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Inside The Huskies

UW Fresh Start (No. 7): Huard Seeks Second Opportunity as the Main Guy

The lefthander got his first taste at the No. 1 quarterback in an extra tough situation.
Dan Raley|
UW Fresh Start (No. 7): Huard Seeks Second Opportunity as the Main Guy
UW Fresh Start (No. 7): Huard Seeks Second Opportunity as the Main Guy

Sam Huard will look back at the 2021 Apple Cup and see more than a humbling 40-13 loss to Washington State in which he was intercepted four times.

It was his college football baptism, his initiation as the main guy, his first starting assignment.

Huard took this big step with plenty of noise all around him. 

He took the ball two weeks after coach Jimmy Lake was terminated. He stepped onto the field with his University of Washington football team in the throes of a three-game losing streak. He entered a rivalry game that only added to the degree of difficulty.

"I went up to him toward the end there and kind of looked him in the eye and said, 'Are you good? Are you OK?' " then interim coach Bob Gregory replayed. "He said, 'Coach, I want to keep going.' "

Huard went the distance and completed 17 of 31 throws for 190 yards and a touchdown. He didn't get a victory, didn't come close, but he survived. He finished. In the long run, he should be a better quarterback for it.

The obvious question now: When will his second starting opportunity come?

On September 3? A year from now? Two years?

Sam Huard presumably was plugged into music as got some pre-game throws in.

Sam Huard played his first college game against Arkansas State.

Between plays, Sam Huard trades signals with the sideline.

Sam Huard stands in the pocket against Arizona State.

Sam Huard cocks his arm to deliver a pass.

Recently, new Husky leader Kalen DeBoer disclosed how limited video footage exists for some of the Husky players he inherited, making it difficult for the new head coach and his staff to adequately assess all of the returning talent up and down the roster.

Less than two months to spring practice, we're offering any insight we might have in a series of stories on every UW scholarship player from No. 0 to 99. We'll review each Husky's starting experience, if applicable, and provide a logical timeline for him in earning a future first-team assignment or simply retaining one.

As is the case with any coaching change, it's a new football beginning for everyone, including the Huskies' No. 7.

With a coaching staff known for its offensive expertise and for developing productive quarterbacks, Huard faces plenty of competition in moving forward.

DeBoer brought in a veteran signal caller with whom he worked with at Indiana, Michael Penix Jr., like Huard a lefthander. Two-year Husky starter Dylan Morris also is back, determined to reclaim his job with better coaching.

And there's Huard, the former 5-star national recruit, the legacy player following in the drop-back steps of his father and uncle who were UW quarterbacks, and he's still only a redshirt freshman.

Penix has two seasons of eligibility if he chooses to use them. Morris had three seasons left. 

The Indiana newcomer has 17 starts on his ledger. Morris has 15 starts.

Huard just one.

If the young southpaw somehow emerged in fall camp as the starter over the veteran competition, it would be a strong testament to the skills he was given maximized by coaches who specialize in doing this. It would excite the Husky fan base no end.

UW Starter or Not: Huard and Morris probably move aside at the outset for Penix. The Hoosier was brought in for a reason. He's got a proven track record from the Big Ten. However, he has a long history of suffering season-ending injuries, four to be exact, necessitating the need for a second ready-to-play quarterback.  He probably needs to learn how to slide. Huard likely makes his second Husky start this next season, only not at the start.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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