One of the most anticipated weekends of the college football calendar is fast approaching for Duck fans. After all, it’s Washington week, and though the annual tilt between the Ducks and Huskies never fails to deliver when it comes to stoking the flames between the respective fan bases, this year’s matchup has a distinctly different feel entering Saturday.
A major reason is the fact that both teams come into the game ranked in the top 25, which has shockingly only happened six times in the 111 meetings between the two schools. The last top 25 matchup between Oregon and Washington came in 2013, when no. 2 Oregon defeated no. 16 Washington, 45-24, in Seattle.
The other major reason, of course, has to do with what’s on the line for both teams in this rivalry matchup. For all intents and purposes, the winner of this game sits in an enviable position in the Pac-12 North division as the last half of the season unfolds; prime real estate that neither side wants to surrender to the other, particularly given the contemptuous relationship between the two programs.
With the air in Eugene thick with excitement and anticipation, WFOD takes a closer look at the most compelling questions for the Ducks as they prepare for Saturday’s contest.
How sharp are the Ducks coming off the bye?
If there’s anything to be gleaned from the first five games of the Mario Cristobal era at Oregon, it’s that this team has made a habit of performing like a well-prepared group. Specifically since conference play began, it has felt like we have seen a vastly different Oregon team compared to the one we saw during a non-conference slate that featured three bonafide sacrificial lambs. The game plan has undoubtedly been different the past few weeks, but this team generally seems to understand the importance of approach, focus, and execution week-in and week-out.
Against Stanford, with ESPN College GameDay on campus and the attention of the college football world centered on Eugene for the first time in literal years, the Ducks were razor sharp. For the better part of three quarters, Oregon performed as the clear cut better team before a truly wild series of events swung momentum to the Cardinal sideline for good, ultimately resulting in crushing defeat for the Ducks. With a bitter taste in their mouth traveling to Cal the following week for their Pac-12 road opener, the Ducks could have easily looked sluggish and mentally fatigued after enduring the emotional letdown of the week before. Instead, Oregon displayed impressive resolve against a hungry opponent, disposing of the Golden Bears rather comfortably thanks in large part to a scintillating first half that gave the Ducks a 28-10 advantage heading into halftime.
Now, with a full bye week under their belt to both rest and focus all of their attention on Washington, the question is, “Will Oregon carry over the momentum and the intensity they’ve shown a capacity for to Saturday’s game?” Given what we’ve seen thus far and given the caliber of opponent on deck, it feels foolish to bet against it.
Is this the week Herbert gets off schneid?
Justin Herbert has done just about everything you would expect from one of the very best quarterbacks in college football today – except for leading his team to a signature win. Since earning his first start in a forgettable 70-21 loss to the Huskies inside Autzen Stadium two years ago, notching a win over a marquee opponent has eluded both Herbert and the Ducks. Certainly injury has had a notable part in that, as Herbert missed five games last season nursing a broken collarbone – five games that included opportunities against the class of the conference in Washington State, Stanford, and Washington. To his credit, Herbert looked like a total winner against the Cardinal three weeks ago, completing 25-of-28 passes for 331 yards and one touchdown in regulation, proving that he’s plenty capable of delivering on the big stage. Can he and the Ducks finally get over the hump against a more talented and arguably more motivated opponent in Washington, or is the monkey on he and the team’s back heavier than it appears?
How good is Washington’s Jake Browning?
On the surface it may seem like a preposterous thing to ask about a player who is the all-time leading passer at Washington in terms of yards (10,612) and touchdowns (87). However, a closer look at Jake Browning’s performances over the past two seasons (including this one) and against opponents ranked in the top 25 at the time of kickoff over the course of his career, at the very least, raises a curious eyebrow.
Since his outstanding sophomore season in which Browning completed over 60 percent of his passes (62.1) for 3,430 yards and an incredible 43 touchdowns, Browning took a notable step back as a junior, completing a higher percentage of his passes (68.5), but for less yards (2,719) and far less touchdowns (19). This season, while he’s currently on pace to modestly eclipse his junior year completion percentage and passing yard totals, he’s also on pace to throw for 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, which nearly match the numbers he posted as true freshman in 2015 (16 touchdowns, 10 interceptions)
When examining his career performances against competition ranked in the top 25 at the time of kickoff, Browning’s numbers are arguably even more suspect. In 14 career games against top 25 opponents (including five games against top 10 teams), Browning has an 8-6 record as a starter, completing 61.6 percent of his passes for 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions – numbers that suggest Browning is more or less pedestrian against the toughest competition on Washington’s schedule in any given year. In fairness to Browning, the senior has been playing some of his best football of the season over the past three games, completing 76.1 percent of his passes for 744 yards, five touchdowns and only one interception, but Saturday afternoon inside Autzen Stadium in front of a raucous crowd will be a different challenge entirely. Washington’s defense is good enough to carry the Huskies in this game, but an average to below average effort from Browning significantly reduces their chances at victory in what may be the most difficult true road test of his career.