SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 3, 2011
Keith Price passed for three touchdowns and Desmond Trufant made a game-saving interception to help host Washington escape with a 30-27 victory over pesky Eastern Washington on Saturday.
Price, a sophomore, won the bid to replace first-round NFL draft pick Jake Locker and completed 17 of 25 passes with no interceptions in the season opener for both teams.
Eastern Washington reached the Huskies’ 25-yard line in the final minute but Trufant was ready when Eagles quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell took a shot at the end zone. Trufant made the interception with 29 seconds left, and Washington prevailed in its first-ever game against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent.
Mitchell passed for 473 yards and three touchdowns for Eastern Washington, the defending FCS national champions. Mitchell was 39-of-69 on passing and was intercepted twice as the Eagles outgained Washington 504-250, but were ultimately done in by four turnovers.
Mitchell pulled the Eagles to within 30-27 with 3:55 left when he threw a 5-yard scoring pass to Nick Edwards.
Washington’s Chris Polk had 125 rushing yards in a swift return from minor knee surgery in mid-August.
Price tossed a 6-yard pass to Kasen Williams to give the Huskies a 27-13 lead in the third quarter. He threw scoring passes of 7 yards to Jonathan Amosa and 9 yards to James Johnson in the first half.
Mitchell passed for 229 yards in the first half and threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Ashton Clark in the opening quarter.