No. 5 Washington survived an upset scare for a second consecutive week, holding on for a 42-33 win at Stanford on Saturday to remain undefeated and stay within the hunt for a spot within the College Football Playoff. The Cardinal got here inside two factors of the Huskies on three separate events within the second half earlier than a pair of turnovers on downs mixed with a Washington landing late within the recreation allowed coach Kalen DeBoer’s Huskies to win its fifteenth consecutive recreation, the second longest successful streak within the nation.
The Huskies and Cardinal had been tied 7-7 early within the second quarter earlier than Washington (8-0, 5-0 Pac-12) used back-to-back landing passes from quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to construct a 21-7 edge. The Huskies by no means trailed past that time as Penix — every week faraway from being held and not using a landing cross in opposition to Arizona State — went on to cross for 369 yards and 4 touchdowns, two of them to broad receiver Ja’Lynn Polk. Nevertheless, the Cardinal refused to go down quietly.
Stanford used two subject objectives late within the second quarter to make it 21-13 at halftime after which got here inside two factors early within the third quarter when quarterback Ashton Daniels linked with receiver Elic Ayomanor on a 39-yard landing cross. The Cardinal tried to tie the sport on a two-point conversion after that landing, however had been unsuccessful.
Stanford (2-6, 1-5) would have extra probabilities down the stretch — the Cardinal compelled two Washington turnovers later within the half — however was unable to recover from the hump. Any probability of an upset win ended when Stanford, trailing 35-33 with 3:20 to play, turned the ball over on downs. Not lengthy after Washington took possession of the ball, Huskies operating again Dillon Johnson recorded a 13-yard landing, placing the sport out of attain.
The Huskies’ victory was their second straight within the Pac-12 sequence between the colleges, which is now set to go on hiatus as Washington and Stanford depart the league for different conferences in 2024. It additionally places the Huskies one step nearer to incomes a Pac-12 Championship Sport berth, although it is clear Washington is much from a completed product after letting one other unranked opponent dangle round longer than it will have most popular.
Shut calls proceed for Huskies
There was at the very least an argument available for Washington because the AP No. 1 workforce within the nation after it recorded a signature 36-33 dwelling win in opposition to a top-10 Oregon workforce in Week 7. The Huskies have finished nothing within the two weeks since then to assist that place, managing for a pair of unconvincing wins in opposition to Arizona State and Stanford groups who’ve mixed for 4 wins whole in 2023.
Whereas the victories in opposition to the Solar Devils and Cardinal had been totally different in nature — Washington was held with out an offensive landing in a 15-7 defensive battle in opposition to Arizona State earlier than the offense got here to life at Stanford — each depart Huskies followers asking critical questions coming into a brutal stretch of the schedule. Washington begins the month of November with three consecutive ranked opponents. The Huskies go to No. 24 USC in Week 10, adopted by a house recreation in opposition to No. 13 Utah after which a highway journey to No. 11 Oregon State.
Improper time for a hunch
Washington’s lackluster two-week stretch additionally comes at a reasonably inopportune time with the primary School Soccer Playoff Rankings to be launched Tuesday. Whereas the undefeated Huskies ought to land within the prime 10, it stays to be seen how the choice committee views them after displaying vulnerabilities in opposition to groups that rank at or close to the underside of the Pac-12 Convention. No workforce from the convention has made the playoff since Washington cracked school soccer’s Last 4 again in 2016, however the Huskies are the league’s greatest hope at altering that this winter.
