A look back at the top 10 moments of Chris Petersen's career as UW Huskies head coach

Petersen’s first Apple Cup was the coldest on record in the 112-year history of the rivalry, with the temperature recorded at 19 degrees for the 7:37 p.m. kickoff in Pullman. Dwayne Washington scored on two long touchdown runs, and the UW defense was on the verge of shutting out the Cougars in Pullman for the first time since 1935 before WSU scored with 9:55 left in the fourth quarter. “It was crazy. We had to have fun and get hyper to keep warm. It was a lot of fun," UW defensive tackle Danny Shelton said.

Even in a season that felt short of expectations, the Huskies still owned the Apple Cup. The Huskies won their seventh straight over Wazzu, 31-13, and Petersen finished 6-0 in the Apple Cup in what turned out to be his final game at Husky Stadium. “This game, we talked about it all week: it just means more,” UW’s Jacob Eason said. “Going into the stadium, the energy was high. Apple Cup Week, getting into that end zone was just … a lot of (expletive) coming together. And it was awesome.”

Washington went to Los Angeles for a Thursday primetime game on ESPN as a 17-point underdog against a USC team many had pegged as a national-title contender in 2015. Instead, the Huskies upset No. 17 USC, 17-12, knocking off the Pac-12’s preseason favorites and knocking down former UW coach Steve Sarkisian. The 2015 Huskies featured the youngest offense in program history — with true-freshmen starters at quarterback, running back and left tackle — but this was a signature win that helped propel the program toward its 2016 breakthrough. “This,” Petersen said, “is one they can feel good about. … This will give them a little juice.”

At the time, the recruiting networks didn’t think all that much of this class — Petersen’s first UW class with a full recruiting cycle was ranked fifth in the Pac-12 and 23rd nationally by Scout.com — but in hindsight it ought to go down as one of the best in program history. Certainly, it’s one of the most productive. Jake Browning, Myles Gaskin and Trey Adams emerged as starters as true freshmen, and then became the nucleus of the teams that would win two Pac-12 championships and advance to three consecutive New Year’s Six bowl games. Browning and Gaskin became UW’s all-time passing and rushing leaders, respectively, and Ben Burr-Kirven was the 2018 Pac-12 defensive player of the year. Of the 24 recruits Petersen signed in 2015, 15 became a regular starter for at least one season, an incredible success rate for any class. They are: Adams, Andre Baccellia, Tevis Bartlett, DJ Beavers, Browning, Burr-Kirven, A.J. Carty, Gaskin, Jared Hilbers, Austin Joyner, Kyler Manu, Chico McClatcher, Jordan Miller, Benning Potoa’e and Ezekiel Turner.

Chris Petersen was introduced as UW’s new head coach on Dec. 9, 2013. Just 11 days later, Bellevue High School star Budda Baker, the state’s top recruit, announced his verbal commitment … to Oregon. Talk about terrible timing. The Huskies dubbed their pursuit of Baker, as Jimmy Lake later described to The Seattle Times, was The Budda Effect. Petersen and Lake made Baker their top priority for the 2014 class, and it didn’t take long for Baker to buy into their vision for the program. “There’s no question, we were very intense on him because we really felt, after talking to his coaches and getting to know him a little bit — we felt passionately that this is where he should be,” Petersen told The Seattle Times in 2016. Baker’s commitment, about a week before National Signing Day in February 2014, set up run of success for Petersen’s in-state recruiting and was the first major step for Lake in construction the Pac-12’s best defensive secondary. “There’s no doubt,” Lake said, “it will go down as one of the biggest signings we’ve had just with (him being a) local, Washington player, and now that’s opened up the floodgates for all the local talent to stay here.”

The Huskies’ blasted 12-year losing streak to the Ducks ended in monumental fashion in October 2016, with UW scoring 70 points at Autzen Stadium — the most scored on the home team there in 75 years. Jake Browning accounted for eight touchdowns and forever etched his name in the UW-Oregon rivalry with The Point. “I’d have to look down to see Cloud Nine,” UW offensive lineman Kaleb McGary said. “This was personal — a lot more than just player to player, program to program. This was for UW. This was incredible. This was absolutely incredible.”

Led by a dominant defense, Chris Petersen and the No. 4 Huskies won the program’s first conference championship since 2000 with a rousing 41-10 victory over No. 9 Colorado in the Pac-12 championship game. True freshman Taylor Rapp had two interceptions, including a 35-yard pick six, as the Huskies improved to 12-1. The Huskies held Colorado to 163 yards of total offense. “This is crazy. I’m speechless right now,” UW left tackle Trey Adams said during the on-field celebration. “This is what we all came here for.” Some 36 hours later, the Huskies were selected to the College Football Playoff for the first time, in a matchup against No. 1 Alabama.