
4malamute.com
Articles
Archives
Season 2000
Season 2001
Season 2002
Season 2003
History Articles
Spoofs
Editorials
Dawg Food
Schedule
Links Page
Statistics
Site Development
About This Site
Cast
Contact Us

|
PURPLE HEART
By: Casey Anderson, Posted 25 November 2003
You
had your fingers crossed at kickoff in Columbus, but it never showed up. You
anticipated it after a nervous glance at the Husky Stadium scoreboard when
Nevada was in town. Surely, you thought, it would make an appearance when the
Dawgs were down in the Arizona desert. By the Cal game, you were sticking pins
in voodoo dolls and chanting ancient incantations to summon it. An entire
season had nearly passed without so much as a glimpse of it. Then,
inexplicably, impossibly, with a mere seventy seconds left in the season, Husky
Pride returned.
With less than two minutes left in an otherwise agonizing 2003
campaign, the much maligned Washington Huskies drove on the eighth ranked Cougs
and their heralded “Damage Incorporated” defense like the Bandit did Smokey. In
the instant that the unlikely Corey (the other) Williams blasted into the
endzone, the proud, purple Washington blood finally pumped again, bringing Husky
Pride back from the dead. And the man holding the defibrillator was one Dr.
Cody Pickett.
Sure, Pickett may not have lived up to Heisman hype this year.
Whether the culprit was Cody himself, an inadequate O-line, or a bevy of frosh
receivers and injured tight ends doesn’t matter. On fourth down and four with
less than two minutes, down by six to the archrival Cougars, Pickett showed why
Gilby had absolutely no intention of playing a backup quarterback in the 2003
Apple Cup. The missile Cody Pickett fired to Corey Williams may have been the
most impressive throw of Pickett’s career, threading the needle and hitting his
endzone-bound freshman receiver in full stride. With only the first losing
season in 27 years, the Apple Cup, the five year winning streak over the Cougs,
and Husky Pride and tradition hanging in the balance, Pickett pump-faked to the
flat and launched a rocket to Corey Williams. Game over. Husky Stadium erupted
into a frenzy that hadn’t been seen since Miami’s visit in 2000.
There wasn’t a fan in the stands, Husky or Cougar, who didn’t know that the
pulsing air raid siren signified the sixth consecutive Apple Cup loss for WSU
right then and there. Marquis Cooper’s interception and subsequent touchdown
simply saved the Cougars the agony of drawing out the defeat. The reaction of
the Husky faithful as the clock hit double zeroes was almost overwhelming,
especially considering that it was for a 6-6 UW team that seemed left for dead
after the loss to Arizona and drubbing at the hands of the Cal Bears. It was a
feast for Husky fans who have been starving for something to cheer about this
year.
With a bowl game possible but unlikely, what better way for Pickett to end his
record-setting career at Washington than with a touchdown pass to beat the
Cougars? Regardless of the records, Pickett won’t be remembered as the UW’s
greatest quarterback. However, if the records weren’t enough, Pickett did
secure his legacy Saturday night with a fourth quarter that exemplified his
toughness, his resilience in the face of adversity, and his ability to excel
under pressure.
With some luck, the most prolific passer in Pac-10 history will get one more
chance to loft a ball to the greatest receiver to wear the purple and gold. If
there is no bowl game, an Apple Cup victory is a fitting finale for Cody and
Reggie, along with the rest of the seniors who helped to keep the streaks alive
and earned their places in the storied Washington tradition.
Thanks guys.
Casey Anderson can be reached at
malamute@4malamute.com |