Recap: Jake Locker Leads Washington To Overtime Win Over OSU, 35-34

Seattle, WA (Sports Network) – Jermaine Kearse caught the game-winning score in the second overtime that saw Oregon State fall a point short on a failed two-point conversion as Washington took down 24th-ranked Oregon State, 35-34, in a Pac-10 dogfight at Husky Stadium.

In the second overtime on 2nd-and-17, Jake Locker lofted a soft pass down the left side and Kearse caught it in the end zone on a 21-yard score for a 35-28 lead.

Oregon State soon faced a 4th-and-goal at the 3 and Ryan Katz’s pass fell incomplete, but Washington was called for pass interference to give the Beavers a fresh set of downs.

The next play saw Jacquizz Rodgers punch the ball into the end zone and Oregon State called timeout. The team came out of the timeout and lined up for a two- point conversion in an attempt to win the game, but Katz’s pass fell incomplete and Washington grabbed the victory.

Locker went 21-for-35 with 286 yards, five touchdowns and one interception while Kearse finished with nine catches for 146 yards and four scores for the Huskies (3-3, 2-1 Pac-10), who bounced back from last week’s 24-14 loss to Arizona State. Chris Polk had 25 carries for 105 yards in the win.

Rodgers had 140 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries and added four catches for 49 yards and a score for the Beavers (3-3, 2-1), who were coming off wins against Arizona State and Arizona. Katz went 17-for-31 with 206 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions in the loss.

The Huskies scored the first 21 points of the game to race out to the lead.

The first points of the game came on a 16-yard catch by Kearse from Locker that capped a 10-play, 69-yard drive for a 7-0 lead with 4 1/2 minutes to play in the first.

On the first play of the second quarter, Locker tossed a four-yard score to D’Andre Goodwin to finish a six-play drive that covered 41 yards for a 14-0 advantage.

After forcing another Oregon State punt, Locker took his team 91 yards in just six plays and made it a 21-0 game on a 45-yard pass to Kearse with just over 10 minutes left till halftime.

The Beavers, though, answered with 21 straight points of their own to even the contest.

Following Kearse’s second score of the game, Oregon State went on a nine-play, 62-yard drive that saw the team reach the end zone on a five-yard run from Katz with just over six minutes to play until the half.

Jordan Poyer picked off a Locker pass on Washington’s next touch. Five plays later, Rodgers took the ball in from six yards out to make it a 21-14 game going into the break.

The Beavers opened up the second half with the ball and used the drive to tie the game as the seven-play, 76-yard march was finished with a four-yard scamper into the end zone by Rodgers to make it a 21-21 game.

The score remained that way and forced overtime with Katz tossing a 10-yard score to Rodgers at the right side and Locker countering with a 17-yard throw over the middle to Kearse.

Game Notes

The win snapped a six-game losing streak to the Beavers for the Huskies. Washington leads the series, 58-33-4…Oregon State has next week off and will next play on October 30 when it hosts California…Washington plays at Arizona next Saturday…Rodgers has scored 12 touchdowns this season, 10 on the ground and two through the air.

Oregon State Fails Two-Point Conversion, Washington Wins, 35-34

After a pass interference call in the endzone on fourth down, Jacquizz Rodgers took the handoff and took it in for a touchdown.

The Beavers went for two and failed to convert, giving the Huskies the win.

The final score: Washington 35, Oregon State 34

Jake Locker And Jermaine Kearse Hook Up Again In Second OT, UW Leads 35-28

After a holding penalty, Jake Locker found Jermaine Kearse again for a 21-yard touchdown on second down. Washington leads 35-28 at Husky Stadium.

Oregon State gets the ball and now must score a touchdown to keep the game alive.

Washington Answers On Jake Locker Strike To Jermaine Kearse, Going To Double Overtime

On third down, Jake Locker hit Jermaine Kearse for a touchdown to even the score and prolong the game.

Washington takes the ball to start the second overtime with the score level at 28.

Oregon State Scores Touchdown In Overtime, Leads 28-21

Oregon State got the ball first in overtime and capitalized, scoring a touchdown on a pass from Ryan Katz to Jacquizz Rodgers on third down. The extra point made it 28-21 in favor of the Beavers.

Washington gets the ball at the 25 and must score a touchdown.

Washington-Oregon State Preview

The Sports Network

By Pat Taggart, Associate College Football Editor

GAME NOTES: The 24th-ranked Oregon State Beavers travel to Seattle this weekend for a Pac-10 Conference matchup with the Washington Huskies.

