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College Football

Washington inexplicably drops football before completing crucial pick-six vs. Utah

Derek Peterson

By Derek Peterson

Published:

Washington linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala stepped in front of a Bryson Barnes pass and looked like he was about to take it the distance to give the fifth-ranked Huskies a 12-point advantage.

Washington, leading 33-28 with less than a minute to play in the third quarter against No. 18 Utah, was racing down the sideline for what looked like it would be a game-changing pick-six. And then the fifth-year junior linebacker dropped the football before he crossed the goal line to complete the score.

Utah recovered to prevent the touchdown.

The Utes were stuffed in the endzone for a safety on the ensuing play, but as the two sides head into the fourth quarter of what has been a very competitive game, it’s hard to underscore how significant a 12-point lead would have been compared to just a one-score edge.

Washington scored the game’s first points, but Utah matched the Huskies score for score all day. Utah took a 14-10 lead in the first half and the lead then changed hands four more times before the game reached halftime.

UW outscored Utah 11-0 in the third quarter — a field goal, a touchdown, a failed two-point try, and a safety — to take a 35-28 lead into the fourth quarter.

We’ll see if those extra five points prove critical.

Derek Peterson

Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.

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