Huskies begin with different story

SEATTLE – Could it have been better? Yes, a lot better. Does it matter? Not at all.

For a team that has not won a season opener in five years and hasn’t had a winning record at any point in a season since 2003, a win is a win, and a winning record is a winning record.

The Washington football team struggled against the pass and turned the ball over three times, but did enough good things to walk away happy, defeating San Jose State 35-29 Saturday in front of a crowd of 52,256 fans, the smallest Husky Stadium crowd in 25 years.

The victory makes the Huskies 1-0 for the first time since they opened the 2001 season with a victory over Michigan.

“It’s the first time I’ve had that feeling since I’ve been here,” said senior quarterback Isaiah Stanback, who accounted for 270 total yards and two TDs. “I’d like to have that feeling every time we play.”

The Huskies won with a combination of a solid running game, a strong all-around effort by Stanback, and a tough run defense that also put fairly consistent pressure on Spartans quarterback Adam Tafralis. They also survived a scary fourth quarter that saw San Jose score two touchdowns, and it brought memories back of last season. A year ago, UW blew four fourth-quarter leads in which it led or trailed by under a touchdown, including the season opener against Air Force.

This time, though, the Huskies held on, responding to a 50-yard touchdown pass from Tafralis to James Jones that made it 28-22 with a 68-yard touchdown run by Louis Rankin. It was Rankin’s second touchdown of the game and capped a spectacular game in which he gained a career-high 145 yards on just 10 carries.

“We answered a couple of times,” UW offensive coordinator Tim Lappano said. “That’s something you have to do. Otherwise you’re going to put yourself in a position too many times like we did a year ago, where you don’t respond and pretty soon the game is out of hand.”

Washington entered the fourth quarter ahead 28-15 after a 6-yard scoring run by Stanback, who had a career-high 102 rushing yards to go with 168 passing yards. But with 5:32 to go, San Jose State’s spread option offense, which Washington was not prepared to defend, began to pay off as the Huskies defense wore down. Tafralis found Jones deep for a touchdown to bring the Spartans within six, only to have Rankin answer on the first play of the next drive, cutting behind a block by guard Stanley Daniels and outracing the defense for the touchdown.

“As soon as I got the ball, I saw a wide-open lane open up,” Rankin said. “I saw Stan drive his guy to the sideline and it was just wide open.”

Washington turned the ball over three times in the first half – two on fumbles, one on an interception – and all three led to San Jose field goals. But Washington led 14-9 behind a 17-yard James touchdown run and a 34-yard scoring run by Rankin, then added a 21-yard pass from Stanback to James. And then it was hang-on time for the Huskies, who look ahead to a meeting at Oklahoma next weekend, riding a wave of momentum they haven’t felt in five years.

Washington 35, SJSU 29

SJSU—FG Strubeck 40

UW—James 17 run (Braunstein kick)

SJSU—FG Strubeck 32

UW—Rankin 34 run (Braunstein kick)

SJSU—FG Strubeck 45

UW—James 21 pass from Stanback (Braunstein kick)

SJSU—J.Jones 3 pass from Tafralis (kick failed)

UW—Stanback 6 run (Braunstein kick)

SJSU—J.Jones 50 pass from Tafralis (Strubeck kick)

UW—Rankin 68 run (Braunstein kick)

SJSU—J.Jones 6 pass from Tafralis (Strubeck kick)

A—52,256.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING—San Jose State, Y.Davis 9-33, P.Perry 3-12, Tafralis 15-7, Callier 1-0, French 1-(minus 2). Washington, Rankin 10-145, Stanback 17-102, James 14-53.

PASSING—San Jose State, Tafralis 28-35-0-323, Team 0-2-0-0. Washington, Stanback 16-25-1-168.

RECEIVING—San Jose State, J.Jones 9-130, Broussard 8-83, French 5-31, Coleman 2-38, Hooper 2-17, P.Perry 1-20, Y.Davis 1-4. Washington, Russo 5-43, C.Williams 4-32, James 2-30, Rob.Lewis 2-17, Gottlieb 1-24, Shackelford 1-19, Rankin 1-3.