Utah heads to Seattle this weekend to play the Washington Huskies, a team the Utes have yet to beat since joining the Pac-12.
Washington is coming off a big 49-3 win against Arizona, and head coach Kyle Whittingham is preparing for a tough defense and for quarterback Jake Browning, who is improving each game.
“They had their way with Arizona last week and seem to be hitting their stride,” Whittingham said. “They’re playing the best defense in the conference — I don’t think anybody would argue with that. They’re physical. Their quarterback is getting better every week.”
As they will be playing in Seattle, the team is also preparing to play in poor conditions. It will likely rain during the game, but when it comes down to it, both teams are going to have to deal with it. Whittingham knows his team will be able to handle anything, even if the wind kicks in at some point.
“Refs do a great job of keeping the balls dry and rotating them,” Whittingham said.
Tight end Harrison Handley knows he will need to play more physically against a team that gave up just three points last week if he is going to break free and make a catch.
“They’re a tough defense, and they got some big guys,” Handley said. “They know their assignments. Looking at this week we need to be fundamentally sound and make sure the balls we pass down field, the 50/50 balls, we come down with those.”
Defensive coordinator John Pease coached at Washington from 1978 to 1982, so even though things are certainly different now, he is excited to play there.
“Husky Stadium has some great memories for me, so I hope this is just one more,” Pease said.
Although Handley is aware of the type of environment they will be walking into at Husky Stadium, he believes that if the Utes remain focused, nothing will stand in their way.
“I’ve heard it’s a crazy stadium, but I think we’re up to the challenge,” Handley said. “[If] we go in with the mindset that it’s just us together, and nothing else outside is going to bother us and play as a team, we’ll hopefully come out with the win.”
In regards to his defense, Pease does not exactly have the answer as to why there have been no turnovers in recent weeks. His guys are working on the same things, the same techniques, and he makes no promises that they will for sure force a turnover in Seattle.
He believes if his team stays patient, eventually the turnovers will come.
“They can come in bunches. We may go another game with no turnovers, then they get six, four and four,” Pease said. “You got to have faith in what you’re doing, which we do. We’re coaching the right things — it’s going to show up, I have a lot of faith in that.”
The Utes are playing the role of underdogs yet again, as Washington is favored to win by a couple of points, despite holding a modest record of 4-4. But this is not going to affect how Utah comes out on Saturday.
“We’re able to stand toe-to-toe with anybody in the conference,” Whittingham said.
The College Football Playoff rankings came out earlier this week and Utah is sitting at No. 12. Whittingham is satisfied with the ranking, but it’s not where he wants them to be. The Utes are looking to use Saturday’s game as a boost for their résumé.
“It’s a starting point,” Whittingham said. “Got to take care of our business. Worry about what we can control and that’s trying to get a win against Washington.”
Game time is set for 4:30 p.m. PST.
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