1945 Washington Huskies football team

{{short description|American college football season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1945

| team = Washington Huskies

| sport = football

| image =

| image_size =

| conference = Pacific Coast Conference

| short_conf = PCC

| record = 6–3

| conf_record = 6–3

| head_coach = Ralph Welch

| hc_year = 4th

| captain = Bill McGovern

| stadium = University of Washington Stadium

}}

{{1945 Pacific Coast Conference football standings}}

The 1945 Washington Huskies football team represented the University of Washington in the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) during the 1945 college football season. Home games were played on campus in Seattle at Husky Stadium, known at the time as University of Washington Stadium.

Under fourth-year head coach Ralph Welch, the Huskies were 6–3, third in the PCC, and outscored its opponents 91 to 54.{{cite web|title=Washington Yearly Results (1945-1949)|publisher=David DeLassus|work=College Football Data Warehouse|access-date=December 14, 2015|url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/w/washington/1945-1949_yearly_results.php|archive-date=December 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222102915/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/w/washington/1945-1949_yearly_results.php|url-status=dead}}

No non-conference games were played this season and center Bill McGovern was the team captain.

After a two-year hiatus due to World War II, in-state rival Washington State resumed its program and was played twice. The games were split, with home team wins in shutouts in Seattle in October,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AvFPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HQgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6640%2C54084 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon|agency=United Press |last=Maclean |first=James A. |title=Washington Huskies provide upset by dropping W.S.C. Cougars |date=October 14, 1945 |page=18}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Fb9eAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NjEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1327%2C997101|newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho|agency=Associated Press |title=W.S.C. Cougars drop from undefeated ranks as Huskies win 6-0 |date=October 14, 1945 |page=11 }} and in Pullman at the end of the season.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xnNWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=m-QDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4718%2C5762240 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |title=Important W.S.C.-Husky game on at Pullman today |date=November 24, 1945 |page=9}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=P79eAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NjEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2984%2C4074000 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho|agency=Associated Press |title=Cougars beat Huskies; make bid for Rose Bowl |date=November 25, 1945 |page=10 }}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3dpXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kPUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7347%2C5076290 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington|last=Ashlock |first=Herb |title=Two factors remain in path of W.S.C.'s Rose Bowl hopes|date=November 26, 1945 |page=13 }} The Cougars had last fielded a team in 1942.

Oregon and Oregon State were also played twice, in Seattle and Portland. The Huskies swept {{nowrap|Oregon,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0rIRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oOgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6752%2C5785671 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon|last=Strite |first=Dick |title=Huskies defeat Oregon 20-6 in Seattle fray |date=September 30, 1945 |page=1}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CPFPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HQgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6152%2C1494573|newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon|last=Strite |first=Dick |title=Battling Ducks drop game to Washington, 7-0 |date=November 4, 1945 |page=1}}}} but split with Oregon State, with the visiting teams {{nowrap|prevailing.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HL9eAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NjEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3452%2C1517860 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho|agency=Associated Press |title=Huskies defeat OSC Beavers |date=October 21, 1945 |page=9}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DPFPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HQgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6821%2C2150937 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon|agency=United Press |last=Maclean |first=James A. |title=Oregon State Beavers wreck Husky bowl hopes with 7-6 win |date=November 11, 1945 |page=18}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Mb9eAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NjEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5128%2C3046064 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho|agency=Associated Press |title=Beavers put finishing touches to Rose Bowl Hopes of Huskies |date=November 11, 1945 |page=9}}}} The Huskies upset USC 13–7 in Seattle,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BfFPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HQgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6656%2C1081729 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |agency=Associated Press |last=Hewins |first=Jack |title=Washington slicker Southern California Trojans |date=October 29, 1945 |page=20}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=I79eAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NjEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1493%2C2046158 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho|agency=Associated Press |title=Washington U upsets Trojans 13-7 |date=October 28, 1945 |page=9}} the Trojans' only PCC loss. UCLA was not on the schedule this season, and Stanford did not field a team from 1943 through 1945.