Washington Huskies: Game 2 vs. Arizona – injuries, weather, odds, and more
Ed Stein
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The 2020 season continues as the Washington Huskies host Arizona. Pacific Northwest Sports has all you need to know.
PNWS presents what you need to know to enjoy Game 2 of Washington Huskies 2020 football as they host the Arizona Wildcats. UW fans won’t be able to attend the game due to COVID-19 restrictions. Instead, the Huskies faithful will see their Purple Reign on television. We have you covered.
The Details
Who: Arizona Wildcats (0-1) at Washington Huskies (1-0)
Where: Husky Stadium – Seattle, Washington.
When: Saturday, November 21, 2020 – 5:00 p.m. PST.
TV: FS1. Announcers: Joe Davis, Mark Helfrich
Weather: Overcast skies with little to no wind and temperatures falling through the 40s as the evening sets in. (weather.com).
Line: Washington -11.5. Over/Under: 53.5 (Odds Shark).
Injuries: Washington: Questionable – QB Kevin Thompson (n/a), TE Devin Culp (n/a), LB Laiatu Latu (n/a), RB Sam Adams II (n/a). Arizona: Questionable – C Josh McCauley (knee), WR Dyelan Miller (n/a), WR Jamarye Joiner (n/a), G Donovan Laie (leg), RB Frank Brown Jr. (knee), S Isaiah Mays (n/a). Probable – WR Brian Casteel (n/a), WR Drew Dixon (n/a).
Interesting Trends: Washington is on a roll at Husky Stadium, going 19-2 in their last 21 home games. They have also won four of their last five games straight up. The total has gone under nine of UW’s last 12 games, including five straight and six of the last seven against PAC-12 teams.
Arizona is on an eight-game losing streak (all Pac-12 games) and only covered the spread twice. They are also 1-8 in their last nine road games.
Last Game
Washington 27 – Oregon State 21
The Washington Huskies beat Oregon State 27-21 at Husky Stadium in their season opener. There was a heavy dose on offense in the first 30 minutes as UW took a 24-21 lead into halftime. The second half bogged down with methodical drives that netted no results.
Washington scored the only three points of the second half when kicker Peyton Henry put the ball through the uprights with 1:45 remaining in the game. OSU tried to rally at the end but fell short. On fourth-and-five with 54 seconds on the clock, the ball went off a Beaver lineman’s helmet. Huskies defensive back Asa Turner pulled in the errant pass for an interception to clinch a victory.
USC 35 – Arizona 31
In their season opener last wee, Arizona lost a heart breaker to USC 34-30 as the Trojans scored the deciding touchdown with 1:10 remaining. That loss made it eight straight defeats, all in conference games, for the Wildcats. The streak began last year with a 51-27 loss in Tempe to Washington.
Wildcats sophomore quarterback Grant Gunnell completed 24-of-36 for 286 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Gunnell is also a threat to run; he gained 40 net yards against the Trojans.
Outlook
Earlier in the week, conditions were expected to be rainy. It looks like the precipitation may be light or even hold off during the game. On paper, this matchup favors the Huskies.
Offensively, the Washington Huskies feature a three-headed monster at running back, Kamari Pleasant, Richard Newton, and Sean McGrew. The trio rushed for 193 of Washington’s 267 ground yards against Oregon State. Meanwhile, Arizona yielded 5.4 yards-per-carry to USC.
UW running backs will find some nice holes, created by the hog mollies in front, to attack. A sustained ground game should take the pressure off redshirt freshman quarterback Dylan Morris as he continues his development as the Huskies number one quarterback.
On the other side, Arizona is staring into a buzzsaw. Last week Wildcats quarterback Grant Gunnell threw for 286 yards and three touchdowns. The sophomore will find out quickly that he can’t pick apart the Huskies tough secondary the same way. Additionally, if he sits in the pocket too long, UW has a pass rush that will make him pay for it.
The biggest task for Washington’s defense is to stop running back Gary Brightwell. Last week, the senior had 112 yards on 21 carries, including a big 34-yard run. If they can hold him early and force Arizona into unfavorable down and distance situations, this game becomes a blowout.
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Catch up with PNWS on Sunday when we present our biggest Washington Huskies takeaways from the game.