Photo: Kim Grinolds/Dawgman.com
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Dawgman.com
Posted Sep 6, 2003
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When the Huskies received the opening kickoff today, they knew what they had to do. They had to show America that they weren’t just another pass-happy Pac-10 school. And maybe more importantly, they had to show it to themselves. 195 rushing yards on 52 carries later, the Dawgs had a 38-13 win over Indiana to even their season record at 1-1.
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Rich Alexis led the way with 18 carries for 74 yards, but it was the emergence of four others on the offensive side of the ball who drew the attention of the home-town crowd.
There was the return of fullback Zach Tuiasosopo, who missed the season opener last week while dealing with legal troubles. Tuiasosopo ran three times for 17 yards and hauled in two receptions for 43 yards. A 35-yarder in the third-quarter marked a career-high. It’s no wonder Husky head coach Keith Gilbertson didn’t hesitate in calling Tuiasosopo the “best fullback on the team,” after the game.
Then there was the newest addition, or wrinkle, to the offense, Isaiah Stanback. The second-year quarterback from Garfield High came in at slot receiver for the third play of the Huskies’ second drive of the day. He took a handoff from quarterback Cody Pickett for four yards in his first play from scrimmage. It was one of three rushes for Stanback, who finished with 17 yards. He didn’t catch a pass, but did come in late and complete his first collegiate throw, an out-pattern thrown to walk-on Clayton Ramsey.
| UW vs INDIANA GAME GALLERY |
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Kenny James, the second-year back from Fresno, California got the first opportunity, and did well. His first carry came with 7:00 remaining in the first half, and went for five yards. James finished with 14 rushes for 38 yards, but made the most of each of his runs. He didn’t go down easy, and often didn’t have anywhere to go. His longest carry of the day went for eight yards.
Shelton Sampson, the shifty speedster from Clover Park High in Lakewood, got his opportunity to shine later in the game. And shine he did. His first carry from scrimmage, the first time he touched the ball in a college football game, Sampson raced around the left side of the line and beat a defender to the end zone for a six-yard touchdown. He later added a four-yarder off the option to the right side from Pickett. Sampson did fumble later on, but finished with 10 carries for 35 yards to go with his two trips to pay dirt.
The game didn’t come without a lump in the throat, however, as junior inside linebacker Joseph Lobendahn went down with a knee injury in the second defensive play of the game. It was deemed “significant” by Gilbertson.
Washington will have a bye next week before hosting Idaho the week after on Sept. 20. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m.
1st Quarter - Dawgs strike first
On their second drive, Pickett orchestrated a 15-play drive that included 11 rushing attempts, capping it with a beautifully thrown 23 yard pass to Frederick, who beat safety Joe Gonzalez for the grab. That came with 4:33 left in the quarter. Making the play especially tough was the fact that Pickett had to hang in the pocket while linebacker Kyle Killion (what a linebacker name) was flying through the line on a blitz. He got it off just in time.
2nd Quarter - Hoosiers battle back
All it took was two plays into the quarter for running back Chris Taylor to tie the game with a two-yard touchdown dash. The sophomore from Memphis, Tennessee found a gap through the left side of the line and hit it hard for the score.
A UW highlight came when Garth Erickson boomed a 61-yard punt to push Indiana back to their own 24.
That didn’t matter for the Hoosiers, whose offensive coordinator Al Borges gave the Husky defense fits with the packages he ran onto the field. Indiana executed an 11-play drive, capped by a 34-yard field goal attempt to make it 10-7 Indiana.
A 21-yarder by Evan Knudson of Washington tied the game at 10-10 with 1:59 to go before halftime.
Pickett was intercepted by Killion and Indiana had the ball at midfield. Indiana marched down to the UW 23 and looked primed for a go-ahead field goal, but a sack by Terry Johnson nullified that.
3rd Quarter - A Husky outburst
Indiana received the kickoff and marched down the field in 11 plays while converting on third down twice. The result? Another field goal, this one from 39 yards to pull ahead 13-10.
Enter Reggie Williams. Pickett found Reggie across the middle on a second-and-eight play, and the junior standout did the rest, making a linebacker miss, picking up a block from Frederick, and outrunning a defender to the south-east corner of the end zone for a 17-13 Husky lead.
Washington never trailed again. Indiana never scored again.
Indiana gave the ball back to Washington on a backwards pass that fell to the ground, recovered by defensive end Graham Lasee. Nine plays later, and a critical 5-yard penalty on fourth-and-five on the Hoosiers for illegal participation, the Huskies found the end zone again thanks to the first of Sampson’s two scores.
Following a three-and-out by Indiana, the Huskies used seven plays to get down to a first-and-goal situation at the IU 4. Pickett and Sampson worked the option to perfection for the touchdown, making it 31-13.
Before the quarter could come to a close, senior linebacker Greg Carothers came up with an interception to give the Huskies the ball back at the UW 27. Four plays to Alexis garnered 21 yards, and Williams finished things off with a leaping six-yard grab on a fade to the left corner of the end zone.
4th Quarter – Empty the bench
Both Casey Paus and Stanback got chances to lead the Husky offense. Stanback completed his only pass, while Paus merely handed the ball of three times.
Ahead comfortably, Gilbertson elected to pound the ball on the ground and give the young tailbacks a chance to get some experience. In doing so, the Huskies took nearly nine minutes off the clock in the final quarter.
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