Pac-12 Championship, Washington vs Colorado: Score, highlights and recap

The Washington Huskies used a big performance from their defense to defeat the Colorado Buffaloes in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

After years of Pac-12 Championship Games that haven’t been competitive, it appeared we were heading for one between the Washington Huskies and Colorado Buffaloes on Friday night in Santa Clara.

Then everything unraveled for the Buffaloes, courtesy of the Washington defense. After Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau got hurt with a leg injury, it felt like there was no flow to the offense for the team. Backup quarterback Steven Montez did a good job of keeping the Buffaloes within a score at the half.

Liufau returned in the second half and that’s where the Washington defense tried to earn their playoff spot. Taylor Rapp took Liufau’s first pass back for a pick-six and the lead turned to double digits.

Rapp would pick off Liufau on the next drive and from there Washington cruised. Offensively, the Huskies were strong in the running game. Lavon Coleman and Myles Gaskin each had over 100 yards on the ground. A couple of field goals and a John Ross remarkable catch-and-run took the life out of Colorado. By the end, the Huskies were up 41-10 and Colorado was left scratching their heads wondering where things went wrong.

Washington won their first Pac-12 Championship since 2000 and now they’ll likely be getting ready for the Alabama Crimson Tide. It was an impressive showing by the Huskies, as they looked sharp defensively.

Three Stars

3. Taylor Rapp

Rapp completely flipped the game for the Huskies with his two interceptions to begin the second half.

2. Lavon Coleman

Coleman was another beast on the ground for Washington. He had a touchdown and some big runs along with Myles Gaskin in the win.

1. Myles Gaskin

Gaskin had 159 yards on the ground for the Huskies. He wore down the Colorado defense with his huge runs.

Full Highlights

What’s Next?

The Colorado Buffaloes will await their bowl invite. It’s not clear at this point where they will be playing. The Washington Huskies are hoping that their performance was enough to get them in the College Football Playoff.