Pac-12 Predictions: Picks every game against the spread for Week 3
Sep 12, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Jake Browning (3) walks off the field with teammate Washington Huskies wide receiver Dante Pettis (8) after a game against the Sacramento State Hornets at Husky Stadium. Washington won 49-0. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
Utah State Aggies At Washington Huskies
Seattle, Washington
The Line: Washington -3.5
No love for the Huskies as they host Utah State. Only 3.5 points for a Pac-12 team against Utah State? This is a slap to the face of Husky nation after Washington’s impressive 49-0 win over Sacramento State in week 2. The score of the game was not close, but the play on the field was even wider.
It was 28-0 at halftime and 49-0 at the end of the third quarter. Washington was running the ball at a clip of over six yards per carry. Meanwhile, Utah State has combined to score 23 points in two games, including just nine in a narrow win over Southern Utah. This match-up will be televised on the Pac-12 Network at 1:00PM, pacific time, on Saturday.
Keys To The Game:
Forget about the Aggies running on this Washington defense. Utah State was abysmal rushing the ball in its first two games, while the Huskies defense held Sacramento State to just 11 yards rushing on 26 carries. That means that quarterback Chuckie Keeton will have to make plenty of plays with his arm despite performing poorly so far in 2015. Keeton is averaging just 5.3 yards per attempt, which to put that in perspective, Jake Browning of Washington is at 8.2 yards per attempt. Keeton has also thrown three interceptions and just two touchdowns. This Huskies defense is monstrous, and I pity the Utah State offense trying to move the ball on Saturday.
The Prediction:
Washington’s defense smothers the Aggies, as Keeton fails to make enough plays to keep the game close. The Huskies own offense struggles, but they do enough to win comfortably. The final score? Washington 28, Utah State 6.
Next: Colorado At Colorado State