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Pac-12 football continues to impress this fall, headlined by No. 5 Washington. The Huskies are one of the most prolific offenses in the country and one of just seven remaining undefeated teams in the FBS.
Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. leads the Heisman Trophy odds ahead of Week 11. His 3,201 passing yards are by far the most in the country; the gap from him to USC’s Caleb Williams in second is slightly bigger than the gap from Williams to Georgia’s Carson Beck in ninth.
Though Penix Jr.’s regularly racking up yards and touchdowns with ease, last week’s 52-42 win over USC saw the Huskies’ rushing attack take center stage. Running back Dillon Johnson set career-highs with 256 yards and four touchdowns.
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“It was a special game, man,” Johnson said post-game. “We just wanted to be the most physical team. The last two weeks, we haven’t played up to our standards.”
Their standards are putting up more than 40 points per game and winning by double digits. Last week’s win marked the first time the Huskies did both since their 59-32 win over Cal on Sep. 23. The victory over USC was dominant enough that the Trojans fired defensive coordinator Alex Grinch.
This week, Washington (9-0, 6-0 Pac-12) hosts one of the toughest teams remaining on its schedule: No. 14 Utah (7-2, 4-2). The Utes dominated Arizona State last week 55-3 for the best performance in all phases of the game. Quarterback Bryson Barnes set a career-high with four touchdowns in the win to rebound from a blowout loss to the Oregon Ducks (8-1, 5-1).
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“You don’t want to let a team beat you twice,” Barnes said. “We had to regain our energy and get over that loss, no matter how bad it was.”
The two teams first met in 1931 but have only played another 13 games since then. The series is lopsided in Washington’s favor as the Huskies are 12-2 against the Utes. Washington and Utah haven’t played since 2020 when the Huskies notched a comeback win 24-21 in Seattle.
The Huskies host the Utes once again Saturday at Husky Stadium. Washington needs to keep pace at the top of the rankings to ensure a playoff spot. Utah’s looking to build on the momentum from last week and hand the Huskies their first loss this season.
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Payton Shanks writes, “Washington’s offense should prove to be too much for Utah to handle, and the Utes simply don’t have an offense that will be able to keep up.”
David Fletcher writes, “Washington has only covered the spread once in their last four outings, which was against one of the worst defenses in the country. Utah is far from a struggling defense, which sets up the Huskies for another close outing.”
ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) has the Huskies second in the Pac-12 at a 17.3 rating compared to the Utes in fifth at 12.9. That difference and Washington playing at home push the analytics to the Huskies’ favor.
James Parks says, “Utah can adequately rush the passer, throw Penix out of rhythm on some of his throws, and it plays some of the better secondary coverage in the conference. But eventually the dam breaks.”
Staff writes, “In seven of nine games this season, the Huskies and their opponents have gone over 50 points.”
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When: Saturday, Nov. 11, 3:30 p.m. ET
Where: Husky Stadium, Seattle, Washington
Cable TV: FOX
Streaming: Fox Sports app; FuboTV
How to watch:Catch the latest football action on Fubo
The Huskies arefavorites to make it 10 wins in a row Saturday over the Utes, according to theBetMGM college football odds. Looking to wager? Check out thebest mobile sports betting apps offering betting promos in 2023.
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