2008 Washington Huskies football team
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Washington Huskies football team represented the University of Washington
in the college football
season of 2008-2009. The team's head coach was Tyrone Willingham
. The Huskies played their home games at Husky Stadium
in Seattle, Washington. The 2008 Huskies were the first 0-12 team
in PAC-10 conference history and the only team in the country to finish the 2008 season without a victory. The Huskies were outscored 159-463 during the losing streak.
On October 27, 2008, the Monday after a 33-7 loss to Notre Dame, it was announced that Willingham would step down as head coach at the end of the 2008 season. University of Washington Athletic Director Scott Woodward said the announcement ended speculation of what was going to happen with Willingham, who had a year remaining on his contract.
"It became quite obvious that the performance on the football field wasn’t up to what we talked about at the beginning of the season and previous to the season and it became more obvious as time went on," Woodward said in explaining his decision to make the move.
at Autzen Stadium
. It was the first time Washington opened the season with a conference opponent since 1998, when they defeated Arizona State
, 42-38 in Tempe, Arizona
.
Oregon crushed the Huskies, 44-10. Washington averaged a mere 2.2 rushing yards per carry, and was held scoreless in the second half.
"We just couldn't run the ball," coach Tyrone Willingham said.
The win was the 5th straight for the Ducks against the Huskies, which marks the first time Oregon has accomplished that feat since the series began in 1900.
A late Washington rally fell short and the game ended in controversy. Quarterback Jake Locker
scored on a 3-yard touchdown run with 2 seconds remaining in the game, cutting BYU's lead to 28-27. But Locker was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, and the extra point attempt was moved back 15 yards. The ensuing PAT try was blocked, BYU players rushed the field, and a chorus of boos rained down from the Husky faithful.
"After scoring the touchdown, the player threw the ball into the air and we are required, by rule, to assess a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty," Referee Larry Farina said in a statement given to Washington officials. "It is a celebration rule that we are required to call. It was not a judgment call."
Cougar quarterback Max Hall
had 339 yards passing and three touchdowns, including a 15-yarder to tight end Dennis Pitta
with 3:31 left in the game.
Locker finished 17-for-32 passing for 204 yards and added 62 yards rushing on 18 carries.
Washington safety Nate Williams had a game-high 13 tackles. He also put the hit on BYU tailback Harvey Unga that forced a touchdown-saving fumble that UW’s Tripper Johnson recovered in the end zone in the 4th quarter.
The Sooners scored their most points on the road against a school from a BCS conference since a 56-25 win at Texas Tech
on November 22, 2003. They also handed Washington its largest margin of defeat at home since October 12, 1929, when it lost 48-0 to Southern California, a scant two weeks before The Wall Street Crash.
Washington lost three fumbles, missed two field goals and punted three times in the first half. The Huskies went into the locker room down 34-0 and didn't get on the board until Jake Locker scored on a 15-yard touchdown run with 5:37 remaining in the 3rd quarter.
Oklahoma, the highest-ranked nonconference team to visit Husky Stadium since 1969, gained 591 yards of total offense on the day.
for the rest of the season when he broke his right thumb during second quarter action while blocking downfield.
Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard, formerly of Clover Park High School
, completed 16 of 24 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.
The Huskies’ defense gave up 466 yards – and 244 of those came on the ground, despite Washington’s agreement all week that its top defensive priority was stopping the run.
The Huskies were already trailing 14-7 when Locker was hurt, and while replacement Ronnie Fouch injected some enthusiasm with some accurate passing, the Dawgs ultimately couldn't overcome another porous performance from its defense.
Just about the time Locker emerged from the locker room in the third quarter, Stanford's Anthony Kimble ran 83 yards for a touchdown with 9:35 left in the third quarter to put Stanford ahead 28-14, and all hope seemed to be gone.
Willingham opened his postgame news conference by saying it was "very difficult for me to stand before you...I felt like we could win the football game."
Facing the nation's second-ranked defense, Washington struggled behind quarterback Ronnie Fouch, a redshirt freshman making his first college start. Fouch completed 12 of 28 passes for 181 yards and one touchdown, a 20-yarder to Michael Gottlieb midway through the fourth quarter. Fouch also threw an interception.
