Legend of Sixkiller: Sonny and Huskies Stubbed Their Toe at Oregon

Sonny Sixkiller boldly promised that his University of Washington football team wouldn't lose again in 1971.

Five games into the season, the now 18th-ranked Huskies were coming off a major letdown, a 17-6 loss to Stanford that had wide-ranging repercussions.

The disheartening outcome tarnished a perfect Saturday afternoon in Seattle, blemished the UW's unbeaten record and dulled the ultimate football fantasy -- a Sixkiller team advancing to the Rose Bowl.

The thing that everyone found intoxicating about these Huskies was their attitude. While they weren't always the best team on the football field, they unfailingly believed they were. It all started with Sixkiller.

"We'll win the rest of our games," Sonny informed reporters at midweek as the UW prepared for a difficult road game at the University of Oregon.

The thing that people found unbearable about this Husky team was it had a chance to win practically every game it played and couldn't quite pull it off.

Such was the case on this trip to Eugene and Autzen Stadium, which would be the closest Sixkiller would come to his hometown as this nationally known, pop-culture quarterback. He hailed from Ashland, located near the Oregon-California state line and 180 miles due south.

Once the rivalry game began, Sixkiller and his Husky teammates appeared totally comfortable in these emotional surroundings. They rushed out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter that they carried into the second half.

It could have been more. The UW's Jerry Ingalls dove into the end zone for a second-quarter score, only to have the play overturned by an illegal-formation penalty.

Officials ruled that Husky offensive tackle Rick Hayes got in a stance behind the line of scrimmage. Actually, he had one leg dropped well behind him in an awkward manner, but his other one was legal.

Either way, the UW had to settle for a field goal and the normally dependable Steve Wiezbowski missed. He botched an easy 22-yarder, an ominous sign of things to come.

Still, Sixkiller felt good about things at that point, confident his Huskies would bounce back from the Stanford debacle.

"It was as good a game as you can get from the fans' standpoint," he said. "Lot of great plays on both sides of the ball. It was a great Willamette day and I was going, 'Oh yeah!' "

It was, "Oh, no!" when Sixkiller threw a ball into the flat that tight end John Brady juggled and was snatched out of the air by Dave Pieper, who was known in the Oregon defensive scheme of things as a monster.

Returning the third-quarter interception 47 yards for a score, the Ducks' monster linebacker defiantly held the ball out and taunted pursuing UW guard Fred Miller with it as he crossed the goal line. The play completely changed the complexion of the game.

Oregon scored 17 unanswered point to take the lead into the fourth quarter. The great Dan Fouts didn't start the game at quarterback, but he was playing now. Things only got more interesting for this traditional rivalry.

Sixkiller methodically drove the Huskies 85 yards down the field in 12 plays for a 2-yard TD blast by tailback Jim Eicher and a 21-17 lead.

Oregon, taking advantage of a roughing-the-kicker penalty, went back in front 23-21. Bobby Moore scored on a controversial 1-yard plunge on fourth down with 4:20 left in the game.

The UW defense vehemently protested that Moore, the Tacoma native who rushed for 101 yards and became the Ducks' all-time leading ground-gainer with 2,002 yards that day, never broke the plane while diving over center. It made no difference. The play stood.

This game, however, was far from settled.

The Huskies drove to the Oregon 32, only to have Sixkiller throw an interception, his third, with the ball deflecting off the hands of fullback Pete Taggares.

A play later, Moore fumbled the ball back on the Ducks' 24, covered by UW linebacker Al Craig.

Sixkiller wasn't sharp for the second consecutive game, completing just 12 of 31 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown, possible signs that his arm was no longer sound.

His leadership always counted for a lot. He safely moved his team to the Oregon 4, running the clock down to 24 seconds and putting the Huskies in position for a game-winning field goal.

It was a brassy deja vu moment waiting to happen. The year before in Seattle, the UW, without an ill Sixkiller at the end, pulled out a thrilling 25-23 victory over Oregon when Wiezbowski kicked a 19-yard field goal with 30 seconds left to play. They were ready to do it again.

This attempt was two yards longer, still a chip shot, normally automatic. The snap was good. The hold was sound.

Wiezbowski sent the kick sailing wide right.

The Huskies left Autzen in shock. They had this game won in the beginning and they should have clinched it at the end. It didn't happen.

"It was a straight-on kick," Sixkiller said. "It literally was an extra point."

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