SEATTLE – The fair prognostication was that the University of Washington wouldn’t unveil the next John Elway in its collection of new quarterbacks.
But the predictions also didn’t say anything about the meltdown that happened in the Huskies’ 35-16 season-opening knockout at the hands of Fresno State Sunday before 65,345 at Husky Stadium.
UW quarterbacks Casey Paus and Isaiah Stanback combined for four interceptions, three of which led to Bulldog touchdowns. A Stanback fumble deep in his own territory directly led to another.
Gifts worth 28 points ruined Washington’s big statistical edge. The Huskies had more first downs (20-11), nearly 100 more net yardage (360-262), more plays (89-56) and had more possession time (31:56-28:04) than their Western Athletic Conference opponents.
And, although head coach Keith Gilbertson wasn’t ready to name fourth-stringer Felix Sweetman as the starter for the Huskies’ next game – at home against UCLA Sept. 18 – neither was he ready to nominate Paus and Stanback as Heisman Trophy candidates.
“We have to go back and re-evaluate everything we did today and look at this thing real hard,” Gilbertson said. “I am not surprised that we struggled, due to our newness at quarterback. I am just as upset as can be about the ball being on the ground and being thrown poorly.”
Never in the 51/2 months the Huskies used to evaluate, test and re-test their three candidates for quarterback did they dream that the Sunday dive could be possible.
Paus, a junior, won the starting job against Stanback, a sophomore, and Carl Bonnell, a redshirt freshman primarily because of his reliability and experience with the offense. It also was understood that Stanback would receive playing time to give the offense a different look, primarily because of his running ability and deftness with running the option.
On Sunday, both quarterbacks gave the Bulldogs the same look. They looked equally dreadful.
“We just didn’t execute,” understated Paus, who was 18-for-39 passing for 183 yards and three interceptions. “From my standpoint, we made some mistakes and they need to be eliminated.”
Paus’ day was a horror flick long before the final nightmare on Montlake, a 75-yard interception return for a TD by corner Richard Marshall with 31/2 minutes remaining in the game, a pick that Marshall said he predicted.
“I told my roommate last night that if I got an interception, I would make it look impressive,” he said. “Our defensive coordinator talked about how they were young and that they will make mistakes.”
But that wasn’t as damaging as the one by strong safety James Sanders, who hardly broke a sweat in picking off Stanback and taking it to The House in the first quarter, when the game still was competitive.
“I couldn’t believe he threw that pass,” Sanders said. “It was like a birthday present.”
It was well understood that, while Stanback was capable of making huge plays, he also was capable of making hugely atrocious plays. He seemed to be making great strides in the last two weeks of fall camp, but you wouldn’t have known it Sunday.
He passed the ball directly to Sanders after changing his mind on the originally-called play, a screen pass. On his fumble that defensive end Brian Morris turned into an 18-yard touchdown return in the fourth quarter, Stanback tried to pull the ball back from fullback James Sims and instead hit Sims’ hip, causing the ball to come loose.
“(The pass) was the worst,” said Stanback, who completed just one of five pass attempts for 10 yards and a pick. “Then Casey went out and made some turnovers and I felt like I started everything, you know? I feel like if I had just played it simple, none of that would have happened, because I committed the first turnover. I feel it all comes back around to me.”
To be fair, Stanback led an 87-yard drive in nine plays and ended the drive with an 8-yard TD, the first of Stanback’s career. The drive was helped by Zach Tuiasosopo’s 50-yard run on the previous play, giving the Huskies a 7-0 advantage with 12:59 left in the second quarter.
The TD was huge, considering the troubles Evan Knudson was having with field goals. He missed from 37 and 38 yards in the first quarter, sending the ball low on the second attempt. On the PAT following Stanback’s TD, Knudson sat in favor of Michael Braunstein, who made the kick and later a 25-yard field goal.
With 35 seconds remaining in the half and the game tied at 7, outside linebacker Evan Benjamin picked off a Paul Pinegar pass and returned it 15 yards to the Bulldogs 42-yard line.
But the Huskies gave the ball right back. Corner Awan Diles stepped in front of a Paus passed intended for Quintin Daniels, picked it off and shut down any chance Washington had to score before the half.
On one hand the defense was stout, holding stud tailback Dwayne Wright to just 38 yards on nine carries and a fumble. Pinegar was 6 of 10 passing, but for just 34 yards and was sacked twice.
But two interceptions, one for a TD, two missed field goals and a 15-yard punt by Sean Douglas negated whatever positive things the Huskies did.
Fresno State opened the second half with an 80-yard scoring drive that took 10 plays and 3:42. Pinegar found wideout Joe Fernandez with an 11-yard bullet to give the Bulldogs a 14-7 lead.
Braunstein hit a 25-yard field goal to pull the Huskies to 14-10 with 4:25 left in the third.
Then came Stanback’s second, unthinkable miscue.
Standing in shotgun formation on the first play of the fourth quarter, Stanback attempted a handoff to fullback James Sims, but the ball fell to the ground and was picked up by defensive end Brian Morris, who ran it back 18 yards for the score and a 21-10 lead.
Paus didn’t fare better on the next series. On the first play of the next drive, he threw a pick to Sanders on the UW 29. Two plays later, tailback Dwayne Wright rambled in for a 28-10 advantage with 13:53 remaining.
It was that kind of day, but Gilbertson wouldn’t say it would be a pattern for the season.
“I’m disappointed, but not discouraged,” he said. “This is not going to sit well with me, but this is a great team with great kids and I can’t wait to get back here on Tuesday and get back to work.”
Clearly, the Huskies need it.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
