Opponent Preview - Washington Huskies (11/04)

Washington Huskies

• Head Coach: Kalen DeBoer (1st Season)
• 2021 Record: 4-8 (3-6 in Pac-12)
• Last Meeting: 10/02/2021 - Oregon State 27, Washington 24
• Key Returners: OT - Jaxson Kirkland, DE/OLB - Zion Tupuola-Fetui & LB - Carson Bruener

What to Know:

Kalen DeBoer steps into a somewhat dysfunctional Husky program after a Jimmy Lake tenure that lasted just 13 games. DeBoer’s first order of business was re-recruiting the current players and bringing stability to a football team that expects to compete for conference championships and playoff berths every season.

Looking forward to this season Washington looks to have a very competitive roster and on paper should easily get back to bowl-eligibility. Michael Penix Jr is the Huskies new starting quarterback after transferring from Indiana. Washington has a very experienced offensive line that could be elite and at the very least should keep Penix upright and healthy. Husky fans are most excited about their wide receiver room: Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillian, Ja’Lynn Polk, Giles Jackson and Taj Davis are all dangerous in the open field. There’s question marks in the running game, but it looks like Washington is going to air it out a ton this season.

Defensively Washington was really good last season, but opponents still managed to rush for 4.8 yards per carry. Washington’s secondary was insanely talented so teams mostly avoided them. Just look at the Oregon State game a year ago, Chance Nolan threw for a total of 48 yards and the Beavers still found a way to win. I don’t expect the secondary to be quite as dominant in 2022 but they should be better at stopping the run, which will likely lead to a top-20 defense yet again.

This will be an interesting game, Oregon State will be coming off their ‘bye’ week but I expect Washington to have a lot of momentum with their somewhat easy schedule to start the season. The Huskies could be ranked at this point in the season with 6 or 7 wins already secured. The Beavs will likely be underdogs on the road, ESPN’s FPI gives them just a 33.8% chance to win.

Player To Watch

Michael Penix Jr. - Quarterback

Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Washington is going to throw it around this season to take advantage of their strengths. Michael Penix Jr now gets the keys to the Husky offense and the senior QB is ready to showcase his skills. He’s struggled with injuries during his career, but I expect him to have a big season and easily set career high numbers across the board.

Prediction

If Washington has improved their run defense this game could be a tough one. I think it will be closer than expected, but the Beavers can’t pull off the upset on the road. The Huskies win it 23-17.

Game Info

• Date: November 4th
• Time: TBD
• Location: Husky Stadium (Seattle, Washington)

2022 Opponent Previews

• Oregon Ducks (Game 12)
• Arizona State (Game 11)
• Cal Golden Bears (Game 10)
• Washington Huskies (Game 9)
• Colorado Buffaloes (Game 8)
• Washington State (Game 7)
• Stanford Cardinal (Game 6)
• Utah Utes (Game 5)
• USC Trojans (Game 4)
• Montana State Bobcats (Game 3)
• Fresno State Bulldogs (Game 2)
• Boise State Broncos (Game 1)