Final Stats
By BOB BAUM
AP Sports Writer
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Mike Bell rushed for 222 yards - including touchdown
runs of 67, 69 and 37 yards - and the Arizona Wildcats snapped a string of 13
consecutive home losses in the Pac-10 by stunning Washington 27-22 Saturday.
Bell topped 100 yards for the third consecutive game to lead the Wildcats to
their first home conference victory since beating Washington State 53-47 in
triple-overtime on Oct. 13, 2000.
His TD runs of 69 and 37 yards came in a 59-second span of the fourth
quarter to put Arizona up 27-16 with 4:38 remaining.
Cody Pickett, who completed 31 of 51 for 351 yards and two scores, completed
a 41-yard pass to Isaiah Stanback to set up a 4-yard touchdown toss to Corey
Williams to cut the lead to 27-22 with 3:49 left. The 2-point conversion try
failed when Patrick Howard stopped Pickett 2 yards shy of the end zone.
The Huskies drove to the Arizona 28 on their last possession, but
consecutive false-start penalties pushed them back to the 38. Pickett threw
three incompletions, the last one knocked down by safety Lamon Means to
preserve the victory.
Arizona, which fired coach John Mackovic five games into the season, snapped
an overall school-record losing streak of eight games. Fans stormed the field
after the game.
Bell's 69-yard dash up the middle, on a third-and-1 play, gave Arizona (2-8,
1-6) the lead for the first time, 20-16 with 7:28 to play.
Pickett fumbled on Washington's next possession, and Michael Jolivette
recovered for the Wildcats at their 48. Kris Heavner threw 14 yards to Biren
Ealy to the 37. Bell got the ball on the next play, was stopped as he went
right, then reversed field and raced to the end zone to put the Wildcats ahead
27-16 with 4:38 to play.
Washington (5-5, 3-3) led 14-13 after three quarters, thanks to a botched
conversion try after Arizona's first touchdown.
The Huskies made it 16-13 when punter Garth Erickson pinned Arizona on its
1, and Bell was gang-tackled in the end zone for a safety with 9:58 to play.
Arizona cut the lead to 14-13 in the final seconds of the first half.
Wildcats' cornerback Gary Love stripped the ball from Washington receiver
Charles Frederick at the Arizona 21 and returned it to the 50 with 1:25 left in
the half.
On third-and-3 from the Huskies 43, Heavner threw 33 yards to Mike
Jefferson, then hit Biren Ealy for a touchdown with 26 seconds left in the
half. The Wildcats didn't go for 2 to tie it, but kicked the conversion to make
it 14-13.
Washington, a 16˝-point favorite, went 88 yards in 12 plays on its second
possession, Pickett throwing 3 yards to a wide-open Adam Seery for the
touchdown.
Bell followed with a 67-yard scoring run, but Tom Robinson's snap on the
extra-point try was high. Holder James Molina's desperation pass was
intercepted and Washington led 7-6 with 4:05 left in the first quarter.
Derrick Johnson intercepted Heavner's pass at the Arizona 22 to set up
Washington's second touchdown, a 1-yard run by Shelton Sampson that made it
14-6 with 13:31 left in the half.