Washington Huskies: Scouting September 25 opponent California
Next up for the Washington Huskies is their 2021 Pac-12 opener against California. Here is a look at this week’s opponent.
The Washington Huskies take on the Cal this week to start their Pac-12 schedule. It’s an early evening affair beginning at 6:30 pm CDT. Last year Washington was supposed to play the Golden Bears, but several players on California had COVID-19, so the game was canceled.
Cal in 2021
This season, the Golden Bears lost their first two games; however, they were close affairs, unlike the Huskies’ two losses. In their opener, Nevada beat them at home 22-17. That game was followed by a narrow defeat on the road at TCU 34-32. California won its first game last Saturday 42-30 over Sacramento State.
In the loss to Nevada and the win against Sacramento State, Cal found some success mixing up run and pass plays. Against Nevada, they ran 153 yards and threw for 177. Last week the Golden Bears had over 200 yards in both the ground game and aerial attack.
Chase Garbers, Cal’s starting quarterback, is off to a nice start. He’s completed 63-of-99 attempts for 774 yards, and five touchdown passes with two picks. His number one target is Trevon Clark. The Golden Bears are fourth in the Pac-12 with 532 rushing yards led by Damien Moore (44 carries, 244 yards, 5 TDs).
California’s head coach Justin Wilcox, a former Husky assistant, is more concerned about his defense than his offense. Wilcox is disappointed with how poorly his defensive backs play in man-to-man. That is something for Huskies quarterback Dylan Morris and his receivers to exploit.
Recent history
The last two times these teams met, Cal upset the Huskies on last-minute scores. On September 7, 2019, Washington dropped a 20-19 decision at Husky Stadium. The previous year, California won 12-10 in Berkeley. This time around, the Washington Huskies are looking for some payback.
What to watch for
Look for Washington to come out passing the ball early against the struggling Golden Bears secondary. Wideouts Terrell Bynum and Jalen McMillan will look to maximize their advantage. If they double Husky receivers, tight end Cade Otton will have a big day. Morris has two interceptions this year; he has to do a better job keeping the football.
On the other side, California is likely to run first to suck up the Huskies’ defense and open up the pass. It won’t be a big surprise if this battle between Pac-12 North rivals is another close encounter. The team that wins the turnover battle will win the game.
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Go Dawgs!!