The Washington Huskies travel to Los Angeles this Saturday to take on the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl. The Huskies will be looking to put an end to their recent road woes. Washington has lost each of its last two games away from Husky Stadium to Michigan and Wisconsin. The Huskies have not won on the road since October 4th, when they beat Maryland in College Park 24-20. Washington will need to keep playing good defense, take care of the football, and receive contributions from its young players to win.
The Huskies must play with balance to fix offensive road woes
The Dawgs have struggled offensively on the road lately, particularly at the beginning of games. They have been shut out in the first quarter of their last three road contests. When the Huskies played at Wisconsin, they scored one touchdown, which came after a recovered blocked punt on the one-yard line. To fix their offensive woes against UCLA, Washington will need to adopt a balanced approach. The Huskies are hoping a diverse play-calling will keep the Bruins’ defense on its toes.
Ball security needs to be better for the Huskies
A balanced approach will help take the pressure off QB Demond Williams Jr. Washington’s sophomore QB has five turnovers in his last two road games. At Wisconsin, Williams fumbled a critical ball that led to the Badgers’ only touchdown. Against Michigan, he threw two interceptions in a tight game, which the Wolverines converted into touchdowns. A balanced attack of run and pass will force the UCLA defense to honor the play-action and run game. Last week, the Huskies’ offense ran the ball effectively, as their running backs totaled 197 yards on the ground.
The Huskies’ defense seeks another strong performance
Washington’s defense has played exceptionally well lately. In their last two games, the Huskies have allowed just 13 points and given up just 3.3 yards per carry on the ground. Washington has also held opponents under 200 passing yards in its last three games. The Huskies’ defense will be looking for another strong showing against the Bruins on Saturday.
Washington needs to take the ball away from the turnover-prone Bruins
UCLA has turned the ball over 10 times this season with a -2 turnover margin. While the Huskies have done a great job of stopping opposing offenses, they have struggled to create takeaways. On the road, Washington has not had a takeaway since playing Maryland in week six. The last time the Huskies won the turnover battle on the road was in week four against Washington State. When they play the Bruins, the Dawgs’ defense must attack the ball to create turnovers.
Washington’s underclassmen look to continue to shine
The Huskies’ underclassmen stepped up big in last week’s win over Purdue. On offense, sophomore WR Audric Harris, freshman RB Jordan Washington, and freshman WR Dezmen Roebuck made huge contributions. Washington had 108 yards rushing on five carries, including a big 68-yard touchdown run. Look for him to make the most of his opportunities to spell RB Adam Mohammed and RB Jonah Coleman this weekend. Harris and Roebuck each had a touchdown catch and combined for 100 yards receiving. Harris and Roebuck will be looking to have another big performance if Denzel Boston is unable to return from injury. Freshman WR Chris Lawson will also have an opportunity to get more snaps, if head coach Jedd Fisch decides to sit Harris to protect his redshirt.
Huskies’ LB Zaydrius Rainey-Sale is becoming a force on defense
Last week, LB Zaydrius Rainey-Sale had a huge game on defense for the Dawgs. Rainey-Sale had six tackles (five solos) and an interception in Washington’s 49-13 win over Purdue. He has continued to make a big impact on the Huskies’ defense:
“I think he has a chance to be elite. He’s got all the size that you would ever want for a linebacker in this conference. He’s got the athleticism that you want for a linebacker in this conference. He got off the ground on that pick. You know, that was an impressive catch. He’s got good hands, he’s from Washington, you know, he’s in-state. He’s the number one player in the state last year, came off an injury, I don’t know what it would have looked like if he wasn’t coming off an injury. Like, he obviously would have played earlier in the year. So, he has all the skills you need”, said Jedd Fisch.
Zaydrius Rainey-Sale has filled in nicely, while LB Jacob Manu has sat out to protect his eligibility for next year. Rainey-Sale’s ability to adapt and adjust to the college game has been impressive following his return from injury. The Huskies will look to continue to utilize his skill set this week when they take on UCLA.
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