Washington Husky Alphonzo Tuputala Drops 77-Yard Pick-6 At The 1-Yard Line On Purpose In Huge Blunder

It was the first interception of Washington Husky fifth-year junior linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala's career.

And he'll never forget it, because he Leon Lett-ed it.

Tuputala didn't quite finish.

Tuputala intercepted Utah quarterback Bryson Barnes at his 23-yard line and dashed down the right sideline for what was an apparent 77-yard interception return and what would have been a 40-28 lead with 30 seconds to play in the third quarter.

But Tuputala inexplicably spun the ball down at the 1-yard line, thinking he was in the end zone. And the ball rested there for several moments as teammates Elijah Jackson and Dominuque Hampton ran by it in celebration of what they thought was a touchdown.

Washington's Alphonzo Tuputala Thought He Had A Pick-6

Finally, Washington cornerback Jabbar Muhammad saw the ball and raced toward it. He could have scooped and scored or fallen on it. But Utah right guard Michael Mokofisi got to it first and recovered the football.

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Leon Lett had a similar experience in Super Bowl XXXVII during the 1992-93 season. Lett recovered a fumble at his 35-yard line and was on his way to a 65-yard touchdown. But at the 10-yard line, he began celebrating and held the ball with one hand on his right as he approached the goal line. Buffalo wide receiver Don Beebe adroitly knocked the ball away just as Lett hit the 1-yard line. The ball went into the end zone for a touchback in Dallas' 52-17 win.

Utah took over with a first down and 10 at the Utah 1-yard line. Tuputala ran to the sideline celebrating ... until an assistant coach angrily let him know what happened. The FOX cameras showed Tuputala's face close up, and he looked like he was just told there was no Santa Claus.

Utah Utes Returned The Favor To Washington

Utah returned the favor right back, sort of, minutes later. Running back Ja'Quinden Jackson took a handoff deep in his end zone, and linebacker Carson Bruener nailed him in the end zone for a safety and 35-28 lead with 24 seconds to go in the third quarter for ultimately the final score.

No. 5 Washington improved to 10-0 (7-0 in Pac-12) for the second time in program history. The Huskies were last 10-0 in 1991 and finished 12-0 and shared the national championship with 12-0 Miami. No. 18 Utah dropped to 7-3 and 4-3.

Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. kept his Heisman Trophy hopes alive with another stellar game. He completed 24-of-42 passes for 332 yards and 2 touchdowns.