UW commits 7 deadly sins
SEATTLE — The University of Washington football team finally got its hands on a quarterback who could make all sorts of fun, unpredictable things happen, but it still couldn’t hang onto the football.
As a result, the Huskies let yet another game slip through their greasy palms, losing 29-14 to the Oregon State Beavers in a Pacific-10 Conference game played on a cold, wet Saturday afternoon at a two-thirds full Husky Stadium.
A pair of lost fumbles near the opposing goal line by junior fullback James Sims, one coming in the second quarter and the other at the end of the third, effectively stalled two touchdown drives and any chance UW (1-5 overall, 0-3 league) had at winning this one.
Sims’ bobbles were among seven turnovers for the mistake-prone home club — four fumbles and three interceptions — and ruined Isaiah Stanback’s often-electrifying return at quarterback.
Stanback, a sophomore who hadn’t played since the season opener because of an ankle injury, replaced ineffective starter Casey Paus to start the second quarter and put on a dazzling offensive display with several improvised, broken-field runs.
He was good with his arm, too, finding sophomore wideout Quintin Daniels with a 23-yard TD pass and junior tight end Joe Toledo with a 24-yarder in the corner of the end zone. Stanback finished with 219 yards passing and added a team-high 51 net yards rushing.
But it all went for naught, with the Huskies making it easy for OSU (2-4, 1-2) to win in Seattle for the first time since 1985. The Beavers’ Alexis Serna connected on a school-record five field goals, three resulting from giveaways.
“Those two turnovers on the 1-yard line just killed our momentum,” red-faced UW coach Keith Gilbertson said later. “When you turn the ball over seven times, you’re going to have a long day.”
With his team leading 7-6, Sims fumbled on a second-and-goal plunge up the middle. Beavers middle linebacker Trent Bray made a big hit on the back that popped the ball loose, and strong safety Sabby Piscitelli fell on at the 6.
His Huskies down 23-14, Sims mishandled a snap as he ran up the middle on a first-down play from the 4 with a minute left in the third period. OSU defensive end Joe Rudolph recovered the loose ball on his 1.
“I put it all back on myself,” Sims said in a whisper.
The Huskies lost more than on the scoreboard. The casualty rate keeps going higher and higher. Chalk up another veteran player who won’t see action again until 2005, if that soon.
Sophomore defensive tackle Dan Milsten was lost for the season with a broken left leg and severely dislocated ankle suffered on the Huskies’ second defensive series of the game. The Huskies also had two wide receivers that couldn’t finish. Daniels hurt a knee, while senior co-captain Charles Frederick re-aggravated a hamstring injury on a fourth-quarter punt return, one that had forced him to miss most of the three previous games.
“I feel sick for our kids,” Gilbertson said. “I don’t have an answer for it.”
Paus wasn’t injured, unless a shattered confidence level qualifies. He started and played only the first three offensive series. He did nothing right, throwing two interceptions and going three-and-out on the one series he didn’t give the ball away.
On his second play, Paus rolled left and threw a wobbly pass intended for Frederick into double coverage. OSU’s Bray barely had to move in coming up with an easy interception.
Paus started hearing loud boos on his next series when three plays generated no yards, only confusion.
With a minute and half left in the opening quarter, Paus became a backup quarterback again by throwing the ball directly to Beavers free safety Mitch Meeuwsen on the third play of the drive.
Enter Stanback, making his first appearance in five weeks. He rolled the Huskies down the field to score in eight plays, enlivening the 50,000-plus crowd and hitting Daniels on a full sprint up the right side with the first TD pass of the young quarterback’s brief collegiate career.