By Fitzgerald Cecilio

Seattle, WA

Running back Bishop Sankey ran for a 61-yard score and Keith Price threw the go-ahead touchdown pass as the Washington Huskies bounced back from a 10-point hole en route to a 17-13 upset victory over No. 8 Stanford Thursday at CenturyLink Field.

Price completed 19 of 37 pass for 177 yards and his touchdown strike to sophomore wide receiver Kasen Williams completed their comeback from a 13-3 deficit to clinch their third win in four games and hand the Cardinal their first loss in four outings.

The Huskies (3-1, 1-0, PAC 12) also snapped a four-game losing streak to the Cardinal, who dominated their showdown last year, 65-21, after getting a school-record 446 rushing yards and a total output of 615 yards.

It was a different story this time as the Huskies limited Stanford's vaunted ground game to just 65 yards and their overall offense to just 235 yards, thanks to a reworked defense prepared by coach Steve Sarkisian.

"We are pretty tough with our defense," Sarkisian said.

The Huskies even outran the Cardinal by 71 yards, behind Sankey's 144 yards on 20 carries. His 61-yard touchdown run capped a seven-play, 81-yard drive and started Washington's resurgence in the third period.

Williams tallied 129 receiving yards on 10 catches to lead the Huskies' receiving corps, and his touchdown grab with less than five minutes in the game gave them a 17-13 advantage.

The Cardinal (3-1, 1-1 PAC 12) failed to reach the end zone in the first 30 minutes of the game against Washington, ending a 42-game streak with at least one touchdown in the opening half. They had not been held without a touchdown in the first half since a loss to California on Nov. 22, 2008.

The two teams exchanged field goals in the first half, which ended with Stanford leading by 6-3.

Then, Trent Murphy intercepted Price's heave in the third period and returned it for a 40-yard touchdown to give the Cardinal a 13-3 lead.

Sankey responded with a 61-yard touchdown run to trim the gap to 13-10 entering the fourth period before Williams came through with the game-winning touchdown catch.

Cornerback Desmond Trufant sealed the upset victory when he intercepted quarterback Josh Nunes' heave to tight end Levine Toilolo in the Huskies' eight-yard line with 1:46 left in the game.

Nunes finished 18-for-37 for 170 yards and no touchdown while running back Stepfan Taylor, who rushed for 138 yards in their last game against the Huskies, was limited to 75 yards on 21 carries.

 

Washington Rallies from 10-Point Deficit, Hands Stanford First Loss