SEATTLE (AP) -Flat on his back courtesy of a late hit, Jake Locker heard the roar and knew that his scrambling throw in the final minute was caught and that the landmark win his career at Washington lacked was at hand.
“Just to go through the things we have together in this program and to get that win together, it was emotional for all of us,” Locker said, his voice on the verge of cracking.
Locker, who grew up in Washington, has been considered a savior from the time he decided to play for the Huskies. He’s made many great plays, but been part of few wins. Now he’s got a great one to boast about after leading the Huskies on the final game-winning drive Saturday to beat No. 3 USC 16-13.
Northwest.
“The difference this week was Jake,” USC coach Pete Carroll said. “He was able to come up and make the plays when they needed on the last drive … that’s a great player. He didn’t surprise me a bit. I thought we kept him under wraps for a long time but when he had to have it he made it. That’s what a great player does and it was obvious today.”
In his first three games under new Washington coach Steve Sarkisian, Locker has made an effort to be passer first and runner second. At times, that’s hampered the Huskies’ offense, including Saturday when Locker appeared to have a clear path running to the end zone but instead tried to force a throw and Washington was forced to settle for a field goal.
But on the Huskies’ final drive, Locker showed the efficiency and guile that make everyone rave about his potential.
After USC pulled even at 13-all on Jordan Congdon’s 25-yard field goal, Locker’s final march started ominously. He was sacked by blitzing linebacker Nick Perry for a 12-yard loss.
Facing second-and-22, Locker smartly dumped off to Chris Polk for 7 yards before facing third-and-15. Sarkisian called a play that wasn’t even in the game plan for the week, trying to find Jermaine Kearse on a post route. Carroll said afterward the Trojans knew that would be the Huskies call and told their linebackers and safeties to watch for it.
1-yard strike to Kearse.
“You’ve seen all year, with us being in those third-and-long situations, he’s not shy about calling the play that gives us a chance to get the first down,” Locker said. “I appreciate that.”
Washington got another first down when Locker kept it for 4 yards on third-and-2. Then with 41 seconds left, Locker made sure Folk wouldn’t have the pressure of a long kick.
Forced from the pocket, Locker rolled toward the sideline, waiting for a receiver to flash free. When Kearse broke open, Locker flicked a 19-yard completion, but had to wait for the crowd reaction to know if it was caught. He had been flattened by a late hit.
He also found himself on his backside moments later when a Kearse got the better of a chest bump with his quarterback. That was nothing compared to the celebration that followed when the Trojans were tackled on the ensuing kickoff. Locker even climbed in the stands at one point in the revelry to try and find his family who were on the field.
“It tells them that he can be one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. That’s what I feel like,” Kearse said of Locker. “Not a lot of quarterbacks can do what he just did right there. Jake is a tremendous athlete and can make a lot of plays happen.”
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