The Washington Huskies are looking to get their biggest win of the season down in Eugene, OR and keep their Pac-12 Championship Game hopes alive. This is the first-time all-season Washington is going into a game as the underdog and it will take a team effort, big plays, and execution in all three phases to come away with a win. Realdawg’s Kaila Olin breaks down how they can do just that and take control of the Pac-12 North.

Take Advantage of an Explosive Passing Offense

Oregon is one of the worst in all of FBS in terms of passing yards allowed per game, averaging 276.6 yards per game to go along with an average of 11 yards per completed pass allowed. Oregon has a team passing defense efficiency of No. 92 in the nation compared to being the 15^th best run defense in the country. That works out for Washington since the star of the offense is the passing game and the Huskies need to utilize that. The Huskies are the No. 1 passing offense in all of FBS in average yards per game and in total passing yards on the season. Washington needs to take advantage of their biggest strength versus where Oregon struggles the most and it will help pick up any slack from the defense.

Defense Needs to Pull Through on 3^rd Downs

The Huskies have repeatedly shot themselves in the foot, whether it was poor play calling, pick-sixes, or being burned on pass routes. The most recent we’ve seen of Washington allowing opposing teams to keep drives alive is automatic first down penalties after stopping a third and long play and/or allowing big plays that shouldn’t happen and giving opponents a fresh set of downs. When the defense gets into third and manageable situations, they need to pull through and be smart about making tackles, not committing penalties, and getting off of the field. The Ducks will gain momentum if they continue to convert third downs, and third down defense is a huge red flag for the Huskies as they are the 8^th worst in the entire country in third down conversion defense percentage. When Oregon has struggled in games such as against Georgia or WSU, the Ducks went 7-15 and 4-11. If the defense can figure out ways to force punts and pull through on third downs, the Huskies can get the dub.

Takeaway Oregon’s Run Game

Despite having Bo Nix under center, Oregon has a better run game than passing, led by Bucky Irving and Noah Whittington. The Ducks have the No. 11 rushing offense in all of FBS, averaging 231.2 rushing yards per game and is No. 6 in average yards per carry at 5.81 yards. Irving is the 4^th best running back in the country in terms of average yard per carry. The best rusher on the team in regard to rushing touchdowns, however, is QB Nix who is tied for 5^th in all of FBS out of every single person who has touched the ball this year with 13 rushing TD’s. If the Huskies can keep Bo Nix in the backfield and takeaway what has worked so well for the Ducks all season with running the ball whether in the red zone mid-field, Oregon will need to find different ways to get down the field and score.