Utah at Washington Prediction
The Utah Utes will travel to Seattle to take on the Washington Huskies in Pac-12 play this Saturday from Alaska Airlines Field on FOX. This will mark the 15th time Washington and Utah face off, and UW holds a sizable 12-2 series lead, after winning the most recent match back in 2020 by three at home, 24-21.
Utah Utes Preview
Utah improved to 7-2 after blowing out Arizona State in Salt Lake City, 55-3. The Utes had their way with the Sun Devils, holding them to just 83 yards, and they’ll now attempt to contain the Huskies this weekend. The Utah offense is scoring 25.0 ppg, while passing for 159.4 ypg, rushing for 192.7 ypg, and converting 38.7% of their third downs.
Utah Player Notes
• Bryson Barnes had a productive outing versus ASU, totaling 217 yards and tossing four touchdown passes. The junior quarterback bounced back from a tough outing against Oregon, and he’ll have to remain sharp if the Utes aim to keep up with UW on the road. Barnes has passed for 930 yards, with eight touchdowns to five interceptions.
• Sophomore back Ja’Quinden Jackson led the way with 111 yards and a score in the win over Arizona State, and he leads the team in rushing with 598 yards on 112 touches.
• Veteran wideout Devaughn Vele scored twice last weekend, and he leads Utah in receptions (29) and receiving yards (337).
• The Utah defense is allowing 15.8 points per game.
Washington Huskies Preview
Washington improved to 9-0 after defeating USC in Los Angeles by ten, 52-42. The Huskies walked away as winners after engaging in a shootout with the Trojans, and they’ll look to remain undefeated here at home. The Washington offense is scoring 41.7 ppg, while passing for 383.1 ypg, rushing for 126.0 ypg, and converting 47.8% of their third downs.
Washington Player Notes
• Michael Penix Jr. quarterbacked a great game under the lights last week, passing for 256 yards, with three total touchdowns. The veteran quarterback furthered his Heisman case with the road victory at the Coliseum, and he’ll now look to shred up a rugged Utah defense this weekend. Penix Jr. has passed for 3,201 yards with 26 touchdowns to seven interceptions through nine starts.
• Junior RB Dillon Johnson had the biggest game of his career versus SC, dashing for 256 yards and four scores, and he leads the backfield with 686 rushing yards on 113 touches.
• Third-year wideout Rome Odunze had another productive evening in the win over Southern Cal, and he leads UW in receptions (56) and receiving yards (989).
• Sophomore receiver Ja’Lynn Polk has found the endzone in back-to-back games, and he’s second on the team with splits of 51/888/8.
• The UW defense is allowing 23.0 points per game.
Utah vs Washington Trends
• UTA is 5-3-1 against the spread, with a 3-6 O/U record.
• UW is 4-4-1 ATS, with a 5-4 over/under record.
Corey’s Free Pick
Previewing this matchup, the thought of Utah facing Iowa would be a very interesting battle, as the old-minded styles line up perfectly. However, for this contest with Washington, the Utes may wind up getting overpowered on the road, as the two contrasting styles don’t line up well here. Utah is hard-nosed enough to stick around and make life tough for UW, but if they’re forced to keep up and move the ball through the air, that might not fare well for them. The Huskies have their eyes on a walkoff Pac-12 crown and CFB Playoff berth, and there’s no way they let pesky Utah come in and spoil that. Back the aerial advantage, and roll with Washington at home for this conference bout.
