TEMPE, Ariz. — For the fourth straight game, Washington was competitive at halftime, and for the fourth straight game, the Huskies gave ground in the third quarter.
And on this warm Saturday night in the desert, the Huskies had their worst third-quarter showing to date, as 14th-ranked Arizona State outscored the Huskies by 21 points en route to a 44-20 win in front of 64,347 at Sun Devil Stadium.
In 15 minutes of football, Arizona State turned a 17-13 deficit into a 34-17 lead, continuing a frustrating pattern for the Huskies. Against Ohio State, Washington led 7-3 and was outscored 14-0 in the third quarter. UCLA matched that feat a week later, turning a 10-10 tie into a 24-10 score after three. Two weeks ago, the Huskies were out-scored 7-0 in a loss to USC after trailing by three at halftime. That’s a 56-0 third-quarter advantage for Washington’s opponents during this four-game skid.
Washington’s troubles started on the opening drive of the second half, when Jake Locker fumbled while being sacked. That gave ASU the ball on Washington’s 35-yard line, and the Sun Devils capitalized six plays later when Rudy Carpenter connected with Rudy Burgess for a 21-yard score. Washington, which was outgained 193-81 in the third quarter, went three and out on its next two possessions — the second of which started with holding and false start penalties on first down. Another of Washington’s troubles, this time missed tackles, then showed itself, as Dimitri Nance broke through a Dan Howell tackle for a 57-yard touchdown run.
Not to be outdone by his fellow tailback, Keegan Herring showed his speed going untouched for a 76-yard score, giving the Sun Devils two touchdowns on three plays from scrimmage. Both Herring and Nance were getting carries because of a foot injury to ASU’s starting tailback, Ryan Torain. Troy Nolan put the game on ice for the Sun Devils in the fourth quarter with a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown. It was Locker’s first interception of the night, and he again struggled with his accuracy, completing just 10 of 28 passes for 142 yards. He rushed for 46 yards on 12 carries.
The Huskies came out of a back-and-forth first half with a 17-13 lead. Arizona State started the scoring with a field goal on its opening drive. It could have been worse for the Huskies, however, as a holding call negated what would have been an 11-yard touchdown run by Ryan Torain.
Washington answered Arizona State’s score with a 75-yard touchdown drive on its first possession. Louis Rankin, in what was his best game since Washington’s opener at Syracuse, carried five times for 24 yards on the drive before Locker found Marcel Reece in the back of the end zone for a 36-yard touchdown.
Washington and ASU traded punts on each of their next two possessions before Carpenter gave the Sun Devils the lead with a three-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Williams. That scoring drive was kept alive when Carpenter found tight end Brady Conrad for a six-yard completion while falling forward to avoid a sack on fourth-and-2.
Ryan Perkins’ 24-yard field goal tied the game on Washington’s next possession, then the Huskies capitalized on a turnover to take a seven-point lead. After Darin Harris — who was starting at free safety in place of the injured Jason Wells — intercepted a Carpenter pass on ASU’s first play following the field goal, Locker showed off his speed and strength in one impressive run. On first down following the pick, Locker rushed up the middle and accelerated past the first wave of defenders before dragging safety Troy Nolan ten yards into the end zone.
Rankin, who finished with 80 yards on 11 carries, had seven carries for 68 yards in the first half, including a 38-yard run that set up Perkins’ second-quarter field goal. Rankin also had 147 yards on six kickoff returns.
After saying for weeks that they wanted to get other tailbacks involved, the Huskies finally did it in Tempe. J.R. Hasty spelled Rankin on a number of plays, and finished with 12 yards on five carries. Brandon Johnson also got in on the action, getting a pair of fourth-quarter carries for seven yards.
Contact Herald Writer John Boyle at jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more on University of Washington sports, check out the Huskies blog at heraldnet.com/huskiesblog
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