The Washington Huskies shocked the college football world last weekend by upending then-No. 22 Boise State 24-10, ending the Broncos’ nation-leading 14-game win streak.
A victory this week would be an even bigger upset, as the Huskies (2-0) host No. 10 Ohio State (2-0) in a 12:30 p.m. contest that will be nationally televised on ESPN.
Ohio State holds a 7-3 advantage in the all-time series but the last time the two teams met in Seattle, in 1994, the unranked Huskies upset the No. 16 Buckeyes 25-16.
Washington will rest its hopes for the same kind of result on the shoulders of redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Locker.
Locker made his first college start in Washington’s season-opening 42-12 win over Syracuse, completing 14 of 19 passes for 142 yards and rushing 10 times for 83 yards and two touchdowns. In last week’s win over Boise State he was similarly solid, completing 13 of 25 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown while running for 84 yards and another score.
And while the Huskies’ attack has been well-balanced at 217.5 yards per game on the ground and 175.5 yards per game through the air, their greatest depth is at receiver, where they boast seven seniors on the depth chart at wide receiver and four seniors at tight end.
The leading receivers among these targets are Anthony Russo and Marcel Reece. Russo leads the team in receptions with nine for 86 yards and Reece leads the team in reception yardage with 152 yards on eight catches, including a 58 yard touchdown catch against Boise State.
Ohio State’s defense comes into the contest allowing just 44.0 yards per game rushing and 78.5 yards per game passing and have yet to allow an opposing offense into the end zone, giving up just six points on a pair of field goals in their season opening victory over Youngstown State.
This defense is anchored by junior linebacker James Laurinaitis, who leads the team with 14 tackles and one sack and will be tasked with containing the mobile Locker. The Buckeye secondary will look to negate the Husky passing attack with the help of junior safety Anderson Russell, who leads the team in pass breakups with two while tallying 10 tackles.
Junior quarterback Todd Boeckman leads an Ohio State offense that has averaged 29 points and 390 yards per game. He enters Saturday’s game with a 67.4 completion percentage on 31-of-46 passing for 356 yards and four touchdowns. Boeckman’s favorite target has been junior flanker Brian Robiskie, who leads the receiving corps with 13 receptions for 235 yards and a touchdown.
The Huskies’ defense has allowed an average of 297.5 yards per game but has been solid against the run, allowing just 55.5 yards per game and one rushing touchdown so far. The success of the Washington run defense lies in an experienced, if undersized, defensive line and the leadership of junior linebacker E.J. Savannah, who paces the defensive unit with 19 tackles.
The secondary is centered around senior cornerback Roy Lewis, who has an interception and a team-leading three pass breakups to go with 16 tackles.
Ohio State has amassed some lopsided numbers in their first two games but the Buckeyes opened with a 38-6 victory over Youngstown State and followed that up with a 20-2 victory over Akron, an early schedule that has drawn some criticism nationally and leaves many questions as to how the Buckeyes will perform against a top-tier program.
Ohio State visits Seattle to test resurgent Huskies
Daily Emerald
September 16, 2007
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