Washington Football: Preview, prediction vs. Penn State in Fiesta Bowl

Washington and Penn State are back in the New Year’s Six. Here’s what to expect from the showdown between the Nittany Lions and Huskies at the Fiesta Bowl.

Neither Washington nor Penn State managed to successfully defend their respective conference championships from 2016. It didn’t matter, as both the Huskies and the Nittany Lions still landed a spot in one of the New Year’s Six bowl games.

A year after the College Football Playoff precluded a showdown between these two teams in the Rose Bowl, they will square off 370 miles east of Pasadena in the Fiesta Bowl. Two of the nation’s top running backs will take the field at University of Phoenix Stadium, offering the potential for some scintillating highlights.

Penn State has a long history with the Fiesta Bowl, winning all six of its appearances in the game between 1977 and 1997. It has now been two decades since the Nittany Lions last played in the contest. Washington, meanwhile, will be making its first-ever appearance in the bowl game. For both teams, it will also be their first time playing at University of Phoenix Stadium.

After both sides lost key talent to the NFL from last season’s squads, they fell just short of winning division titles. While both teams are undoubtedly disappointed about missing out on the chance to defend their league crowns, they lucked into one of the best matchups of the postseason. This New Year’s Six duel between the Huskies and Nittany Lions should be another Big Ten versus Pac-12 classic.

Here’s how to watch the New Year’s Six showdown between Washington and Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl:

Date: Saturday, Dec. 30
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
Location: Glendale, Ariz.
Venue: University of Phoenix Stadium
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN

Keys to Victory

For Washington, the key to success in the Fiesta Bowl is going to come down to how well Myles Gaskin can open things up for the rest of the offense. The talented running back finished fourth nationally in rushing touchdowns, and he will need another 100-yard day with a score or two to really get the Huskies offense humming.

Jake Browning will also need to have a strong game against Penn State. The Washington quarterback has regressed some from his big numbers of 2016, and that was a big reason why the Huskies regressed in the standings. If they are going to win a major bowl game for the first time since the 2001 Rose Bowl, Washington will need their quarterback to have a big game against a decent but hardly world-beating Penn State secondary.

Speaking of Penn State, they will need to find a way to gain yards on the ground against the nation’s best rushing defense. Saquon Barkley never did get up to his full potential in 2017, due in large part to a still-growing offensive line. He will try to crack a Huskies defense that gives up just 92.3 yards per game.

The Nittany Lions will need to win the special teams battle as well. One of the best punt return defenses in the country will have its hands full with Dante Pettis, who will be looking to add to his FBS-record nine career punt return touchdowns in his final college game.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of Sportsbook Review

Point Spread: Penn State -2
Over/Under: 55

Prediction

Just like the Rose Bowl last year between Penn State and USC, this Big Ten/Pac-12 matchup is going to open the door for another shootout. Just as they have all season, the Huskies are going to win the battle on the ground both offensively and defensively. Myles Gaskin is going to win the rushing battle against Barkley, gaining at least 150 yards on the Nittany Lions defense.

Penn State will claw things back as Trace McSorley takes advantage of a solid receiving corps to get a few over the top on Washington. But the Huskies will do the same to the Nittany Lions, as Gaskin’s solid day on the ground opens things up for Browning and the passing game.

Next: SMQ: Are we really seeing more bowl blowouts in 2017?

Dante Pettis is going to have a huge final day as a Husky, ripping off his 10th career punt return touchdown and adding a receiving score. He could end the day with more than 200 all-purpose yards. Pettis will run away with the MVP award as Washington prevails in a shootout.

Final Score: Washington 41, Penn State 34