Washington Football: 3 takeaways from Pac-12 title win over Utah

Washington won a defensive struggle against Utah for the Pac-12 championship. What did we learn after the Huskies claimed their second title in three years?

It was the type of donnybrook in Santa Clara that one might expect from a Big Ten showdown or an SEC contest. Instead, it was North winner Washington shutting down South champion Utah in a 10-3 finish in the Pac-12 championship game on Friday night at Levi’s Stadium.

The Huskies dominated the game, forcing four punts by Mitch Wishnowsky and giving away only a 53-yard field goal to standout Utah kicker Matt Gay. They were gutsy as well as good, staying on offense four times on fourth down (and moving the chains twice in the process) as they maximized their possessions as much as possible.

It was a game whose complexion looked far different than the 21-7 Washington victory that transpired in Salt Lake City back in September, but the results ultimately came out the same way. Washington won their second Pac-12 crown in three years, while Utah missed its chance to play in the first Rose Bowl game in school history.

What did we learn about these two teams on Friday night in the Bay Area? Keep reading for three big takeaways from the Pac-12 championship game victory by Chris Petersen’s Huskies over Kyle Whittingham’s Utes.