Washington Football Pays Homage to Seattle With New Turnover Prop
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As Jedd Fisch and his staff begin their third season with the Washington Huskies, the head coach embraced the city's culture with a flashy new tradition. Last week, UW debuted the Turnover Needle, used to celebrate takeaways from the defense.
The Turnover Needle, a mini-replica of downtown Seattle's iconic Space Needle, appeared three times last week in the win over Washington State. Washington is not the first program to use a prop to celebrate defensive turnovers, as Miami's "Turnover Chain" and Oregon State's chainsaw represent some of college football's most unique rituals.
"We had a turnover sword back at the last place," said Fisch during Monday's press conference. "I think it was (Senior Director of Player Engagement Syndric Steptoe) who came up with the idea. We have the Space Needle here in Seattle; let's make it a turnover needle. I brought it out to the team for the first time on Saturday morning, and I showed it to the guys. The defensive boys loved it; it was fun to watch them with the needle."
Fisch also mentioned that while the needle is big enough to fit five footballs on top of it, he is more than happy to find a solution if the defense finds a way to force half a dozen turnovers. Based on their performance last weekend, that may not be completely out of the picture. Ryan Walters' defense forced three turnovers last weekend against Washington State, recovering a fumble and picking off Cougars quarterback Caden Pinnick twice.
Entering Week Two, Washington faces a Utah State offense that struggled mightily against an FCS opponent in Idaho State, falling 29-17 to the Bengals. The Aggies featured two quarterbacks in their opener: starter McCae Hillstead, who was replaced by backup Grady Brosterhou in the second half. The two passers combined for 2 touchdowns and 4 interceptions in the loss.
Squaring off against a quarterback room that appears susceptible to turnovers, the defense will look to replicate its 2026 debut. Based on what Walters' unit showed off in the Apple Cup, the Huskies will be looking to showcase their shiny new toy on the sidelines this Saturday.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Football Pays Homage to Seattle With New Turnover Prop
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