Oregon State seeks its third consecutive victory, as the team has beaten Arizona State and Arizona by a total of five points the last two times out. The most recent victory over the Wildcats by a 29-27 final on the road vaulted the Beavers into the top-25.

Last weekend, Washington dropped a 24-14 home decision to the same Arizona State team that Oregon State recently defeated. The Huskies are now 2-3 overall and clearly need a victory on Saturday to avoid being rendered insignificant in the Pac-10 title race.

“We have to get back on the horse and we have another tough opponent a week from tonight,” said head coach Steve Sarkisian after the ASU loss. “This is a mentally tough football team and we will be back.”

Washington owns a 57-33-4 series advantage over Oregon State, but the Beavers have won the last six matchups.

Ryan Katz earned Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week honors for his play against Arizona, as the Oregon State quarterback completed 30-of-42 passes for 393 yards with a pair of touchdowns and one interception. Katz also ran for a score, and tailback Jacquizz Rodgers had a rushing touchdown as well.

“We knew what we had to do coming into the game and we went out there and did it,” Katz said. “I felt a lot of confidence out there and we got the job done.”

Markus Wheaton paced the receivers with seven catches for 113 yards and a score, while James Rodgers made seven grabs as well for 102 yards and a touchdown before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Clearly, he will be sorely missed.

Overall this season, Oregon State is generating 28.0 ppg and 342.6 total ypg. The Beavers were expected to be a dominant running team this season, and while Jacquizz Rodgers does have seven scores on the ground, he is rushing for fewer than 100 yards per game. The team is generating a modest 3.7 yards per rushing attempt, a stat that must be improved. Katz has thrown for 1,113 yards with nine touchdowns and one interception, as he has been a pleasant surprise.

While Oregon State finished with an impressive total of 486 total yards against Arizona, the Beavers permitted the Wildcats to rack up 541 yards. Arizona posted 440 yards through the air, making the most of its 46 pass attempts with three touchdowns through the air. All of that damage was done despite the fact that the Beaver defense spent fewer than 24 minutes on the field. Clearly, there is room for improvement defensively for Oregon State.

Opponents are averaging 30.0 ppg and 456.0 total ypg against the Beavers, who have surrendered 19 touchdowns to enemy offenses thus far. Ten of those scores have been of the passing variety, and OSU is allowing 13.0 yards per completion. With 11 sacks and nine takeaways, there have been some impact plays made, but the overall performance has been lacking. Keep an eye on James Dockery, as he has three interceptions already.

Washington quarterback Jake Locker entered this season as a Heisman candidate and was considered one of the top players in all of college football by many fans and analysts. Locker has been a bit inconsistent this season, partly because of his own play and partly because of a lack of protection and play- making ability from his teammates. Against Arizona State, Locker threw a touchdown and ran for a score, but the Huskies were just 5-of-14 on third down conversion attempts and finished with a modest total of 354 yards.

Defensively, Washington did some good things against Arizona State, limiting the Sun Devils to 99 rushing yards on 37 attempts, an average of 2.7 yards per rush. ASU posted three sacks and came up with an interception, and while the pass defense could have been better, the coach of the Huskies was proud of the effort.

“All-in-all, I thought our defense gave us a chance to win the game,” said Sarkisian. “ASU moved the ball between the 20’s but when it’s all said and done, our defense left a chance for us to win and we weren’t able to do that.”

Washington is generating 25.0 ppg and 399.4 total ypg this season, and of the 15 touchdowns scored by the offense to date, eight have come from the arm of Locker. The big signal caller has thrown for 1,145 yards with only three interceptions, but his 55.4 percent completion rating can certainly stand some improvement. Jermaine Kearse leads the receivers with 28 catches for 477 yards and five touchdowns, while Chris Polk paces the ground attack with 466 yards and three scores.

Opponents are posting 30.8 ppg against Washington, which is giving up 429.6 total ypg. The Huskies have only come up with five takeaways through five games, a major problem area, and they have struggled against both the run and the pass. In fact, foes are averaging 5.4 yards per rushing attempt and 13.1 yards per pass completion.

Give a narrow edge to Washington based solely on the home field advantage. Locker is due for a breakout game, and it may very well come this weekend.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Washington 31, Oregon State 24

Washington Huskies Final Injury Report

Ted Miller also had the injury report for tonight’s Washington-Oregon State game at Husky Stadium in Seattle. Among the players listed, three are out and a multitude of others are battling nagging injuries.

