A game-by-game look at Washington’s 2016 season.
Sept. 3 vs. Rutgers: W, 48-13
Washington quarterback Jake Browning threw three touchdown passes in the first quarter, for 43, 38 and 50 yards, as the Huskies took a 24-0 first-quarter lead. They built it to 34-3 at halftime and 48-3 after three quarters. John Ross scored on a 92-yard kickoff return in the second quarter, in his first game since a knee injury in the spring of 2015. The Huskies’ Dante Pettis returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.
Sept. 10 vs. Idaho: W, 59-14
Jake Browning threw five touchdown passes — including two to John Ross and two to Dante Pettis. Browning finished the game 23-of-28 passing for 294 yards after throwing for 287 yards in the opener. The Huskies’ Connor O’Brien returned an interception 46 yards for a touchdown. Washington led 35-0 at halftime.
Sept. 17 vs. Portland State: W, 41-3
Jake Browning threw two touchdown passes within the first three minutes and another 11 seconds into the second quarter to give the Huskies a 21-0 lead. Those included a 43-yarder to Chico McClatcher, who caught two of Browning’s four touchdown passes. Through three games, Browning was 53-of-74 passing with one interception.
Sept. 24 at Arizona: W, 35-28 (OT)
The Huskies fell behind 14-7 in the second quarter, took a lead and watched Arizona overcome Washington’s 28-21 lead with a 3-yard touchdown pass with 17 seconds to play in regulation. The Huskies had the first possession of overtime and scored on a 4-yard pass from Jake Browning to Dante Pettis. On Arizona’s possession, the Wildcats had a first-and-10 at the 11, but a 1-yard run, a sack and two incomplete passes ended the game.
Sept. 30 vs. Stanford: W, 44-6
Washington scored the first 30 points, with Jake Browning throwing two touchdown passes. Myles Gaskin rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, and the Huskies outgained the Cardinal 424 yards to 213.
Oct. 8 at Oregon: W, 70-21
The Huskies dominated the rivalry game with 682 yards of offense, though they allowed 409. Washington passed for 304 and ran for 378. The Huskies scored at least 14 points in each quarter. Jake Browning was 22-of-28 passing for 304 yards and a school-record six touchdowns. John Ross caught three touchdown passes. Browning started the scoring onslaught with a 1-yard run 1:37 into the game, his first of two rushing touchdowns. Myles Gaskin scored on a 65-yard run to give the Huskies a 21-0 lead in the first quarter.
Oct. 22 vs. Oregon State: W, 41-17
Jake Browning passed for 291 yards and three touchdowns, giving him 26 touchdown passes in seven games, to go with two interceptions out of 182 passes attempted. Myles Gaskin rushed for 128 yards on 10 carries, and Dante Pettis caught two touchdown passes. John Ross and Pettis combined for eight catches and 227 yards.
Oct. 29 at Utah: W, 31-24
For only the second time this season, the Huskies had a close game. Washington prevailed in a back-and-forth second half when Dante Pettis returned a punt 58 yards for a touchdown with 3:25 to play in the game. The teams were almost even in total yards, with Washington holding a 385-376 edge. Myles Gaskin continued to pile up the rushing yards, gaining 151 on 19 carries.
Nov. 5 at California: W, 66-27
The Huskies returned to their rout mode in Berkeley, and again the big gun was Jake Browning. He passed for 378 and had another six-touchdown game. John Ross had 208 yards receiving and three touchdown catches. Dante Pettis caught the other three touchdown passes and also threw one. Lavon Coleman rushed for 108 yards on seven carries.
Nov. 12 vs. USC: L, 26-13
The Huskies’ 12-game win streak ended against at the hands of the Trojans, who built a 17-6 lead in the first half and held on. The Huskies were outgained 400 yards to 276. Jake Browning put up his worst numbers of the season, finishing 17-of-36 passing for 259 yards. He threw two interceptions after entering the game with three on the season. He threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to John Ross.
Nov. 21 vs. Arizona State: W, 44-18
The Huskies rebounded on the strength of a 21-point second quarter, after scoring only three points in the first. Jake Browning threw two touchdown passes, both in the second quarter. He found Chico McClatcher on a 75-yard play and Dante Pettis on a 46-yard play. Browning finished with 338 yards passing, but threw two more interceptions. Myles Gaskin rushed for 127 yards on 16 carries, including a 45-yard touchdown run.
Nov. 27 at Washington State: W, 45-17
The Apple Cup was Washington’s from the start. The Huskies built a 28-3 lead after one quarter and a 35-10 lead at halftime. Browning threw three touchdown passes, all in the first quarter. One of those went for 61 yards to Dante Pettis. Pettis also completed a 50-yard pass.
Dec. 2 vs. Colorado (Pac-12 Championship game, Santa Clara, Calif.): W, 41-10
The Huskies turned a close game at halftime into a rout by outscoring the Buffaloes 27-3 in the second half. Freshman Taylor Rapp intercepted two passes, returning one 35 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the second half. Myles Gaskin rushed for 159 yards on 29 carries, as the Huskies provided the dominating performance many observers thought they needed to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff.
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