The Washington Huskies traveled into the desert night with a bunch of unanswered questions, and in search of themselves as a team.
Many wondered how the Huskies would respond after falling in stunning fashion last week, down on “The Farm” against the Stanford Cardinal.
It was the third night game of the season for the Huskies, and the glaring question was whether the third time would be the charm for a win?
In the end, the Huskies would earn a rather convincing 51-27 win over the Arizona Wildcats, who were sitting atop the Pac-12 South Division after a four game winning streak.
The Huskies came out early and established themselves on the road with dominating Arizona’s “high octane” offense with stout defense.
They were able to disrupt Arizona senior quarterback Khalil Tate‘s rhythm the entire night, which played a huge factor in the outcome of the game.
In the first quarter, the Huskies were graced with some outstanding field position on offense after a couple huge plays on special teams.
A blocked punt by defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike and also a punt return fumble recovery by defensive back Kyler Gordon.
While the Huskies were setup nicely with the field position, they were only able to come away with two field goals in the entire first quarter.
At the end of the first quarter, the Huskies led 6-0 and were feeling somewhat good about themselves and the momentum they had built up.
In the second quarter, the Huskies were outscored 17-7 by the Wildcats, with momentum quickly seized by the Wildcats heading into halftime.
At halftime, the Huskies were trailing Arizona, 17-13 with many wondering if they would once again fade into the late night trap of another loss?
With the Huskies set to receive the ball at the start of the second half, the first drive for the Huskies offense loomed large in reestablishing themselves.
They would answer the bell…at the 10:40 mark of the third quarter, Husky quarterback Jacob Eason hit tight end Jack Westover for a 3-yard touchdown.
The score would put the Huskies up 20-17, which really helped them settle down and never look back the rest of the night. The Huskies were firmly in control.
Junior running back Salvon Ahmed would score a touchdown for Washington, with a 4-yard rushing touchdown, and the Huskies would lead 27-17 after three quarters.
In the fourth quarter, the Huskies stomped the life out of the Cats by outscoring them 24-7 en route to their breakthrough late night victory.
One of the big stories of the game was how the Husky defense was able to corral and disrupt Tate all night long, clearly frustrating him.
Tate finished 13 for 25, 184 yards, 1 TD and 1 Interception. The glaring stat is that the Husky defense kept constant pressure on Tate, who finished with 8 carries for -28 yards. That’s amazing!
Defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake had a sound game plan all night long and kept the talented Tate from doing damage to the Husky defense.
Another huge story of the night was the “two-headed monster” rushing attack of junior Salvon Ahmed and junior Sean McGrew.
Both running backs were absolutely sensational, with taking turns throughout the game in pacing the Huskies ground and pound attack.
McGrew shot through the Wildcats defense like a cannonball, while Ahmed carved his way into the second level all game long.
The two of them combined for 201 yards off the ground, which was a huge reason the Husky offense was able to extend drives and score touchdowns.
On the night, McGrew had 13 carries for 106 yards and Ahmed carried the load with 23 carries for 95 yards, and three touchdowns.
The other big story of the night was Eason going 15 for 22, for 243 yards and two touchdowns. He was a major catalyst in the second half for the Husky offense.
He made some big time throws down the field, which resulted in some explosive plays that broke the game open for the Huskies down the stretch.
It was a great win for the Huskies as they finally cracked the code with winning a late night game this season, and also winning in the desert.
Previously the Huskies hadn’t won since the 2015 season, after trailing on the scoreboard at halftime. The win came at a much needed time, as the Huskies gained some much needed confidence.
Next up for the Huskies is the Oregon Ducks, next Saturday afternoon, October 19th at Husky Stadium with a kickoff time of 12:30 p.m PST.
Washington vs. Arizona Final Game Stats
Below is a Highlights Video of the game…..
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