Washington survives after goal-line gaffe, moves to 10-0 - ESPN
SEATTLE — When No. 18 Utah's potential game-tying drive fell well short in the final minute of No. 5 Washington's 35-28 win, perhaps no one exhaled deeper than Huskies linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala.
It was Tuputala's interception that killed a promising Utah drive near the end of the third quarter. But when he celebrated a yard and a half prematurely on what would have been a pick-six — fumbling to turn the ball over following a 76-yard return — it set up the possibility for a nightmare. The Huskies still led 33-28, but if Utah came back to win, the mental gaffe would have registered an unfortunate place in program history.
Instead, Washington's defense responded with a safety on the next play and kept Utah scoreless the rest of the way. Disaster avoided.
«Unfortunately, you just get excited, and it's a great lesson to learn from,» Washington coach Kalen DeBoer said. «Fortunately, we won the football game, and so we can learn from that. But it is the defense getting back out there, getting some points with the safety and then just continue to pick up and play ball. I saw a lot of guys as the game is going along going to Zo and making sure that he knew they got his back.»
It was another case of Washington (10-0, 7-0 Pac-12) finding a new way to win, as it extended the nation's second-longest winning streak to 17 games.
The contest was a shootout in the making early on. Utah had scored touchdowns on four straight possessions to take a 28-24 lead at halftime. In the second half, it turned into a defensive struggle, and the Utes failed to score again.
After starting the season with four straight comfortable wins, things have been more difficult since for the Huskies. That recent stretch included closer-than-expected wins