The Washington Huskies (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) will host the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten) this evening in one of this weekend’s three Friday night games. If Washington wants to shine under a national spotlight, the Dawgs will have to disrupt Rutgers’ potentially lethal offense.
That could be easier said than done. Though they suffered consecutive losses to Iowa and Minnesota, Rutgers has put together a potent offensive attack through five games. Before last week’s bye, Scarlet Knights could be found all over the nation’s offensive leaderboards.
Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (107/159 for 1,399 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions) ranked seventh nationally in passing yards before the bye. His two favorite targets, receivers KJ Duff and Ian Strong, ranked No. 3 and No. 4 in the Big Ten (No. 12 and No. 13 nationally) in receiving yards with 420 and 413 yards respectively.
Receiver DT Sheffield wasn’t far behind, as his 323 receiving yards ranked No. 8 in the Big Ten and No. 53 nationally. Duff and Sheffield have three receiving touchdowns each, while Strong has two.
However, their scoring totals pale in comparison to running back Antwan Raymond’s. The sophomore back has 87 carries for 471 yards (the nation’s 13th-most before the bye) and nine rushing touchdowns. Only Washington’s Jonah Coleman (82 carries, 474 yards) has reached 10 rushing scores this year.
So how to stop this juggernaut? Though it possesses great firepower, Rutgers’ offense has been undone by its offensive line. The Scarlet Knights have allowed 17 sacks (tied for the nation’s sixth-most before the bye), including three against Iowa (L, 38-28) and seven against Minnesota (L, 31-28).
Kaliakmanis went 55 of 81 (67%) for 579 yards in those two losses, but threw only two touchdowns and two interceptions. Raymond was still effective (44 carries for 223 yards and four touchdowns), but the losses speak for themselves.
The Huskies will need to apply pressure on Kaliakmanis. Given Rutgers’ trio of excellent receivers, it could be risky to send blitzers after the quarterback. Remember Jeremiah Smith’s touchdown last weekend?
In addition to affecting Kaliakmanis and covering his receivers, Washington will also need to defend Raymond and the run. That means it’ll be up to the Huskies’ defensive line to win at the line of scrimmage no matter who gets the ball.
Can the Huskies create consistent pressure? They haven’t to this point. The Dawgs’ nine sacks are tied for the Big Ten’s 3rd-fewest. However, Washington’s capable rushing defense has allowed the conference’s fourth-fewest yards per game at just 78.0. Only seven teams nationally have a better average.
If Washington’s run defense plays to its standard, the Huskies may be able to turn today’s game into an air-raid. That would allow Washington’s defensive line to focus on rushing the passer, which could shut down Rutgers’ offense for good.
The Huskies and Scarlet Knights will meet inside Husky Stadium at 6:00 p.m. on FOX Sports.