QB Jake Locker, thigh, probable
WR Devin Aguilar, hip, doubtful
RB Johri Fogerson, hip, doubtful
DT Cameron Elisara, stinger, probable
OG Erik Kohler, illness, out
TE Chris Izbicki, back, probable

Locker has been dealing with a thigh bruise that kept him out of practice early in the week. He did return to practice Wednesday and looks ready to go for tonight’s game. One of his weapons, Devin Aguilar, missed last week’s game and looks like he’ll be out again with a hip pointer.

The offense line will again be shuffled with Kohler out while recovering for an illness.

Washington and Oregon State kick it off tonight at 7:15 on ESPN.

Jake Locker Back At Practice, Will Play Saturday

Jake Locker was back at practice for the Huskies today and is ready to play this Saturday against Oregon State. Locker had been dealing with a cold and a thigh bruise that affected his ability to run.

The Tacoma News Tribune’s Don Ruiz had the report from Montlake.

“It’s a significant bruise that has really affected his ability to run,’’ Sarkisian said.

Would it limit Locker in the game in terms of what he can do offensively, or what Sarkisian could call for in terms of plays?

“I wouldn’t think so,” Sarkisian said. “We’ll obviously monitor it closely during the game

Sarkisian doesn’t think Locker will be 100 percent for Saturday’s game, but he’ll be good enough to give it a go.

Jake Locker Dealing With Thigh Bruise

Besides dealing with a cold that left him gasping for air last Saturday against the Arizona State Sun Devils, Washington quarterback Jake Locker is also receiving treatment from a thigh bruise that inhibits his mobility. With Locker's legs one of the biggest weapons in the Husky offense, Locker sat out during team drills yesterday in an effort to recovery from both the cold and thigh bruise.

The Seattle Times' Bob Condotta says Locker is optimistic about the injury and his chances of starting this Saturday.

As Condotta says, Locker had the same injury last year, suffering a thigh bruise at the hands of Oregon. The injury severely limited his mobility and forced Husky head coach Steve Sarkisian to change the game-plan because of it.

Though he will likely play, it remains to be seen whether Sarkisian will have to limit Locker's running against Oregon State this week.

We'll know more on Locker and his participation in practice later today.

Jake Locker Skips Team Drills, Should Play Saturday

Washington Husky quarterback Jake Locker has been dealing with flu-like symptoms for about a week, forcing him to limit his running against Arizona State Saturday and having a significant impact on his conditioning. Tuesday, the senior quarterback worked on the side as the Huskies went through team drills.

The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta had the report from practice.

And while Jake Locker had full pads on, he didn’t really fully participate, with Keith Price and Nick Montana taking all of the snaps during the final team period. Locker did take part in lots of the individual drills.

There’s no reason to think Locker won’t play Saturday against the Oregon State Beavers, but if he doesn’t continue to improve the Huskies will have to change their game-plan.

We’ll find out more about Locker as the Huskies hit the field for practice ahead of Saturday night’s game against Oregon State.

James Rodgers Out For The Season

Oregon State receiver James Rodgers is out for the season after suffering a knee injury in Saturday's game against the Arizona Wildcats. Rodgers was already ruled out for Saturday's game against the Huskies, but will miss the rest of the season as well.

The Oregonian's Lindsay Schnell tweeted the news.

It's been a rough year for the talented wide receiver. Against Boise State, Rodgers took a vicious blow to the head from Bronco linebacker Will Venable, knocking him out cold and leaving him with a concussion. After returning to the field, he came down awkwardly in the end zone and injured his left knee in gruesome fashion.

Rodgers will be eligible for a medical redshirt should he choose to return to school. He will already have a degree and may declare for the NFL draft instead of returning, however.

UW takes on OSU without the services of James, but with the services of Jacquizz Rodgers this Saturday at Husky Stadium.

UW Vs. Oregon State: Game Week News And Notes

The mark of a good football team is consistency.  The mark of the University of Washington Huskies? Inconsistency, for sure.

One week after an exciting road win over the USC Trojans, the Huskies came home and rolled over against the Arizona State Sun Devils, losing at Husky Stadium 24-14. It's on to the next one for the up and down Huskies, who are battling questions at every position, including quarterback, where they thought they had a steady veteran hand in early season Heisman hopeful Jake Locker. The Oregon State Beavers, ranked No. 24 in the AP Top 25, visit Husky Stadium this weekend, as UW looks to get things back on track (again).

