FINAL
UW Huskies 45
12:30 p.m. | LaVell Edwards Stadium | Provo, Utah
TV: ABC | Radio: 1000 AM | Stream: WatchESPN
Jump to: Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Comments »
A Twitter List by SeaTimesSports
QUARTER 3
Quick-hit thoughts from Mike Vorel after three quarters:
Well, that’s not how third quarters have gone recently for the Washington Huskies.
UW dominated the third quarter this time around, scoring three consecutive touchdowns and essentially putting this game out of reach. Freshman corner Trent McDuffie forced a fumble that immediately led to a Jacob Eason touchdown pass to Aaron Fuller. Fuller then returned a punt 88 yards for his third score of the game. Redshirt freshman running back Richard Newton also scored his sixth touchdown of the season.
Unfortunately for UW fans, the quarter had two big flaws – a Joe Tryon targeting penalty that resulted in his ejection, and Eason’s second interception of the season. Tryon will also be unavailable for the first half of next weekend’s game against USC.
5:22 | Washington 45, BYU 12 The Huskies are gashing BYU in the second half. That’s 21 unanswered points now as Richard Newton barrels into the end zone to cap an eight-play, 85-yard drive. Newton carried the ball five times for 41 yards, with a 36-yard dash up the middle from Sean McGrew in between.
10:37 | Washington 38, BYU 12 Aaron Fuller takes it 88 yards to the house! UW has taken a 12-point game and made it a 26-point game in less than two minutes. Shades of Dante Pettis?
12:28 | Washington 31, BYU 12 The momentum shift was short lived. After Zach Wilson finds Dax Milne, UW cornerback Trent McDuffie comes in and forces the ball loose. It takes the Huskies three plays to turn the turnover into seven points, with Jacob Eason hitting Andre Baccellia on a slant for 35 yards. Eason is 20-22 for 256 yards with three TDs.
14:54 | Washington 24, BYU 12 A big blow for UW after Joe Tryon delivers a big blow and gets called for targeting. The Huskies’ best pass rusher won’t return today and will miss the first half against USC next week. With BYU’s score entering the half and this right out of it, it feels as if momentum may be shifting.
QUARTER 2
Quick-hit thoughts from Mike Vorel after the first half:
Washington’s offense continues to struggle in the red zone.
The Huskies’ two second quarter drives traveled 61 and 71 yards, respectively, and resulted in a grand total of three points. In their last full offensive drive of the half, UW was called for false start on first down from the BYU 2-yard line. Redshirt freshman running back Richard Newton took a snap out of the wildcat on the next play and attempted a hand off but fumbled, though the offense recovered. Two plays later, on fourth-and-goal from the 5, Washington attempted a fake field goal and holder Race Porter was swallowed up at the 4-yard line.
The UW defense also labored in the first half, allowing 185 total yards and 159 passing yards. Washington’s eight penalties are already a season-high.
One very bright spot so far has been junior quarterback Jacob Eason, who completed 18 of 20 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.
4:34 | Washington 24, BYU 9 The Huskies get tricky and it backfires. First, a reverse flea flicker gets Hunter Bryant open deep, but once at the goal line, Richard Newton fumbles the wildcat handoff and Washington barely recovers. When it looked like UW was going to settle for a field goal, Chris Petersen calls a fake, but Devin Culp can’t hold his block and it fails. After a first-and-goal from the 2, UW comes up empty-handed and BYU takes over at its 4-yard line.
8:22 | Washington 24, BYU 9 Even when things go right for BYU, the Cougars can’t help but shoot themselves in the foot. A couple UW penalties set up a one-yard touchdown run by Emmanuel Espuka, but the PAT is shanked. UW’s defense has already been flagged six times for 44 yards.
11:00 | Washington 24, BYU 3 The Huskies drive 61 yards, but can’t quite finish it. Peyton Henry comes on for a 30-yard field goal to put Washington up three touchdowns.
QUARTER 1
Quick-hit thoughts from Mike Vorel after one quarter:
Washington made big plays in the first quarter on both sides of the ball.
Junior quarterback Jacob Eason picked up where he left off from last weekend’s 52-20 win over Hawaii. In two first quarter drives, Eason completed 9 of 10 passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns. The two scores, which both measured 17 yards, went to running back Richard Newton and wide receiver Aaron Fuller. On the other side, senior linebacker (and former Eastside Catholic running back) Brandon Wellington scooped up a Ryan Bowman strip sack of BYU quarterback Zach Wilson and returned it 69 yards for a score.
So, yeah, it was a productive first quarter for the Huskies, who lead the Cougars 21-3.
2:17 | Washington 21, BYU 3 Ryan Bowman forces a fumble by BYU quarterback Zach Wilson and Brandon Wellington scoops it up and is off to the races, 69 yards for a touchdown.
3:50 | Washington 14, BYU 3 The Huskies were benefactors of not one, but two facemask penalties, extending their drive into a touchdown. Jacob Eason threaded the needle to find Aaron Fuller in the end zone for his second touchdown pass today.
9:31 | Washington 7, BYU 3 Keith Taylor picks up an unnecessary pass interference penalty, allowing BYU to extend its drive. But it only costs the Huskies three points, as the Cougars settle for a 43-yard field goal.
12:10 | Washington 7, BYU 0 Richard Newton’s toe tap in the back of the end zone is ruled in, and the Huskies are the board. Jacob Eason found his running back for 17 yards and a touchdown. Eason went 5-6, leading the Huskies 75 yards down the field on their opening drive.
15:00 | Washington 0, BYU 0 Puka Nacua’s high school coach said Puka told him he’d be starting by the BYU game. And here we are, in week four and Puka Nacua is starting at wide receiver.
PREGAME
12:08 p.m. Five Washington running backs went through warm ups at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday: senior Malik Braxton, juniors Sean McGrew and Kamari Pleasant, redshirt freshman Richard Newton and true freshman Cameron Davis.
Salvon Ahmed was not among them.
UW’s starting running back, who had previously appeared in all 30 games of his Husky career, did not make the trip to Provo, Utah. The reason was health-related and not disciplinary, a UW spokesman confirmed. The junior from Kirkland did not suffer a noticeable injury during last weekend’s 52-20 win over Hawaii.
In three games this season, Ahmed leads UW with 246 rushing yards on 5.6 yards per carry and two touchdowns. Davis, who somewhat surprisingly made the trip, has yet to appear in a game. — Mike Vorel
The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times.