1990 Washington Huskies football team

The 1990 Washington Huskies football team represented the University of Washington in the 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season. The 1990 Huskies won their first conference championship since 1981 and defeated #17 Iowa, 46–34, in the Rose Bowl, the first victory in that game in nine years as well, when Washington crushed Iowa 28–0 in the 1982 game. The 1990 Huskies were led head coach Don James, offensive coordinator Gary Pinkel, and defensive coordinator. Pinkel left Washington after the season to become head coach at Toledo, where he stayed for a decade and then moved to Missouri. Lambright succeeded James as head coach of the Huskies in August 1993. Five Huskies were selected in the 1991 NFL Draft, led by running back Greg Lewis and defensive back Charles Mincy. Sophomore defensive lineman Steve Emtman was the first overall pick in the 1992 NFL Draft.

Season summary
The Huskies were ranked #20 in the 1990 pre-season, and started slowly with close wins over at home and at Purdue. In the third game #5 USC entered Husky Stadium as a double-digit favorite, but was shut out 31–0 on a hot 93°F afternoon on the Seattle AstroTurf. Under pressure all day and enduring numerous sacks, Trojan QB Todd Marinovich was quoted as saying, "All I saw was purple."

The Huskies suffered a letdown the following week, losing to #20 Colorado in Boulder by six. (Colorado would claim half of the 1990 national championship, tainted by the "fifth down" touchdown at Missouri the following week.) The UW Dawgs regrouped and rolled through the next five games, all in conference, and climbed to 8–1 record and a #2 national ranking when UCLA visited on November 10. Under dark but rainless skies, the Bruins jumped out to an early lead and the Dawgs never recovered, losing by three. The Huskies took their frustration at the loss and their drop in ranking to #10 by crushing in Pullman to win the Apple Cup 55–10.

The #8 ranked Pac-10 champs then took on the #17 Iowa Hawkeyes in the Rose Bowl, winning 46–34. Entering the fourth quarter with a 39–14 lead, reserves were entered into the game for the Huskies and promptly gave up two touchdowns; UW then scored its own touchdown to push the lead back to 46–26, answered by an Iowa TD and conversion to close the final score to a 12 point gap.

The Huskies, like all Pac-10 teams in 1990, played an eight-game conference schedule. They did not play Oregon State, who finished last in the Pac-10 at 1–10 overall and 1–7 in conference.

Awards

 * Greg Lewis, running back: Doak Walker Award (inaugural)

Team players in the NFL
The following UW Huskies were selected in the 1991 NFL Draft:

Both 1990 Washington quarterbacks were selected in the 1993 NFL Draft. Sophomore starter Mark Brunell was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the firth round 5th with the 118th pick. Brunell was a reserve for two seasons behind Brett Favre in Green Bay, then led the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995. Redshirt freshman Billy Joe Hobert was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round with the 58th pick.