Oregon State is surprisingly riding high but Washington football is in desperate need for a win. Will the Huskies beat the Beavers in Corvallis?
This isn’t the season Washington football expected to have, but the Huskies still have three chances to finish strong.
That starts on Friday night with a game against Oregon State in Corvallis. This was supposed to be a cakewalk matchup earlier in the season, but the Beavers have been better than advertised with a 4-4 record and three big Pac-12 road wins to put them within two games of bowl eligibility.
What can we expect from Friday night’s Washington vs. Oregon State game?
3. Defense will pick Jake Luton off three times
If I were to make this prediction a year ago, it wouldn’t be all that bold. Jake Luton was having an improved, yet not incredible, season with Oregon State, passing for 10 touchdowns and four interceptions. He was better than he had been in his first two seasons with the Beavers, but he still wasn’t considered one of the better quarterbacks in the Pac-12.
What a difference a year makes.
In fact, Luton has completed 61 percent of his throws for 1,930 yards and 19 touchdowns to just one interception. He is having a career year and he’s been smart with the ball. Only one interception through eight games seems unbelievable for a quarterback who had 15 career touchdowns and 12 interceptions before this season, but he’s been that good.
But Washington will cause a setback as he’ll have his worst game of the season with just one touchdown and three picks. Washington’s secondary will step up and make the Beavers pay for trying to move the ball through the air — something they haven’t done much of this year.