Washington football: 3 reasons the Huskies will upset Michigan State

2. Washington football has an outstanding defense, led by Bralen Trice

Bralen Trice, the 6-foot-4, 256-pound sophomore defensive lineman, is a force to be reckoned with. The Phoenix native has 2.5 sacks so far this season, tied for the most in the Pac-12.

Trice’s 2.5 sacks are more than he recorded in all of 2021 when he had two, both coming against Arizona State.

The big man also leads the conference in sack yardage, pushing his opponents back 20 yards so far this season. He’s building an impressive resume for whenever the NFL draft comes calling. 

Trice and the rest of his defensive teammates will look to apply constant pressure on Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne, who has already thrown three interceptions this season.

But, this squad is going to have to make sure they are all the same page. As a team, the Huskies committed nine penalties against Portland State, costing them 90 yards.

Washington is going to have to play a near-perfect game: limit penalties, keep pressure on the quarterback, and force him into turnovers.

If the defense can check off all three of those boxes, the Huskies win this one and pull off the upset.