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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 3:00 p.m., Saturday, September 8, 2007

CFB: Washington ends Boise St.'s 14-game win streak

By GREGG BELL
AP Sports Writer

SEATTLE — Redshirt freshman Jake Locker threw for one score and ran for another as resurgent Washington held No. 22 Boise State scoreless in the second half of a 24-10 victory Saturday, ending the longest winning streak in major college football at 14 games.

Two key defensive plays sealed the win. Roy Lewis broke up a fourth-down pass in the end zone with four minutes left and Vonzell McDowell had an interception at the 2 with 2:40 remaining.

Boise State running back Ian Johnson saw his streak of seven consecutive 100-yard games end. He had 81 yards on 20 carries, as the Broncos found themselves in unfamiliar long-yardage situations.

Boise State (1-1) is 0-13 in road games against teams from BCS conferences. The Broncos, second in the nation in scoring last season at 40 points per game, were held to their lowest point total since a 17-7 loss to Fresno State on Nov. 10, 2005.

Washington is 2-0 for the first time since 2001 heading into its home game next week against No. 12 Ohio State.

Washington had two chances early in the fourth quarter to add to its 24-10 lead. But Ryan Perkins' 41-yard field goal attempt was low and into the line. And Locker — who was 13-of-25 for 193 yards passing — threw a jump ball into the end zone that was intercepted by Marty Tadman.

Yet Boise State answered with uncharacteristic mistakes. A holding penalty on tackle Ryan Clady negated a first down to midfield on a drive that ended with a punt. After Locker's interception, quarterback Taylor Tharp gave one back by overthrowing a deep pass intended for Jeremy Childs. Lewis intercepted that at the Washington 10.

Tharp had three interceptions.

Washington ganged up on runs by Johnson and took its chances with the passing of Tharp, a fifth-year senior making his second career start. He responded by completing 29 of 47 passes for 285 yards — but with the costly interceptions.

Boise State was 21 yards away from cutting Washington's lead to 17-14 early in the second quarter when Tharp tried to throw across the field to a well-covered Vinny Perreta. Grayson Gunheim, a defensive end, easily intercepted that at the Huskies 19.

Washington turned that gift into a 24-7 lead midway through the second quarter. Locker threw on third-and-4 to Marcel Reece, who made the catch as Austin Smith lowered his shoulder into him but simply bounced off. Reece ran for a 58-yard touchdown that gave the Huskies 24 points in the first half for the first time in three years.

Boise State faced its largest deficit since its last loss, Dec. 28, 2005, to Boston College in the MPC Computers Bowl in Boise.

While the Broncos didn't try any trickery, Washington went up 14-0 just 12 minutes into the game on a 16-yard halfback option pass by Louis Rankin to Quintin Daniels, who didn't have a defender within 15 yards of him.

Locker, who ran 16 times for 84 yards, scored the game's first points on a 6-yard run to end the opening drive. But he might have had three interceptions in the first quarter if not for drops by Boise State defenders. He then fumbled while scrambling late in the period. Kyle Gingg recovered at the Washington 44.

On the next play, freshman Titus Young boxed out McDowell — a freshman whom the Broncos targeted all afternoon — with his back as he caught a 43-yard pass from Tharp to the 1. Tharp's sneak from there made it 14-7 Washington after one quarter.

Locker rebounded by converting a third-and-11 with a dart for 19 yards to Corey Williams. That set up a 34-yard field goal by Perkins for a 17-7 lead.

Boise State would have been closer than 24-10 at the half had Josh Bean not been penalized for holding on a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the first quarter by Rashaun Scott.