Washington Football vs. Washington State: Preview, prediction, live stream
Washington football hosts rival Washington State in the Apple Cup to cap off the regular season. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup.
No. 17 Washington 9-2 (6-2 Pac-12) has been eliminated from the Pac-12 title game. The Stanford Cardinal hold the tiebreaker over the Huskies which means no matter the outcome on Saturday the Huskies won’t be repeating as Pac-12 Champions. Instead they’ll have to settle for spoiling the hopes of their rival.
No. 13 Washington State 9-2 (6-2 Pac-12) is still very much alive in the Pac-12 title race. They defeated Stanford, meaning a win over Washington would make them Pac-12 North Champions. They’ll have an uphill battle. Despite the Cougars being the higher ranked team the Huskies are favored by 10.5 points.
Here’s how to watch Washington State at Washington this Saturday:
Date: Saturday, Nov. 25
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: Seattle, Washington
Venue: Husky Stadium
TV: Fox
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
Keys to Victory
Both Washington State and Washington rank in the top two in rushing defense and passing defense. Defense is not the first thing that comes to mind when you think about a team led by Jake Browning or one captained by Mike Leach, but this game has all the makings of a defensive struggle.
Points will be at a premium which means the team that makes the most big plays will have a significant edge. For Washington that means getting the ball in the hands of Dante Pettis as many times as possible. He broke the NCAA record for career punt return touchdowns this season. Even if he doesn’t score, his ability to flip the field could be huge for Washington.
Washington State needs a strong game from Luke Falk. The senior quarterback owns the all-time school record in career passing yards. However, he was benched on the very night that he set the record. That wasn’t the only time Falk was benched this year. He’s been hot and cold all season and it’s imperative he has a good game if Washington State is going to beat their rival on the road.
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Prediction
If Luke Falk is on he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the country. You can bet that he’ll be ready to go in his final regular season game against Washington. The possibility of Washington State’s first Pac-12 Championship will be all the motivation he needs to put together another masterful performance.
Prediction: Washington State 31, Washington 26