In the 2000 season, the Huskies shared the Pacific-10 Conference title with Oregon and Oregon State. Washington had given Oregon State their only defeat of the year 33-30. Oregon gave Washington their only defeat of the year 23-16. Oregon State beat Oregon in the 2000 Civil War game 23-13. Ultimately, it was a 23-37 loss at Wisconsin by Oregon earlier in the season that decided the Rose Bowl representative. With two losses, by the multiple team tie rules Oregon was out of the running. This left Oregon State and Washington, and the Huskies won the head to head matchup with the Beavers. Washington, Oregon State, and Oregon were ranked fourth, fifth, and ninth, respectively, in the final regular seasonAP football poll. It was the fourteenth Rose Bowl appearance for Washington, but their first since going to three straight in the early 1990s under head coach Despite their record and ranking, the Huskies were a slight underdog to Purdue.
The Big Ten champion Purdue Boilermakers were led by quarterback Drew Brees. They did not have a particularly auspicious start, winning against Central Michigan and Kent State before losing at Notre Dame. They defeated Minnesota, but then lost at struggling Penn State. The Boilermakers made surprising wins in October starting with Michigan, at Northwestern, at Wisconsin, and finishing with Ohio State. A loss at Michigan State set them back, but a win over Indiana and losses by Michigan and Ohio State left them in a three-way tie with Northwestern and Michigan. Purdue got the Rose Bowl invitation by virtue of the head-to-head victories over both teams.
Purdue – Sutherland, 24-yard pass from Brees, 11:58
Washington – Anderson, 42-yard field goal, 6:55
Fourth quarter
Washington – Elstrom, 8-yard pass from Tuiasosopo, 12:00
Washington – Hurst, 8-yard run, 7:25
Purdue – Brown, 42-yard run, 6:37
Aftermath
Washington, led by senior quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo, the Rose Bowl MVP, finished the season at and was ranked third in the final polls. Rick Neuheisel became the only former Rose Bowl MVP to win a Rose Bowl as head coach. Oregon State and Oregon both won their bowl games, and the final rankings were Washington 3rd, Oregon State 4th, and Oregon 7th in the final AP poll. Oklahoma, who was undefeated and beat Florida State in the Orange Bowl, was named the national champion. Washington's victory broke a four-game win streak by the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl. This was Purdue's second Rose Bowl appearance, both of Purdue's starting Rose Bowl quarterbacks started and won the Super Bowl.
