Washington vs. Boise State: Score, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

Chris Petersen almost got his revenge, but the Washington Huskies couldn't muster enough offense to sneak past the 23rd-ranked Boise State Broncos Friday night in a 16-13 loss at Albertsons Stadium. 

Although some superb special teams play allowed the Huskies to mount a second-half charge, they fell short with several opportunities to put together late game-winning and game-tying drives. 

A last gasp saw Washington work all the way down to the Boise State 19-yard line, but a combination of penalties and sacks forced the Huskies to settle for a 46-yard field goal with 21 seconds remaining attempt that faded just wide right off the foot of Cameron Van Winkle. 

Fox Sports' Stewart Mandel provided an optimistic outlook for Washington despite the loss: 

The Huskies were outgained, 336-179, but a 76-yard punt return touchdown from Dante Pettis in the third quarter helped cut the deficit to six. A blocked punt by Jaydon Mickens deep in Boise State territory set up a Washington field goal midway through the fourth quarter, but that was as close as Petersen's side would get. 

Pac-12 Networks on Twitter offered a look at the Huskies' lone jaunt into the end zone: 

Quarterback Jake Browning wasn't exactly prolific in his debut under center, but that was to be expected as Washington opted to take a conservative approach with the true freshman orchestrating the offense. 

Browning completed 20 of 34 passes for 150 yards and an interception in the loss, but flashes of commendable composure on the potential game-tying drive was indicative of his own potential moving forward.  

But the signal-caller didn't see things that way, according to the Seattle Times' Adam Jude:

Boise flourished early with 16 first-half points, but its offense floundered despite holding on to capture the win. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Broncos netted just 83 yards after halftime as they failed to register a point over the game's final 30 minutes. 

Running back Jeremy McNichols punctuated a 16-play, 92-yard drive to open the scoring for the Broncos, and he followed that up by diving into the end zone for a one-yard touchdown run to cap off a 13-play, 80-yard drive in the second quarter. 

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg praised Washington's effort during the second-half shutout:

Sophomore quarterback Ryan Finley completed 16 of 29 passes for 129 yards and an interception, but it was the running game that paced Boise throughout. 

McNichols led all players with 24 carries for 89 yards and two scores, while complementary back Kelsey Young tacked on 13 carries for 48 yards. It wasn't an efficient effort by any stretch, but Boise State continued to pound the rock between the tackles and rattled off 53 carries for 185 yards. 

However, Boise should be happy it was able to start its season on a positive note despite the sloppy special teams play and offensive breakdowns. 

Next up for the Broncos is a road tilt with a sneaky BYU squad, while Washington will have a golden opportunity to nab its first win of the season against the Big Sky's Sacramento State at Husky Stadium. 

Expect both offenses to come out with more juice after letting some jitters loose Friday in a highly entertaining and unpredictable contest.