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Washington knocks off No. 8 Stanford

Sep 28, 2012 - 5:43 AM Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Kasen Williams' 35-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter gave the Huskies the lead, and Washington held on for a 17-13 upset victory over the eighth-ranked Stanford Cardinal at CenturyLink Field.

One year after losing to Stanford by 44 points, and two weeks after the Cardinal knocked off national title contender USC, Washington (3-1, 1-0 Pac-12) used a stifling defense to win its Pac-12 opener.

Stanford (3-1, 1-1), in its first road test, mustered just 10 first downs, 235 yards and did not score an offensive touchdown, ending the program's 11- game winning streak in September.

Bishop Sankey ran for 144 yards on 20 carries, including a 61-yard score on the last play of the third quarter that sparked Washington's stagnant offense.

Keith Price threw for 177 yards with a touchdown and an interception on 19- of-37 throws for the Huskies, who snapped a four-game losing streaking against their conference foe.

"I'm a senior, this is my last year and I have never beaten Stanford until now," Washington fullback Jonathan Amosa said. "Words can't explain it. It does not get any better than that."

Stepfan Taylor, who amassed a career-high 213 yards from scrimmage against USC, gained just 75 on 21 carries in the loss.

Josh Nunes completed only 18-of-37 passes for 170 yards and was intercepted with Stanford driving for a potential go-ahead score.

"I thought it was not his best effort," Stanford coach Jim Shaw said of Nunes. "I think he can play much better. I think we can all do a much better job."

With Stanford leading, 13-10, the eventual game-winning drive was extended midway through the fourth quarter when Dezden Petty ran for two yards on 4th- and-1 from the Washington 44-yard line.

After another first down, Price hit Williams for a quick out along the right sideline. The sophomore wideout shook off a tackle, momentarily bobbled the ball and dragged a defender over the goal line with 4:53 to play. Williams lost the ball in the end zone, but only after crossing the plane.

Stanford took over on its own 34 and reached the opposing 34, where it faced a 4th-and-4 with under two minutes to play. Nunes threw a jump ball to the right, and Desmond Trufant intercepted it at the eight-yard line.

A neutral-zone infraction on Stanford on 3rd-and-4 moved the chains and allowed Washington to run out the remaining 1:39 on the clock, clearing the way for the home fans to rush the field.

Jordan Williamson hit a 31-yard field goal on Stanford's second possession of the game, and Travis Coons answered with a 43-yarder in the final three minutes of a punt-filled opening quarter.

Both offenses continued to sputter, but Zach Ertz's 35-yard reception down to the Washington 40-yard line got Stanford moving late in the half. The big play came on third down, and another third-down conversion set up Williamson's 28- yard field goal with 1:10 remaining in the half.

Marvin Hall appeared to give Washington a lead with just over three minutes left in the third quarter, but he stepped out of bounds on his would-be 74 punt return.

On the next snap, Stanford defensive end Trent Murphy read a screen in the flat and tipped Price's pass before corralling it and taking it 40 yards the other way for a 13-3 Stanford lead.

The Huskies responded on the last snapped before the fourth quarter, as Sankey took a handoff to the right, slipped through the line of scrimmage, split a pair of defenders in the secondary and sprinted 61 yards for a touchdown.

Game Notes

Both teams were coming off bye weeks ... Before Williams' touchdown, Stanford had not allowed a point in the fourth quarter and Washington had not scored in the final frame ... Williams finished with 10 catches for 129 yards ... Ertz led Stanford's receivers with 106 yards on six catches ... Stanford, which had a school record 446 rushing yards in its 65-21 over Washington last year, gained just 65 on the ground.