270 days ago these two teams met in Houston. At a combined 28-0 the Washington Huskies and Michigan Wolverines duked it out for the national championship. While Michigan took the trophy home that night, these are two very different teams, and this time it’s in Seattle.
Now with both teams looking very different, seasons are on the line at Husky Stadium. Here are the keys to the game tonight in Seattle.
Meet Them At The Line: If there is anything that has been the identity of Michigan football it is winning in the trenches. The Huskies learned last season that the offensive and defensive need to be on their A-game to beat the Wolverines.
The biggest battle in the trenches will likely be the Huskies O-Line vs the Michigan D-Line. The Wolverines have some huge names on the defensive front, and the Huskies are still waiting for the offensive line to play like the unit they can. Avoiding bad penalties while under-pressure will be a big part of the O-lines job today.
If they can make some room upfront then Jedd Fisch will be able to open up this offense and make things very uncomfortable for the Michigan defense.
Make Michigan Throw: While Michigan has a lot more turnover from last year than the Huskies, maybe the biggest difference in this team. compared to last season is their ability to throw the ball.
JJ McCarthy was far from the focal point of that offense, but he, along with his available weapons were able to make plays if they had to.
This year Michigan has the 5th lowest passing yards per game in the FBS and sits near the bottom of college football in almost every passing stat. This is for a reason. The Wolverines want to run the ball and they don’t want to let their QB’s (Alex Orji & Davis Warren) throw.
The Huskies defense need to get the ball in the air, because when Michigan does throw the ball they turn it over. Seven interceptions already this year is one of the worst marks in college football. With talent like Thaddeus Dixon and Jordan Shaw in the secondary the Huskies need to steal some possessions.
The Huskies will need to execute if they want to take down the #10 team in the nation, and winning the turnover battle is a big step in the right direction
Finish Drives: If we are just going by yards the Huskies are one of the best offenses in the country. But when we talk about points scored, Washington is not in that conversation.
Last week the Huskies out gained Rutgers by more than 200 yards, but it was the end product that went in favor of the Scarlet Knights. Will Rogers has been one of the better QB’s in college football this season, getting the ball to Giles Jackson and Denzel Boston and stretching the field on opponents.
While the passing offense has looked great so far, Michigan CB Will Johnson is one of the best players in the country and is definitely going to change the way you throw the ball.
When it gets to big moments in short yardage spots, it’s tie to get the ball to Jonah Coleman. Coleman has been a big time performer so far but could use some more RedZone work to get the ball into the end zone.
Crowd Energy: The last time the Huskies lost at Husky Stadium it was November of 2021. The home field advantage is real, and the Huskies will be needing it tonight.
Michigan has played some big time games this year, but none of those have been outside of Ann Arbor, the home crowd could come up big for the Huskies against an uneasy QB situation and a team that is feeling the pressure of outside expectations.
In a game that Vegas has as a 1.5 point difference both teams need every advantage they can get and the crowd should be a big one for the Huskies.
