5 storylines to watch when the Huskies travel to Stanford
Washington and Stanford have identical records seven games into the season — both sitting at 3-4 with a pair of conference wins.
The Huskies enter Saturday night’s meeting between the two following a much-needed win over Arizona last weekend after back-to-back losses their previous two games.
The Cardinal are returning from their bye week after consecutive defeats in their last two games.
Who wins this matchup of Pac-12 North Division programs looking to even out their record at 7:30 p.m. Saturday?
Here are five storylines to watch when the Huskies travel to Palo Alto:
1. Will the Huskies end this stretch of losses inside Stanford Stadium?
Remember when Louis Rankin rushed for a career-high 255 yards and a touchdown inside Stanford Stadium, definitively ending a six-game UW losing streak? Remember how first-year quarterback Jake Locker added 97 rushing yards and two more scores as the Huskies piled up a collective 388 — a total that only one UW team has matched since — on their way to a cathartic 27-9 win over the Cardinal?
If you don’t, in fairness, it was a long time ago. That game was played Nov. 3, 2007 — the last time the Huskies won in Palo Alto. Stanford has effectively defended its home turf in each of the six games played there since, and has won four of those by multiple possessions.
UW has had similar challenges with the Cardinal in Seattle, including losing what turned out to be its final game of the shortened 2020 season, 31-26, last December.
The Huskies have only topped Stanford only four times in the past 16 meetings — their most recent win in 2018 in Seattle — and the Cardinal are favored again Saturday.
Interestingly though, a Huskies win would even the overall series, which is currently at 44-43-4 in Stanford’s favor, and dates back to 1893.
2. Has UW found some rhythm on offense following that three-touchdown burst in the second half last week in Arizona?
The first-half numbers for the Huskies last weekend in Tucson were glaring:
65 yards of offense — 35 passing, 30 rushing.
Six punts.
Shut out.
This against an Arizona team that had allowed 32 points per game through six contests. Huskies coach Jimmy Lake later called it a “very frosty first half,” but noted the Huskies made needed adjustments at the break.
After that? UW scored on its first drive of the third quarter, during which Dylan Morris connected on a pair of long throws to Jalen McMillan (29 yards) and Terrell Bynum (28) before capping the drive with a 16-yard pass to Bynum.
The Huskies scored twice in the fourth — both drives boosted by 51-yard completions from Morris to Bynum, who finished with a career-high 143 yards on five catches and now ranks second in the Pac-12 with 71.2 yards per game — to secure a 21-16 win.
UW gets a chance to build on that momentum against a Stanford team that has allowed a conference-worst 405.5 yards per game to this point. The Cardinal defense has allowed 28 points per game — 11th in the Pac-12.
3. What can the Huskies expect from Stanford’s offense?
Stanford is third in the Pac-12 in both passing yards per game and per attempt, and fifth in passing yards per completion behind quarterback Tanner McKee. In his first season as the Cardinal’s starter, the sophomore is 139-of-215 passing for 1,722 yards, and has thrown 14 touchdowns to three interceptions.
“He’s a big, 6-6, strong-armed, smart football player that knows where to throw the football and throw it on time,” Lake said. “So, we will have a big challenge on our hands.”
Will the Cardinal rely heavily on the pass, though? Stanford is the only team in the Pac-12 averaging less than 100 rushing yards per game — at 94.9 — but the Cardinal will surely still look to establish the run against a UW defense that has allowed 194.4 yards per game on the ground this season.
“We are expecting fully that they’re going to run the football on Saturday night, and we’re going to have to do a good job of stopping the run,” Lake said this week.
4. Injuries could be a factor for the Huskies
Lake announced this week the Huskies will be without two impact players — inside linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio (arm) and tailback Richard Newton (knee) — the rest of the way following season-ending injuries.
Ulofoshio had started five of six games for the Huskies prior to Arizona, and was UW’s leading tackler (51) through his six appearances, but was injured against UCLA. Newton (38 carries, 138 yards, TD) started the first three games for the Huskies in the backfield before missing both the California and Oregon State games, and was injured in his brief return against UCLA.
Lake has also listed several more players — left tackle Jaxson Kirkland, defensive tackle Sam Taimani, safeties Alex Cook and Cameron Williams and tight end Quentin Moore — as week-to-week.
5. Will this be another down-to-the-wire finish for UW?
Every conference game the Huskies have played this season has been decided in the fourth quarter, and by seven points or fewer.
They scored the game-winner in overtime against Cal in their Pac-12 opener last month. Oregon State then sent UW home with a loss on a game-winning field goal as time expired. UCLA made its decisive trip to the end zone midway through the fourth quarter against the Huskies. And UW scored the winning touchdown in Arizona inside seven minutes left to play last week.
Will those trends continue?
In contrast, many of Stanford’s games, including three against Pac-12 South Division teams, have been a bit more decisive to this point — one way or the other. The Cardinal opened conference play with a 14-point win over then-No. 14 USC, but has also dropped an 11-point loss to UCLA and 14-point loss to then-No. 22 Arizona State.
The two games Stanford has played against North Division opponents have been closer. The Cardinal are responsible for No. 7 Oregon’s only loss this season, after topping the Ducks, then ranked third, in overtime three weeks ago. Stanford lost by three in Pullman before its bye week after a late Washington State touchdown.
