One of the best storylines heading into Week 1 of the 2015 season will be Washington’s road trip to Boise State, and not necessarily for what will happen on the field during those 60 minutes.
UW is coached by Chris Petersen, who is heading into his second year with the Huskies. Petersen, of course, was the long-time -- and very successful -- head coach at Boise who had turned down multiple offers from more “prestigious” programs before finally pulling the trigger on a move from the Broncos to the Huskies in December of 2013.
While everybody else in the college football world is eagerly anticipating his return to Boise for the Sept. 4 Friday night game, the coach himself isn’t.
“I’m not looking forward to it because I recruited so many of those kids,” Petersen said during his time running through the ESPN car wash, adding that, when it comes to the kind of reception he’ll get for his homecoming, he understands the boo birds will be out.
“They’re fans, they’re gonna boo me,” said the coach. “But it’s such a great place.”
Petersen did dip his toes into the controversy over the Broncos’ Smurf Turf, all with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek.
Chris Petersen on playing on Boise’s blue turf: “It should be outlawed.” Yes, he was joking
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 29, 2015
The game itself is likely causing as much or more trepidation for Petersen than the homecoming angle, though.
While both teams will be breaking in new quarterbacks, UW will be breaking in a new signal-caller behind an offensive line that returns just one starter from 2014. Boise, meanwhile, returns all five line starters.
Combine that with eight returning starters from a Broncos defense that was above average in nearly every major statistical category -- the Huskies return four on that side of the ball -- and the game being played in Boise, and it could add up to a very long night for Petersen’s homecoming in more ways than one.