Washington Football: Game-by-game predictions for 2017

After playing at Stanford, Washington won’t have to leave Seattle for the rest of the regular season. They return home to play Utah on November 18. The Utes are among the contenders for the Pac-12 South this season, and this game could potentially be a preview of the Pac-12 championship game in Santa Clara three weeks later.

This is also a rubber match in the interdivisional showdown, after Washington and Utah won on the road in 2015 and 2016 respectively. Kyle Whittingham has helped the Utes develop from a mid-major powerhouse into a consistent threat at the Pac-12 level. They went 9-4 in 2016, finishing third in their division. Instead of playing in Levi’s Stadium in early December, they played there instead on Dec. 28 in a Foster Farms Bowl win over Indiana.

With a roster that includes Oregon transfer Darren Carrington II, the Utes will field a dangerous offense in 2017. As is usually the case with Whittingham-coached squads, they should also have a disciplined defense.

Prediction: Washington 21, Utah 17 (11-0, 8-0 Pac-12)

This game has upset potential written all over it. Washington is in the midst of a tough stretch. They have the Apple Cup against rival Washington State to look forward to the following week. And as a result, Utah will get the jump as UW spots the Utes a first-half lead. Dante Pettis will catch the winning touchdown pass, and then the Huskies will stop a frenetic final drive to seal the win and stay undefeated ahead of the regular-season finale.