Huskies look for success

• By SCOTT HOTARD
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Sep 4, 2009 - Page: 1C

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The hallmark lyrics of “Bow Down to Washington,” the University of Washington fight song, go like this:

“Mighty are the men who wear the purple and gold.”

No, LSU fans, that one isn’t for you.

The song, in Seattle, speaks of Huskies — great Huskies, like the teams that ran off 27 straight non-losing seasons between 1977 and 2003.

Those were mighty men.

In 1991, the school sang for a co-national champion, a team coached by the legendary Don James and anchored by a stonewall defense.

In 2000, it sang for another Rose Bowl triumph, a No. 3 ranking in the final Associated Press poll and another wave of players destined for the NFL draft.

Now, it’s 2009.

“UDub” sings today for one mighty man: Steve Sarkisian, formerly Southern California’s offensive coordinator.

Sarkisian is 35, currently the third-youngest head coach in major-college football.

When he speaks to the Huskies before Saturday night’s game against No. 9 LSU, he will give a pep talk as the head coach for the first time.

But the players, fans and administrators sing his praises.

Athletic Director Scott Woodward, a Baton Rouge native and LSU graduate, compares the coach he hired to Nick Saban.