First impressions after the 10th-ranked Huskies posted an impressive 44-6 victory over No. 7 Stanford on Friday night.

Share story

Some impressions after 10th-ranked Washington dismantled No. 7 Stanford, 44-6, in front of a big crowd at Husky Stadium in a nationally-televised game:

BIGGER, FASTER, STRONGER: For the first time in ages, Washington was the superior team against Stanford in almost every way imaginable. The Huskies used their size on the defensive front to overwhelm the Stanford offensive line with relentless pressure and eight sacks, the most Stanford has allowed since 2006. The Huskies receivers – particularly John Ross III – used their speed to get behind Stanford’s injury-riddled secondary for long gains. And Washington put extreme pressure on the Cardinal, which continually self destructed. Stanford entered the game the least penalized team in the Pac-12 (13). The Cardinal had 11 penalties for 100 yards against Washington. The Huskies scored on their first four drives while Stanford had four punts, two fumbles and failed to convert on fourth down on its first seven possessions. The banged up Cardinal lost at least three players during the games to injuries.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS, ANYONE?: Friday’s dominating 37-6 victory will resonate around the college football world. The 10th-ranked Huskies assume control of the Pac-12 North division and they could enter the top 5 rankings next week for the first time since the end of the 2000 season. Washington (5-0, 2-0) is one of three unbeaten teams in the Pac-12 along with Utah (4-0, 1-0) and Arizona State (4-0, 1-0). There are still plenty of hurdles in the Huskies schedule, including games at Oregon, Utah, California and Washington State. Still, the hype surrounding UW is only going to get bigger.

OH, WHAT A NIGHT: Even before the game, Washington scored a major victory when it drew 72,027 at Husky Stadium. It was the largest crowd since the renovated stadium was reopened in 2013. The fans were treated to an instant classic in a game that commemorated the 1991 co-national championship team at halftime. Unlike UW’s previous three home games, fans filled the seats early as sun light bathed the field at kickoff. And despite the blowout, fans stayed late into the evening as cool dark skies hung above the stadium that rocked beneath stomping feet like it hadn’t in years.