UW Football Week 11 Season Prediction: #13 Utah vs #5 Washington
I will be predicting every game of the UW football season on this app(including playoffs!). I will start off with an evaluation, going into detail explaining why UW or the other team will win, making sure to talk about important details like how strong UW’s offense/defense is, how strong the other team’s offense/defense is, key players, and coaching. At the end, I’ll have a score prediction! Hope you enjoy and GO HUSKIES!!!
UW is right now in the dog days of the football season. The last 3 games have not been easy, as they have not won by more than 10 points in any of them. Even with some struggles, they are still 9–0 and in CFP contention. The goal for the rest of the year is to win out, no matter how tough these last few games might be.
If you want to support my work, please check the UW Daily Website at https://www.dailyuw.com/ and my journalism Twitter account, which is @Adam_Amster.
Photo of Utah starting DE Jonah Elliss(photo from Twitter) on top and photo of UW starting DE Gralen Trice(photo from Twitter) on bottom
Matchup Evaluation:
Even though UW vs USC might’ve had more hype, this current matchup should be just as competitive as that one.
The matchup to watch in this game is UW’s offense versus Utah’s defense, as both of those units are top-tier. The Huskies offense has been elite all season, as they are 4th in the nation in total offense(509.1 yards/game) and scoring(41.7 points/game) while leading the nation in passing yards(383.1 yards/game). Michael Penix is the nation’s only 3000 yard passer, with 3201 yards while Rome Odunze(989 yards)and Ja’Lynn Polk(888 yards) have been some of the top receivers in the nation. Besides those two, Giles Jackson, Germie Bernard, Jack Westover, and Devin Culp have all been solid depth pieces as complementary weapons.
UW’s rush offense is no slouch either, as they are averaging 126.0 yards per game this year. They are coming off one of the best games of the season, as Dillon Johnson rushed for 256 yards(9.8 YPC) and 4 touchdowns against USC. Utah’s defense will be much tougher, but this type of production on the ground shows that UW’s offense is not one dimensional. It will also help with time of possession, especially at the end of the game.
Like UW’s offense, Utah’s defense is one of the top units in the country, ranking 10th in the nation for yards(282.3 yards/game), 6th in run defense(81.2 yards/game), and 9th in the nation in points(15.9 points/game). Their top player is Jonah Elliss, who is tied for 2nd in the nation in sacks with 12.0. He is a tough player who UW will likely need to double team. Cole Bishop and Sione Vaki are a nice duo in the secondary. The team is overall well-coached and will pose a threat to the offense.
Even though Utah has an elite defense, I cannot say the same about their offense. They have been brutalized by injuries on that end, as stud quarterback Cam Rising, tight ends Brant Kuithe and Thomas Yassmin, running backs Chris Curry and Micah Bernard, and wide receiver Mycah Pittman are all out for the season. This has led to a paltry 351.1 yards per game(2nd last in the Pac-12), with a particularly pitiful 159.4 yards per game in the air.
The strength of their offense is the run game, as they average a solid 192.7 yards per game there. They also have multiple options to run, as Ja’Quinden Jackson(598 yards, 5.3 YPC, 2 TD), Jaylen Glover(358 yards, 3.8 YPC, 2 TD), and two-way stud Sione Vaki(243 yards, 8.1 YPC, 2 TD) are all threats to attack the Husky defense. If they can gain any lead, I can see them using this to dominate the time of possession and prevent the Huskies from getting the ball too frequently.
When it comes to UW’s defense, they have hit hard times recently, giving up 33 points to Stanford and 42 points to USC. They have been able to get enough clutch stops to win, but not much else. The Huskies are giving up tons of yardage(413.0 yards/game) both in the pass(269.9 yards/game) and run(143.1 yards/game) games. The Huskies have some talent like Bralen Trice and Jabbar Muhammad, but are way too undisciplined. I see way too many missed tackles and coverage busts on film. Their pass defense might look better because of Utah’s mediocre quarterbacking, but they will need to lock down the run. Expect a lot of stacked boxes.
When it comes to coaching, I feel like the matchup is pretty even. Kyle Whittingham has been an absolute legend at Utah who will do anything to make the team competitive, no matter how many injuries they have on the team. He rarely makes mistakes and has beaten plenty of teams with more talen than his. On the other hand, Kalen DeBoer is an even-keeled leader of men who has only lost twice in his career at UW. His offensive genius should be able to help UW a lot in this tough matchup.
The weather will also be key in this matchup. It is expected to be rainy, which should favor Utah’s ground and pound plus defense style of play. However, this game is going to be played at Washington’s home, where UW hasn’t lost in 2 years. The UW fanbase is one of the loudest and will definitely give the Huskies an advantage in the matchup. This is especially considering that they are still undefeated right now.
In the end, this will be a really good matchup. However, with the combination of a better offense, playing at home, and the motivation to continue an undefeated season, I see the Huskies winning this one out.
Score Prediction:
#5 Washington 31, #13 Utah 24
