Washington doesn’t miss a trick in victory

SEATTLE -- No wacky formations. No trick plays.

The darlings got dumped.

No. 22 Boise State had its 14-game winning streak, longest in major college football, ended as resurgent Washington shut out the Broncos in the second half of the Huskies’ 24-10 victory Saturday.

Redshirt freshman Jake Locker threw for one score and ran for another while overcoming two turnovers. Washington beat a ranked opponent for the first time since 2003.

“We expected a lot more cleverness. When we got down to it, it was just window dressing,” Washington safety Roy Lewis said.

He had 11 tackles, one interception and helped seal the Huskies’ first win in 11 tries over a top-25 team by breaking up a fourth-down pass in the end zone with four minutes left. Then freshman Vonzell McDowell, picked on all day, intercepted Taylor Tharp’s throw at the two-yard line with 2:40 left.

Boise State (1-1) was held to its lowest point total since a 17-7 loss to Fresno State on Nov. 10, 2005.

Washington is 2-0 for the first time since 2001 heading into its home game next week against No. 12 Ohio State.

“This speaks volumes for our team and hopefully for our program,” said Coach Tyrone Willingham, who is now 9-16 in his third season with the Huskies.

Willingham remained characteristically stoic afterward -- despite saying “our young men are very excited.”

The Huskies ganged up on Boise State running back Ian Johnson to stop his streak of seven consecutive 100-yard games. Johnson had 81 yards in 20 carries and was stopped twice on third and short.

“They thought they were going to pound it down our throats,” Lewis said.

Johnson said: “It’s a relief. It’s back to, ‘OK, this is what football really is.’ It’s always going to be a struggle.”

His struggle forced the Broncos into unfamiliar long-yardage situations, which led Tharp to throw 47 times. The fifth-year senior, making only his second career start, completed 29, for 285 yards. Tharp threw three costly interceptions and lost a fumble when he tripped trying to hand off to Johnson.

“We’re disappointed,” said Broncos Coach Chris Petersen, who lost for the first time since taking over when Dan Hawkins left in 2006. “I think the tape will be very painful because there are a lot of little things.

“Shoulda. Coulda. Woulda.”