“We played a complete game on offense, defense and special teams,” Arizona coach Mike Stoops said. “We were very efficient and balanced. Our running backs were strong. (Quarterback) Willie Tuitama was excellent.”
It was the Huskies’ fifth loss of the season and seventh straight dating back to last season, giving the Dawgs the dubious distinction of having the longest losing streak in major college football.
Washington athletic director Scott Woodward met with reporters after the game to say that he stands by the position he has held all along — he does not intend to fire head coach Tyrone Willingham midseason.
"I stick with what I said last week," he said. "I told you last week that I was less happy than I was the week before. Well, I'm even less happy than I was. But we have seven games, and we are going to play those seven games and no, there is not going to be a change this week. We will look at the whole body of work of the season and assess it at the end of the season."
James' brother, Jacquizz Rodgers
, did his part too: 94 yards rushing on 20 carries and a touchdown.
The Beavers ran for 230 yards and the Huskies turned the ball over four times in front of a disappointed homecoming crowd at Husky Stadium. The biggest cheers of the night were for former Husky head coach Don James and the 1977 Washington team that won the Rose Bowl when they were honored on the field after the third quarter.
The Huskies dropped their eighth straight dating back to last season, tied with North Texas
for the longest losing streak in the country.
Washington took a rare lead on Jared Ballman's 45-yard field goal early in the first quarter. The Huskies had not led since since the third quarter against BYU
on Sept. 6, and it was only their second lead of the entire season.
With under 3 minutes to go in the first quarter, Oregon State coach Mike Riley
took a chance by going for it on fourth-and-1 at his own 43, and converted with Jacquizz Rodgers
going for five yards. On the next play, the Beavers faked a dive to Jacquizz and handed instead to James Rodgers on a reverse, then watched him dash in front of the Beavers' bench for a 52-yard touchdown.
Later in the half, after Fouch was sacked and fumbled near midfield, James Rodgers struck again. Rodgers found space in the middle of Washington interior on a middle screen, then sprinted away from three Huskies for a 33-yard scoring pass to make it 17-3.
The Huskies were 3 of 12 on 3rd down conversions.
"I feel like we could have scored more, but we never want to embarrass a team," said Notre Dame wide receiver Golden Tate, who ran 21 yards for his first career touchdown on an end around in the opening quarter. "I think we let up once we had them 14-0."
Washington finished with 124 total yards against a defense that was allowing an average of 368 yards, 75th nationally.
"There was nothing that we did well tonight," a solemn Willingham said after the game.
completed 15 of 19 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns to Patrick Turner before coming out early in the third quarter, and Southern California scored TDs on its first six possessions in a 56-0 rout of Washington.
USC led 42-0 at the half.
The win before a crowd of 80,216 at the Los Angeles Coliseum was the 42nd in the last 43 home games for the Trojans.
The victory was the most lopsided in the history of the 78-game series, surpassing USC's 48-0 triumph in 1929. The Trojans have won the last seven games between the teams, but their margin of victory was just six points in 2006 and three points last season.
Washington moved to the Trojans' 6-yard line early in the fourth quarter, but Chris Galippo intercepted a pass by Fouch on second-and-goal and returned it 50 yards to the Huskies' 49.
The Huskies would threaten again later, getting to the USC 25 before Drew McAllister's interception turned them away to preserve the shutout.
"It was exciting to see so many of our young guys get in and to hold onto the shutout there at the end," USC Head coach Pete Carroll
said. "It's really a source of pride for everyone."
It was the Huskies' first shutout loss since falling to USC 38-0 in 2004, their worst loss since a 65-7 decision at Miami
in 2001, and their worst shutout loss since a 58-0 beating at Oregon in 1973.
rallied Arizona State with a pair of second half touchdowns to Michael Jones, and the Sun Devils kept their slim bowl hopes alive by pulling away for a 39-19 win over winless Washington on Saturday night in Seattle.
