Washington Football: 3 takeaways from blowout win over California

3. Defense makes Washington a College Football Playoff contender

Washington humiliated what had been a fairly decent Cal defense coming into their Pac-12 North showdown in Seattle. The Golden Bears were in the red in rushing yardage for most of the night, ending with a net of only one yard on the ground as a team. The Huskies generated seven sacks of Cal quarterback Ross Bowers and pressured him a handful of additional times throughout the contest.

When Bowers actually managed to get the ball out, he struggled to connect with his receivers thanks to a swarming secondary. Washington held Bowers to 80 yards on 11-of-18 passing for the night, as he struggled to make anything happen through the air.

Forced repeatedly to check down to his safety valve, Cal’s leading receiver was running back Patrick Laird. Laird finished with five receptions for 28 yards to go with his two carries for 12 yards. But Laird also had a fumble late in the first quarter that changed the tenor of the game when Cal was still within striking distance.

While the Golden Bears managed to put points on the scoreboard, they did so thanks to their own defense. Washington shut out Cal’s offense soundly, as the visitors failed to cross midfield the entire game when they had the ball. If the Huskies can keep up their pressure, they will remain a national contender and could fare better than they did last year in the College Football Playoff.