SEATTLE - With wind and rain wreaking havoc throughout Husky Stadium on Saturday night, Washington Coach Steve Sarkisian turned to the ground game and running back Bishop Sankey time and time again.
Sankey had carried just four times last week in a blowout victory over Idaho State. Against Arizona, Sarkisian put the game on Sankey’s back.
Sankey carried a school-record 40 times for 161 yards and 1 touchdown, and Keith Price threw for two scores to lead No. 16 Washington to a 31-13 victory over the Wildcats.
Sankey outperformed Arizona’s Ka’Deem Carey, the NCAA’s leading rusher in 2012, as Washington improved to 4-0 for the first time since 2001. Sankey surpassed the school record of 38 carries set by Corey Dillon in 1996 against Washington State as stormy conditions forced bothteams to limit their passing game.
“Bishop was awesome,” Sarkisian said. “He didn’t change, his focus was there, his body language didn’t change from the first carry to the last.”
Sankey carried 35 times against Illinois two weeks ago - a number of carries Sarkisian admitted was more than he would like for his starting tailback. But with the soggy conditions Saturday, Sarkisian trusted Sankey to carry the load. Sankey was more than happy to oblige.
“How ever many times they need me to carry,” Sankey said. “When I’m out there, the adrenaline is pumping. I’m not really thinking about how many carries I’m at. I’m just trying to pick up yards and move the chains.”
Sankey, who entered as the country’s No. 2 rusher at 148.7 yards per game, was brilliant for the Huskies. He carried for 101 yards on 23 carries in the first half alone as Washington (4-0, 1-0) built an 11-6 lead.
Arizona (3-1, 0-1) failed to convert a first down on its first five possessions against Washington’s stifling defense. After a safety on a punt snapped through the end zone, Kasen Williams returned the ensuing free kick 48 yards to the Arizona 28-yard line. Travis Coons converted a 42-yard field goal to give Washington an 11-0 lead.
In another game involving Pac-12 teams, quarterback Sean Mannion passed for 414 yards and a school-record six touchdowns and Oregon State (4-1, 2-0) won its fourth consecutive game with a 44-17 victory over Colorado (2-1, 0-1).
MOUNTAIN WEST Colorado St. pours it on
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Garrett Grayson and Kapri Bibbs accounted for six touchdowns as Colorado State held off UTEP and prolific Jameill Showers, 59-42 on Saturday.
Grayson passed for three TDs and a career-high 307 yards. UTEP’s Showers passed for 365 yards and five TDs as he rallied the Miners (1-3) in the second half.
Colorado State (2-3) jumped out early on Grayson TD passes of 22 and 5 yards in the opening quarter. But the Rams needed a sack on Showers for a safety to halt a 21-point UTEP rally that tied the game 28-28 late in the third quarter. Three plays after Showers was sacked in the end zone, Grayson found Rashard Higgins down the right side for a 56-yard scoring play, making it 37-28.
Bibbs rushed for a game high 147 yards and his final two scores, in the fourth quarter, kept UTEP at bay.
In other games involving Mountain West teams, Cody Fajardo threw for 389 yards and 3 touchdowns and ran for 81 yards and 2 more scores - the last one with 1:45 left in the game - to help Nevada (3-2, 2-0) come from behind to beat Air Force (1-4, 0-4) 45-42 in Reno, Nev. … UNLV (3-2, 1-0) quarterback Caleb Herring and receiver Devante Davis hooked up for three touchdowns to overcome New Mexico (1-3, 0-1) in the Rebels’ 56-42 victory in Albuqueque, N.M. … Donnel Pumphrey rushed for a career-high 167 yards and three touchdowns, leading San Diego State (1-3) to a 26-16 come-from-behind victory over New Mexico State (0-5) in Las Cruces, N.M.
Sports, Pages 33 on 09/29/2013