Right at the point at which the call to “embrace the suck” was about to be made to Husky fans for 2017, Tristan Vizcaino came in and did something spectacular — he hit a simple field goal.
On any other day, in any other game, a 38-yard field goal might not seem like a big deal. But in this game, on this night, it was a triumph.
Let’s just replay the last two drives for the Huskies…
With 2:03, the Huskies were down by a touchdown and started the drive on their own 39. Jake Browning had to throw the ball out of bounds on the first play — he did the same on the second play, overthrowing Dante Pettis.
On third and 10 with 1:50, Browning was almost sacked far into the backfield, but got rid of the ball.
With 1:42, it appeared the game was over. Washington had been playing poorly — but Browning threw a beautiful 12-yard pass to Andre Baccellia beyond the first down marker and kept the drive alive.
The Huskies would then start methodically moving the ball down towards the redzone with 1:20. He found Aaron Fuller, picking up six. Then Browning hit Will Dissly who advanced the ball all the way to the two — and with first and goal, Myles Gaskin went to the wildcat and the Huskies tied the game up with :58 left to play.
Game tied: 30-30.
Some wondered if Chris Petersen would go for two — afterall — Vizcaino was having a night that included a missed field goal and an extra point. But on this night, something very special was about to happen.
Would the Huskies and Utes go to overtime? Would Utah get the ball down just enough to go for a field goal to win the game?
On Utah’s last drive, the Husky defense pinned their ears back and started showing some moxy that has been missing throughout the previous three quarters. On third and two the Huskies stuffed the runner, who fumbled the ball, but recovered.
Now it’s fourth and two with :35 left — and if Utah has any chance left at getting this win and a bowl bid against the Huskies. But they take their chance and figure that they might do well in overtime because of the Huskies’ kicking woes.
They punt.
The Huskies get the ball back on their own 27 yard line with :29 left to play.
Some people say that Jake Browning hasn’t ever won “the big game”. He’s struggled all night; couldn’t find his open receiver. Was sacked, struggled, flushed out. And of course, Vizcaino has left points on the field all season in missed field goals and extra points.
So it’s first and ten on the 27-yard line and Myles Gaskin picks up a mere two yards. Utah calls timeout, and yet Washington was out of timeouts and so they had a chance to stop and talk a little bit. Big mistake by the Utes.
Now there’s :23 left, Jake Browning throws a perfect ball to Dante Pettis for 18 yards — then with :17 Browning scrambles, looks like he might go down, but instead gets the ball out on a dart to Andre Baccellia at the Ute’s 21-yard line. Another throw intended for Dante Pettis with just :04 left hits the turf, while Pettis’s jersey is being held and the referee doesn’t notice.
So now we’re back to Vizcaino.
30-30, game on the line, and 38 yards out. Right down the pipe — his best kick of the year — the Huskies win.
Washington extends their record to 9-2, while Utah will have one more chance to get bowl-eligible next week against Colorado.
Jake Browning was seven for eight on 108 yards passing on those last two drives. For the night he threw for 354 yards and was 26 of 35.