Washington opened the playbook in this game. The Huskies used reverses, direct snaps, and even a double pass that ended with quarterback Ronnie Fouch catching a second quarter touchdown.
With the game tied at 16 in the third quarter, Washington's Chris Stevens blocked a punt and the Huskies took over at the Arizona State 14. But the Sun Devils defense held the Huskies to a second consecutive field goal inside the 10 yard line, and while it gave Washington a 19-16 lead, it would be the last points the Huskies scored.
Carpenter quickly led the Sun Devils down the field, capped by his 6-yard toss to Jones in the back of the end zone to give Arizona State a 23-19 lead. On their next possession, Carpenter hit Jones on a 2-yard fade to push the advantage to 30-19.
Carpenter hit seven straight passes during the two decisive scoring drives. He finished 22 of 31 for 218 yards.
Washington was 4-15 on 3rd down conversions, and ran for a meager 52 yards, 39 of which came on a late 4th quarter carry, after the game had already been decided.
Fouch finished 13 of 40 for 192 yards, with two interceptions.
The Huskies were held scoreless in the 4th quarter for the second consecutive game. The second half continues to be dreadful for the Dawgs: In the past 5 games, UW has managed to score a mere 27 second half points.
already had been fired from his position. On October 27, 2008, the University of Washington announced that he will not be retained as head coach after the completion of Washington's 2008 football season. Willingham becomes the third Washington coach to be fired (out of the last four) since Hall of Fame coach Don James resigned in 1993 because of pending NCAA
and Pac-10 sanctions against his team where his players were determined to have "accepted substantial and illegal benefits under James, likely with his knowledge" .
UCLA coach Neuheisel had been fired in the summer of 2003 from the University of Washington
in relation to his participation in a neighborhood pool for the 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
and lies he told about his actions. The University of Washington had its probation extended for failing to monitor its football program. This was Neuheisel's first return to Husky Stadium
following the firing. There was some booing, but not a significant amount. The Huskies had been on a winless streak all season, and were at 0-9.
The day was sunny and dry, so weather was not a factor as can often be the case in Seattle in November. Under the direction of quarterback Kevin Craft, the Bruins drove 80 yards in 12 plays. Running back Derrick Coleman rushed for a touchdown in the first half. In the second half, the Bruins launched a ninety-two yard drive. Backed up against the goal line, running back Kahlil Bell ran four straight times, and Craft followed with several key pass completions. UCLA finally scored on a run by Bell, taking the 24-7 lead.
met the 0-10 Huskies in Pullman
for the 101st Apple Cup
. The Huskies controlled the lead for much of the game, but the Cougars forced their way into overtime with a fourth-quarter field goal by kicker Nico Grasu. Grasu hit two more field goals in the two overtime periods to lead the Cougars to their second straight Apple Cup
victory, and fourth win in the teams' last five meetings. The win was the Cougar's lone victory over a Football Bowl Subdivision team in 2008 and assured the Huskies' place at the bottom of the Pac-10 standings.
set a school record for most rushing yards in a game at 311. The Huskies finished the season on a 14-game losing streak, as the team's last win had been against Cal at home in 2007.
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in the college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
season of 2008-2009. The team's head coach was Tyrone Willingham
Tyrone Willingham
Lionel Tyrone "Ty" Willingham is a former American football player and coach. He was the head coach at Stanford University , the University of Notre Dame , and the University of Washington , compiling a career college football record of 76–88–1.-Early career:Willingham attended...
. The Huskies played their home games at Husky Stadium
Husky Stadium
Husky Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the home of the Washington Huskies...
in Seattle, Washington. The 2008 Huskies were the first 0-12 team
Imperfect season
An imperfect season is defined as a team losing all of their games. It is the antithesis of a perfect season, and is often referred to as such in a tongue-in-cheek manner...
in PAC-10 conference history and the only team in the country to finish the 2008 season without a victory. The Huskies were outscored 159-463 during the losing streak.
On October 27, 2008, the Monday after a 33-7 loss to Notre Dame, it was announced that Willingham would step down as head coach at the end of the 2008 season. University of Washington Athletic Director Scott Woodward said the announcement ended speculation of what was going to happen with Willingham, who had a year remaining on his contract.
