No. 5 Washington held on to beat No. 18 Utah, 35–28, in a Pac-12 showdown at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium on Saturday.
However, despite improving to 10–0 (7–0 in the Pac-12), a critical blunder by Huskies linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala handed sports bettors arguably one of the worst bad beats of the 2023 college football season.
After making an interception, Tuputala headed down the near sideline and was in the clear for an easy touchdown. However, prior to crossing the goal line Tuputala inexplicably dropped the ball at least two yards short of breaking the plane.
HE DROPPED IT BEFORE CROSSING THE GOAL LINE?! 😱
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 11, 2023
UTAH GETS THE BALL BACK pic.twitter.com/AzhjizWAn4
The Huskies, who closed as eight-point home favorites, had another chance to cover the spread in the final minutes. However, Brady Gross’s 32-yard field goal attempt, which would have extended Washington’s lead to 10, was blocked by Utah’s Connor O’Toole.
BLOCKED 😱 @Utah_Football keeps it a 1-score game with less than 2 minutes left to play! pic.twitter.com/F9ysJAQQaA
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 11, 2023
After Washington emerged victorious by only seven points, bettors angrily lamented the costly pick-six blunder, which would have resulted in a Huskies cover.
I’ve never seen a team try to not cover a spread more than Washington tried and succeeded in doing today.
— Hold The Mayo (@snowlikejonn) November 12, 2023
Real gross stuff
Washington not covering the spread is sickening
— Kyle Urbain (@kyleurbain) November 12, 2023
Blow a 2-point conversion, drop a free TD, miss a chip shot field goal. That’s how Washington won by 7 when everyone bet Washington -7.5 or -8. What a brutally bad beat
— Justin Macmahan (@JustinMacmahan) November 12, 2023
Washington’s blocked field goal with two minutes coat us the -9 cover. Bad beat of the day 😒
— Sad NOLA Fan Account (@kenlorio) November 12, 2023
Washington not covering is such a bad beat. Dude drops ball at the 1 yard line and then a short FG gets blocked
— NJR™ (@ringballs22) November 11, 2023
Washington -8.5 bad beat of the decade. I’m jumping in the river.
— C Man — HOW BOUT THEM DAWGS (back2back) (@colemanhruss) November 11, 2023
This Washington game is gonna be the worst bad beat of my life.
— Chad צ'אד (@ChadsRcool) November 11, 2023
Washington is an absolute joke of a bad beat
— Nathan Schreckengost (@NSchreck_47) November 11, 2023
Washington -8 all time bad beat for multiple reasons just terrible
— NBA OldMan (@calimelittle) November 12, 2023
