Huskies enjoy 1-0 Pac-12 record with big win over Stanford

The Washington Huskies had to grind out their 17-13 victory over No. 8 Stanford Cardinal, which seemed to surprise everyone in the nation but the Huskies and their loyal followers.

The Huskies hadn't beaten a top-10 team since 2009 when they defeated a third ranked USC Trojan team. But amongst the echo of cheers that Century Link Field is known for and the Husky faithful rabidly cheering a beleaguered offense on, the Huskies pulled out a win to open up Pac-12 play.

"Part of me thinks that our fans probably appreciate these types of games more so than 48-45. There is something gritty about our mentality here. This was a black-and-blue type of game and I think our fans appreciated that," head coach Steve Sarkisian told ESPN.com.

He let the Huskies celebrate a little bit when the fans stormed the field, but Sarkisian stayed grounded with the win. It wasn't how prettily it was accomplished, just that another number was notched into the win column.

"I just wanted to be 1-0 and start off on the right foot. And how we did it and the final score didn't matter to me. It was more of playing the way we were capable of playing, playing disciplined football," Sarkisian said.

It wasn't a pretty game for either offense. Husky quarterback Keith Price only finished with 177 yards and one touchdown and interception a piece. But after achieving his "ultimate goal" of starting out 1-0 in Pac-12, the Huskies get a week off before heading down to Eugene, OR for their biggest test of the season against the No. 2 Oregon Ducks.