#14 Washington (1-0) vs. California (1-0)
Saturday, September 7th @ 7:30 p.m. PST
Husky Stadium (Seattle, Washington)
Line: Washington -13.5
TV: FS1
Radio: KOMO AM-1000/FM-97.7
The Washington Huskies will face off against the California Golden Bears at Husky Stadium for their Pac-12 conference opener.
During the game last week, the Huskies got off to a great start with a convincing 47-14 victory of Eastern Washington.
This week, the Huskies will face a stiffer test against the Bears in a game where they will be seeking revenge.
Last season, Cal beat the Huskies 12-10 down in Berkeley in a game that saw Washington head coach Chris Petersen bench his starting quarterback Jake Browning.
“You have to have patience and you have to earn it” Petersen said about Cal this week.
Cal senior inside linebacker Evan Weaver provided some bulletin board material for the Huskies this week, with predicting a Bears victory.
Defensively, the Bears boast arguably the most talented secondary in the conference and will be looking to shut down Husky quarterback Jacob Eason.
Offensively, the Huskies were clicking on all cylinders last week as they amassed 570 yards of total offense spearheaded by Eason.
Something has to give in this contest between the stingy Bears defense and the new version of the Huskies offense.
KEY PLAYERS: WASHINGTON
QB – Jacob Eason
The transfer from Georgia had an amazing first week debut while breaking the school record for quarterback debuts. He finished the game 27 for 36, 349 yards and 4 TD’s.
DB – Myles Bryant
Heart and soul leader of the defense, Bryant finished the season opener with a team high 8 tackles on the day. 7 of those tackles were solo. The newly converted safety is poised for a big season.
OL – Trey Adams
Returning for his 5th season with the Huskies, the star left tackle was just named to the second team AP Preseason All-America team. Adams is the Huskies most experienced lineman at LT and tasked with protecting Eason all season.
KEY PLAYERS: CALIFORNIA
QB – Chase Garbers
Sophomore Chase Garbers is a talented quarterback who can beat you with his strong arm or with extending plays with his legs. Last week, Garber was 16 for 28, 238 yards, 2 TD’s and 1 interception.
Sophomore Christopher Brown Jr. is a powerful downhill runner who is extremely physical and tough the tackle. During the season opener, he had a monster game with 36 carries for 197 yards and 1 TD.
ILB – Evan Weaver
The outspoken senior is the vocal leader for the bears and a very skilled linebacker. Weaver is a very instinctual player and is always swarming around the football. Against UC Davis he recorded 11 tackles for the game.
ESPN MATCHUP PREDICTOR
GAME NOTES
– The UW has won 15 consecutive home games, the fourth-longest such active streak in FBS.
– The Huskies hold a 54-40-4 record in the 98-game, all-time series, which began in 1904. Washington has won nine of the last 12 after Cal had won five in a row (2002-2006).
– UW’s defense has led the Pac-12 in both scoring defense and total defense each of the last four years
– Cal’s last win at Husky Stadium came in 2015, when the Bears won, 30-24. It was the first victory for Cal in Seattle since 2005.
– Cal opened the season with seven explosive plays of 20+ yards vs. UC Davis. That was more than the Bears had in all but one game during the 2018 season (Oregon State, 8).
– Cal is 11-4 in their past 15 Pac-12 openers away from California Memorial Stadium, including five straight wins.
PREDICTIONS
This week we have a dear friend and special guest of DubLife joining us for our weekly game predictions. Tysen Allumbaugh is the host of the popular Husky podcast show “Dawg Thoughts” which is a Husky Football conversation of everything going on with the Dawgs.
Tysen Allumbaugh (0-0)
It’s been repeated ad nauseam but it’s the truth… The 2019 season starts Saturday against Cal at Husky Stadium. We don’t need to rehash last year… On second thought, yes, we actually do. The 12-10 loss was so awful (dawg fans will likely talk about it for the next two decades) its the reason Saturday’s matchup so compelling. Oh yeah… And Evan Weaver. Keep your eye on inside linebackers Weaver (No. 89) and Kuony Deng (No. 8) who measure in at 6’3 & 6’6, which has to be the tallest in college football (they’re both good too). Anyways, I like the Huskies. I think 10 early points by the Dawgs puts Cal on their heels and forces Garbers and their offense into some mistakes. Go Dawgs!
Washington 31 – California 14
Jeff Wright (1-0)
This game has been circled on the Huskies calendar for a full season now. After the crushing 12-10 defeat at Berkeley last season, it was a gut-check and introspection time for the entire team. With controversial comments about “culture” and also predicting victory against the Huskies from Evan Weaver this past week, make no mistake..the Huskies want this game. Last week the Huskies showed off their full potential on offense and provided a glimpse of a Jacob Eason ran offense. The Bears have a very talented secondary and guys who can make plays on the back end but they haven’t faced a quarterback with an arm like Eason. Defensively, the Huskies had some learning moments last week with some young players getting their “feet wet” with college football. They say the biggest improvement for any team during the season is from week one to week two. I fully expect the Huskies to have cleaned up their mistakes on defense from week one. With relentless pressure on Garbers the entire game and a breakout game from junior running back Salvon Ahmed, I see the Huskies starting to separate in this one towards the end of the 3rd quarter and winning comfortably down the stretch. The Huskies get their revenge!
