COLLEGE FOOTBALL : Washington Breaks Army’s Wishbone : Nonconference: Huard completes six of seven passes in fourth quarter as Huskies hold on.

Washington didn’t think it could lose to Army. The Cadets almost proved the No. 22 Huskies wrong before a record crowd of 76,125 in Husky Stadium.

“We took this game way too lightly,” Damon Huard said after throwing a touchdown pass and scoring on a keeper in the fourth quarter in a 21-13 victory Saturday. “We were 26-point favorites and we barely squeaked by. It’s pretty obvious we need to improve a lot.”

Thanks to Huard’s fourth-quarter performance, the Huskies (2-1) were able to overcome the Cadets’ ball-controlling wishbone.

The game ended with the Cadets (1-2) out of timeouts, with fourth down on the Washington one-yard line as the clock ran out. Army had a 13-minute advantage in possession time.

“It’s a great feeling of achievement to come from behind and then have a big goal-line stand like that,” Huard said.

The 49-yard Huard-to-Andre DeSaussure scoring pass two minutes into the final quarter and Huard’s two-yard touchdown run allowed the Huskies to win despite a career day by Army fullback John Conroy, who rushed 24 times for 166 yards.

Huard lost two fumbles and threw an interception in the first three quarters, but he was a different quarterback in the fourth quarter. He was six for seven for 119 yards and finished 12 for 19 for 197 yards.

After Parker’s second field goal, Huard moved the Huskies 90 yards in seven plays for Washington’s first lead of the game at 14-13. He found DeSaussure, a redshirt freshman, behind Abdullah Muhammad at the three for DeSaussure’s first career touchdown and longest reception ever.

Leon Neal’s 17-yard punt return gave Washington the ball at the Army 48 with 9:13 to go, and Huard completed a 24-yard pass to Dave Janoski on the second play of the Huskies’ final touchdown drive. The Huskies went 48 yards in seven plays for their 21-13 lead with 5:42 left.

Army wasn’t finished, though.

The Cadets went from their 27 to the Washington one in a dozen plays--despite being called for delay of game when they tried to call a timeout when they didn’t have any left. Washington kept the march alive when Mike Ewaliko was called for roughing quarterback Ronnie McAda after an incomplete pass on fourth and goal at the Husky six. That gave the Cadets three more cracks at the goal line.

On their last play, Steve Carpenter was stopped by Lawyer Milloy for no gain on third and one.