Washington football takes number nine Utah

Washington football has a big-time team coming to town in the form of the Utah Utes, are they up to the task?

Last year, Washington football beat the Utes twice. The first was the opening game of their Pac-12 schedule when Washington won 21-7 in Utah. Quarterback Tyler Huntley went 20/38 for 138 yards and an interception. The second matchup took place for the Pac-12 Championship, and the Huskies won that game 10-3. Utah was without both Tyler Huntley and running back Zack Moss in that game, and had to rely on backup quarterback Jason Shelley, who threw three interceptions, one of which was returned for the game’s only touchdown by Byron Murphy.

The Utes defense is ranked third in the nation behind Wisconsin and Ohio State. The Oregon Ducks had given up only four touchdowns on the season before facing the Huskies, who matched that total during the game. With Jacob Eason at the helm, the Huskies are confident that they can get back on track against the best defense in the conference.

On defense, the Dawgs will need to start by containing Zack Moss, the leader in touchdowns among running backs in the Pac-12, and second in rushing yards per game. This will start with the outside linebackers not letting him get to the edge, and the inside linebackers not overcommitting to runs up the middle. If they can do that, Jimmy Lake trusts his defensive backs to lock down the outside, and the Huskies should be able to hold the Utes in check.

The Huskies are all but eliminated from the Pac-12 North and title contention, so they have nothing to lose and can play the role of spoilers. Washington will need another great game out of both Eason, and Salvon Ahmed if they can start hot, the sky’s the limit for the offense.