[Quack Attack]

Huskies keep it close in opener against LSU

Washington plays well in first game under new coach Steve Sarkisian



First-year Washington coach Steve Sarkisian high fives a fan as he leads the Huskies into the stadium before Saturday's season opener against LSU



The Washington Huskies have come a long way under new coach Steve Sarkisian.

That was evident in the glorious first few minutes of their season opener Saturday night against Louisiana State. But in the end, the Huskies showed they still had a way to go, eventually falling to the bigger and faster Tigers, 31-23.

The Huskies drove 85 yards on the first possession of the Sarkisian era to take a 7-0 lead and send Husky Stadium into a delirium not seen in years. Jake Locker connected with freshman receiver James Johnson on a 17-yard scoring play to finish off the impressive drive.

But the next time the Huskies had the ball, LSU linebacker Jacob Cutrera intercepted pass from Locker and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown to give the Tigers a 10-7 lead.

A 45-yard pass from LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson to Terrance Tolliver with 1:15 left in the first half broke a 10-10 tie and put the Tigers ahead for good.

Another Jefferson-to-Tolliver hookup, this one from 39 yards away, gave LSU a 24-13 lead with 5:50 to go in the third quarter and the Tigers were able to hold on.

It was the 15th straight loss for the Huskies, tying a Pac-10 record set twice previously by Oregon State.

Huskies | Huskies keep it close in opener against LSU | Seattle Times Newspaper

[Quack Attack]

I watched the whole game and thought if it wasn't for a couple turnovers by the Huskies, they may have had a chance to win this game.

Really impressed with Husky offense and may give some PAC 10 teams problems this year.