"It became quite obvious that the performance on the football field wasn’t up to what we talked about at the beginning of the season and previous to the season and it became more obvious as time went on," Woodward said in explaining his decision to make the move.
Schedule
Oregon
Washington opened the season with a game versus the Oregon DucksOregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks refers to the sports teams of the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon. The Oregon Ducks are part of the Pacific-12 Conference in the Division 1 of the NCAA. With seventeen varsity teams, the Oregon Ducks are best known for their football team and Track and Field...
at Autzen Stadium
Autzen Stadium
Autzen Stadium is an outdoor football stadium in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Located north of the University of Oregon campus, it is the home field of the Oregon Ducks of the Pacific-12 Conference. Opened in 1967, the stadium has undergone several expansions...
. It was the first time Washington opened the season with a conference opponent since 1998, when they defeated Arizona State
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
, 42-38 in Tempe, Arizona
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
.
Oregon crushed the Huskies, 44-10. Washington averaged a mere 2.2 rushing yards per carry, and was held scoreless in the second half.
"We just couldn't run the ball," coach Tyrone Willingham said.
The win was the 5th straight for the Ducks against the Huskies, which marks the first time Oregon has accomplished that feat since the series began in 1900.
BYU
The Huskies and Cougars met for the seventh time, with #15 BYU avoiding the upset in front of 64,611 fans at Husky Stadium.A late Washington rally fell short and the game ended in controversy. Quarterback Jake Locker
Jake Locker
Jacob Cooper "Jake" Locker is an American football quarterback selected by the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League in the 2011 Draft...
scored on a 3-yard touchdown run with 2 seconds remaining in the game, cutting BYU's lead to 28-27. But Locker was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, and the extra point attempt was moved back 15 yards. The ensuing PAT try was blocked, BYU players rushed the field, and a chorus of boos rained down from the Husky faithful.
"After scoring the touchdown, the player threw the ball into the air and we are required, by rule, to assess a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty," Referee Larry Farina said in a statement given to Washington officials. "It is a celebration rule that we are required to call. It was not a judgment call."
Cougar quarterback Max Hall
Max Hall
Max Hall is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at BYU.-Early years:...
had 339 yards passing and three touchdowns, including a 15-yarder to tight end Dennis Pitta
Dennis Pitta
-Baltimore Ravens:Pitta was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was signed to a three-year contract on June 21, 2010.-External links:**...
with 3:31 left in the game.
Locker finished 17-for-32 passing for 204 yards and added 62 yards rushing on 18 carries.
Washington safety Nate Williams had a game-high 13 tackles. He also put the hit on BYU tailback Harvey Unga that forced a touchdown-saving fumble that UW’s Tripper Johnson recovered in the end zone in the 4th quarter.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford completed 18 of 21 passes for 304 yards, matched his career high with five touchdown passes and ran for a sixth score to lead the Sooners in a rout against the overmatched Huskies, 55-14.The Sooners scored their most points on the road against a school from a BCS conference since a 56-25 win at Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders football
Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
on November 22, 2003. They also handed Washington its largest margin of defeat at home since October 12, 1929, when it lost 48-0 to Southern California, a scant two weeks before The Wall Street Crash.
Washington lost three fumbles, missed two field goals and punted three times in the first half. The Huskies went into the locker room down 34-0 and didn't get on the board until Jake Locker scored on a 15-yard touchdown run with 5:37 remaining in the 3rd quarter.
Oklahoma, the highest-ranked nonconference team to visit Husky Stadium since 1969, gained 591 yards of total offense on the day.
Stanford
Coach Tyrone Willingham’s Huskies not only fell to 0-4 overall and 0-2 in the Pacific-10 Conference with a 35-28 loss to Stanford, but they also lost quarterback Jake LockerJake Locker
Jacob Cooper "Jake" Locker is an American football quarterback selected by the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League in the 2011 Draft...
for the rest of the season when he broke his right thumb during second quarter action while blocking downfield.
Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard, formerly of Clover Park High School
Clover Park High School
Clover Park High School , located in Lakewood, Washington, is one of two secondary schools within the Clover Park School District.-History:The high school was established in 1938 due to the rapid expansion of nearby military posts at Fort Lewis....
, completed 16 of 24 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.
The Huskies’ defense gave up 466 yards – and 244 of those came on the ground, despite Washington’s agreement all week that its top defensive priority was stopping the run.
The Huskies were already trailing 14-7 when Locker was hurt, and while replacement Ronnie Fouch injected some enthusiasm with some accurate passing, the Dawgs ultimately couldn't overcome another porous performance from its defense.
Just about the time Locker emerged from the locker room in the third quarter, Stanford's Anthony Kimble ran 83 yards for a touchdown with 9:35 left in the third quarter to put Stanford ahead 28-14, and all hope seemed to be gone.
Willingham opened his postgame news conference by saying it was "very difficult for me to stand before you...I felt like we could win the football game."
Arizona
On a breezy night in the Tucson desert, Arizona wasted little time putting away the Huskies. Arizona took a 17-0 lead after the first quarter and never looked back.Facing the nation's second-ranked defense, Washington struggled behind quarterback Ronnie Fouch, a redshirt freshman making his first college start. Fouch completed 12 of 28 passes for 181 yards and one touchdown, a 20-yarder to Michael Gottlieb midway through the fourth quarter. Fouch also threw an interception.
“We played a complete game on offense, defense and special teams,” Arizona coach Mike Stoops said. “We were very efficient and balanced. Our running backs were strong. (Quarterback) Willie Tuitama was excellent.”
It was the Huskies’ fifth loss of the season and seventh straight dating back to last season, giving the Dawgs the dubious distinction of having the longest losing streak in major college football.
Washington athletic director Scott Woodward met with reporters after the game to say that he stands by the position he has held all along — he does not intend to fire head coach Tyrone Willingham midseason.
"I stick with what I said last week," he said. "I told you last week that I was less happy than I was the week before. Well, I'm even less happy than I was. But we have seven games, and we are going to play those seven games and no, there is not going to be a change this week. We will look at the whole body of work of the season and assess it at the end of the season."
Oregon State
Oregon State's James Rodgers zipped through Washington's defense for 216 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns as the Beavers won their fifth straight over Washington for the first time in the series' history.James' brother, Jacquizz Rodgers
Jacquizz Rodgers
Jacquizz "Quizz" Rodgers is an American football running back for the Atlanta Falcons. Rodgers played for the Oregon State Beavers. During his freshman year, Rodgers was named the 2008 Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year...
, did his part too: 94 yards rushing on 20 carries and a touchdown.
The Beavers ran for 230 yards and the Huskies turned the ball over four times in front of a disappointed homecoming crowd at Husky Stadium. The biggest cheers of the night were for former Husky head coach Don James and the 1977 Washington team that won the Rose Bowl when they were honored on the field after the third quarter.
The Huskies dropped their eighth straight dating back to last season, tied with North Texas
North Texas Mean Green football
The North Texas Mean Green football team represents the University of North Texas in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-FBS college football and competes as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The Mean Green have attained several conference championships, including four...
for the longest losing streak in the country.
Washington took a rare lead on Jared Ballman's 45-yard field goal early in the first quarter. The Huskies had not led since since the third quarter against BYU
2008 BYU Cougars football team
The 2008 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University in the 2008 college football season.Prior to the 2008 season, BYU had won consecutive Mountain West Conference championship titles without losing a conference game. It had also finished with an 11-2 overall record for...
on Sept. 6, and it was only their second lead of the entire season.
With under 3 minutes to go in the first quarter, Oregon State coach Mike Riley
Mike Riley
Michael Joseph "Mike" Riley is an American football coach, currently the head coach of the Oregon State Beavers of the Pacific-12 Conference...
took a chance by going for it on fourth-and-1 at his own 43, and converted with Jacquizz Rodgers
Jacquizz Rodgers
Jacquizz "Quizz" Rodgers is an American football running back for the Atlanta Falcons. Rodgers played for the Oregon State Beavers. During his freshman year, Rodgers was named the 2008 Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year...
going for five yards. On the next play, the Beavers faked a dive to Jacquizz and handed instead to James Rodgers on a reverse, then watched him dash in front of the Beavers' bench for a 52-yard touchdown.