Here's what they are saying about UW's loss to Arizona State on Saturday.

Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times writes...

"It's obviously a very disappointing loss," Sarkisian said.

In fact, it again puts UW at a critical point, dropping Washington's record to 2-3 overall in a season in which nothing less than a bowl game will be considered a success. UW has to win four of seven just to get to .500 - and now has four of seven on the road.

"It's a missed opportunity," Sarkisian said of the chance to get above .500 in a home game against a team that was picked ninth in the Pac-10 preseason media poll.

Mike Baldwin of the Seattle PI writes...

Jake Locker, who was said to be feeling under the weather, was 23 for 38 passing, but most of his completions were for short yards. Locker averaged only 5.5 yards per pass attempt.

Locker was also shut down on the ground, as ASU easily read his option runs and stuffed him for little or no gain on his first four rushing attempts. Locker finished with just six yards rushing. As a whole, the offensive unit for Washington looked stale and our rhythm, save for Chris Polk. Polk rushed for 110 yards on 18 carries, but his efforts ended up being futile.

John McGrath of the Tacoma News Tribune writes...

Locker's admirable tenacity was underscored by the post-game details of his Saturday-night fever. Something about Locker wasn't right against the Sun Devils, that much was suspected. Instead of exhorting teammates between plays, as he did at USC, Locker's sole priority was to consult the formation-cue chart attached to his left forearm.

In any case, news of his illness was as a surprise to everybody beyond the home sideline at Husky Stadium. He toughed it out during a demoralizing defeat. But with a little help from his head coach, Locker might've had the strength to muster the UW's second fourth-quarter comeback in two weeks.

"We lost the element of Jake running around there," Sarkisian said. "He'd run and he couldn't catch his breath back for the entire drive. I don't think we got 100 percent of him."

Todd Milles writes there could be changes on the offensive line...

Gregory Christine started against Arizona State, was hit with a couple of offensive-holding infractions and, in general, played mediocre. He is still listed as a co-starter, along with Colin Porter, who did not play at all against the Sun Devils.

My guess: Porter will make a strong move this week. At worst, it should be a time-share position Saturday.

Milles also points to a failed fake field goal as a turning point.

The result? A fake field-goal attempt by holder Cody Bruns, who took off down the left sideline and fooled nobody. Two ASU defenders were there waiting to tackle him for no gain.

Sarkisian's explanation after the game: "It was a run-pass option. We just got put in the predicament there in such an in-between stage. It was fourth and long, and you don't have a lot of great calls in your play sheet for that. With the weather and the pre-game kicks, I didn't feel good about kicking the field goal from there. It was something in the game plan that we liked, and that we thought if we had the opportunity. But (ASU) defended it well."

John Berkowitz of SB Nation's UW Dawg Pound writes that Locker needed help...

Washington wins when they score thirty or more points per game. The defense while far from exceptional has played well enough to give the team a good chance to win in four of five games. This team wins when Jake Locker has a good game. It can beat better teams when he has a great one.

It was evident early that Jake wasn't going to win the ASU game on his own. The coaches should have relied more on a power running game that featured the running of Polk and Callier and was led by the blocking of an extra tackle and FB Austin Sylvester.

Alex from SeattleSportsNet.com is frustrated by it all...

How uninspiring are the Huskies right now? Forget bad. Forget inconsistent. Forget boring. They are clearly all of those things. It's their absolute inability to inspire that should drive you up the wall.

As for Oregon State, Bob Condotta notes they lost a major weapon in James Rodgers due to injury.

Looking back at Saturday, passing along the update on James Rodgers, and a little more. ...

--- First off, OSU coach Mike Riley announced tonight that OSU's standout receiver Rodgers is out for Saturday's game at UW after injuring his knee yesterday against Arizona. Intriguingly, the story says OSU has already clarified that if Rodgers is out for the year he could likely redshirt this season and come back next season for one more year when his broter, Jacquizz, would also be a senior.

Rodgers or not, Oregon State quarterback Ryan Katz was named Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week, notes SB Nation's Building The Dam.

Oregon St. QB Ryan Katz was named the Pac-10 Offensive Player Of The Week for his 30 of 42 passing day, which produced 2 touchdowns, and 393 yards (10th. most in Oregon St. history), along with his three rushing first downs.

For everything Oregon State Beavers, head over to SB Nation's Building The Dam.

For everything washington Huskies, head over to SB Nation's UW Dawg Pound.