PNWS presents what you need to know to enjoy Game 9 of the Washington Huskies 2021 football season. This week, UW hosts Pac-12 North Divison rival Oregon. We have you covered with all the tidbits you need to know.
Who: Oregon Ducks (7-1, 4-1 Pac-12) at Washington Huskies (4-4 overall, 3-2).
Where: Husky Stadium – Seattle, WA.
When: Saturday, November 6, 2021 – 4:30 p.m. PDT.
TV: ABC. Announcers: Mark Jones, Robert Griffin III, and Quint Kessenich.
Weather: Autumn in Seattle. The game time forecast calls for rain showers, light winds, and temperatures in the mid to lower 40’s (weather.com).
Line: Washington +7. Over/Under: 48.5 (Odds Shark).
Out – LB Ryan Bowman (shoulder), OT Jaxson Kirkland (undisclosed), WR Ja’Lynn Polk (chest), RB Richard Newton (knee), LB Eddie Ulofoshio (arm), DL Sam Taimani (undisclosed), TE Quentin Moore (undisclosed), DB Cameron Williams (undisclosed). Questionable – S Alex Cook (concussion).
Out – ILB Dru Mathis, TE Cam McCormick, S Bennett Williams, RB CJ Verdell, S JJ Greenfield, LB Jonathan Flowe, ILB Jackson LaDuke. Questionable – TE Patrick Herbert (knee), S Jordan Happle (hand), RB Sean Dollars (knee), OL Jackson Powers-Johnson (ankle).
Washington has two wins in a row and is 4-2 in their last six. Although they have been better recently, the Huskies still struggle against Oregon. When facing the Ducks, UW has only a pair of wins in the last 16 meetings.
They also have a tough time beating the spread. Against the number, Washington is:
The Oregon Ducks are a machine in 2021, winning 7 of their 8 games and scoring at least 24 points in each. Over the last three seasons, they are 16-4 against the Pac-12. One thing they haven’t done recently is cover, with a 1-5 record in the last 6 against the spread.
The Washington Huskies are on a modest two-game winning streak. They played themselves back into contention for a Pac-12 North title. Saturday, they face the division leaders and fourth-ranked in College Football Playoff Poll, Oregon.
Losing two of their best linebackers, Bowman and Ulofoshio, puts UW at a further disadvantage than they already were against Oregon’s powerhouse offense. With the quality of the Huskies’ defensive backs, Washington should see a heavy dose of the run early. Between running backs Travis Dye and Byron Cardwell and quarterback Anthony Brown, the Ducks can pick up big yards on the ground in a hurry.
It will be up to Huskies QB Dylan Morris to control the clock. That won’t be easy against the Pac-12’s third-best rushing defense. He’ll need to find a way to exploit Oregon’s weaker secondary and get the ball to playmakers Terrell Bynum and Rome Odunze before the pass rush gets to him.
With the way the Washington Huskies have played this year, plus the devastating injuries, the streak ends against a superior opponent. Oregon wins 31-20.
Catch up with PNWS on Saturday when we present our biggest takeaways from the game.