to then-No. 1 ranked Miami 8-7 before winning four in a row, including victories over No. 11 UCLA and No. 8 Stanford.

When Arizona got another chance to play the No. 1 team, in the same season, the Wildcats banked everything on the Washington game.

"I'm 26 years old, and that is the single greatest day of my life," former team captain Heath Bray told the Arizona Daily Star. "And I don't think anything will rival it until either we play in the Rose Bowl or I have a child. and that's some serious, heavy stuff."

The game had an equal but opposite effect on Arizona, which finished 10-2 in 1993 and was Sports Illustrated's pick to win the national championship in 1994.

The teams haven't played since 1992. Now eligible for postseason play, the Huskies enter tonight's 7 o'clock game undefeated (3-0) in Pac-10 games, one-half game behind USC (4-0) for the conference lead. Its offense peaking, Washington must contend with what is still the conference's best defense.

Four of the five current Wildcats who played in the 1992 game are defensive players: end Tedy Bruschi, linebackers Thomas Demps and Charlie Camp and safety Brandon Sanders.

Though stingy with yards, Arizona's defense has forced only nine turnovers and is relatively forgiving inside its 20. Opponents have gotten inside the Arizona 20 a total of 10 times, scoring five touchdowns and five field goals.

Offensively, the Wildcats are struggling and probably will not get more than two touchdowns, even against Washington's somewhat spotty defense. The key to the game is Washington's offense, which stood scoreless against Army in the third quarter, but scored 38 points against Stanford last week.

The Wildcats, as they were in 1992, are hoping to turn their season on a victory over Washington and are thus a dangerous team.

"They're trying to save their season," Lambright said. "They're hoping this game can catapult them."

Probable lineups

UW offense: Split end - Dave Janoski, 5-10, 180, Jr.; weak tackle - Bob Sapp, 6-5, 285, Jr.; weak guard - Pat Kesi, 6-3, 315, Sr.; center - Trevor Highfield, 6-4, 285, Sr.; strong guard - Benji Olson, 6-4, 300, Fr.; strong tackle - Eric Battle, 6-3, 290, Sr.; tight end - Ernie Conwell, 6-3, 240, Sr.; quarterback - Damon Huard, 6-4, 215, Sr.; tailback - Rashaan Shehee, 5-11, 200, So.; fullback - Richard Thomas, 5-9, 220, Sr.; flanker - Fred Coleman, 6-1, 180, So.

UW defense: Linebacker - Jason Chorak, 6-4, 250, So.; defensive end - Darius Jones, 6-3, 240, So.; defensive tackle - Sekou Wiggs, 6-4, 270, So.; nosetackle - David Richie, 6-4, 270, Jr.; weak linebacker - Reggie Davis, 6-2, 215, Fr.; rover - Tony Parrish, 5-11, 205, So.; inside linebackers - Ink Aleaga, 6-2, 225, Jr., and John Fiala, 6-3, 225, Jr.; cornerbacks - Scott Greenlaw, 6-0, 195, Sr., and Reggie Reser, 5-10, 185, Sr.; free safety - Lawyer Milloy, 6-2, 205, Jr.

Arizona offense: Wide receiver - Ron Holmes, 5-10, 192, Fr.; left tackle - Mani Ott, 6-2, 288,Sr.; left guard - Frank Middleton, 6-5, 365, Jr.; center - Ott or Wayne Wyatt, 6-3, 296, Jr.; right guard - Tevete Usu, 6-3, 300, Jr.; right tackle - Willie Walker, 6-2, 285, Jr.; tight end - Mike Metzler, 6-4, 215, Jr.; quarterback - Brady Batten, 6-2, 208, So.; wide receiver - Rodney Williams, 6-1, 180, So.; tailback - Gary Taylor, 5-11, 194, Jr.; fullback - Charles Myles, 5-11, 233, So.

Arizona defense: Defensive end - Tedy Bruschi, 6-1, 243, Sr.; defensive tackles - Joe Saiave'a, 6-4, 276, Jr., and Chuck Osborne, 6-1, 279, Sr.; defensive end - Jimmy Sprotte, 6-2, 235, So.; outside linebacker - Thomas Demps, 6-3, 234, Sr.; inside linebackers - Charlie Camp, 5-11, 230, Sr., and Chester Burnett, 5-10, 219, So.; cornerbacks - Derrick Stewart, 5-9, 192, Jr., and Kelly Malveaux, 5-9, 176, So.; strong safety - Rashee Johnson, 6-0, 180, Jr.; free safety - Brandon Sanders, 5-10, 179, Sr.