Well, so much for a Top-10 showdown.
Washington quarterback Jake Browning threw for 210 yards and three touchdowns, Myles Gaskin added 100 yards on the ground and two scores as the Huskies dominated No. 7 Stanford, 44-6, at home Friday night.
The loss, was the Cardinal’s worst defeat since falling 41-3 to Arizona State in 2007. Meanwhile, the win was the largest margin of victory ever for the Huskies over a top-10 team.
After months of hype and playing a soft non-conference schedule, nobody knew what was really in store at Husky Stadium.
But after thumping the seventh-ranked Cardinal, Washington showed it was ready for a return on the national stage.
The Huskies raced to a 13-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. Up 16-0 with 3:51 left in the second quarter, Browning took a three-step drop and then unleashed a rocker to wide receiver John Ross for a 19-yard touchdown to go up 23-0 at the half.
Watch: TOUCHDOWN. Browning ➡️ Ross for a 19-yard touchdown. Washington leads 23-0. #PurpleReign
Watch: @espn https://t.co/eR4hVpJg5N
— UW Football (@UW_Football) October 1, 2016
Washington was balanced all night gaining 214 yards on the ground and 210 through the air. The Huskies averaged 5.2 yards per carry on the night which opened up the passing game for Browning.
Heisman Trophy candidate Christian McCaffrey hit a maror road bump as the he had just 89 yards of total offense — well below his season average. McCaffrey was held to 49 yards rushing on 12 carries and five catches for 30 yards.
Stanford’s only TD came late in the third quarter on a 19-yard pass from Ryan Burns to J.J. Arcega-Whiteside.
Burns was 15 of 22 for 151 yards, but was sacked eight times, six in the first half. Coming into Friday’s game, the Cardinals had allowed only four total sacks all year. It didn’t help either that Stanford committed 11 penalties after entering the week as the least penalized team in the Pac-12.
Next Opponents
Washington: Up next for the Huskies is a road game against Oregon (2-2), where they look to snap 12-game losing streak to the Ducks.
Stanford: The Cardinal will look to get back on track as they host Washington State (1-2) next Saturday.
