Washington makes big early lead stand
SEATTLE – Chris Petersen thought he’d make it through his pregame speech the night before the final home game for Washington’s seniors. Then he looked at quarterback Jake Browning, and Petersen’s words trailed off.
“There’s no one that’s spent more time in this office since the moment he got here,” Petersen said. “It’s exactly how it’s supposed to be and he’s a rare individual in terms of never flinching, always the same, always prepping as hard as he possibly can, completely locked in at all times. It’s hard to do for anybody let alone a college kid going through this process. (It’s) really special.”
Browning provided one more memory for Petersen and his teammates in his final home game, throwing three firsthalf touchdowns in No. 17 Washington’s 42-23 win over Oregon State on Saturday.
Browning threw two of his three TDs in the first quarter as Washington jumped to a 28-3 lead. Fellow senior Myles Gaskin rushed for 135 yards and the Huskies (8-3, 6-2 Pac-12) used the fast start to make certain next week’s Apple Cup against No. 8 Washington State carried all the meaning it possibly could.
The meeting against the Cougars will be a winner-take-all matchup for the Pac-12 North Division title. The winner of the 111th matchup will play in the conference title game with a Rose Bowl berth at stake.
“There’s a lot on the line,” Browning said about the Apple Cup. “But I think more it’s a quick turnaround. I think whatever team can adjust to that quick turnaround better, that’s an advantage.
The Huskies dominated Oregon State (2-9, 1-7) early then coasted the final three quarters. After getting a week off, Washington 28-point first quarter tied a school record last accomplished in the 2016 Apple Cup against Washington State. Salvon Ahmed rushed for a pair of short touchdowns and Browning took advantage of his chances. He hit Aaron Fuller on a 17-yard TD after Oregon State fumbled a kickoff, and he later hit tight end Cade Otton on a 21-yard touchdown.
No. 21 Utah 30, Colorado 7: It was the No. 21 Utah Utes who weathered this storm.
“It doesn’t bother us a bit,” coach Kyle Whittingham said after the Utes rolled to a 30-7 win over Colorado in freezing rain and snow Saturday. “We are up in the mountains in Salt Lake City, so not a problem at all. Our guys handled it very well. It didn’t faze them.”
So comfortable were the Utes that several of them warmed up shirtless.
“We’re from Utah, so it’s not like we don’t play in the cold weather, too. It was nothing to us,” said linebacker Francis Bernard, who had to step in for star Chase Hansen, who was ejected for targeting. Jason Shelley threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns in the sloppy conditions, slinging the Utes closer to their first Pac-12 title game appearance.
The victory gave them at least a share of the Pac-12 South tile.
“It’s huge. Utah football deserves it,” Shelley said.
The Utes (8-3, 6-3) can clinch their first Pac-12 South title if Arizona State loses at Oregon later Saturday or if the Sun Devils lose to Arizona next week.
A sixth consecutive loss for the Buffaloes (5-6, 2-6) capped a week in which athletic director Rick George said he hadn’t made any decisions regarding coach Mike MacIntyre’s employment amid a news report that his job was in jeopardy.
UCLA 34, USC 27: Joshua Kelley has been watching the UCLA-USC rivalry since he was 8 years old. On Saturday, he cemented his legacy in the Crosstown Showdown’s history.
The junior running back rushed for 289 yards on 40 carries and scored two touchdowns to lead the Bruins over the Trojans at the Rose Bowl.
It is the third-most rushing yards in a game in UCLA history and the most by a Bruins back against the Trojans. Gaston Green had the previous mark with 224 yards on 39 carries in 1986.
“It was crazy and finally I was out there and wanted to embrace every single moment of it,” said Kelley, who transferred from UC Davis. “It was a crazy experience. I sure enjoyed it and our team did too.”
Kelley’s 55-yard touchdown up the left sideline on an outside zone play with 10:39 remaining gave the Bruins a 28-27 lead. JJ Molson then added a pair of field goals to extend the margin for UCLA (3-8, 3-5 Pac-12).
Kelley was surprised by the number of carries he had but UCLA coach Chip Kelly did not mind giving his back a heavy workload.
“I wish he had carried it 100 (times) to be honest with you,” Kelly said.