Washington got blown out during Saturday’s college football game against Iowa, but the Huskies deserve high praise for how they carried themselves in defeat. It is a testament to the culture that first-year head coach Jedd Fisch is leading in Seattle.
The visitor’s locker room was spotless after an ugly loss on the road.
Kinnick Stadium, one of the most intimidating environments in college football, was built in 1929. You would never know that Washington was ever there, based both on the score and the conditions of the team’s facilities. It was almost as if the Huskies never flew in to Iowa City in the first place.
First and foremost, the Hawkeyes won by 24. They played their most complete game of the season to put themselves right back in the mix for the Big Ten Championship at 4-2.
Even though Washington had every reason to implode during the second half, it kept fighting to the final whistle and actually totaled 65 more yards than Iowa on 10 minutes more of possession. And once the game was in fact over, the visitors did not melt down in the locker room. Rather, they left it even better than they found it.
The trash was empty. All of the chairs were folded up and placed inside each individual locker. There was not even a speck of dirt on the ground.
Great job by the visitors. Safe travels pic.twitter.com/bSBcK5ku7Z
— Greg Morris (@shoeguyiowa) October 12, 2024
Shoutout to the Huskies for their respect and chivalry. Nobody wants to clean up trash after an ugly loss but you do it anyway because it’s the right thing to do.
In addition to the cleanliness of the locker room, fans at home also noticed the lackluster facility. Iowa renovated the space in 2005. The flesh pink paint and dull lighting is on purpose.
Former head coach Hayen Fry studied color theory. This specific shade of pink decreased aggression and acted as a calming presence in studies with mice and humans. He asked to use that color paint in the visitor’s locker room.