SEATTLE — Earlier this week, Oregon head coach Willie Taggart dismissed the idea of not punting to Dante Pettis, Washington’s star wide receiver who doubles as one of the best punt returners in the nation. He’s so dangerous on special teams that several other Pac-12 teams have elected not to punt to him at all.
“We are going to punt the ball, and we are going to cover, and we are going to tackle,” Taggart said on Wednesday.
Taggart probably should have reconsidered his approach.
Pettis returned an Oregon punt in the second quarter 64 yards for a touchdown that ultimately doomed the Ducks. The score was not only Pettis’ ninth punt return for a touchdown in his career, an NCAA record, but it also turned the tide of the game. Washington went on to score 28 unanswered points en route to a 38-3 win at Huskies Stadium.

9th career punt return TD.
Welcome to the NCAA record books, Dante Pettis. pic.twitter.com/9QSiCkjL7n
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 5, 2017

Pettis caught a touchdown in the second half as well, part of a four-catch, 87-yard performance, but it was his punt return touchdown that ultimately decided the game.
“I thought it really got them going. It got the crowd into it and it really was a big momentum change,” Taggart said after the game.
Before the return, Oregon and Washington had a 3-3 tie. The Ducks took almost eight minutes off the clock with their first drive which ultimately netted a field goal. Oregon then forced Washington to kick a 45-yard field goal on its ensuing drive that missed wide right. Washington went on to convert a field goal at the start of the second quarter, but the Ducks were in a much better place compared to last year’s matchup with Washington.
“We were feeling good,” center Jake Hansen said.
Then, Pettis struck.
Freshman punter Adam Stack kicked a line-drive, 32-yard punt that Pettis fielded at Washington’s 36-yard line. Pettis strode into the end zone ten seconds later.
“I’ve been preaching all week he’s a dangerous guy in open space,” safety Tyree Robinson said. “You gotta tackle him, and we didn’t do a good job of that on that play.”
Despite the big play, one of many that Oregon allowed, the Ducks didn’t feel like it was the deciding factor in the game. They actually felt motivated after Brady Breeze intercepted Jake Browning to close out the first half.  
“That’s just part of the game — you can’t let that phase you at all,” center Jake Hansen said. “So even after that, we were ready to go out there and try to score, but it didn’t happen for us.”
Oregon entered the second half trailing 17-3 but remained optimistic. Pettis quickly extinguished any thought of an Oregon rally when he took a 47-yard pass from Washington quarterback Jake Browning to the house to extend the Huskies’ lead 24-3.
Whatever momentum Oregon thought it had vanished in that instance.
From that point on, it was all Washington. The Huskies scored two more times in the third quarter to put the finishing touches on Washington’s second straight rout of Oregon.
The game officially ended at 9:59 p.m., but it was over long before then. Pettis made sure of that.  
Follow Gus Morris on Twitter @JustGusMorris