Two storied west coast programs will do battle in the Bay Area tonight, and it should be one of the better early bowl season match-ups to boot.
The Huskies opened as a three point favorite and have since been bet up to 3.5. They had a lackluster finish to their regular season and are dealing with the departure of Steve Sarkisian as he leaves for USC. Former Boise lead man Chris Peterson is poised to come in, but it leaves the team in a bit of limbo heading into this one.
Washington features an extremely balanced offensive attack that hinges upon Bishop Sankey and a consistent run game. While Keith Price is a talented player, the passing game has lacked the same consistency this season as it had one year ago, a reflection of what was a brutal schedule in quality of defensive opponents to some extent.
The Huskies recovered rather nicely following tough losses to Stanford and Oregon. Had the final moments of their game in Palo Alto played out differently, perhaps their final bowl destination would have proven to be more exciting than what they are left with. Still, they navigated through Pac-12 waters en route to yet another bowl appearance under Sarkisian.
Washington has a veteran roster and will probably be motivated to go out on top, but this is not the best situation for them given the coaching change and the match-up they are faced with here. BYU will be hyped to play in this game and against this opponent, and they have a very good bowl history under current coach Bronco Mendenhall.
The Cougars rank 11 nationally against the run. They neutralized match-ups with the likes of Boise and Wisconsin via a stout defensive front and will look to do the same here. BYU was hampered when having to face with elite passing teams (check the Houston box score).
BYU can limit Sankey’s effectiveness, but dealing with the aforementioned Price won’t be easy. Washington has five different players who hauled in 25 receptions or more this year, and features a tight end in Austin Seferian-Jenkins who is a beast in the red zone. He had seven touchdowns this season and, at 6’6, 250lbs, is not easily defended.
I’d look for Price to have a good game and likely have opportunities downfield. It will be up to the Cougar offense to match his productivity, and that is where this game will likely be determined. Taysom Hill had an up and down season after beginning it with a decent amount of hype. He did not play all that well on the road or in spots against top defensive units, namely Wisconsin and Notre Dame. Red zone efficiency was a major area of concern, and it should be paramount again here.
But Hill is an explosive runner and good athlete who can make plays happen on the run. He’s a talented kid who can likely stand toe to toe with Price in many areas. Washington’s defense, however, will be a good measuring stick for him in terms of how far along he has come this year. The Huskies are 16 nationally in defensive strength of schedule to date. They have faced a flurry of teams with more explosiveness and consistency than BYU.
The Cougars have won six out of their last seven bowls and take these opportunities quite seriously. Washington will be working under the direction of player and fan favorite Marques Tuiasosopo as he takes the tag of interim head coach. The associate head coach by title, Tuiasosopo has an excellent chance at one day being in line for a marquee job. But he has no prior head coaching experience and it’s tough to gauge how his team will respond here.
The public is backing the favorite. This should be a great game and hopefully a classic which goes down to the wire for viewers. BYU should have what it takes to hang in and roll with the punches given their defensive prowess and bowl history.
BYU +4
