Washington shows playoff mettle in win at Utah

Utah will need another monster game from running back Joe Williams for that to happen after he torched the Bruins for 332 rushing yards and four scores last week. Washington State is tied with Washington for the best record in the Pac-12 and they have been a major part of the changing of the guard in their conference with a 4-0 record in league play for the first time since 2003.

The Trojans rolled out to a seven-point lead at 19-12 in the first set when junior opposite hitter Niki Withers went crosscourt for a kill, but the Utes chipped away at the USC lead and knotted the score at 24-all when Anae earned three straight kills including four on five rallies.

The game began with some back and forth punting, but the Huskies scored on their third and fourth drives to take a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Chase Hansen’s interception was pivotal.

Offensively, Washington football is averaging 259.0 yards in passing and 227.6 yards in rushing. “Going on the road, that’s a really great environment to play in, all those types of things across the board”. Gaskin was particularly impressive in the third quarter, running six times for 94 yards. RB Lavon Coleman added 60 yards. That’s only one more than No. 1 Alabama has allowed this season.

Andy Phillips tacked on a 29-yard field goal on the final play of the half.

The Utes went no farther, and with the ball on the 3, in came Utah punter Mitch Wishnowsky, who had done nothing all day except prove why he’s the best in the game.

After three defensive plays, the Huskies offense took the field once more driving 95 yards with a balanced run and passing attack that was finished off with John Ross’s first score.

West Virginia’s Skyler Howard passed for 212 yards, but he threw two interceptions and lost a fumble for the Mountaineers (6-1, 3-1).

That’s too bad, because what Washington did to win at No. 17 Utah, 31-24, on Saturday is what championship teams do. He did admit that missed tackles hurt Utah on that return and throughout the game.

LOSER: Anticipated fireworks. The only upshot of Texas Christian’s malfunctioning defense and Texas Tech’s nonexistent defense playing in the same stadium in a matchup of non-contenders in the Big 12 was the possibility of both teams scaling 70 points in a game that could somehow one-up last week’s Oklahoma-Texas Tech shootout. Over the following month, as Utah tried to piece together a functional ground game, rushers who would have stepped up in Williams’s absence suffered a spate of injuries. After rushing for only 75 yards with zero touchdowns and two fumbles the first two games of this season, Williams chose to retire from football in September, with coach Kyle Whittingham telling reporters that Williams’s body “is just worn out”.

The defense, which had forced only one other punt in the second half, held Utah to 2 yards in three plays. Initially, it appeared that Simpkins had adequate running room, even enough to gain a first down. “You’ve got to do it at the end of the year”. Desmond Howard then played to the crowd by picking the Utes.

Struggles in the first half by Troy Williams hampered any hopes of revenge. Each of Utah’s two wins versus AP Top-5 teams have come under the guidance of Kyle Whittingham, who also helped the Utes beat No. 5 Stanford in 2013.

The Utes quarterback was deferential in his postgame comments, referencing that his new team might have another shot at the old in the Pac-12 Championship Game.