Mishael Powell returned an interception 89 yards for a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter as No. 5 Washington sidestepped an upset bid with a 15-7 victory over Arizona State in Pac-12 action on Saturday night at Seattle.
Powell’s return was the lone touchdown of the contest for high-powered Washington (7-0, 4-0 Pac-12), which committed four turnovers. Heisman Trophy frontrunner Michael Penix Jr. struggled much of the game and was 27-of-42 passing for 275 yards and two interceptions, while Grady Gross kicked three field goals.
The Huskies’ winning streak is now at 14 games, the second-best active one behind top-ranked Georgia’s (24).
Cam Skattebo rushed for a touchdown and Trenton Bourguet completed 26 of 47 passes for 196 yards and the pivotal interception for the Sun Devils (1-6, 0-4), who dropped their sixth consecutive game.
Arizona State’s Shamari Simmons had an interception and fumble recovery while Ro Torrence also intercepted Penix and C.J. Fite recovered a fumble.
Dario Longhetto missed two field goals for the Sun Devils, who ran 23 more plays than Washington and outgained it 341-288.
Ja’Lynn Polk had nine receptions for 102 yards for the Huskies, who defeated Arizona State for just the third time in the past 16 meetings.
Gross booted a 47-yard field goal to bring the Huskies within 7-6 with 12:28 remaining in the contest.
Arizona State responded with an impressive drive and eventually faced fourth-and-3 at the Washington 12-yard line.
Partly due to the field-goal misses, the Sun Devils went for it, and Bourguet’s pass in the right flat was intercepted by Powell at the 11, and he returned it for the touchdown to give the Huskies a 12-7 lead with 8:11 remaining. A double-reverse pass on the two-point conversion failed.
The next time Washington got the ball, it drove 62 yards on eight plays to set up Gross’ 24-yard field goal with 3:17 remaining.
Arizona State’s final chance ended on Bourguet’s incompletion on fourth-and-15 from its own 48.
The Sun Devils led 7-3 when Longhetto lined up for a 43-yard field goal in the third quarter. Washington’s Elijah Jackson got his hand on the kick, and it landed short and wide to the left with 3:37 left in the period.
In the first quarter, Longhetto clanked a 31-yard field-goal attempt off the right upright.
Washington entered the contest third nationally in total offense (543.7 yards per game) and tied for fifth in scoring (44.3 points per game) but didn’t get on the scoreboard until Gross kicked a 24-yard field goal with 12 seconds left in the first half.
The Huskies committed three turnovers in the half — two on Penix interceptions and the other on a botched handoff between Penix and Dillon Johnson.
Arizona State scored a touchdown on Skattebo’s 1-yard run with 4:22 left in the first half.
–Field Level Media
