Washington's Alphonzo Tuputala drops pick-six before goal line; Huskies respond with safety

Washington linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala was inches away from his first career pick-six.

With Washington leading 33-28 in the final minute of the third quarter, Tuputala intercepted Utah quarterback Bryson Barnes at Washington's 23-yard-line. Tuputala returned his first-ever interception for 76 yards and had a clear path to the end zone for a pick six, but he never crossed the goal line with the ball.

Instead, Tuputala dropped the ball a yard shy of the end zone for a premature celebration. The live ball was recovered by Utah offensive lineman Michael Mokofisi as Huskies gathered around Tuputala in celebration. A replay confirmed Tuputala's fumble and Utah's recovery.

But Washington's defense was able to respond immediately.

Starting at the 1-yard line, Utah running back Ja'Quinden Jackson tried to run the ball out of the end zone but was stopped in his tracks in the end zone for a safety, concluding a wild sequence of events.

Washington left points on the board with the botched pick six, but the Huskies were at least able to extend their lead to 35-28 heading into the fourth quarter. That ended up being the final score as the Huskies improved to 10-0.

Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer later made light of the blunder. When asked on the Fox broadcast what the Huskies needed to do to close out the game, he said they need to "do the little things" like "cross the goal line when you have the ball in your hands."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Washington's Alphonzo Tuputala drops clear pick-six before goal line