Washington Football: 5 bold predictions vs. Penn State in Fiesta Bowl

4. Myles Gaskin, Lavon Coleman can’t match Saquon Barkley‘s yardage

Getting the powerful running back duo of junior Myles Gaskin and senior Lavon Coleman is an important step for UW to defeat Penn State. Gaskin led the team in rushing, as an elite PAC-12 running back in 2017.

However, Coleman could have put together a better regular season. He might rush for less than half the amount of yards that he racked up last season. His yards per carry is also down after a big 2016. A big game from Coleman would be huge for the Huskies.

Meanwhile, Penn State has an elite talent of its own in the backfield. Junior Nittany Lions running back Saquon Barkley was the Heisman favorite for a good stretch of the year. Barkley is also a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

As a threat in the run and pass game, the Huskies defense has to be prepared for Barkley’s presence. He’s a home run threat each time he touches the ball (even on special teams) and can break the game open if given the chance.