Like much of the Pac-12, Washington has had an up-and-down season. The Huskies have shown the capability of dismantling a team like Arizona, while also losing to a team like Stanford. Washington started the season ranked No. 13, but multiple conference losses have bumped them down to No. 25 in the latest AP Poll.
Washington entered the 2019 season as the most dominant team in the Pac-12 North for the past few seasons. In 2018, Washington won in both the North division and the Pac-12 as a whole, defeating Utah 10-3 in the championship game. The Huskies made the College Football Playoff in 2016, where they were defeated 24-7 by Alabama.
So far in 2019, Washington has dominated in non-conference games against lesser opponents, blowing out Eastern Washington, Hawaii and BYU. In those games, Washington looked as strong as anybody in the conference.
However, the Huskies’ Pac-12 title hopes were damaged in the team’s first conference game, when they were stunned at home by Cal in a 20-19 loss. After bouncing back with a 28-14 win over USC the following week, Washington played a lackluster game against Stanford and lost in Palo Alto.
Last week, Washington faced Arizona in Tucson and, in the first half, it looked as though Washington would lose yet another conference game. Washington was down 17-13 at halftime, but the Husky offense stepped up and blew past the Wildcats, 51-27.
Saturday’s game against Oregon is a must-win if the team wants to have a shot at the Pac-12 North title. A victory against the Ducks would go a long way toward the Huskies’ regaining their luster of the past few seasons.
The preseason hype for the 2019 rendition of Oregon-Washington indicated that it would be the single-most important game of the Pac-12 season. And while it’s undoubtedly still a big game, an Oregon win would put three games of separation between the Ducks and the Huskies in the Pac-12 North.
As a team, the Huskies have had a middling 2019 on both sides of the ball. Washington is seventh in total offense in the Pac-12, averaging 423 yards per game, and fourth on defense, conceding 19 points per game.
That is not to say Washington does not have playmakers. On offense, the team is led by quarterback Jacob Eason, a Washington native. Eason is a transfer from Georgia, and this season, he has thrown for 1692 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Eason’s top target is wide receiver Aaron Fuller. The 2019 Preseason Honorable Mention in the Pac-12 from McKinney, Texas, has 40 receptions for 558 yards and five touchdowns.
Salvon Ahmed, from Kirkland, Washington, is the Huskies’ lead running back. This season, Ahmed has rushed for 522 yards and six touchdowns. Three of those scores came against Arizona.
Defensive back Cameron Williams leads the team with three interceptions on the year. The freshman from Bakersfield, California, recorded two of those picks against USC. Defensive back Myles Bryant leads the team with 44 total tackles. The Pasadena native made the 2019 Preseason All-Pac-12 First Team and has lived up to that honor so far in 2019.
Washington is a talented team that often gets in its own way. If the Huskies play up to their potential, they have all the tools to challenge the Ducks and get a crucial home victory. The real question is: Which Husky team will show up?
