Washington shows glimpse of the future in Heart of Dallas Bowl win
The resurgence of Washington football under coach Chris Petersen is in full effect.
The Huskies defeated Southern Miss 44-31 in the Heart of Dallas Bowl to cap a 7-6 season thanks to the performances of freshman quarterback Jake Browning and freshman running back Myles Gaskin.
Washington, which has been nearly unstoppable on offense during its last three games, rolled up 580 yards against a Southern Miss defense that had been one of the tougher units in the country.
Gaskin had a breakout game with 26 carries for 181 yards and four touchdowns, including an 86-yarder that was the longest play from scrimmage for the Huskies since 2000. It also was the longest play from scrimmage the Golden Eagles had allowed this season.
Gaskin scored two of his touchdowns in the first quarter to help the Huskies take a 14-7 lead, but Southern Miss’ tandem of quarterback Nick Mullens and receiver Michael Thomas kept the Golden Eagles in the game. Thomas had one of his two touchdowns in the first quarter and helped set up a score in the second quarter.
Washington led 21-17 at halftime, but Southern Miss tied the game at 24-24 late in the third quarter. However, the lead was short-lived as Gaskin's 86-yard score gave the Huskies the lead again and then a poor Southern Miss punt allowed the Huskies to lengthen the lead to 10.
Washington never looked back. Gaskin added his fourth and final touchdown. And while Southern Miss' Thomas did pull the score within 10 with 5:22 remaining, Washington recovered the Golden Eagles’ onside kick attempt and iced the game with a long drive that culminated in the field goal with 13 seconds remaining.
Washington couldn’t have asked for a better end to its season. While it did have to win its final two regular season games to earn bowl eligibility, that late-season surge seemed to breath new life into the Huskies. They scored a total of 141 points in their final three games and Gaskin had more than 100 yards in each of those contests. Browning, who completed 23 of 34 passes for 284 yards, played much better in the second half of the season than he did in the first half, which bodes well for the Huskies moving forward.
For more Washington news, visit TheDawgReport.com.
For more Southern Miss news, visit BigGoldNation.com.
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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday
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