STANFORD, Calif. — Cameron Scarlett rushed for a career-high 157 yards and a touchdown, quarterback Davis Mills had another impressive game in place of injured starter K.J. Costello before apparently getting hurt himself, and Stanford pulled off its biggest win of the season, stunning No. 15 Washington 23-13 on Saturday night.
The Cardinal (3-3, 2-2 Pac-12) extended their home winning streak to six games, dating to 2007, against the Huskies with a plodding, methodical offense that kept Washington quarterback Jacob Eason on the sidelines for long chunks of the game.
Stanford dominated Washington (4-2, 1-2 Pac-12) in nearly every offensive category and held an 18-minute edge in time of possession.
Jet Toner added three field goals to help the Cardinal, who have won back-to-back games following a three-game losing streak.
Mills was crisp until coming out of the game for an unknown reason in the middle of a scoring drive in the fourth quarter. Mills was 21-of-30 passing for 293 yards and a touchdown, but spent the final 9 minutes on the sidelines with what appeared to be a bag of ice wrapped around his left calf. Jack West ran the offense down the stretch.
Stanford got a big lift from its defense, which harassed Eason into an interception and forced a punt on Washington’s first two drives in the fourth quarter.
Eason was 15 of 35 for 181 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
THE TAKEAWAY
Washington: The Huskies had seemingly gotten over their early issues and won three straight before falling to an unranked team for the second time this season. For a plethora of reasons, this one is more difficult to swallow than the loss to Cal in the Pac-12 opener. This was a game that Washington was counting on to fatten up in the standings. Now, the conference championship seems like a pipe dream.
Stanford: There wasn’t much flashiness or big plays. Just a steady stream of Scarlett, efficient passing from Mills and consistent defense across the board. Cardinal coach David Shaw’s teams are 26-18 when facing Top 25 opponents.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Washington was in position to move up a spot or two after No. Iowa lost to No. 19 Michigan earlier in the day. Instead, the Huskies are headed in the opposite direction and could fall out of the rankings entirely.
UP NEXT
Washington plays at Arizona on Saturday before coming home for a pivotal home game against No. 13 Oregon the following week.
Stanford gets an extended break before hosting UCLA in a Thursday night game on Oct. 17.
