Top Husky Starting QB Debuts Begin with Sixkiller
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Fifty-two years later, Sonny Sixkiller still possesses the most memorable starting quarterback debut in the annals of University of Washington football. It was electric, lethal and totally unexpected.
On his first collegiate play, the 5-foot-11 player from Ashland, Oregon, with his unforgettable football name, dropped back and rifled a 12-yard strike to tight end Ace Bulger for a first down.
On his fourth play at Husky Stadium, Sixkiller cooly set up in the pocket and delivered a lightning strike to wide receiver Ira Hammon, catching him running in full stride for a 59-yard touchdown that shocked Michigan State and sent the UW to an improbable 42-16 victory.
Sixkiller was cocky, confident and combative as the new Husky quarterback, even before the opening kickoff on a gloriously sunny day.
"I remember standing on the field, looking at the sunshine and the lake, and Duffy Daugherty ran by in warm-ups with all that gray hair," Sixkiller said of the legendary Big Ten coach. "I said, 'Duffy, you're going down today, we're going to kick your butt!' Then I thought, 'Wow, did I just say that?' But that was my attitude back then."
On Saturday, the great Sixkiller no doubt will be sitting in a prime seat watching Indiana transfer Michael Penix Jr. make his Husky quarterback starting debut against Kent State. Of course, Penix previously played in 20 games in the Big Ten and has provided a healthy sample of his own football heroics.
Yet Penix must develop some comfort levels in a new environment that should have him playing regularly in front of crowds that number 60,000 to 70,000 in what the school likes to promote as "the greatest setting in college football."
From Sixkiller to Penix over the past half century, the Huskies have had 39 quarterback debuts, with the new guys winning just 20 of these games. It's not an easy afternoon.
Beside dealing with a determined opponent, the first-time UW offensive leader often must contend with a swirling wind coming off the lake and an echo chamber created by the double-decker stadium.
The road, of course, is a whole different story with a totally hostile crowd, especially if it's a first-time experience as the starter.
Warren Moon, the future Hall of Fame player, fumbled away his first snap at Arizona State in 1975. Mark Brunell, another long-time NFL player, completed just 7 of 27 passes ... against San Jose State.
Rose Bowl photo
In undoubtedly the second-best UW quarterback debut turned in, Chris Chandler took the reins for the first time late in the 1985 season against vaunted USC and found Lonzell Hill with a 13-yard TD pass with 56 seconds left, providing a 20-17 upset.
Cody Pickett beat Michigan his first time out. Shane Fortney got benched in the second half of his debut.
Brock Huard was so good he was named Pac-10 player of the week after his first showing. Marques Tuiasosopo found himself down 24-6 at halftime, got the lead back and lost.
Greg Collins lasted only a series in his first game-opening assignment in a 1970 Rose Bowl showdown at Stanford, before nervous coaches sent a flu-ridden Sixkiller onto the field.
Dennis Fitzpatrick was bruised and beaten 34-0 by eventual national champion USC in his unusual debut on the road in '72; he was pulled out of a redshirt season and the offense was overhauled, from passing to running, in a week's time when Sixkiller and Collins were hurt.
Chris Rowland threw five touchdowns as a sub at Cal in 1973, and none the next week when he was a first-time starter in a 31-7 setback to Oregon State.
James Anderson, Mark Backman, Taylor Barton, K.J. Carta-Samuels, Jeff Lindquist, Nick Montana and Troy Williams each drew one UW quarterback start and never got another one.
Anderson played the two opening series in his debut in the 1973 season opener against Hawaii before he suffered a neck injury and missed the rest of a stunning 10-7 upset loss. He was a back-up the rest of his career and even tried to be a running back.
HUSKY QB STARTING DEBUTS SINCE 1970
Sonny Sixkiller, 1970 (W) — The sophomore led a 42-16 upset of Michigan State at home by connecting on 16 of 35 passes for 276 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Greg Collins, 1970 (L) — Sixkiller's regular back-up made his first start in a nationally televised 29-22 loss at Stanford, completing 2 of 4 passes for 9 yards in a limited stint before giving way to Sixkiller.
Dennis Fitzpatrick, 1972 (L) — With Sixkiller and Collins hurt, the third-stringer and option quarterback made his starting debut in a 34-7 defeat at USC, completing 3 of 11 passes for 15 yards.
Mark Backman, 1972 (W) — Backman became the Huskies' fourth different starting quarterback that season when the others all got banged up and he helped engineer a 23-16 win at Oregon State. He completed 7 of 12 passes for 93 yards and 2 scores in the only start of his career.
James Anderson, 1973 (L) — Another option quarterback, Anderson started and played just the first two series of a 10-7 upset loss to Hawaii at home before he was replaced. He ran four times for 16 yards and didn't attempt a pass.
Chris Rowland, 1973 (L)— The Seattle native started for the first time in a 31-7 loss to California at home, completing 6 of 19 passes for 88 yards with 3 interceptions.
Warren Moon, 1975 (L) — A JC transfer for new coach Don James, Moon had a rough Husky debut and first start in a 35-12 loss at Arizona State. He hit on 12 of 23 passes for 121 yards.
Tom Porras, 1978 (L) — Another JC transfer for James, Porras was good on 9 of 15 passes for 89 yards and a touchdown in a 10-7 loss to UCLA at home.
Tom Flick, 1978 (W) — In the last game of the season, Flick made his first start in a 38-8 win over WSU in Spokane. He threw just 6 passes, completing 4 for 65 yards and a pair of scores.
Tim Cowan, 1981 (W) — Cowan won the starting job and made his first start in the opener, a 34-14 victory over Pacific at home. He hit on 12 of 17 passes for 168 yards and a TD. He broke his thumb in the next game.
