Washington defensive lineman Hau'oli Kikaha entered Saturday tied for the most sacks in the nation, but because of an injury, he had recorded just one in the Huskies' past two games.
That changed quickly against Oregon State.
Kikaha beat his man off the edge and sacked Beavers quarterback Sean Mannion on the first play of the game, setting the tone for a 37-13 victory that his team controlled throughout. Fellow linemen Joe Mathis and Andrew Hudson also recorded a sack, but Washington's front seven was active most of the night and would have picked up several more pressures had it not been for the quick release of Mannion in getting rid of the ball.
Fresh off an upset win over Arizona State last week, Mannion was unable to keep the momentum going for Oregon State. Despite facing a ton of pressure on nearly every dropback, Mannion did flash plenty of the attributes that made him the all-time leading passer in the Pac-12. He finished 30-of-46 for 314 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.Â
Mannion's best moment of the night came just before halftime, when he led an 80-yard touchdown drive that included a beautiful 72-yard strike to Victor Bolden to set up the score. He made several strong throws throughout the game and displayed better footwork and escapability than he had in previous Beavers losses.
Still, it wasn't enough to prevent a loss that probably costs the team a trip to a bowl game with only second-ranked Oregon remaining on the schedule for the team's annual Civil War rivalry game.
Washington quarterback Cyler Miles led perhaps the sharpest offensive output of the year for the Huskies, racking up nearly 500 yards. The bulk of that total came on several big plays, including a 68-yard touchdown by rejuvenated tailback Dwayne Washington and a 54-yard score by Jaydon Mickens.
The only thing the game lacked was a major performance from linebacker/running back Shaq Thompson. He didn't record a carry in the backfield and only announced his presence on defense with a big hit late in the second half.
It was all enough to grab an impressive win and keep Kikaha atop the FBS sack list come Sunday.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
