#15 Washington (4-1) @Stanford (2-3)

7:30 p.m.

Stanford Stadium, Palo Alto, CA.

Line: Washington -14.5

TV: ESPN Radio: KOMO 1000

The series: Washington leads 43-42-4

The Huskies go into a more humble Stanford Stadium today, after the Cardinal have been off to a rocky start in 2019. It hasn’t exactly been an easy schedule for David Shaw’s team, and the injury bug caught them early and hasn’t yet eased up.

Returning quarterback KJ Costello has had one issue after another; first sustaining a head injury and having to go through concussion protocol, and then a hand injury that will have him sidelined again tonight against the Huskies.

While back-up quarterback, Davis Mills may have had a decent game last weekend in which he threw for over 240 yards and three touchdowns, Washington’s defense is a little better than Oregon State’s. 

The Huskies are averaging 38.2 points per game on offense and only allowing 17.4 on defense, and to add to that the young Husky secondary has begun to find themselves and if senior leader Myles Bryant has the kind of game against the Tree that he had against USC, then it won’t be easy for Stanford to get much going in the passing game.

Mills will attempt to the pick the Huskies apart via tight end and easy target, Colby Parkinson, and the ground game hasn’t been too much to write home about this season, but Washington’s defense has to begin to tighten up against the run (something that hasn’t been consistent this season yet).

The Huskies have been at their best when they haven’t had to play past midnight — so this shouldn’t be an over-imposing task, but you never know what can happen on any given Saturday in October.

“I think the team’s growing, and I think this is going to be another really significant test”, Chris Petersen said this week about this Pac-12 road game, “Everything you guys are talking about; going down there, how tough it is to win, a tough program, a different style, all those things… I think they’ve grown — but as coaches you’re on edge because this is a different type of test. All of a sudden we’re on to different chapters and this is midterm…we’ll see how these guys do.”

Last meeting

Washington was coming off two Pac-12 losses last year when the Cardinal came to Husky Stadium (Oregon, Cal) and this game was a slug-fest right up until the end.

Myles Gaskin ran for 148 yards and a touchdown but the defense held Bryce Love to just 71 yards. KJ Costello had a much better game than Jake Browning, throwing for over 300 yards, but the Husky defense showed up strong down the stretch and the Huskies held Stanford off by a score of 27-23.

Washington would go on to win the North and the Pac-12 Championship and go to the Rose Bowl, while Stanford would finish with four losses and a trip to the Sun Bowl to get a win over Pitt.

Extra Points

* Through five games, UW has outscored opponents 77-3 in the first quarter.

* PK Peyton Henry enters the week as one of 21 FBS kickers who has made all of his field goal attempts this season.

*Washington has played 11 true freshmen this season: DL Jacob Bandes, PK Tim Horn, OLB Laiatu Latu, CB Trent McDuffie, WR Puka Nacua, DL Noa Ngalu, DL Sama Paama, DL Faatui Tuitele, LB Alphonzo Tuputala, DB Asa Turner and DB Cameron Williams.

* USC holds the lead in the series 52-29-4

* Washington has held opponents to 30 points or less in 42 straight games as of today.

Prediction

For the reasons above, Washington should be able to get their first win at the Farm since 2007 (yes, it’s been that long). This is not the same smash-mouth, physical, run the ball down your throat Stanford team we’ve seen during the Shaw era. But don’t be fooled into thinking this will be any walk in the park for the Huskies either. Washington will need to impose their will early as they did against BYU on the road two weeks ago, and then apply fierce pressure to Mills.  As said before, they need to take out the run and dare Mills to throw more — but at the end of the day, this should be another win for the Huskies.

Washington 38 Stanford 21