Washington Football: Keys to Victory vs Michigan State in Week 3

What will be the keys to victory for Washington Football when they travel to East Lansing to take on Michigan State?

Battling the Crowd

It may not be a prime-time game under the lights, however, the atmosphere will always be electric if the Spartans get ahead of steam. Washington Football knows about atmospheres playing in the Pac-12, so combatting it will be important.

The MSU crowd will be loud with the team sitting at 2-0 and looking to cause an upset win. Whether the Huskies receive the ball or defer, they will need to start fast.

Silencing the crowd early and putting the Spartans on the back foot will result in the crowd potentially getting on the team’s back. Despite the winning start, the team still has problems after a disaster of a 2022 season.

Controlling the game will be a key part on Saturday, with the way Washington Football plays on offense being a good way to kill atmospheres.

Stopping Nathan Carter

MSU quarterback Noah Kim and the reviewers have been serviceable, but the main threat seems to be running back Nathan Carter.

Carter has rushed for over 100 yards in both games this season, adding four touchdowns. Transferring at the end of 2022, the 190-pound Carter has shown his elusiveness between tackles. Granted, it’s a small sample size against weaker oppositions.

That being said, the Washington defense hasn’t ensured much trust in stopping the rush in their first two games. They have also struggled against dump-offs to the running backs, which Carter can exceed at.

The Huskies can put up points for fun on offense, but for them to be title contenders, they need to be tighter on defense. It starts with reducing the splash plays they have given up against the run and on RB-focused passing plays.

Offensive Line Standing Firm

Through the first two games of the season, the Huskies’ offensive line has been one of the top performers., allowing just one sack and very little pressure on QB Michael Penix Jr.

This weekend they face a much better pass rush who have already notched 10 sacks. Add on the six QB hurries and the Michigan State defensive line is a problem, led by talented sophomore Zion Young.

Washington has some experienced offensive linemen like tackle Troy Fautanu. The fifth-year Husky allowed zero pressures last weekend on 44 pass block snaps. What would be great to see is inexperienced guys like Parker Brailsford keep up his form.

As mentioned earlier, the atmosphere will also be something the offensive line has to deal with. Washington has been very good at not giving up false start penalties, but that will be tested on Saturday. Putting Penix Jr. in very long situations isn’t great, despite him being capable of getting the offense out of it.