SEATTLE — Though the scoreboard totals pretty much told the story, the expression on quarterback Jake Browning’s face said the rest.
Facing the media after Saturday’s 30-24 defeat against California, the often cheerful Browning had a look of unmistakable grief. Washington’s offense had sputtered much of the game while committing five turnovers, and Browning was responsible for two interceptions and one lost fumble.
“You’re not going to win any games if you keep turning the ball over like I did,” Browning said. “You can’t do that.”
A true freshman, Browning played more like an experienced veteran in recent wins against Sacramento State and Utah State, with 694 passing yards in those two games. But on Saturday he was 17-for-28 for just 152 yards with a long of 19 yards, and he was also sacked five times.
Sometimes the mistakes were not solely Browning’s. On his first interception, a deep post route the Huskies called from their own 1-yard-line, wide receiver Marvin Hall had single coverage against California defensive back Darius White. Browning threw a catchable ball and Hall simply did not compete for possession, with White making the grab and setting up a Bears field goal.
Other times Browning took sole blame, like a missed pass up the left sideline to running back Dwayne Washington early in the fourth quarter. With Washington in the open it was a likely touchdown, except the ball was off target and fell incomplete — in fairness, Washington was looking directly into the sun, and that might have been a factor. The Huskies fumbled away the ball on the very next play.
“Not any one throw is going to win the game and not any one throw for the most part is going to lose the game,” said UW head coach Chris Petersen. “But I know (Browning) wanted that one back.”
Browning did not complete his first pass until less than six minutes remained in the second quarter, and by then he had already been sacked three times, thrown two incompletions and been intercepted once. (He did complete his first pass of the game, but it was negated by an offensive pass interference penalty.)
Washington’s offensive struggles were mostly about “us having penalties, having turnovers and not playing sharp. It pretty much comes down to that,” Browning said.
Defensive highlight No. 1
The defensive play of the game for the Huskies, and probably the play of the game for the entire team, came late in the third quarter. Trailing 27-14, UW cornerback Sidney Jones forced a fumble by California running back Vic Enwere and then scooped up the loose ball and ran 70 yards for a touchdown.
Enwere had been stood up by UW nose tackle Elijah Qualls, and the ball “was kind of wiggling around a little bit, so I banged it out,” Jones said. It was, he added, “a big-splash play to get the crowd going and get the momentum on our side.”
Defensive highlight No. 2
The UW defense had one other sterling moment on Saturday and it came on a goal-line stand in the second quarter.
California started a drive at the Washington 29 following a Browning fumble, and the Bears needed three plays to reach a first-and-goal at the 1. But two running plays were held to no gain, a third-down pass fell incomplete, and a fourth-down running play was also stopped for no gain.
Having a stand like that “is a pride thing,” Qualls said. “We are a very prideful defense, and every yard you gain against us angers us even more. … All of us are really hard competitors and we do not like to lose. That goal-line stand, we refused to let them in the end zone.”
Missing Budda
The Huskies were without safety Budda Baker, who injured an ankle in last Saturday’s game against Utah State. Against a quality quarterback like California’s Jared Goff, the Huskies certainly missed Baker, who is probably the team’s best defensive back.
“I think you’re always going to miss Budda,” Petersen said. “He’s a really good player. But I think our guys played hard on defense. I think those guys did a good job (against) a very prolific pass offense, real good receivers, and a quarterback who can sling it as we know. But Budda is one of our better guys and you’re always going to miss him.”
Miscellaneous
The Huskies gave up their first passing touchdown of the season in the second quarter, and in the third quarter their first points of any kind in that period. … Washington’s sporadic rushing offense through three games perked up on Saturday, with Dwayne Washington carrying 10 times for 109 yards, his fifth career 100-yard game. … California’s victory snapped a six-game Washington winning, and was the Bears’ first win in Seattle since 2005. … The 1984 UW team, which beat Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl and finished No. 2 nationally, was honored at halftime.
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