Stanford rides running back Cameron Scarlett to upset of Washington

STANFORD – Stanford put up a vintage performance, using a dominant run game, punishing defense, opportunistic passing and few mistakes to beat No. 15 Washington 23-13 Saturday at Stanford Stadium.

Senior Cameron Scarlett ran 33 times for a career-high 151 yards and redshirt sophomore Davis Mills, making his third career start, went 21 for 30 for 293 yards, a touchdown and no turnovers before leaving in the fourth quarter with a left leg injury as the Cardinal (3-3, 2-1 Pac-12) pulled the upset as a two-touchdown underdog.

Washington (4-2, 1-2), which was dealt a significant blow to its conference title hopes, hasn’t won on The Farm since Jake Locker led the Huskies to victory in 2007.

Stanford had first-and-goal from the 2 and first-and-goal from the 1 on its first two drives, but both ended the same way – two runs by Scarlett stuffed, followed by third-down passes out of bounds and then 20-yard field goals by Jet Toner.

But the Cardinal finally found the end zone on its third drive when Mills, starting for the second straight week because K.J. Costello was out with a thumb injury, took advantage of blown coverage and found an open Semi Fehoko for a 42-yard touchdown. It was the longest completion of Mills’s career and the longest catch and first touchdown for Fehoko, a redshirt freshman.

The three long drives to start the game gave Stanford a 308-146 edge in yardage at halftime, but the red zone struggles – Stanford came in converting a conference-worst 40 percent of its red zone possessions into touchdowns – meant it only led 13-10 at the break.

Paulson Adebo broke up a slant pass on fourth-and-2 from the Stanford 13 on Washington’s first possession of the second half to keep the Cardinal ahead, and then an 18-yard sack on third down by Gabe Reid on the next Huskies drive helped set the offense up with great field position at the Washington 47.

Colby Parkinson made a one-handed catch for 22 yards, and Osiris St. Brown got 17 yards on third-and-8 on a tunnel screen to get Stanford back to the red zone, and this time it converted.

After right guard Henry Hattis needed to be carted off the field with a left knee injury, freshman Jake Hornibrook took his spot, making him the third true freshman on the line. But Scarlett ran behind Hornibrook on his first play, and the freshman made two separate blocks on the 4-yard touchdown run that made it 20-10 midway through the third quarter.

Stanford’s defense helped the offense again in the fourth quarter, when pressure by linebacker Curtis Robinson forced a desperation throw by quarterback Jacob Eason that freshman Kyu Blu Kelly picked off at the Washington 40 for his first collegiate interception.

That led to a Jet Toner 36-yard field goal to put Stanford up 23-13 with 8:04 remaining, though Mills left during the drive to get his left knee wrapped in ice. Third-string quarterback Jack West, a redshirt freshman, finished the game but did not throw a pass.

Instead, Scarlett ran nine straight times and gained two critical first downs late to run out the clock and seal the win. Stanford, having won two in a row, now has an open week before hosting UCLA on Oct. 17.