Huskies Send Petersen Out A Winner
On paper the Las Vegas Bowl looked like one of the more interesting match ups of the bowl season. The storyline of Chris Petersen coaching in his final game against his former team made for great headlines. However the actual game turned into a 38-7 blowout for Washington. Let’s look at the game and at Petersen’s career with our 2019 Las Vegas Bowl Recap.
Very Impressive Offensive Performance
The Husky offense rolled up and down the field for most of the game gaining 366 total yards. Quarterback Jacob Eason had a very efficient game throwing for 210 yards and a touchdown. Washington jumped out to a 17-0 halftime lead and the Broncos never got any closer.
Running back Salvon Ahmed only gained 20 yards but he made them count scoring two touchdowns. Richard Newton added 69 yards on the ground and another score. However he also threw for a touchdown that put the game out of reach.
It's tricky.@iRiichh ➡️ @TDBynum #PurpleReign
📺 ABC pic.twitter.com/X0YOlmU7yk
— Washington Football (@UW_Football) December 22, 2019
Remember the Huskies came into this game minus two of their big players on offense. Guard Trey Adams and tight end Hunter Bryant elected to skip the bowl in order to concentrate on the upcoming NFL Draft.
A Stifling Defense
If you read our 2019 Las Vegas Bowl preview we said Boise State hadn’t faced a defense like Washington’s all year. That turned out to be pretty accurate as they held the Broncos to only 266 total yards. However 52 of those came on the game’s final drive.
On the game’s first possession Myles Bryant intercepted a Hank Bachmeier pass returning it 26 yards. That lead to Washington’s first touchdown giving them the early lead and momentum. All totaled the Huskies forced three Boise State turnovers, two interceptions and a fumble. Another defensive back Elijah Molden led the team in tackles with nine and had the other interception. As a result Molden was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
For a team who finished the regular season 12-1 and nearly made the Cotton Bowl, the Broncos did little against a strong Washington defense. Bryan Harsin’s team came in to Saturday night’s game 14th in the nation averaging nearly 37 points a game. That means they were held to 30 points below their season’s average.
A Great Career
As a result of the victory in his final game Petersen ends his coaching career with a 147-38 record. He went 92-12 in eight years at Boise State and 55-26 in six years at Washington. In addition his teams went bowling every year though he didn’t coach in the 2013 Hawaii Bowl as he had already accepted the Boise job.
Petersen led the Huskies to two Pac 12 championships and an appearance in the 2016 College Football Playoff where they lost 24-7 to Alabama. They also went to six bowl games going 2-4.
Looking Ahead To Next Season
As we continue our 2019 Las Vegas Bowl recap let’s look at both teams’ futures. For Washington the win can be looked at as a stepping stone to 2020. A team picked near the top in the Pac 12 in the pre-season the Huskies struggled finishing 8-5. Defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake takes over for Petersen next season.
The torch has been passed. #PurpleReign pic.twitter.com/yhPSAVTJJf
— Washington Football (@UW_Football) December 22, 2019
The big question is the status of Eason. Does he come back for his senior season, or declare for the NFL Draft where he’s certain to be a high pick?
On the other side of the ball, it’s a very disappointing end to the year for Boise State. They finish 12-2 which is the fifth time in the last six years they’ve won 10 or more games. Before Saturday’s game they were 4-0 all time in the Las Vegas Bowl including a 2012 win over Washington. They will likely be the pre-season favorites again in the Mountain West Conference.
As for the Las Vegas Bowl itself this is the last year it will be played at Sam Boyd Stadium. Next season the game moves into Allegiant Stadium the new home of the Raiders. In addition this is the last time for the Mountain West to be part of the game. As a result of the new bowl deals the Big 10 and SEC are going to rotate against the Pac 12.
Thanks for checking out our 2019 Las Vegas Bowl recap here at Last Word On College Football. As a reminder we have previews of every bowl game all the way through the national championship on January 13th.
