SEATTLE (AP) -It was one of those coach-speak talking points that Steve Sarkisian repeated constantly when he took over as coach at Washington: No matter the situation, his team would to play all four quarters.
Halfway through his first season, Sarkisian was right. His team is playing all the way to the end, and giving their fans a serious case of heartburn in the process.
Saturday night’s 36-33 win over Arizona was the latest example. While most of the country was in bed, Washington put together an incomprehensible rally highlighted by the most unlikely of plays. Mason Foster caught an interception that deflected off the foot of Arizona’s Delashaun Dean and returned it 37 yards for the winning touchdown with 2:37 left.
“When you play hard and you do things right, you catch breaks,” Sarkisian said. “That’s how breaks occur, when the other team makes their mistakes, you’re there to capitalize on them. You’re not out of position. I thought that’s what showed up in this game.”
d the screen and Foster jumped the route, forcing Arizona quarterback Nick Foles to pull back his throw. When he did release the pass for Dean, it was low and behind the receiver.
Dean reached back and the ball caromed off his left hand, then off his left foot and right into the hands of Foster.
It was as crazy a turn as anyone could remember in Washington’s history.
“I don’t know if (it was) that crazy,” Sarkisian said when asked to remember his wildest ending. “I mean an interception off the guys foot return for a touchdown? I don’t think so.”
It’s the third time this season Washington (3-3, 2-1) has gone down to the final ticks before things were settled, and its opening loss to LSU was still in question into the fourth quarter. The Huskies dogged competitiveness is a stark turnaround from the winless 2008 season when only three times the Huskies were within a touchdown when the fourth quarter started.
Most of the country saw Erik Folk’s 23-yard field goal with 3 seconds left that gave the Huskies their headline-grabbing 16-13 upset of Southern California. Many also saw last week’s overtime loss at Notre Dame.
But lost in the noise of missed replays and missed assignments against the Irish was Washington’s effort to the final seconds. After Notre Dame had taken a 30-27 lead, quarterback Jake Locker rushed Washington downfield and in position for a tying field goal.
ally at Notre Dame was the kind of resiliency missing at Washington in previous seasons. But Saturday night’s comeback fell into the realm of unimaginable, trailing by 12 with less than 5 minutes remaining.
“I’m sure a lot of people counted us out at that point,” Locker said. “The guys just kept fighting and kept playing, (and) knew as long as there was time on the clock there was a chance to win the game. It’s proven when you are rewarded for that kind of effort.”
Washington took possession at its own down 33-21 with 4:16 left, trying for what seemed like a token score after the Huskies offense struggled to establish any consistency in the second half.
Locker hit a pair of quick throws and a 15-yard personal foul on Arizona swiftly moved the ball to the Arizona 25. Locker then missed his next two throws, bringing up a third-and-10. The mobile quarterback who had a highlight worthy 56-yard TD run in the first quarter, fought the urge to run again a he rolled out of the pocket. His patience paid off as tight end Kavario Middleton flashed open and made a lunging 25-yard TD reception with 2:55 left.
“Jake is a great player and he does what any great quarterback does. He kept us together when we had to be together and he made big plays,” Washington receiver James Johnson said. “I can’t even describe the way I felt when he completed the touchdown to Kavario.”
But Johnson and the offense were barely on the sideline when they saw Foster sprinting the other way with the deflected pass. The Huskies defense made one more stand, when freshman Desmond Trufant intercepted Foles on fourth down at the Huskies 22 to clinch one of the more memorable, and unlikely victories in Washington’s history.
“It’s Pac-10 football,” Foster said. “We knew every game was going to be crazy like this.”
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