Washington Football: 5 reasons Chico McClatcher injury won't hurt Huskies

Washington Football: 5 reasons Chico McClatcher injury won’t hurt Huskies

SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 17: Wide receiver Chico McClatcher #6 of the Washington Huskies scores a touchdown against the Portland State Vikings in the second quarter on September 17, 2016 at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /

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Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images /

1. Dante Pettis is still healthy

Surprise, Dante Pettis is still here. Everyone was melting down over the McClatcher injury over the weekend, but they seemed to forget that Pettis is still healthy and Chris Petersen is one of the best coaches in the country. He’s faced difficult injuries before.

Pettis was the clear No. 1 returning receiver this season and was expected to take over for John Ross and lessen the blow of his departure. So far, he’s done just that. Pettis’ numbers aren’t eye-popping just yet, but he’s getting the job done.

In fact, he has 15 catches for 263 yards and three touchdowns through four games to go along with six punt returns for 233 yards and three touchdowns. He scores a touchdown on exactly half the punt returns he accounts for. That’s unreal. He’s broken the NCAA punt return record and now has eight touchdowns in his career.

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Despite McClatcher being out, Pettis is still going to lead the way and remain one of the least guard-able receivers in the conference. His combination of speed and strong hands makes him a scary threat in the pass and return games.

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