Led by fourth-year head coach Tyrone Willingham, the team played its home games at Husky Stadium in Seattle.

On October 27, the Monday after a 33–7 home loss to Notre Dame, it was announced that Willingham would step down as head coach at the end of the season.

[1] UW president Mark Emmert indicated the decision to fire Willingham had been made shortly after the prior week's game against Oregon State.

[citation needed] The win was the 5th straight for the Ducks against the Huskies, which marks the first time Oregon has accomplished that feat since the series began in 1900.

The ensuing PAT try was blocked, BYU players rushed the field, and a chorus of boos rained down from the Husky faithful.

"After scoring the touchdown, the player threw the ball into the air and we are required, by rule, to assess a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty", Referee Larry Farina said in a statement given to Washington officials.

"[citation needed] Cougar quarterback Max Hall had 339 yards passing and three touchdowns, including a 15-yarder to tight end Dennis Pitta with 3:31 left in the game.

He also put the hit on BYU tailback Harvey Unga that forced a touchdown saving fumble that UW's Tripper Johnson recovered in the end zone in the 4th quarter.

They also handed Washington its largest margin of defeat at home since October 12, 1929, when it lost 48–0 to Southern California, a scant two weeks before the Wall Street Crash of 1929.

Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard, formerly of Clover Park High School, completed 16 of 24 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.

[8] The Huskies were trailing 14–7 when Locker was hurt, and while replacement Ronnie Fouch injected some enthusiasm with some accurate passing, the Dawgs ultimately couldn't overcome another porous performance from its defense.

Facing the nation's second-ranked defense, Washington struggled behind quarterback Ronnie Fouch, a redshirt freshman making his first college start.

[11] Washington athletic director Scott Woodward met with reporters after the game to say that he stands by the position he has held all along – he does not intend to fire head coach Tyrone Willingham midseason.

The biggest cheers of the night were for former Husky head coach Don James and the 1977 Washington team that won the Rose Bowl when they were honored on the field after the third quarter.

The Huskies dropped their eighth straight dating back to last season, tied with North Texas for the longest losing streak in the country.

"I feel like we could have scored more, but we never want to embarrass a team", said Notre Dame wide receiver Golden Tate, who ran 21 yards for his first career touchdown on an end around in the opening quarter.

Washington moved to the Trojans' 6-yard line early in the fourth quarter, but Chris Galippo intercepted a pass by Fouch on second-and-goal and returned it 50 yards to the Huskies' 49.

The Huskies used reverses, direct snaps, and even a double pass that ended with quarterback Ronnie Fouch catching a second-quarter touchdown.

Carpenter quickly led the Sun Devils down the field, capped by his 6-yard toss to Jones in the back of the end zone to give Arizona State a 23–19 lead.

[20] UCLA coach Neuheisel had been fired in the summer of 2003 from the University of Washington in relation to his participation in a neighborhood pool for the 2003 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament and lies he told about his actions.

The Huskies led for most of the game, until the Cougars forced their way into overtime with a fourth-quarter field goal by kicker Nico Grasu.

Grasu hit two more field goals in the two overtime periods to lead the Cougars to their second straight Apple Cup victory, and fourth win in the teams' last five meetings.

The win was the Cougars' lone victory over a Football Bowl Subdivision team in 2008[24][25] and assured the Huskies' place at the bottom of the Pac-10 standings.