2008 Week 12

A week after surviving a close win against a talented Oregon team, the Huskies appeared to suffer a letdown against cellar-dweller Stanford in a 29-17 defeat.

The Huskies were lacking in both execution and effort, according to head coach Jim Mora. They struggled to keep their hands on the football, losing three fumbles and throwing three interceptions to boot.

The Huskies made a push on their first drive, but Locker - throwing to an open receiver - threw it too hard and instead one of the linebackers underneath picked it off to end the drive.

The Cardinal scored the first touchdown on an 8-yard touchdown pass halfway through the second quarter, and the Huskies pushed their first points across with 1:09 to play in the first half, a 9-yard touchdown run by Jason Howard. The Cardinal moved right down the field and kicked a field goal before the end of the half.

Mistakes complicated the Huskies' efforts to win the game in the second half. A fumble by Jake Locker was returned 53 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter, and another fumble led to a field goal minutes later.

The Huskies scored on a short run by J.R. Hasty and then recovered a fumble of their own to kick a field goal and pull to within two points with seven minutes to play.

The Huskies shot themselves in the foot as they threw another interception and lost another fumble in those final minutes, leading to a touchdown and a field goal by the Cardinal that sealed the game.

"Our effort really tailed off from the last week, and as a coach you don't like to see that. You can't take it easy against a team that has fewer wins than you," said Mora after the game. "Teams are just too good to expect to win at half speed. It's impossible."