Brunell, Bryant Lead Washington

Washington Coach Don James feared the Huskies might lose their edge as police searched Martin Stadium for explosives before the game.

He needn’t have fretted. Quarterback Mark Brunell and tailback Beno Bryant led No. 10 Washington to a 55-10 rout of Washington State in a Pacific 10 game Saturday that started a half hour late because of the scare.

“We tried not to let them burn off nervous energy,” James said. “It was just a matter of getting the problem solved.”

Washington State was never able to solve Washington’s defense.

The Rose Bowl-bound Huskies, 9-2 overall and 7-1 in the Pac-10, held Washington State (3-8, 2-6) to minus seven yards rushing and sacked Cougar quarterback Drew Bledsoe seven times.

The Apple Cup game was delayed 30 minutes while police disarmed a radio-controlled explosive device that was found in the stands about 40 minutes before the scheduled kickoff.

Police said the device contained flash powder and probably would not have caused any injuries if it had detonated.

Brunell completed eight of 15 passes for 138 yards and three touchdowns and carried 10 times for 29 yards and a touchdown.

Bryant, a sophomore from Dorsey High in Los Angeles who was filling in for injured senior Greg Lewis, carried 23 times for 112 yards.

Lewis had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee after the Nov. 10 loss to UCLA, but is expected to play in the Rose Bowl.