SAN ANTONIO – For the first time this season, Washington fans got to see what a healthy Keith Price looks like.
Hampered by myriad injuries this season, Price used the three weeks before the Alamo Bowl to get healthy.
And because of it, he was able to turn in a Alamo Bowl record-setting performance with his four touchdowns passing and three running.
Price completed 23 of 37 passes for 438 yards with scoring passes to Jermaine Kearse, two to Devin Aguilar and another to James Johnson.
But it was Price’s mobility in the pocket and ability to scramble that really stood out. On his three TD runs he showed bursts of speed that were never apparent this season. The runs came from 5 yards, 8 yards and 15 yards. And all showed the athleticism that UW coach Steve Sarkisian had promised.
“I can’t say enough about the performance,” Sarkisian said. “I felt like heading into the game this would be a game where we could the Keith Price that I kind have known he could be. It’s just unfortunate that he had to fight through injuries all year long and be a pocket passer.”
The best news for Washington fans is that Price will be around for possibly two more years. Just a sophomore, he turned in one of the better seasons in UW history.
After outperforming Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, will there be Heisman talk going around for Price. It’s a possibility.
“I think his future is very bright, and I think our future is very bright because of him,” Sarkisian said.
KEARSE GOES OUT BIG
Jermaine Kearse’s last game with the Huskies was one he will never forget. In the midst of a record-setting Alamo Bowl shootout, the Lakes grad caught five passes for 198 yards and a touchdown.
After taking some heat for dropped passes during his career, Kearse didn’t drop a pass in the game and showed why he is one of the most prolific receivers in Washington history.
“It was pretty disappointing with the loss, but this has been one of the best times of my life,” Kearse said. “I went from 0-12 to two bowl games in a row.”
UW FENCE BROKEN
The “fence” around the state of Washington that Sarkisian boasted of building to keep in-state recruits home seems to have a few holes in it.
For the third time this season, the Huskies have lost out on a high-profile in-state recruit after Mariner High running back KeiVarae Russell announced Thursday that he will attend Notre Dame next fall.
Russell had narrowed his choices to the Irish and the Huskies.
Washington has now lost out on Tacoma Baptist offensive tackle Walker Williams, who committed to Wisconsin, and Puyallup offensive tackle Josh Garnett, who left UW out of his top three – he’s considering Stanford, Michigan and Notre Dame.
That leaves only Zach Banner of Lakes as the remaining prized recruit in the class. Banner won’t make a decision until after his official visit to USC. Banner’s final three schools are Oklahoma, Washington and USC.
Russell, who rushed for 1,293 yards despite missing three games this season, is rated by Scout.com as a 4-star recruit and the 24th best running back in the country.
Ryan Divish: 253-597-8483 ryan.divish@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/uwsports
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.