Arizona State downs Washington

For a while it looked like the Arizona State were going to do everything they could to give Washington their first win of the season, but in the end the Huskies’ mistakes were their undoing as the Sun Devils handed the Dawgs a 39-19 loss in front of an announced crowd of 57,013.

It’s become a theme in the Tyrone Willingham-era of Husky football that the Dawgs will win the first half or even the first three quarters, but then falter down the stretch and this game was not different as the Huskies held a 19-16 lead with a little over eight minutes remaining in the third quarter.

After K Ryan Perkins hit his fourth field goal of the evening, the most by a Husky kicker since John Anderson kicked five in the 2002 Apple Cup, the Sun Devils scored 23 unanswered points to get the final margin of victory.

It was actually a tale of two halves for the Dawgs.

Washington managed to post 204 yards in the first half, but they only managed 70 yards in the second half and that ultimately was what led to their downfall.

Early on, the Huskies actually took their first lead since the Stanford game going up 3-0 when Ryan perkins. In a bit of “razzle dazzle” freshman WR Cody Bruns pulled up on an apparent reverse and hit WR D’Andre Goodwin for a 29-yard pass-play to set up a 34-yard field goal from Ryan Perkins.

In the second quarter, with Arizona State leading 10-3, Bruns struck again when he took what appeared to be a ‘bubble screen’ at the six yard line and then turned and threw the ball back to QB Ronnie Fouch who took it in untouched, tying the score at 10-10.

Washington then got a break when CB Matt Mosley caused Sun Devil RB Shaun Dewitty to fumble and it was quickly snagged by LB Chris Stevens at the Arizona State 21.

Three plays later, Perkins nailed his second field goal of the night to put Washington up 13-10, but Arizona State came right back and added two more field goals on successive possessions, one set up by an interception by LB Travis Goethel to go into halftime leading 16-13.

Mosley, replacing Jordan Polk who left the game with what appeared to be a concussion, took the opening kickoff of the second half 70 yards to the Arizona State 33, but was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for taunting the Sun Devil sideline.

However, ASU returned the favor after DE Dexter Davis hit Fouch in the head on an incomplete pass and Washington turned that into three more points as they stalled at the three yard line, settling for a 22-yard field goal from Perkins.

Stevens then added another big play when he broke through cleanly and blocked P Trevor Hankins’ punt and Washington took over on the Sun Devil 14, but again they were unable to muster a touchdown, stalling at the three and settling for Perkins’ fourth field goal of the night a 20-yarder, to put Washington up 19-16.

But Arizona came right back and scored after driving 41 yards in eight plays, ending when Carpenter hit WR Michael Jones in the back of the endzone for a seven yard touchdown pass.

Washington then went three-and-out on their next possession and Arizona State took advantage, going 50 yards in six plays, ending when Carpenter hit Jones in the corner of the endzone over Mosley, putting the Sun Devils up for good.

Fouch had a tough night, completing just 13 of 39 passes for 192 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.

Washington had a tough night running the ball, gaining only 52 yards on 28 attempts.

RB Keegan Herring led the Sun Devils with 143 yards and a touchdown and Jones led them in receiving with 10 catches for 145 yards and the two touchdowns.

Washington (0-9) will now get ready to face former coach Rick Neuheisel and the stumbling UCLA Bruins (3-6) who fell to Oregon State at home 34-6 this weekend.