SEATTLE — Here were the Huskies at their best:
— Jake Browning completing a pass to Dante Pettis on the left sideline for a 9-yard gain.
— Browning completing a pass to Chico McClatcher in the middle of the field for a 12-yard gain.
— Browning completing an easy play-action pass to Will Dissly for a 9-yard gain.
— Lavon Coleman rushing for 30 yards.
— Browning completing a 20-yard pass to Dissly for a touchdown.
The whole drive took 44 seconds. It covered 80 yards. It was over that quickly.
The No. 7 Huskies did just about everything they wanted, and when they wanted to do it, in a 63-7 romp of Montana in the home opener Saturday before 68,491 spectators at Husky Stadium.
That five-play drive in the final two minutes of the first half, capped by Dissly’s second career touchdown, was the exclamation point in an efficient first half for the UW offense, giving the Huskies a 35-7 halftime lead.
Here’s how lopsided things were at that point: Trey Adams, the Huskies’ 327-pound junior left tackle, had more yards rushing (9) than did Montana (3) at halftime.
The Huskies’ one hiccup — Montana’s interception return for a touchdown off a tipped Browning pass in the first quarter — will be mostly forgotten. Everything else went to script, and the Huskies are where they should be, at 2-0, with another no-doubter at home next week against a rebuilding Fresno State team.
The Huskies had fun with this one. Pettis returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown to set the Pac-12 record with his seventh career punt-return touchdown. Jomon Dotson reversed field, broke several tackles, and scored on a 68-yard interception return late in the third quarter.
Dissly, the only Montana product on the UW roster, had the best game of his career. He came into the game with four career catches. He had five catches for 79 yards and two touchdowns against the Grizzlies.
Two young running backs — true freshman Salvon Ahmed and redshirt freshman Sean McGrew — scored their first touchdowns in the third quarter. McGrew’s 1-yard plunge gave the Huskies a 63-7 lead.
Browning was 22-for-26 for 259 yards with two TDs and the one interception before giving way to K.J. Carta-Samuels to start the fourth quarter.
The UW defense forced four turnovers. Senior linebacker Sean Constantine had his first career interception, and sophomore Jusstis Warren had his first sack late in the game.
