By Morris Phillips

Team speed, pervasive throughout Washington’s 66-27 dismantling of Cal on Saturday night, must have disembarked the Huskies’ charter flight from Seattle to the Bay Area even before the UW players and coaches.

It must have.  What else could explain the parade of Huskies racing into the end zone—some untouched, almost all racing ahead of the pack—in what would become a record setting rout for the nation’s No. 5 ranked team?

In all, five different Washington players registered at least one play of 32 yards or longer, as the Huskies rolled, at one point scoring 38 consecutive points.  The 66 points allowed was the most the Bears had allowed since 1973, and UW’s seven touchdown passes—six courtesy of quarterback Jake Browning—surpassed the Washington (9-0, 6-0 Pac-12) school record of six.

“All of the credit goes to those guys,” Cal quarterback Davis Webb said.  “They were coached well, they played really well and that’s a really great team over there.  That’s the best team we’ve played this year and I think they proved that tonight.”

Two circumstances conspired to turn this one into a rout—Cal’s injury situation which left them perilously thin in their defensive, back seven, and undefeated Washington’s psyche following the release of the first College Football Playoff rankings which placed them fifth, behind one-loss Texas A&M.  Dykes spoke about Cal’s situation that put them at the mercy of Miles Gaskin, UW’s speedy back, and their dominant pair of receivers, John Ross and Dante Pettis, who racked up 14 catches for 312 yards and all six of the touchdown passes thrown by Browning.

“We’re banged up on the backend, so Washington got some matchups on guys that weren’t necessarily a great matchup,” Dykes admitted.  “There wasn’t much we could do about it.  We knew going into the ballgame that we’d play the best players we had available to us, that’s what we do every week.”

So lopsided were those matchups between the Washington receiving duo, and Cal’s corners and safeties, one’s reaction was either wide-eyed surprise, or a frustrated shake of the head.  Ross’ 67-yard score had all of that as Browning wound up and hit the junior in stride 45 yards down field where he shook Bears’ corner Chibuzo Nwokocha.  Ross then retreated several yards while gaining momentum and that caused Nwokocha to run into teammate Luke Rubenzer, removing both from the pursuit.  Twenty yards later Ross was untouched as he crossed the goal line with safety Khari Vanderbilt able to apply only a fruitless, arm swipe.

On Pettis’ option pass for a touchdown, normal starting safety Rubenzer bit hard on the possibility of a run, allowing Darrell Daniels to slip past him where he was waiting for Pettis’ pass and a 39-yard scoring play.

Those two spectacular plays came in the first quarter with Ross’ score putting UW up 21-6.  But after Cal rallied to within 21-20 on Davis Webb’s scoring run and Chad Hansen’s touchdown catch, Washington dropped the hammer with five consecutive touchdowns, then Cameron Von Winkle’s 36-yard field goal that put Washington up 59-20 with 12:58 remaining in the game.

As Washington turned on the gas, Cal kept shooting itself in the foot.  At one point, the Bears turned the ball over on three, consecutive possessions.  Offensively, Webb got little done, even with Hansen back in the starting lineup after missing two games with injuries.  The Bears converted just one of their 13 third-down opportunities, a credit to Huskies’ effective pass rush and the cover skills of the veteran secondary.

Defensively, the Bears drew high praise from UW Coach Chris Petersen who said the Bears did well by crowding the line of scrimmage to stop the run, disguising coverages to protect their deeper defenders, and mixing it up to prevent the Huskies from recognizing any tendencies.  But Browning, the Folsom, CA product sorted through it all, making big plays in the passing game when he needed.  In all, Browning completed just 19 passes, but they covered 378 yards and six were touchdowns.

Webb finished 23 of 47 for 262 yards, but threw three interceptions.  Cal’s running game was stymied as Khalfani Muhammad rushed for just 34 yards, and Tre Watson had 10 carries for 29 yards.  Muhammad also suffered the indignity of being picked up off both feet and thrown back by UW’s 350-pound Vita Vea on a goal line play during Cal’s brief, second quarter rally.

Afterwards, the Huskies refused to say they were motivated by the CFP’s snub, with Petersen, Pettis, Browning, Ross and corner Kevin King all saying that too much football remains for them to get ruffled over the initial, playoff poll.  And who can blame them?  After 12 consecutive wins dating back to last season, the Huskies have matchups with improving USC at home, and Washington State (6-0 in conference play) on the road to consume their attention.

“There’s a lot of football left to play,” Browning said.  “Put us outside the top four and make us earn it.”

The Bears travel to Pullman next Saturday night to face the Cougars, who smashed Arizona 59-7.

NOTES: Cal’s attendance continued to suffer as the team was given a third, 7pm or later start time in four home games this season.   Only 47,000 attended the game and the stadium was half full for the second half when the outcome was all but decided.

Marshawn Lynch was honored with a bobblehead giveaway that captured his wild, cart ride following Cal’s 2006 overtime win over Washington.  Lynch recreated the ride, with his mom, Delisa in tow, then after leading the Bears on to the field with a few, sharp turns, Lynch was joined by rapper E-40 for a final spin.