SEATTLE — One week after being decimated by quarterback Andrew Luck and an explosive Stanford offense, the Washington defense had its hands full once again Saturday night against an Arizona offense led by talented QB Nick Foles.
But thanks to three fourth quarter turnovers — a recovered fumble by linebacker Princeton Fuimaono, an interception by safety Sean Parker, and a final interception by linebacker Cort Dennison — the Huskies were finally able to subdue the visiting Wildcats 42-31 on a cold but thankfully dry night at Husky Stadium.
When it was over, Foles had completed 32 of 50 passes for 388 yards and two touchdowns. On another night those might have been winning numbers, but the Huskies won because their offense was terrific and their defense was good enough when it had to be.
In particular, the Huskies stiffened near their own goal line, three times forcing field goals on Arizona marches that seemed headed for touchdowns.
The outcome was sweet relief for the UW defense, which was humiliated a week ago against Stanford. The Huskies gave up 615 yards, including 446 rushing yards, in a 65-21 loss to the Cardinal.
For Washington, it was “a tremendous amount (of improvement),” said UW head coach Steve Sarkisian. “(Arizona) is a dang good offensive football team and we knew that coming in. We knew it go to be a big challenge.
“It was a hard loss last week,” Fuimaono said. “We just needed to come out and show everybody that we’re not that type of team. We’re a better team than we were last week.”
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Foles, a senior from Austin, Texas, who began his college career at Michigan State, is a definite NFL prospect. He is not Luck, of course, but he has the physical size, quick release and obvious arm strength that will impress the pro scouts.
Foles started briskly on the game’s opening possession. He attempted three passes on the initial march for 38 yards, though the drive stalled at the Washington 19 and the Wildcats settled for a field goal.
His first incomplete pass came on Arizona’s second possession, but it failed to slow the Wildcats. Going 3-for-6 on the drive, Foles guided his team to a touchdown and a 10-0 lead. The final 24 yards came on a pass to wide receiver Juron Criner in the left flat. With the Huskies in man-to-man coverage, Criner spun away from UW cornerback Gregory Ducre and dashed the remaining distance to the end zone.
Reeling a bit — yes, there were boos from fans fearing another Stanford debacle — the Huskies seemed to find their defensive stride later in the first half. Arizona managed a 47-yard field goal by place-kicker John Bonano early in the second quarter, but the team’s other three possessions of the half ended in punts.
At halftime the Wildcats had 198 total yards, including 166 passing yards by Foles, who finished the opening two quarters 15-for-26.
Washington’s defense was hardly responsible for Arizona’s first touchdown of the second half. Early in the third quarter, and minutes after the Huskies had scored to take a 21-13 lead, UW receiver James Johnson bobbled a pass that would have given Washington a likely first down inside the Arizona 10-yard line.
Instead the ball squirted into the hands of Wildcats defensive back Robert Golden, who broke through several half-hearted tackles and returned the ball 91 yards for a touchdown.
The Huskies answered with a TD, but Foles and the Wildcats returned the favor on their next possession, making the score 28-28. And after a UW punt, the visitors drove to the Husky 5 before settling for a 24-yard Bonano field goal that put Arizona on top 31-28 early in the fourth quarter.
It would be the last lead for the Wildcats as Washington kept them scoreless the rest of the way.
Still, Arizona was in striking distance before Fuimaono’s fumble recovery led to another touchdown by Washington’s Chris Polk — his fourth of the game — and Parker’s later interception pretty much wrapped up the UW win.
And a late interception by Dennison capped Washington’s Homecoming victory.
“Our guys adjusted (defensively) as the game went on,” Sarkisian said. “I thought our pressure on the quarterback was much better than we’ve had in the past. I thought we did some things to get after Foles that were effective, whether it was with the four-man rush or with (blitzes). … They’d been moving the ball and scoring on a lot of people, but we got stops at critical times.”
“It was a great win,” Fuimaono said. “The defense came out and we finished. That’s what Coach (Steve Sarkisian) has talked about all year. Just finishing. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”
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