SEATTLE (AP) -- On his best day so far in Seattle, Rick Neuheisel found he still had a few friends in Boulder.

	Washington coach Rick Neuheisel, left, greets Colorado assistant AD Dave Burton before the game.

Neuheisel got his first victory as Washington's $1 million-a-year coach when Marques Tuiasosopo passed for a touchdown with 3:17 to go as the Huskies beat Colorado, Neuheisel's former school, 31-24 on Saturday.

Washington (1-2) clinched Neuheisel's emotional victory when Anthony Vontoure intercepted a pass by Mark Moschetti, Neuheisel's quarterback for the Buffaloes last season, in the end zone on a pass from the Huskies 21 with 1:07 remaining.

"This is hopefully the turning point in our program," Neuheisel said after the Huskies won for only the second time in eight games. "But we're far from a finished product. We have lots of things to improve on."

With the Huskies' players celebrating on the sidelines, Washington ran out the clock against the frustrated Buffaloes (2-2). Some Colorado players came to Husky Stadium with revenge on their minds because they felt Neuheisel betrayed them by taking the Washington job. Some players exchanged handshakes and hugs with Neuheisel after the game.

Neuheisel approached Gary Barnett and exchanged a handshake with his Colorado successor on the field before the game. Barnett, who jumped from Northwestern to Colorado after Neuheisel took the Washington job in January, was critical of Neuheisel after Neuheisel committed some minor NCAA recruiting violations after he arrived in Seattle.

Neuheisel and Barnett talked briefly after the game.

"We said, 'Good game, good luck.' That was that," Barnett said. "Yes, I meant it."

Tuiasosopo, whose two turnovers in the third quarter led to two touchdowns by Colorado, was vindicated by his 9-yard TD pass to Chris Juergens in the end zone to snap a 24-24 tie.

The Huskies drove 70 yards in 11 plays in 5:37 to take the lead for good after Jeremy Aldrich of the Buffaloes tied the score with a 29-yard field goal with 8:54 left.

Washington went ahead 24-21 on Tuiasosopo's 36-yard scoring pass to Gerald Harris with 1:24 gone in the final quarter. Neuheisel's ball-control offense moved 79 yards for that touchdown.

Colorado took advantage of Tuiasosopo's two turnovers in the third quarter to take the lead for the first time.

After a halftime standoff of 7-7, Washington drove 80 yards with the opening second-half kickoff, with Willie Hurst scoring on a 3-yard run.

Tuiasosopo, who committed five turnovers last week as Washington lost its home opener to Air Force, had a pass intercepted by Rashidi Barnes to give the Buffaloes the ball on the Washington 33. Colorado scored three plays later on a 24-yard run by Cortlen Johnson with 8:15 left in the third quarter.

The Buffaloes went ahead 21-14 2:06 later when Ben Kelly grabbed Tuiasopo's fumble on a botched handoff to Hurst and ran it back 38 yards. Kelly also scored on a 98-yard kickoff return in the first half.

Washington's John Anderson kicked a 40-yard field goal near the end of the third period.

Washington and Colorado scored touchdowns 22 seconds apart in the second quarter.

The Huskies took 14 plays, including 12 runs, to grind out 44 yards for their TD. Hurst followed fullback Pat Coniff into the end zone on a fourth-and-1 play with 4:13 left in the half.

Kelly caught the kickoff at the 2, ran up the middle and broke five tackles during the longest kickoff return in school history.

Neuheisel's game plan against his former team was successful. The Huskies controlled the ball for 36 minutes, 27 seconds to the Buffaloes' 23:33.