Huskies fans reminisce on a game from last year. A game where their team did not even play. Yet the fans took a lot of joy in the outcome from that. It was the perfect curtain-raiser to the new year, staged under Pasadena skies with all the theater CFB can provide. America’s alien, B-2 Stealth Bomber sliced over the stadium ending the anthem, leaving fans buzzing before the first snap of the 111th Rose Bowl. CFB’s alien, Ohio State Buckeyes receiver Jeremiah Smith, then opened the score at 14 minutes into the first quarter and made it clear that Ryan Day‘s crew came to put on a show. A sight Washington fans loved after adoring this stage for generations dating back to 1900s, they got their share of tradition, and a healthy dose of revenge. Even though today’s 24-6 loss to OSU stings.

January of 2024, Ohio State rolled Oregon 41-21 in a CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl. That result still resonates in Seattle, where the Ducks remain the Huskies’ most bitter enemy, informally known as the Cascade Clash from their Pac 12 days to now in Big 10. On Saturday, one Washington fan reminded Buckeye supporters of that shared history. As an Ohio State insider while his way back interacted with that fan in the elevator and he said: “I know I’m supposed to hate you today, but I just want to say thank you for what you did to Oregon in the Rose Bowl last year.”

That gratitude is rooted in decades of animosity. This all-time series between Washington and Oregon leans toward the Huskies, 63–49–5. Its more than stats. Read on to find out how one game, one play, and one freshman changed everything. The story of ‘the pick’, ‘the rookie’, and ‘the knight’.

In 1994, with Jim Lambright’s Huskies fresh off a marquee win at Miami, Washington rolled into Autzen Stadium expecting to stay on track for greatness. Instead, with a minute left and the Ducks clinging to a four-point lead, defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti called timeout. That small pause put rookie freshman Kenny Wheaton into the game. Moments later, Wheaton jumped a Damon Huard throw, picked it off, and raced to the end zone. It wasn’t just a touchdown. This was the turning point, ‘The Pick’ done by ‘The Rookie’. But who will come as the knight?

In its reverberations Oregon’s defense taunted Huard as he walked off, and the moment left scars in Seattle. But in Eugene, it caught the attention of Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike and soon-to-be Oregon’s greatest benefactor. Knight eventually tied his empire to the Ducks, supplying gear, money, and identity, while Washington watched their rivals from the sidelines ascend into a modern powerhouse. The result was “The Streak,” 12 straight Oregon wins over Washington from 2004 through 2015, the longest stretch of dominance in their bitter history. Come November 29, 2025, when Huskies and Ducks meet again, the fire will burn as hot as ever.

Why It all turned ugly between Huskies and Ducks

The Ducks and Huskies first lined up back in 1900, and for a while it was your classic neighborly football tussle. Wins traded hands, streaks were built and broken, but neither side had the upper hand for long. Things shifted in 1948, when Washington held a slim 20-18-4 series edge. That year, tradition dictated that a Pacific Coast Conference tie would be broken by a school vote.

Normally, the Northwest stuck together, California backed California. But the Huskies’ staff swayed Montana to side with Cal, sending the Golden Bears to the Rose Bowl. That little maneuver planted a seed of resentment that’s been watered ever since. From there, the animosity found, let’s say, colorful outlets.

In 1998, Washington’s AD barred their mascot “Prince Redoubt” from games in Eugene after death threats. A year later, Duck fans were rumored to have tossed urine, feces, and dog biscuits at Husky players. These were just some few notable ones out of the many outbursts by both sides.