Fiesta Bowl recap: Nittany Lions 35, Huskies 28

Takeaway

No. 9 Penn State rolled to a 28-7 lead, weathered a significant Washington rally, and pounded home a 35-28 victory over the 11th-ranked Huskies at the Fiesta Bowl Saturday in Glendale, AZ (box). UW’s loss capped the worst showing ever by the Pac-12 in a single bowl season. The conference finished 1-8.

Penn State QB Trace McSorley had a pair of touchdown passes to WR DaeSean Hamilton, and RB Saquon Barkley ran for two more, including a 92-yarder in the second quarter. But the key stat was McSorley’s 12-for-12 passing performance on third down, which contributed heavily to the Nittany Lions amassing 545 yards, a Penn State record in a bowl game and the most allowed by the Huskies this season.

After falling behind 28-7, Washington in the second quarter scored on a 13-yard run by RB Myles Gaskin and in the third quarter on a 28-yard TD pass from Jake Browning to WR Aaron Fuller. The Nittany Lions extended their lead to 35-21, but Gaskin ran a season-best 69 yards for a touchdown to make it 35-28 with 10 minutes left. But Washington could do nothing with its final three possessions.

Washington had a shot in the final seconds with a hook and lateral play that began with a fourth-down completion at the Penn State 48 to Fuller, who lateraled to WR Dante Pettis for 14 more yards. But rather than step out of bounds to preserve time for one more play, Pettis threw the ball behind him where no Huskies were available to scoop the ball.

Washington had not allowed more than 30 points in a game since the 2015 Heart of Dallas Bowl, a 44-31 victory over Southern Mississippi, a span of 26 games.

Offense

Gaskin’s TDs increased his season total to 21 rushing touchdowns. Gaskin had 11 TDs in his past four games and for 44 in his career, a school record. He had 98 yards on 14 carries, but as a team, UW managed only 104 yards on the ground.

Browning completed 18 of 28 for 175 yards. His TD to Fuller increased his school record to 78. His rushing TD was his eighth of the year. Fuller’s TD was the first of his college career.

Washington played catch-up the entire game after running only six offensive plays in the first quarter, generating minus-7 yards. When Penn State took a 14-0 lead, it had a 170-1 total yards advantage. Washington’s only offensive play of consequence in the quarter was a trick play on a double pass, from Browning to WR Andre Baccellia to Will Dissly for 52 yards that set up a one-yard Browning TD run.

Defense

Entering the Fiesta Bowl ranked No. 1 in the nation in rushing defense at 92.3 yards per game, Washington allowed 203 to the Nittany Lions, including 137 by Barkley. UW was fifth nationall  in total defense at 277.4 yards and allowed 545.

McSorley completed 32 of 41, hammering the Huskies for 342 yards. He completed throws to nine receivers.

Barkley’s 92-yard TD romp in the second quarter was the second-longest against the Huskies, regular season or bowl, eclipsed by a 95-yard TDfrom  UCLA’s DeShaun Foster in 2001.

Washington grabbed three turnovers, including interceptions by freshman CB Byron Murphy and sophomore CB Austin Joyner. Murphy’s pick came in the end zone and prevented a Penn State touchdown.

Noteworthy

Penn State, which entered as a two-point favorite, improved to 4-0 all-time against UW. It marked the first meeting between the schools since the 1983 Aloha Bowl, a 13-10 Nittany Lions victory . . . The Huskies are 18-19-1 in 38 bowl appearances dating to the 1924 Rose Bowl against Navy . . . Chris Petersen fell to 1-3 in bowl games as UW’s coach. His only win: the 2015 Heart of Dallas Bowl . . . Washington (10-3) finished with 10 wins in back-to-back years for the first time 1990-91 . . . The Pac-12 sent nine teams to bowl games and only Utah won, beating West Virginia in the Heart of Dallas Bowl.