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Washington football desperate for bounce-back vs. Arizona in Week 7

By Dante Pryor

PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 05: Head coach Chris Petersen of the Washington Huskies looks on from the sidelines against the Stanford Cardinal during the second quarter of an NCAA football game at Stanford Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 05: Head coach Chris Petersen of the Washington Huskies looks on from the sidelines against the Stanford Cardinal during the second quarter of an NCAA football game at Stanford Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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Washington football travels to Tucson for #Pac12AfterDark against the Arizona Wildcats. Here’s a preview, prediction and how to watch.

This is the definition of must win for the Washington Huskies Saturday night in Tucson. They are 0-2 in the Pac 12 and if they want any shot of winning the conference, they need this win, and a lot of help. They come into this game after a disappointing loss against the Stanford Cardinal.

Washington has struggled and lost to two teams in the Pac-12 that aren’t that good offensively. The Stanford loss is a head-scratcher. They seem to have one of those in them every year.

The Wildcats have won four in a row since their opening season loss to the Rainbow Warriors in Honolulu opening weekend. They are young, but they’ve found ways to win. They’ve won two close ones in a row, and second-year head coach Kevin Sumlin has them believing they can play with anyone in the conference.

The matchup worth watching are the two quarterbacks. For the Huskies, Jacob Eason has a rocket of a right arm, and can make all the throws. The Wildcats feature dual-threat virtuoso Khalil Tate who can make plays with his arm and legs.

Here’s more information about the game:

Date: Saturday, Oct. 12
Time: 11 p.m. ET
Location: Tucson, Ariz.
Venue: Arizona Stadium
TV: FS1
Live Stream: FOX Sports Go

Keys to Victory

This game comes down to the quarterbacks. One advantage Washington has is their defense is far better than Arizona’s. However, the Huskies have not faced an offense as dynamic as the Wildcats all season. It will be interesting to watch if the Huskies defense can contain Tate.

It’s time for the Huskies to unleash Jacob Eason. He has a big time arm, and has some really good targets to throw to. There’s no Myles Gaskin this season, but the run game has been solid. Arizona’s pass defense is one of the worst in the country, so this is a perfect opportunity for the Huskies to let Eason sling it all over the field.

The Wildcats have shown an ability to get physical and run the ball. If they don’t want the Huskies offense to burn them, then they  might want to run Tate, Gary Brightwell and JJ Taylor if he’s back.

Betting Odds

Line: Washington -5.5
Over/Under: 60

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Prediction

The Huskies are desperate for a win, and the Arizona defense is terrible. Chris Petersen unleashes Eason for the first time this season, and the Huskies put up some serious numbers. Tate and the Wildcat offense have weapons, but are over matched by the Washington defense.

Final Score: Arizona 17, Washington 35

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