Steve Pelluer, 1981 (W) — Replacing an injured Cowan, Pelleuer connected on 10 of 17 passes for 75 yards in a 17-3 victory over Oregon in Eugene.
Hugh Millen, 1984 (W) — A JC transfer, Millen won a three-player QB battle with Paul Sicuro and Chris Chandler and led the Huskies to a 26-0 season-opening victory over Northwestern at home. He hit on 11 of 23 passes for 103 yards.
Paul Sicuro, 1984 (W) — Stepping in for Millen, Sicuro started in a 44-14 decision over California at home, completing 8 of 20 passes for 117 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Chris Chandler, 1985 (W) — In one of the UW's most memorable QB starting debuts, Chandler engineered a last-minute 20-17 win over USC at home. He completed 19 of 32 passes for 197 yards and 2 scores.
Cary Conklin, 1988 (W) — Conklin was just effective enough his first time out completing 5 of 18 passes for 57 yards and a TD in a 20-6 victory at Purdue.
Mark Brunell, 1990 (W) — Brunell was a sophomore and not very sharp as a first-time starter, completing just 7 of 27 passes for 66 yards and a score. Yet he guided the Huskies to a 20-17 win over San Jose State at home.
Billy Joe Hobert, 1991 (W) — Stepping in for the injured Brunell in the national championship season, Hobert was at his best from the beginning, hitting on 21 of 31 passes for 244 yards and 2 scores in a 42-7 victory at Stanford.
Damon Huard, 1993 (W) — Huard in his starting debut connected on 14 of 23 passes for 174 yards and 3 TDs in a 31-14 win over Stanford at home, the first game without Don James as coach.
Eric Bjornson, 1993 (W) — Later a wide receiver, Bjornson started at QB for the first time in a 28-21 victory at ASU, completing 7 of 16 passes for 113 yards.
Shane Fortney, 1996 (L) — He struggled some in the season opener and his starting debut, completing 8 of 17 passes for 96 yards and a score in a 45-42 loss at Arizona State.
Brock Huard, 1996 (W) —This Huard was overly efficient in his first start, a 31-21 victory over Arizona at home. Replacing an injured Fortney, he completed 20 of 31 passes for 311 yards and 3 scores.
Marques Tuiasosopo, 1997 (L) — Tui was really good in his starting debut, completing 15 of 30 passes for 261 yards and a TD, but he couldn't prevent a 31-28 loss to Oregon at home.
Cody Pickett, 2001 (W) — The much-awaited starting debut for Pickett was a sensational one as he completed 13 of 22 passes for 199 yards in a 23-18 win over Michigan at home.
Taylor Barton, 2001 (L) — In his only career start, Barton completed 22 of 44 passes for 316 yards and a score, but lost to UCLA 35-13 on the road.
Casey Paus, 2004 (L) — Paus opened for the first time at QB in what would be a lost season for the Huskies, completing 13 of 21 passes for 125 yards in a 35-16 setback to Fresno State at home.
Carl Bonnell, 2004 (L) — The nephew of a Mariners third baseman, Bonnell completed 9 of 25 passes for 118 yards and couldn 't prevent a 27-13 loss at Stanford.
Isaiah Stanback, 2004 (L) — Stanback was the third UW quarterback to make his starting debut that season, hitting on jut 3 of 16 passes for 27 yards in a 38-0 loss at USC.
Jake Locker, 2007 (W) — Locker lived up to his advance billing, connecting on 14 of 19 passes for 142 yards while leading the Huskies past Syracuse 42-12 on the road.
Ronnie Fouch, 2008 (L) — Stepping in for an injured Locker, Fouch completed 13 of 27 passes for 186 yards and a score in a 35-28 loss over Stanford at home.
Keith Price, 2010 (L) — Price had a rough starting debut in a 53-16 loss at Oregon, completing 14 of 28 passes for 127 yards and a score.
Nick Montana, 2011 (L) — The son of Joe Montana, Nick pulled one start for the Huskies in his career before transferring, completing 11 of 21 passes for 79 yards and 2 TDs in a 38-21 loss at Oregon State.
Cyler Myles, 2013 (W) — In his first time out as the starter, the speedy Myles connected on 15 of 24 passes for 162 yards and a score in a 69-27 victory at Oregon State.
Jeff Lindquist, 2014 (W) — Making his only UW start in Chris Petersen's debut, Lindquist connected on 10 of 26 passes for 162 yards in a 17-16 win over Hawaii in the islands.
Troy Williams, 2014 (L) — Williams made his only career start before transferring to Utah, completing 18 of 26 passes for 139 yards in a 24-10 loss to Arizona State in a rain storm at home
Jake Browning, 2015 (L) — The first true freshman to start for the Huskies at QB, Browning hit on 20 of 31 passes for 156 yards in a 16-13 defeat at Boise State.
K.J. Carta-Samuels, 2015 (L) — With Browning banged up, Carta-Samuels drew his only Husky start, completing 9 of 21 passes for 118 yards in a 31-14 loss at Stanford.
Jacob Eason, 2019 (W) — The Georgia transfer had his finest day passing in his first UW start, completing 27 of 37 passes for 349 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 47-14 victory over Eastern Washington at home.
Dylan Morris, 2020 (W) — During the height of the pandemic, Morris was efficient by hitting on 14 of 24 passes for 141 yards in a 27-21 win over Oregon State in the silence of an empty Husky Stadium.
Sam Huard, 2021 (L) — Unlike his dad and his uncle, this Huard suffered through his starting debut, a 40-13 setback to WSU in the Apple Cup at home. He completed 17 of 31 passes for 190 yards and a TD, but served up 4 interceptions.
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