The University of Washington won a non-conference game against Oregon State Saturday, with the Huskies taking down the Beavers 28-17 in Corvallis, Ore.

UW scored in the first minute, capitalizing on a turnover, but OSU rebounded well and got back into the swing of the game, scoring midway through the first half. That was it for the first half as several line breaks by both sides were stymied by good cover tackles.

The second half was similar to the first in that Washington scored early, and Oregon State replied to tie it at 14-14. But this time, Washington replied to make it 19-14, and while OSU kicked a penalty with 15 minutes to go, it was the Huskies with the last word - a try after they turned the ball over at the scrum - to make it 26-17.

“Washington had better control of possession,” said Oregon State Head Coach Anthony Lally of the end of the game. “Both teams missed scoring opportunities. UW held down when they got a yellow card midway through the game, and then turned it on when they got their full compliment back.”

UW Head Coach Kevin Swiryn said his team is still learning, and while sophomore center Riley Poulson had a strong day, there is still much to learn.

“”I think we did some good things against Western Washington, but after the film review the players realized that we only played well-ish,” said Swiryn. “And the amount we need to improve I think is infinite.”

Still, ending a five-year winning streak that Oregon State had over Washington was pleasing to the Huskies.

“They’ve been a good club for years and play a lot of high-quality teams,” said Swiryn. “We’re happy to even compete against them.”

Swiryn said his team needs to keep thinking about the performance and not about the result, but winning is still fun for the players. With UW now 2-0 in conference play and having beaten a fellow Pac-12 school, they have to feel confident going into a three-week period where they play Western Oregon, Oregon, and Washington State. Then they get to mer the virtually untouchable Central Washington.

Was this a precursor game to an expanded PAC Rugby Conference? It’s unlikely. Swiryn said joining the conference could be something UW thinks about in the future, but the travel costs alone make it very difficult to consider at present.