That’s not excellent, but the Utes can handle the pass rush. Their defensive line is 113th in sack rate on passing downs and Utah’s offensive line sack rate is 66th. What bothers a backup quarterback most? Pressure. So in this matchup, Washington’s defense is going up against a backup quarterback and running back. That takes some internal fortitude and excellent coaching, which Utah clearly has both of. What’s even more impressive to me is Utah has done all this while losing Huntley and starting running back Zack Moss in a Week 10 loss to Arizona State. Now, the Utes weren’t playing the caliber of defensive fronts like Washington, but Utah rushed for more 200 yards five times and at least 155 yards in every game the last eight weeks of the seasons while averaging 35 points in those contests. They incorporated quarterback runs and relied more on the offensive line, which continually improved this season, to lead the team. They had a dual-threat quarterback in Tyler Huntley and had previously refused to use him like most colleges would use someone of Huntley’s ability.Īfter those losses, when the Utes scored seven and 24 points (all in the first half), they opened up the offense to allow Huntley to run more often. Luckily for Utah fans, that isn’t the offense the Utes are running now.Īfter back-to-back losses to the Washington schools, Utah revamped its offense. Well, that doesn’t work against a balanced team like Washington. Washington-Utah Betting Guide: Can Utes Best Huskies’ Secondary in Pac-12 Championship? Read now It’s ground and pound, protect the football and be more physical than their opponents. Historically, the Utes have used their defense, which is outstanding as usual (24th in S&P+), to be the bell cow. He the exact mold of a defensive-minded coach. What has plagued Kyle Whittingham’s tenure at Utah is offense. However, I don’t expect that same performance from Utah, especially on offense, and I’ll explain why. That’s the game you’d expect from Washington, and I expect that game from the Huskies on Friday night in Levi Stadium. On offense, Gaskin had 30 rush attempts for 143 yards, while Browning threw for only 155 yards. They forced three Utah turnovers and held the Utes offense in check. Utah and Washington have already met this season, when the Huskies won 21-7 in mid-September. So they will have something drawn up for Utes, and that should be considered here. Even last week, in the Apple Cup, Peterson dialed up a double pass to score a touchdown in a driving snow storm. Peterson is famously known - think back to Boise State-Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl - for his trick plays. While the mindset of this team feels conservative, it isn’t. On the road/neutral site, Washington only averages 22 points per game, while at home it’s 33. The Huskies excel with big plays, ranking 14th in plays of 20-plus yards. The offense is balanced with senior quarterback Jake Browning and running back Myles Gaskin, the first player in Pac-12 history to have four consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Washington relies on its defense to set the tempo, generate turnovers and give its offense short fields to work on. They’re 12th in explosive plays and fourth in IsoPPP+. 8 in the S&P+ index and are 10th in points per possession. The Huskies are excellent on defense, ranking No. It lost early to Auburn, a close game at bitter rival Oregon on a missed kick before the end of regulation and a weird game at Cal to finish 9-3. Washington was the preseason favorite to win the conference and has been the steadiest team in the league. The two teams have taken different paths here.
While Washington is old reliable in the conference, Utah has revitalized its offense and is well-equipped to keep this game close. So when I saw the line for the Pac-12 Championship Game between Utah and Washington anywhere between Utes +5 and +6, I figured I needed to share my strong thoughts on this contest. Outside of the work I do here, I have a daily radio show on the Pac-12 Sirius channel.
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