Oregon football travels to Seattle to take on the Washington Huskies on Saturday afternoon. Here’s a preview, prediction and how to watch.
The Oregon Ducks travel to Seattle on a five-game winning streak to take on the Washington Huskies in Pac-12 North action. The Ducks have a two game advantage in the division at 3-0 while every other team in the North has at least two losses. This is a must-win for the Ducks if they want to stay in the conversation for the College Football Playoff.
The Ducks come to Husky Stadium with two things that travel well in tough road conditions: a defense and a running game. The Ducks have given up 16 points in three conference games this season and are averaging about 167 yards rushing including 252 against Colorado.
The Huskies come in with two conference losses already, and need this win to have any chance of getting to the Pac-12 title game. They’ve lost two conference games, specifically two division games to California and Stanford. This is the first of two tough conference games with Utah coming to Seattle next week.
The Huskies have been solid under defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake, but have been inconsistent on offense since the departure of offensive coordinator Jonathan Smith to Oregon State.
Who will come out on top in this crucial Pac-12 matchup?
Here’s more information on the game:
Date: Saturday, Oct. 19
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Seattle, Wash.
Venue: Husky Stadium
TV: ABC
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Keys to Victory
This is strength on strength for each team. Both the Ducks and the Huskies want to be physical up front and run the football. The Ducks want to feature C.J. Verdell and the Huskies want to feature Salvon Ahmed. Both teams want to be physical along their defensive lines.
The Ducks use a multiple front defensive system while the Huskies use a three-man front. This game, however, comes down to quarterback play.
Both teams have quarterbacks that are big-time pro prospects. Justin Hebert is a first-round pick this year and Jacob Eason might be next year. The determining factor to this game will be which quarterback is able to make plays against the opposition’s talented secondary.
Prediction
The Huskies exploded for 38 points in the second half against the Arizona Wildcats. This might be an indicator the offense is finally in sync, or that they played a bad defense. They’ve scored 32 total points against the best defenses (Cal and Stanford) they’ve played this season. This Oregon defense is the most athletic fastest unit they’ve seen all season. The Huskies don’t have many dynamic players on offense and might find it hard to score.
The Ducks simply need to let Herbert be the man. He’s one of the best pro prospects in the country and has a rocket launcher for a right arm. Cristobal wants to be physical and run the ball, and that’s the right move. However, let Herbert take some shots early in the game to keep the Husky defense honest. I like Oregon’s talent to pull out a close, physical game.
Final Score: Oregon 21, Washington 10