Taylor Rapp’s 2 picks help Huskies beat Colorado 41-10 for Pac-12 title

On a night when the Washington Huskies needed to prove they are among the four best teams in the country, their secondary submitted an airtight case.

Freshman cornerback Taylor Rapp made two of the Dawgs’ three interceptions in the third quarter, including a pick six, and No. 4 Washington held No. 9 Colorado to just 81 yards passing en route to a convincing 41-10 victory in the Pac-12 championship game on Friday night.

The win gives the 12-1 Huskies their first outright conference championship since 2000, and just may be enough to solidify their spot as one of four teams to play for the national title in the College Football Playoff.

Huskies prove value of balance | Photo gallery | Final stats

The Huskies’ defensive backs helped out an offense that struggled to get going through the air. Colorado’s own defense blanketed the Washington receivers through the first half, allowing the Buffaloes’ pass rush enough time to pressure UW quarterback Jake Browning and keep him from finding a rhythm.

That’s not to say Washington had trouble moving the ball, however.

Running backs Myles Gaskin and Lavon Coleman, as well as the UW offensive line, had Washington rolling downhill from the outset. On the first drive of the game, Coleman reeled off runs of 26 and 11 yards on back-to-back plays and eventually scored from a yard out to put UW ahead 7-0. Meanwhile, Gaskin ended the day with 159 yards on 21 carries for a strong 5.5 yards per attempt.

Browning never completely hit his stride, but the backfield did enough to open up the passing game a bit, including on a 15-yard touchdown pass to tight end Darrell Daniels that broke a 7-7 tie in the second quarter.

Rapp, the Pac-12 freshman defensive player of the year out of Sehome High School in Bellingham, put the Huskies in complete control by stepping in front of a pass from Colorado QB Sefo Liufau early in the third, returning it 35 yards to the house to make it a 21-7 game. John Ross added a highlight reel catch and run for a score later in the frame, and an 8-yard end-around by Chico McClatcher to the end zone put the score out of reach in the fourth quarter.

Colorado’s offense received a blow in the first quarter when Liufau, just a few plays removed from an impressive 25-yard rush, left for the remainder of the half after injuring his leg on a Psalm Wooching sack. The Buffaloes stalled out on that drive but performed well under backup QB Steven Montez, scoring on a 3-yard Phillip Lindsay run on their next series.

Washington held Colorado scoreless in the second half, though, and after Liufau came back in to start the third quarter, the Huskies picked him off three times to put the game away.

Turning point: Taylor Rapp’s pick six on the opening drive of the second half gave Washington a two-score lead and firmly put momentum on the Huskies’ side.

Play of the game: John Ross’ ridiculous leaping one-handed reception from a pressured Jake Browning in the third quarter, which he then brought down and took 19 yards to the end zone.

Takeaway: By ripping the Pac-12 South champs, the Huskies likely assuaged any doubts that they should be one of the four teams in the College Football Playoff to determine the national title. The CFP teams will be announced Sunday morning.

Player of the game: Rapp’s two interceptions not only were spectacular, but they highlighted a dominant third quarter for Washington’s secondary that seemingly demoralized the Colorado offense.

Passing grades: Browning had a rough go of it at Levi’s Stadium, completing just 9 of 24 passes for 118 yards. The good news, though, is he threw two touchdowns and committed no turnovers. Ross led the receivers with 51 yards and a score on four catches.

On the ground: Washington’s two-headed attack out of the backfield had maybe its best performance of the season. Myles Gaskin ran for 159 yards on 21 carries, and Lavon Coleman added 101 and a touchdown on 18 attempts.

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