Washington struggles to beat Stanford as November looms

Two weeks, two victories that don't necessarily warrant celebration.

Photo courtesy of UW Football.

STANFORD, Calif. — Washington’s most important player sounded congested on Saturday night, like someone whose week probably included a lot of fluids, Kleenex and cold medicine.

“You hear it in my voice a little bit, probably,” Michael Penix Jr. said, and indeed, the Huskies’ star quarterback seemed a bit stuffy as he explained another victory.

Another unsatisfying victory.

Another concerning victory.

Another victory that has you wondering how long the No. 5 Huskies can keep this up, if they are to fulfill the promise of this still-unblemished season.

On a sunny California day that yielded to a chilly night, Washington lurched and wheezed its way to a modest halftime lead against the lowly Stanford Cardinal, gave the ball away twice in the fourth quarter with two chances to dispense of the home underdogs for good, and, like last week against Arizona State, still left the stadium as winners, this time 42-33, another result that will resonate as unimpressive and inspire further doubt that UW, while still undefeated, actually is the nation’s fifth-best team.