Later in the half, after Fouch was sacked and fumbled near midfield, James Rodgers struck again. Rodgers found space in the middle of Washington interior on a middle screen, then sprinted away from three Huskies for a 33-yard scoring pass to make it 17-3.
The Huskies were 3 of 12 on 3rd down conversions.
Notre Dame
Washington's offense, with redshirt freshman quarterback Ronnie Fouch making his third career start, did not cross midfield until 6 minutes remained in the game. The Huskies had just 51 total yards on 35 plays entering the fourth quarter. They had 5 yards passing at halftime, when the game was essentially over with Notre Dame up 17-0."I feel like we could have scored more, but we never want to embarrass a team," said Notre Dame wide receiver Golden Tate, who ran 21 yards for his first career touchdown on an end around in the opening quarter. "I think we let up once we had them 14-0."
Washington finished with 124 total yards against a defense that was allowing an average of 368 yards, 75th nationally.
"There was nothing that we did well tonight," a solemn Willingham said after the game.
USC
Mark SanchezMark Sanchez
Mark Travis John Sanchez is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League . He was drafted in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft as the fifth overall selection by the Jets and the second quarterback taken overall...
completed 15 of 19 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns to Patrick Turner before coming out early in the third quarter, and Southern California scored TDs on its first six possessions in a 56-0 rout of Washington.
USC led 42-0 at the half.
The win before a crowd of 80,216 at the Los Angeles Coliseum was the 42nd in the last 43 home games for the Trojans.
The victory was the most lopsided in the history of the 78-game series, surpassing USC's 48-0 triumph in 1929. The Trojans have won the last seven games between the teams, but their margin of victory was just six points in 2006 and three points last season.
Washington moved to the Trojans' 6-yard line early in the fourth quarter, but Chris Galippo intercepted a pass by Fouch on second-and-goal and returned it 50 yards to the Huskies' 49.
The Huskies would threaten again later, getting to the USC 25 before Drew McAllister's interception turned them away to preserve the shutout.
"It was exciting to see so many of our young guys get in and to hold onto the shutout there at the end," USC Head coach Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll is the head coach and executive Vice-President of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He is a former head coach of the New York Jets, New England Patriots and the University of Southern California Trojans football team.-Early life:Carroll attended Redwood High...
said. "It's really a source of pride for everyone."
It was the Huskies' first shutout loss since falling to USC 38-0 in 2004, their worst loss since a 65-7 decision at Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
in 2001, and their worst shutout loss since a 58-0 beating at Oregon in 1973.
Arizona State
Quarterback Rudy CarpenterRudy Carpenter
Rudy Carpenter is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
rallied Arizona State with a pair of second half touchdowns to Michael Jones, and the Sun Devils kept their slim bowl hopes alive by pulling away for a 39-19 win over winless Washington on Saturday night in Seattle.
Washington opened the playbook in this game. The Huskies used reverses, direct snaps, and even a double pass that ended with quarterback Ronnie Fouch catching a second quarter touchdown.
With the game tied at 16 in the third quarter, Washington's Chris Stevens blocked a punt and the Huskies took over at the Arizona State 14. But the Sun Devils defense held the Huskies to a second consecutive field goal inside the 10 yard line, and while it gave Washington a 19-16 lead, it would be the last points the Huskies scored.
Carpenter quickly led the Sun Devils down the field, capped by his 6-yard toss to Jones in the back of the end zone to give Arizona State a 23-19 lead. On their next possession, Carpenter hit Jones on a 2-yard fade to push the advantage to 30-19.
Carpenter hit seven straight passes during the two decisive scoring drives. He finished 22 of 31 for 218 yards.
Washington was 4-15 on 3rd down conversions, and ran for a meager 52 yards, 39 of which came on a late 4th quarter carry, after the game had already been decided.
Fouch finished 13 of 40 for 192 yards, with two interceptions.
