GLENDALE, Ariz. — Penn State’s offense had its way with Washington from the start.
The Huskies’ didn’t get the miracle they needed in the end.
Saquon Barkley and the No. 9 Nittany Lions converted one third down after another and gashed the Huskies’ defense in a way no one has in more three years, ending No. 12 Washington’s season in a disappointing 35-28 loss in the Fiesta Bowl on Saturday afternoon at University of Phoenix Stadium.
Trailing 28-7 in the second quarter, the No. 12 Huskies chipped away and had a chance late. Myles Gaskin raced 69 yards for a touchdown with 6:52 left to cut UW’s lead to 35-28.
But on Penn State’s next drive, UW’s defense couldn’t manage a third-down stop — the story of the game — as Penn State chewed up more than six minutes off the clock.
Penn State missed a 45-yard field goal attempt with 34 seconds left, giving the Huskies one last chance — but needed to go 73 yards with no timeouts.
Jake Browning’s first three passes on the final drive fell incomplete. He then completed to Aaron Fuller, who tossed a lateral to Dante Pettis on a hook-and-ladder play. But after running upfield several yards, Pettis attempted a long lateral pass — only to throw that into the hands of Penn State linebacker Will Blair with five seconds left.
The Huskies end their season with a 10-3 record and fell to 1-3 in bowl games under Chris Petersen.
Barkley rushed for more than 130 yards, Penn State’s Trace McSorley threw for more than 300 yards, as the Nittany Lions (11-2) totaled more than 500 yards of offense. That’s the most the UW defense has allowed since October 2014 (vs. Oregon).
It’s the also most points the UW defense has allowed in any game since a 44-30 loss to UCLA in November 2014. The Huskies, the nation’s No. 1 rushing defense, had gone 26 consecutive games without allowing an opponent to score more than 30 points.
Penn State needed just eight plays to drive 83 yards on the game’s opening drive, scoring on McSorley’s 48-yard touchdown pass to DaeSean Hamilton.
Barkley scored the first of his two touchdowns on a 2-yard run late in the first quarter, making it 14-0.
Late in the first quarter, Penn State was outgaining the Huskies 170-1.
The Huskies finally got going on offense thanks to one of Petersen’s patented trick plays — a double pass from receiver Andre Baccellia to tight end Will Dissly for a 52-yard gain. That set up a 1-yard touchdown run from quarterback Jake Browning.
The Huskies came into the game allowing 92.3 yards per game on the ground.
Barkley, Penn State’s junior star, raced 92 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter, giving the Nittany Lions a 28-7 lead. It’s the longest run in Fiesta Bowl history.
Gaskin scored his first touchdown on a 13-yard run in the second quarter, cutting UW’s halftime deficit to 28-14.
The Huskies’ put together an impressive drive to open the second half, going 80 yards on 13 plays, capped by Browning’s beautiful 28-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Fuller. That got the Huskies within 28-21.
McSorley and Hamilton connected again in the third quarter, this time on a 24-yard TD pass, to extend the Nittany Lions’ lead to 35-21. UW’s Myles Gaskin was in coverage on both touchdown passes.
