After all the hype and optimism, the 2017 NCAA football games remain decided upon the field. Can the Washington Football team land a win in game one?
Right now the deck seems to be stacking in the favor of the Washington Huskies for the season opener. The Washington Football team opens on the road across the nation against Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Washington is coming off its first NCAA playoff appearance and is projected to win the Pac-12 North. Rutgers is projected to finish last in the Big Ten. And so, the Goliath of the west enters the camp of David.
But does Rutgers have that slingshot to take down Washington?
NCAA season openers are nefariously unpredictable. A well-coached team can use the season opener to fire up an underdog team to a fever pitch. After all, it’s one game and anything can happen.
Coach Peterson teams seldom surprised
However the Rutgers Scarlet Knights see this game, you can bet Washington Football coach Chris Petersen sees it with equal urgency. This is not a defending champion of anything. In the eyes of the Washington Huskies, this is a new team, and a new season.
That is a distinct advantage. Nothing is given, annointed, or presumed. Each player is forced to reestablish themselves, their squad, and this team as a nationally worthy football team. And the road to that goal begins on the east coast for the Huskies.
What must Rutgers do to win this game?
The Scarlet Knights must get their passing game active early and often. To win this game, Rutgers must establish a huge lead and hold on for dear lives. This will be the debut of the defensive backfield for the Washington Football team.
If Rutgers can exploit some early miscommunication and miscues, they have a chance to win the game. They have a great wide receiver in the form of Janarion Grant, Sr. If they can get him the ball, they can make some fans sit up in their seats. 6-foot-3, 220-pound quarterback Johnathan Lewis is the wildcard.
"My DNA not for imitation" ~ Kendrick pic.twitter.com/TrBMwP969C
— Johnathan Lewis🇯🇲 (@teamjlew) May 1, 2017
Must stop Myles Gaskin, good luck!
If he takes the field and has a big game, Rutgers stands a chance in this one. But the Scarlett Knights’ defense is the other half of the team, and they simply don’t have much luck stopping the run.
Bad news for a team about to faced a mighty perturbed running back in Myles Gaskin. So scoring a ton of points against the Washington Football team while neutralizing the Huskies offense is a tall order for any team. This may be too much for still-rebuilding Rutgers.
What must Washington do to win this game?
The Washington Huskies must play Washington Football. What does that mean? It means play physically dominating football. That means the guys in the trenches must dominate. It means a statement game out of Vita Vea, Greg Ganes, Coleman Shelton, Trey Adams, and the rest.
Rutgers is a rebuilding team. They want to surprise somebody, and the Washington Huskies make the perfect statement to the nation about Rutgers. Only the Huskies must make their own statement on this day.
Weather the scarlet storm
With the home field advantage, and an entire off-season to prepare, the Washington Huskies must brace for a Scarlet storm in the first quarter. Rutgers will go for broke early and may actually take an early lead on the Huskies.
But fear not. This is a Washington football team which will challenge for a Pac-12 title and a national championship. Adversity will happen this season. On game one, fans will witness how the team handles it. Quarterback Jake Browning is the key. He was the most accurate Pac-12 passer last season, and he’ll pick right up where he left off. You can expect his offense to stay right in stride with Rutgers early.
Once the lead goes to to the Huskies, the team will feed Myles Gaskin the ball non-stop. In the end, the game will likely be decided by the third quarter. If the Huskies take a double digit lead, head for home.
Who will win this game?
Washington will win. Big. This is a tough game geographically. The team needs to adapt to the three hour time difference. Thankfully, the game begins at 8:00 pm ET, which is a solid 5:00 pm PT start.
I did a “too early to predict” game by game analysis of the season, and now feel I may have been too conservative on the season opener. My initial score prediction is Washington 42 Rutgers 21, so that is what I will stick with. But this could go more in favor of the visiting team.
The early line is so ridiculous, it could be nearly spot on
The early line on the game is Washington -31.5 points. That’s too aggressive for my liking. But I can see a 28 point difference in this game. If the Huskies give up some early points, the offense will take it up a notch. The Washington Huskies can look for big games out of RB Gaskins and QB Browning for sure. If the defense holds early, you can bet Gaskins will still be featured on highlight reels across the nation.
Next: PFF rates Washington Football DT Gregory Gaines best vs runs
This will be a game for prime time viewing. That stage is not going to slip past Coach Petersen. He knows that the nation is waiting to see how this team comes out of the gates. As a result, the Huskies will be prepared for the worst. As a result, this will be a game for fans.
Date: Friday, September 1st
Game Time: 8:00 pm ET, 5:00 pm PT
Location: High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ
Televised? Yes. FoxSports 1