SEATTLE — Kasen Williams took a quick screen pass from Keith Price, broke a tackle and the line of scrimmage and raced 35 yards for the go-ahead score with 4:53 left, and Washington rallied from 10 points down to stun
SEATTLE — Kasen Williams took a quick screen pass from Keith Price, broke a tackle and the line of scrimmage and raced 35 yards for the go-ahead score with 4:53 left, and Washington rallied from 10 points down to stun No. 8 Stanford 17-13 on Thursday night.
Trailing 13-3 late in the third quarter, the Huskies (3-1, 1-0 Pac-12) got a 61-yard touchdown sprint from running back Bishop Sankey for their first offensive touchdown against an FBS opponent since the first quarter of the opener against San Diego State.
Then Washington put together a nine-play drive that included another fourth-down conversion and was capped by Williams’ catch-and-run that gave the Huskies their first lead.
It was Washington’s first win over a Top 10 ranked opponent since its upset of then-No. 3 USC back in 2009, Steve Sarkisian’s first season at Washington. And it was thanks to an inspired defensive effort that was the opposite of a year ago when Stanford (3-1, 1-1) bulldozed the Huskies to the tune of 446 yards rushing and 65 points.
Washington’s student section poured on to the turf of CenturyLink Field after Price took a knee for the final time.
Price finished 19-of-37 for 177 yards and the touchdown toss to Williams. Sankey had 144 yards on 20 carries after Stanford’s defense had allowed just 124 yards rushing combined in the first three games of the season.
Washington started its winning drive at the 35 with 8:57 left and converted on fourth-and-1 at their own 44 with Dezden Petty bulling for 2 yards. They eventually got down the Stanford 35 with 5 minutes remaining. That’s when Sarkisian called for the quick screen to his star receiver. Williams broke the tackle of Terrence Brown at the line of scrimmage then sprinted down the sideline ahead of safety Ed Reynolds, who caught up enough to knock the ball loose but only after Williams had crossed the goal line.
Stanford, whose only touchdown came on Trent Murphy’s 40-yard interception return in the third quarter, tried to put together one last drive. Josh Nunes, who struggled in the first road start of his career, twice found Zach Ertz to get into Washington territory. After converting on third-and-1 at the Washington 40, Nunes threw for Ty Montgomery down the sideline, but he dropped the pass at the Washington 5 with a clear path to the end zone.
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