The weather is not an excuse.
It’s true, the two-hour, 39-minute lightning delay early in the first quarter of Washington’s 20-19 loss to Cal on Saturday is believed to be the first of its kind at Husky Stadium. UW head coach Chris Petersen said that, in his 32 years of experience, he “never had one delay, so that was different.”
Most fans permanently exited the premises, and those that stayed abandoned their metal seats to huddle under the overhangs. They amused themselves with occasional “Go! Huskies!” chants and counted the lightning strikes, and when the storm knocked out the power, a few hopped the railings and ran onto the field.