Washington rallies late to stun Arizona 36-33

SEATTLE - After the most unimaginable of interceptions in the unlikeliest of situations, Washington's Mason Foster had one thought as he sprinted into Huskies lore.

"Don't get caught."

Foster intercepted a deflected pass off the foot of Arizona's Delashaun Dean and returned the carom 37 yards for a touchdown with 2:37 left, and the Huskies rallied with two stunning touchdowns in the final 3 minutes to shock Arizona 36-33 on Saturday night.

And it will quickly take it's place as one of the most stunning conclusions in Washington's history.

Down 33-21 with 4:16 left, the Huskies (3-3, 2-1 Pac-10) rallied quickly, getting a 25-yard touchdown strike from Jake Locker to Kavario Middleton to cut the deficit to five with 2:55 left.

Before Washington's offense had a chance to regroup on the sidelines, they were seeing Foster sprint untouched to take the lead. Arizona's defense was busy trying to figure out what Washington's offense was having success with when linebacker Corey Hall said, "The next thing you know, we all look up and we hear the Washington fans yelling, and they are taking the interception to the house."

Foster was just trying to get something positive to happen for the Huskies defense.

"I told the linebackers 'Let's go out here and win it for us.' I told Donald (Butler) 'Let's make something happen, do something crazy,"' Foster said. "It just turned our way."

Crazy doesn't even begin to describe the bounce Washington received.

Arizona quarterback Nick Foles tried to throw a quick screen that had worked against the Huskies' defense all night. The screen was read by Washington safety Victor Aiewya, disrupting the timing. Foles was then forced to go with a second option. He threw for Dean, but the toss was low and behind the receiver. The ball deflected off Dean's left foot and right into the arms of Foster, who ran untouched for the shocking touchdown.

"I knew immediately and I went as crazy as probably anybody did, and I was thinking 'Don't get a penalty for being on the field,"' Washington coach Steve Sarkisian said. "So I had to make a left-hand turn and get back on the sidelines."

Arizona coach Mike Stoops said the play was a run-pass option for Foles. With leading rusher Nic Grigsby having not seen the field in the second half, the Wildcats' best run play became the quick screens that ripped apart Washington's depleted secondary.

Stoops regretted even having the pass option in the call.

"(We) just made a tactical error there late in the game," he said.

Locker hit Jermaine Kearse for the two-point conversion to give Washington a three-point advantage.

Arizona (3-2, 1-1) got the ball back with just 2:29 left and only one timeout. Foles and the Wildcats got to the Washington 38, before the Huskies came up with their first sack of the night. Daniel Te'o-Nesheim tripped up Foles for a 5-yard loss after the Wildcats had taken their last time out. Foles rushed his attempt on third down and threw incomplete. His last-ditch, fourth-down pass was intercepted by Desmond Trufant at the Washington 22 setting off a wild celebration that had Washington defensive coordinator Nick Holt high-stepping down the sideline even after his defense was picked apart most of the night by Foles.

Foster finished with 11 tackles, including a pair of key stops on Arizona's last drive when it appeared running back Greg Nwoko had a chance for a big play.

The stunning conclusion left Oregon as the only team still unbeaten in conference play when it appeared for most of the second half it would be joined by the Wildcats on top of the Pac-10 standings.

Foles and the Wildcats scored the first 17 points of the second half and built a 33-21 lead. Picking apart the Huskies depleted secondary with smart, short tosses, Foles threw for 384 yards and one touchdown, and ran for another in the third quarter as the Wildcats appeared in control thanks to special teams meltdowns by Washington.

Foles completed 39 of 53 passes on a night that Grigsby carried just five times. David Roberts caught 12 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown.

Washington punter Will Mahan muffed one kick to setup one of Alex Zendejas' four field goals inside 30 yards. Mahan then shanked another leading to Foles' touchdown run.

Down by 12 with 4:16 left, Locker raced the Huskies 59 yards capped by his third touchdown pass of the night, hitting Middleton in the corner of the end zone.

Then came Foster's unbelievable interception return, giving life to the Huskies' hopes of making a bowl game in Sarkisian's first season.

"I don't really know how to explain a win like that," Middleton said. "But it just feels so great to pull out a win when everyone probably thinks you can't."