5 Keys to Washington Football game at Arizona State

The Washington Football team has won only one of the past eleven games against Arizona State. Here are five keys to ensure that improves to two of the past twelve

If you think that the Arizona State Sun Devils are a cupcake, stop reading here. They are not. They have enough dangerous and talented players who, if they sync up with great performances simultaneously, can compete with just about any team in the nation. But the Washington Football team is not just any team. The Huskies are the defending Pac-12 Conference Champions. And today, they will look every bit the part if they focus on these five keys.

As a matter of fact, this is not a game of unfamiliar teams. This is a game of two teams quite familiar with one another. Until last season, Arizona State knew they would win. Washington knew they would lose. And so it went for ten consecutive games.

Fighting heat, fatigue, ASU, and perception

On one hand, this game is a bigger test for the Washington Football team than many realize.  This is the seventh contest in a row for the team. It’s also a road game of some distance. But more than anything, it’s played tonight in Tempe Arizona. At Game Time, the temperature In Tempe will still be in the mid 80’s.  The team left the 50’s behind in Seattle, Washington. That will be a tough battle to remain cool in that heat.

On the other hand, Washington is playing it’s seventh straight week. Arizona State is coming off a bye. The team is rested. The coaching staff has had two weeks to plan, dissect, and strategize a way to win this week.  Playing at home compounds that effect.  Thankfully, Washington got a home win against Arizona State.

That changes everything

2016 game changed everything

The Sun Devils  dominated the Huskies in the past 11 years. Well they won ten games straight ending in 2015.  But the 2016 contest between these foes changed the script.  Here is that game in its entirety

If you don’t have over two hours to kill?  Here is a 13 minute reader’s digest version of the contest

The game resulted in a final score of Washington 44 Arizona State 10.  Now how can the Washington Football team apply 2016’s win to this game?  Well let’s talk about the elephant in the room.

Until last season, Washington face Arizona State wondering IF the team could win. Now, the only question in the minds of the Washington Football team is HOW the team will win. I can help answer that.

Here are the five keys to winning the contest tonight.

Jake Browning touchdown tossing

Washington knows the Arizona State strengths already. As such, they know Arizona State’s weaknesses too. The Sun Devils will give up points. Lots of points. They allow 36.4 points a game. Washington averages 43.0 points a game. This should be fun.

Jake Browning is a disciplined, surgically effective quarterback. But not today. Not in this game.

The first key to this game is to get Jake Browning passing. Lots and lots and lots of passing.  Arizona State has one strength on defense, their pass rush. Break that, and you break the Arizona State defense.

Washington OL must play very well tonight

So it will fall upon the offensive linemen to step up and help their quarterback do just that.

This is truly a statement game for LT Trey Adams, LG Jesse Sosebee, C Coleman Shelton, RG Nick Harris, and RT Kaleb McGary, plus outstanding blocking TE Will Dissly.  If Browning is to succeed, each must have a great game.

Mix Gaskin, Coleman, and Ahmed into passing routes

Arizona State University has had two weeks to study for the test on the football field tonight. But what happens if they studied for the wrong exam?

As soon as Gaskin, Coleman, or even Ahmed move towards the line of scrimmage, the Arizona State defense will try to compensate for poor rushing defense by overcommitting to stop the run.

Only it won’t be a run. It will be a pass.

They aren’t expecting UW to pass pass pass

As we discussed in the initial game summary, Arizona State will try to set Washington up to take advantage of their pass rush. Washington can counter by passing on running downs (first and second downs) and running draws or quick bursts.

By decoying the Arizona State defense with Gaskin, Coleman, or Ahmed as receivers out of the backfield, the Sun Devils will be defending the wrong players.  And with that, you also have play action passing options as well.  Get that clicking early. Get a two touchdown lead. Even a one touchdown lead.  They flip over to the next key.

Ground and pound with a lead

On one hand, Arizona State has three big down lineman who love to pin their ears back and rush the quarterback. On the other hand, that comes at a price.  In fact, the Sun Devils are often out of position to stop the running game. Doesn’t that sound like a good setup?

Meanwhile, the Washington Football team boasts a pretty good running game.   So good in fact, that the Sun Devils may have practiced defending it all week.  Practice or not, the Sun Devils  cannot defend a sustained running offense by the Huskies. So they will run blitz.

Now the pass pass pass early offense makes sense, doesn’t it?

Get lead, then bleed the clock dry

But Arizona State can and will make adjustments. They want this game, so the coaches will work hard to react to developments mid game.  That results in ASU getting softer on the run, more focused on the pass, and willing to gamble high stakes to get to the quarterback.

And that signals to Washington to unleash Gaskin’s running ability.  Get Gaskin going on offense, and that will rest the defense in that desert heat.   That’s good, because while all this is going on, the Huskies defense had been working hard too.

Show ASU how pass rushing is done

On defense, Washington will be tasked with stopping a very good passing offense.  They have plenty of solid wide receivers. And they like to run a … well, let’s let head coach Todd Graham say it in his own words from an press conference delivered at the start of the year:

"““We’re going to be a run, play-action-pass team offense,” Graham said. “We’re going to be a spread-no-huddle; (ASU) we’re going to be an 11-personnel team. (And) We’re going to have three wide receivers most the time.”"

The Sun Devils run game is not very effective, which makes sense when you consider they regularly abandon a tight end and fullback.  They love to spread the field from side to side, looking for mismatches.  The Washington defense will counter with plenty of three pass rushers and eight men in coverage in this game.

Sit down in that chair right there and lemme show ya how it’s done!

But that three man front is no slouch when it comes to rushing the passer.  The strength and size of this team’s defensive linemen are incredible. Look for Vita Vea, Greg Gaines, Jaylen Johnson and freshman standout Levi Onwuzurike.  The Huskies defense creates a lot of pressure up front themselves. And that has been the talk among Sun Devlis fans all week.

"“They communicate,” ASU offensive line coach Rob Sale said in a recent interview by Houseofsparky.com’s Matthew Tonis. “They know where the tight end is, they know where the back’s offset, they know the blocking scheme… (Washington defensive linemen) They just sit down on the blocks, play the blocks and they’re just big, massive men in there.”"

That is easier said than done.  In fact, Washington is coming into this game with a chip on their shoulder. As it turns out, the Arizona State University Sun Devils end up on the brunt end.

The defense will likely cause quite a few punts today. Which is a great segue into the fifth and final key to this game:

Dante Pettis punt returning sets NCAA TD record tonight

Wide receiver Dante Pettis has not forgotten that he remains tied for the NCAA record for returning punts for touchdowns.  He has returned seven punts for a touchdown. His next TD sets an all-time NCAA record.

Arizona State has the worst punt coverage in the Pac-12. Record this one folks, I have a feeling Dante Pettis breaks that NCAA record. You heard it here first.

Next: How do you catch the game Washington at Arizona State?

This is not as crisp or clean of a dominating win as you might like. This is a slobberknocker game folks.  One I was frightened of month’s ago as I predicted a squeaker victory for UW, 26-24 months ago.  I feel better about this game today, but it’s still a lot tougher than some think.