The Day After: 24 thoughts on Washington's 27-17 win over Michigan

The Huskies avenged a loss and capitalized on an opportunity.

SEATTLE — Washington put a lot into Michigan weekend.

Bill Belichick put on a jacket and tie and entertained more than 20 donors — at $25,000 per plate, in support of Montlake Futures — at the Metropolitan Grill on Friday night. On game day, the legendary coach answered questions at a private event with a more modest, NIL-bound entry fee of $1,000 per person. Later, he was grandpa, playing merrily with his family near the Husky Stadium tunnel before kickoff.

Michael Penix Jr. was in the building. So were Billy Joe Hobert and Warren Moon. Jermaine Kearse was honorary captain. Two F-35Cs flew overhead. Boats crowded the harbor. More tickets sold for this game than any at Husky Stadium since 2016. NBC had the telecast in prime time. The sunset was a marvel. Fans stormed the field when the game ended.

Sandwiched between a Friday night trip to Rutgers and a 9 a.m. PT kickoff in Iowa, Washington’s 27-17 victory over No. 10 Michigan represented something like a return on investment. UW’s move to the Big Ten often presents as a pain in the ass. Days like Saturday are among the reasons the Huskies believe it’s worth it.

“Our student section was there early. They were at the Dawg Walk. They were loading the stands. And obviously all of our fans were in full force tonight,” Fisch said. “It was a dream of mine to have a chance to play in an environment like this, and to have that environment was just special.”

It was another entry in what has been a storied and competitive series throughout the years. Michigan leads it, 9-6, and had taken three straight — in 2002, 2021 and, of course, last season — but the Huskies get to claim the first conference matchup between the two.

I asked Fisch: can this win give the Huskies something more than the others?