Second-Half UW Surge Buries Beavers Huskies Run Away To 45-17 Victory

For a half on a crisp, clear Saturday evening, the unthinkable seemed possible.

Oregon State and seventh-ranked Washington were deadlocked 10-10. The Beavers, 24-point underdogs, winners against Washington only once in the previous 20 tries, had visions of an amazing upset.

Then reality, in the form of Washington’s mammoth offensive line and overpowering talent, re-established itself, and the Huskies overwhelmed Oregon State 45-17.

There was no panic in the Huskies’ locker room at halftime.

“There was no hootin’ and hollering,” Brock Huard said. “It was just, ‘Let’s go play. We know what we can do.’ Then it was touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, and that was the end of the story.”

The Huskies (6-1, 4-0 Pac-10) had 116 yards rushing in the third quarter alone. Rashan Shehee had 73 yards in the period and finished with 169, his fourth consecutive 100-yard game.

“The momentum-changer was us able to stop them in three, then go down there and score,” Washington coach Jim Lambright said. “Then it started to roll. More than anything else, it was establishing line of scrimmage control, and we didn’t do that at all in the first half.”

Washington scored 35 unanswered points in the second half before the Beavers’ reserves scored late.

“I told our team this, and I don’t think it’s really a revelation,” Oregon State coach Mike Riley said. “I told them we played the best team we’re going to play this year today.”

Oregon State (3-4, 0-4) lost to Washington for the 10th consecutive time. The Huskies won their 10th Pac-10 game in a row.

Jerome Pathon had a career-best nine receptions for 109 yards, including an 18-yard lob from Huard for UW’s second TD of the third quarter.

Huard, who threw his second interception of the season in the first half, completed 17 of 25 for 219 yards.

“There was more of a commitment to the run in the second half,” Shehee said.

Huskies 45, Beavers 17

Washington 0 10 21 14 - 45

Oregon St. 3 7 0 7 - 17

OSU-FG Cortez 30 Wash-Shehee 1 run (Lentz kick) OSU-Jacot 10 pass from Alexander (Cortez kick) Wash-FG Lentz 34 Wash-Shehee 2 run (Lentz kick) Wash-Pathon 18 pass from Huard (Lentz kick) Wash-Harris 7 run (Lentz kick) Wash-Hooker 44 pass from Huard (Lentz kick) Wash-Issa 18 fumble return (Lentz kick) OSU-Maurer 6 pass from Tomich (Cortez kick) A-28,067 Wash OSU First downs 28 12 Rushes-yards 51-264 28-48 Passing 246 162 Comp-Att-Int 18-27-1 15-33-2 Return Yards 60 3 Punts-Avg. 3-31.3 7-43.1 Fumbles-Lost 2-1 2-1 Penalties-Yards 6-59 9-54 Time of Possession 33:14 26:46 RUSHING-Washington, Shehee 29-169, Harris 12-80, Shaw 4-22, Conniff 1-3, Huard 2-(minus 1), Tuiasosopo 3-(minus 9). Oregon St., Alexander 10-35, Dandridge 8-13, Walker 9-10, Tomich 1-(minus 10).

PASSING-Washington, Huard 17-25-1-219, Tuiasosopo 1-2-0-27. Oregon St., Alexander 8-22-1-64, Tomich 6-10-1-86, Schmidtke 1-1-0-12.

RECEIVING-Washington, Pathon 9-109, Coleman 3-51, Hooker 2-51, Shehee 2-9, Reddick 1-27, Conniff 1-(minus 1). Oregon St., Jacot 4-31, Ainsworth 2-39, Maurer 2-18, Woodson 2-12, Prescott 1-28, Kuykendall 1-18, Lazetich 1-8, Walker 1-7, Tompkins 1-1.