TUCSON, Ariz. – What few fans showed up stormed the field as if they’d won the national championship.
Kids in various stages of inebriation climbed the goal posts and jumped up and down. Others mobbed the Arizona Wildcats, who had just pulled the upset of the Pacific-10 Conference season, defeating Washington 27-22 before a crowd generously announced as 48,319 Saturday at Arizona Stadium.
It raises the question of what they’d do had they beaten a good team instead of the Huskies, an inconsistent, soft bunch that fell to 5-5, 3-3 in conference play.
If the Nevada loss earlier this season was bad, this one was worse, given the importance of the game in terms of a possible bowl bid.
“I am damned embarrassed,” UW head coach Keith Gilbertson said. “It was a terrible way for a Husky team to play.”
Arizona sophomore tailback Mike Bell ran for 222 yards on 26 carries, including dazzling touchdown runs of 67, 69 and 37 yards to lead the Wildcats, who snapped an eight-game losing streak.
In a way, the crowd reaction was understandable, given the circumstances. The Wildcats had lost 13 straight Pac-10 contests. They witnessed the firing of head coach John Mackovic earlier this season. They dressed 69 scholarship players of the allotted 85 because of injuries and suspensions.
Yet, this was no fluke. Arizona (2-8, 1-5) outplayed the Huskies. The Wildcats hung in, came back from a 14-6 deficit and got after it.
“I couldn’t be prouder,” said UA head coach Mike Hankwitz, after his first victory as the boss in five tries. “We’ve been through a lot and we’ve lost players along the way. To keep fighting and to come out with the win, it still hasn’t hit me.”
When it does hit Hankwitz, he’ll realize Bell’s terrific night. He’ll wonder how his team rolled up 401 yards and had just 11 first downs. And he’ll see that the Huskies rolled over under a puzzling array of mindless penalties, missed tackles, dropped balls and overthrows.
With two games left, the question becomes whether Washington can become bowl-eligible. To do that, the Huskies have to win either at California Saturday or against Washington State in the Apple Cup the following Saturday.
It’s anything but certain.
“We have to get bowl-eligible,” UW quarterback Cody Pickett said. “Tonight, we didn’t play well and we didn’t execute. We had turnovers and too many penalties.”
On paper, Pickett had a fine night, completing 31 of 51 passes for 351 yards and two touchdowns. He nearly brought the Huskies back late in the game, but missed a wide-open Reggie Williams for a TD on third-and-15 from the Wildcats 39-yard line.
“I just overthrew it,” Pickett said. “It was there and I overthrew him.”
The Huskies had little problem moving the ball against the Wildcats. Their first drive was very promising until a silly personal foul killed it. The second, capped by a 3-yard pass from Pickett to fullback Adam Seery, lasted 12 plays and 88 yards.
However, Bell scored on a 67-yard run that cut the lead to 7-6 with 4:05 left in the first quarter. On the conversion, Arizona faked the kick and UW’s Owen Biddle picked off the pass on the try for two points.
The Huskies took advantage of a Derrick Johnson interception at the Arizona 22 to make it 14-6 early in the second quarter. Shelton Sampson scored the touchdown from the 1.
Charles Frederick coughed up a fumble late in the half and Arizona took advantage. Kris Heavner hit Mike Jefferson for 47 yards to the Husky 10-yard line, and later hit with a 10-yard TD pass. Suddenly, Washington was up just 14-13 at the half.
Washington dominated the halftime stats, but failed to capitalize on one great opportunity in particular.
Early in the second quarter, UW’s James Sims broke through to block a punt and recovered it on the Arizona 25-yard line. The Huskies couldn’t move the ball and Evan Knudson missed a 35-yard field goal.
Still, the feeling was that Washington was in control, despite the slim margin. Penalties and fumbles by the offense killed drives, while coverage mistakes and faulty tackling allowed big plays.
Arizona had 131 yards on the ground in the first half, but 67 came on Bell’s TD run.
The Wildcats reached the UW 15-yard line early in the third quarter, thanks mainly to a 52-yard completion from Heavner to Ricky Williams. But Nicolas Folk missed wide right from 32 yards out.
Again, the Huskies blew a chance. Frederick ran a punt back 56 yards for a TD, but it was wiped out when Washington was called for a block in the back.
Early in the fourth, B.J. Newberry downed a Garth Erickson punt on the Wildcats 1. Two plays later, Evan Benjamin tackled Bell in the end zone for a safety, and the Huskies led, 16-13, with 9:58 left in the game.
Bell made up for it, however, with a 69-yard scoring run on Arizona’s next possession, and the Wildcats had their first lead, 20-16, with 7:28 remaining.
Moments later, Pickett fumbled trying to scramble and the Wildcats took over the ball with 5:37 remaining. Three plays later, Bell scored from 37 yards out and the Wildcats led 27-16.
On his run, Bell tried to run to the right, but was stopped, so he reversed field and outran everyone to the end zone
Now desperate, Pickett drove the Huskies 77 yards on four plays, hitting Corey Williams on a 2-yard scoring pass. Pickett tried to run for the 2-point conversion, but was turned back by two Arizona defenders and the Huskies trailed 27-22 with 3:49 left.
Washington got the ball back with 2:42 remaining and moved to the Arizona 29, but turned it over on downs after a couple of illegal-procedure penalties, a dropped pass and an overthrown ball to a wide-open Reggie Williams.
Shortly after came the celebration.
“It feels like we just won the Rose Bowl or something,” Arizona’s Ricky Williams said.
Lord help us all if they ever do.
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