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Washington ain't played nobody? Not no more.

Grammar jokes aside, Washington's resume shouldn't be doubted moving forward. A 31-24 win at Utah -- which is no easy place to get a W -- made sure of that. This was the Huskies' toughest test to date by a long margin, and they answered the challenge.

Winning didn't come as easily for Washington like it had for the Huskies against the likes of Oregon, Stanford and Oregon State. Then again, Utah has made a living out of playing close games this season, and Saturday proved to be no different. The Utes battled back from an initial 14-0 deficit to take a 17-14 lead in the third quarter. Washington reclaimed the lead later in the third before Utah tied the game at 24.

Washington's season-to-date had been perfect. Not only was Chris Petersen's team winning every game, it was routinely winning big. Six of the Huskies' seven wins heading into Week 9 were by double digits; the lone close call was in overtime against Arizona, which is in last place in the Pac-12 South. So while it was appropriate to marvel at what Washington and Petersen had done in Year 3, it was also only a matter of time before they were pressed.

How Washington would respond to that pressure would say a lot about this team.

This was not Washington's best game; conversely, it featured some of Utah's best passing plays all season.

The big problem for Washington was not the X's and O's, but the extra-curricular stuff. On three occasions, a personal foul penalty on third down extended a Utah drive and eventually led to a touchdown. If the Huskies had dropped this game, losing their collective heads and playing undisciplined would have been a big reason why.

Instead, Washington got a big play when it needed it in a 58-yard punt return by Dante Pettis for a touchdown with 3:25 remaining, and all was well with the Huskies.

This is still an impressive football team. Myles Gaskin ran behind a wall of blockers for 151 yards. The defense is still excellent up front and has a physical secondary.

Clearly, Washington is the class of the Pac-12. But there are more tests before the season is over. USC (Nov. 12) suddenly looks better than it did in September with four straight wins. And, of course, the Apple Cup at Washington State will be the Pac-12 game to watch this year.

It's entirely possible Washington meets Utah again for the Pac-12 title.

There are many opportunities for the Huskies to slip on their way to a potential College Football Playoff berth. It's tough to go undefeated, no matter the caliber of the team or conference in which it plays. But if Washington is going to do this, it will have to come together when things aren't going as smoothly.

Against Utah, it did just that.