The Huskies were held scoreless in the 4th quarter for the second consecutive game. The second half continues to be dreadful for the Dawgs: In the past 5 games, UW has managed to score a mere 27 second half points.
UCLA
Huskies head coach Tyrone WillinghamTyrone Willingham
Lionel Tyrone "Ty" Willingham is a former American football player and coach. He was the head coach at Stanford University , the University of Notre Dame , and the University of Washington , compiling a career college football record of 76–88–1.-Early career:Willingham attended...
already had been fired from his position. On October 27, 2008, the University of Washington announced that he will not be retained as head coach after the completion of Washington's 2008 football season. Willingham becomes the third Washington coach to be fired (out of the last four) since Hall of Fame coach Don James resigned in 1993 because of pending NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
and Pac-10 sanctions against his team where his players were determined to have "accepted substantial and illegal benefits under James, likely with his knowledge" .
UCLA coach Neuheisel had been fired in the summer of 2003 from the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in relation to his participation in a neighborhood pool for the 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 2003, and ended with the championship game on April 7 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
and lies he told about his actions. The University of Washington had its probation extended for failing to monitor its football program. This was Neuheisel's first return to Husky Stadium
Husky Stadium
Husky Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the home of the Washington Huskies...
following the firing. There was some booing, but not a significant amount. The Huskies had been on a winless streak all season, and were at 0-9.
The day was sunny and dry, so weather was not a factor as can often be the case in Seattle in November. Under the direction of quarterback Kevin Craft, the Bruins drove 80 yards in 12 plays. Running back Derrick Coleman rushed for a touchdown in the first half. In the second half, the Bruins launched a ninety-two yard drive. Backed up against the goal line, running back Kahlil Bell ran four straight times, and Craft followed with several key pass completions. UCLA finally scored on a run by Bell, taking the 24-7 lead.
Washington State
On November 21, 2008, the 1-10 Washington State Cougars2008 Washington State Cougars football team
The 2008 Washington State Cougars football team represented Washington State University in the college football season of 2008-2009. The team's head coach was Paul Wulff. It played its home games at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Washington...
met the 0-10 Huskies in Pullman
Pullman, Washington
Pullman is the largest city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 24,675 at the 2000 census and 29,799 according to the 2010 census...
for the 101st Apple Cup
Apple Cup
The Apple Cup is the trophy awarded to the winner of an American college football rivalry game played annually by the teams of the two largest universities in the U.S. state of Washington: the University of Washington Huskies and the Washington State University Cougars...
. The Huskies controlled the lead for much of the game, but the Cougars forced their way into overtime with a fourth-quarter field goal by kicker Nico Grasu. Grasu hit two more field goals in the two overtime periods to lead the Cougars to their second straight Apple Cup
Apple Cup
The Apple Cup is the trophy awarded to the winner of an American college football rivalry game played annually by the teams of the two largest universities in the U.S. state of Washington: the University of Washington Huskies and the Washington State University Cougars...
victory, and fourth win in the teams' last five meetings. The win was the Cougar's lone victory over a Football Bowl Subdivision team in 2008 and assured the Huskies' place at the bottom of the Pac-10 standings.
California
The Bears' victory made their record at home perfect at 7-0 and made the Huskies the first 0-12 team in PAC-10 conference history and the only team in the country to finish the 2008 season without a victory. During the game Cal running back Jahvid BestJahvid Best
Jahvid Andre Best is a running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was selected by the Lions with the 30th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. In college, he played for the California Golden Bears, setting several records, including most all-purpose yards in a single season and...
set a school record for most rushing yards in a game at 311. The Huskies finished the season on a 14-game losing streak, as the team's last win had been against Cal at home in 2007.
See also
- 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings2008 NCAA Division I FBS football rankingsThree human polls and one formulaic ranking make up the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings, in addition to various publications' preseason polls. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a National Championship title. That title is bestowed by one or...
- 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season2008 NCAA Division I FBS football seasonThe 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 28, 2008, progressing through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Miami Gardens, Florida on January 8, 2009, where the #2...
- University of WashingtonUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...