Washington vs. Utah score: No. 5 Huskies use defense, ground game in second half to remain undefeated

Washington avoided a home upset to remain firmly in the thick of the College Football Playoff race

No. 5 Washington survived an upset scare at the hands of No. 18 Utah, which brought the fight to the undefeated Huskies early and pushed them to the brink in a 35-28 win. The victory improves Washington to 10-0, which is the second-best start in program history only trailing the 12-0 season in 1991 that included a claim to the national championship.

Quarterback Michael Penix finished with 332 yards passing and three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing), but putting away Utah in the second half required high-level contributions from Washington's defense and the Huskies rushing attack. Dillon Johnson finished with 104 yards rushing and a score to lead Washington on the ground, and the Huskies defense pitched a second-half shutout thanks in part to a pair of interceptions. 

The first interception marked arguably the biggest swing of the game with Washington able to overcome a potentially devastating mistake. Utah quarterback Bryson Barnes threw a red zone interception, which Huskies linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala nearly returned all the way for a pick six only to drop the ball at the 1-yard line. With the Utes at 1-yard line, Washington's defense delivered with a game-changing safety to put some points on the board and give possession back to the offense. 

Utah got a terrific early effort from Barnes, who at one point led four straight touchdown drives in the first half, but the Utes could not replicate that success in the second half. After rolling up 306 yards of offense in the first half, failing to break 100 (76 yards) marked a notable turn for Utah's ability to keep pace with one of the most prolific offensive teams in the country. That remains one of Washington's great strengths in this College Football Playoff race.  

[Nov 11, 2023 at 6:23 pm ET · Chip Patterson]

Chaos at the end of the 3rd

End 3Q: Washington 35, Utah 28 

Huge swings at the end of the third quarter have put Washington's College Football Playoff hopes in the spotlight as the Huskies hold a narrow lead heading into the final 15 minutes. First Bryson Barnes had Utah knocking on the door of a go-ahead score when he was picked off for what seemed in the moment like an interception returned for a touchdown. The only issue was the ball being dropped at the 1-yard line, which negated the score and gave the ball right back to Utah. But then Washington's defense came up with a huge surge at the goal line to get a safety which, while not as good as the touchdown would have been, somewhat repositions the Huskies in the driver's seat of this showdown between Pac-12 title contenders. 

[Nov 11, 2023 at 5:19 pm ET · Chip Patterson]

Utah leads at halftime in Seattle 

HALF: Utah 28, Washington 24 

Utah's path to three-peat as Pac-12 champions was narrow coming into the weekend, but a win against Washington would keep title hopes alive. The Utes are off to a strong start, leading 28-24 on the road in Seattle. Utah quarterback Bryson Barnes is on track for his best performance of the season. At the same time as Washington quarterback Michael Penix is off to a slow start by his lofty standards. The Heisman contender completed just five of his first 12 passes. He has managed to deliver a couple of touchdowns -- one passing, one rushing -- to help the Huskies keep pace in a high-powered back-and-forth between these two Pac-12 title hopefuls. 

[Nov 11, 2023 at 4:49 pm ET · Chip Patterson]

Washington on upset alert 

2Q: No. 18 Utah 21, No. 5 Washington 17

After a sleepy start in Seattle with nothing but punts for the first five minutes of the game, now a shootout is underway between No. 5 Washington and No. 18 Utah. Washington quarterback Michael Penix got off to a rocky start himself, completing just five of his first 12 passes, but he's made enough plays to help the Huskies keep pace in a game that has seen nothing but scoring drives since the 10:00 mark of the first quarter. The biggest issue for Washington and this potential upset alert is that its defense can't get stops against a Utah offense that has mostly kept in check by the Pac-12's top teams.