#7 Washington (5-1) vs. #17 Oregon (4-1)
Saturday, October 13th @ 12:30 p.m. PST
Autzen Stadium (Eugene, Oregon)
Line: Washington -3.5
TV: ABC
Radio: KOMO
The Huskies will face off against the Oregon Ducks tomorrow afternoon in Eugene, Oregon at Autzen Stadium.
Last week the Huskies traveled to Rose Bowl Stadium and broke a road winless streak against the UCLA Bruins dating back to 1995.
This week, the Huskies have a big showdown with the Oregon Ducks which will be another huge road test for a second consecutive week.
“In some ways it’s kind of business as usual. We’re on the road and it’s kind of the same thing. It’s not a huge deal in terms of during the week. During the week the same and then on Friday they’ll miss a little bit of class, that’s probably the biggest deal. And then we get down there and get ready to play and get right back…..it’s a short plane flight this week and an early game. So that should be helpful.” Head Coach Chris Petersen said earlier this week.
The Ducks enter this game seeking revenge for the 70-21 blowout home loss from two years ago at the hands of the Huskies.
Both teams enter the matchup with so much to play for as the winner will probably take control the Pac-12 North Division the rest of the way.
If the Huskies win this game then they will send a message to the nation that they are for real, and it would go a long way in impressing the minds of the Playoff selection committee.
KEY PLAYERS: WASHINGTON
QB – Jake Browning
Jake Browning has been playing his best football of the season the past three weeks, as he has only one turnover over that stretch and has a high completion percentage.
RB – Myles Gaskin
Myles Gaskin is coming off a great performance last week as he notched 116 yards rushing on 27 carries and 2 TD’s. The “workhorse” RB is the head honcho of the offense.
LB – Ben Burr-Kirven
Ben Burr-Kirven notched a game high 15 tackles total last week against the UCLA Bruins, and the senior is playing the best football of his career this season.
KEY PLAYERS: OREGON
QB – Justin Herbert
Justin Herbert is a Heisman Trophy candidate. In over 20 games since 2016 with Herbert in the starting lineup, Oregon is averaging 42.3 points per game.
RB – Tony Brooks-James
Tony Brooks-James is one of 15 returning players in FBS with 1,000 all-purpose yards in each of the last two seasons. He is very explosive and a talented downhill runner.
WR – Dillon Mitchell
Dillon Mitchell has 344 receiving yards in the first two Pac-12 games, just five yards off Oregon’s two-game record. He leads the Ducks team in total receptions.
GAME NOTES
– Washington leads the all-time series against the Ducks with 60 wins, 45 losses and five ties.
– In games played in Eugene has the Ducks enjoy a 17-13 edge all-time (Oregon’s home games vs. the UW were played in Portland for many years), while the Huskies are 32-21-4 against their cross-border rivals in games played in Seattle.
– In 2016, the Huskies broke the Ducks long win streak in the series with a 70-21 win in Eugene.
– The Ducks enter the game with the #1 ranked offense in the Pac-12 Conference with an average of 47 points scored per game.
– The Huskies enter the game with the #1 ranked defense in the Pac-12 Conference with holding opponents to an average of 13.7 points per game.
PREDICTIONS (Cascadia Sports Staff)
Mazvita Maraire (4-0)
The Washington Huskies top ranked defense and two back’ running attack proves to be too much as the Huskies defeat the Oregon Ducks. The Huskies secondary will pull down two Justin Herbert passes and Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed combine for 300 UW rushing yards.
Washington 28 – Oregon 17
Jeff Wright (4-0)
This is a battle of two teams playing at a high level right now, and this game will probably decide who goes to the Pac-12 title game from the North. Something has to give in this game as it features the best offense in the Pac-12 with the Ducks averaging 47 points per game. It also features the best defense in the Pac-12 with the Huskies holding opponents to an average of 13.7 points per game. It will be a “knock-down”, “drag-out” type of “slug fest” the entire game! On paper, the Huskies have more talent but this week all the intangibles point in Oregon’s favor. They are coming off the comfort of a bye week which has allowed their players to get fully rested. It has also given them an extra week for their coaches to game plan for the Huskies. The Ducks players and fan base have not forgotten Jake Browning’s “finger-point” and the “70-Burger” the Huskies put up on them back in 2016 at Autzen Stadium. In the end, the Huskies will make a big play down the stretch and secure the win.
Washington 34 – Oregon 30
