Washington Football: 5 reasons the Huskies will take down Auburn Week 1

3. Washington has an all-around team

If the Huskies are clicking on offense, they are one of the few teams that can sport serious threats in both the passing and the ground game.

Washington will be facing a typically stalwart Auburn defense that captured victories against both of the teams that played in the College Football Playoff National Championship game last season (Georgia and Alabama).

In 2017, Auburn finished as a top-15 team in the country in total defense and this season, the Tigers only had to replace three starters on the defensive side of the ball.

Defensively, the Huskies bring back nine starters from a season ago. Last year, Washington was rated as the eighth-best defensive team in total defense.

The cohort of returning players on both sides of the ball — especially with key players on offense that experienced playing in the College Football Playoff — will be a huge plus for the Huskies this year.

That experience will also pay dividends against a formidable Auburn team that has unfinished business in taking home the SEC title.