Autzen Stadium – Eugene, OR
Kickoff: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Line: Washington -7.5, Total: 68.5

Oregon will be looking to get back to .500 when the team hosts #5 Washington on Saturday.

The Huskies are off to an unbelievable start to this season, as the team has won five straight games and is currently in the College Football Playoff discussion. Washington hosted #15 Stanford last week and won 44-6 as a 3.5-point favorite. The Huskies were phenomenal on both sides of the ball in that one, as they racked up 424 yards of total offense and held the Cardinal to only 29 yards rushing. Oregon, meanwhile, has lost three straight games and the team’s defense has really been miserable lately. The Ducks have allowed 42.3 PPG over the past three contests and they will not get back into the win column until they do a better job of containing their opponents. One thing Oregon has going for it in this game is that the team is 10-3 SU and 8-5 ATS when hosting Washington since 1992 and 17-6 SU and 15-8 ATS overall in that time. The teams met in Washington last season and the Ducks came away with a 26-20 win as three-point road underdogs. One trend worth pointing out in this game is that Oregon is an impressive 42-19 ATS when facing a team averaging eight or more passing yards per attempt since 1992. The Ducks are also 26-13 ATS when facing teams that are allowing 17 points or less in that span.

Washington has proven it is one of the best teams in the nation and the team’s defense is something else. One guy that people should keep an eye out for in this one is LB Psalm Wooching (19 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 1 FF). Wooching was dominant against Stanford, as he finished the game with three sacks and a force fumble. The Huskies need him to get after the quarterback in this one as well, but he should have no problem doing so. LB Azeem Victor (42 tackles, 1 FF) should also make an impact in this game. Victor has racked up 21 tackles over the past two games and he is somebody that offenses need to be aware of every time he’s on the field. He makes plays all over the place and should make an impact in this one. Offensively, QB Jake Browning (1,114 yards, 17 TD, 2 INT) should pick apart this miserable Oregon secondary. Browning had three touchdowns and no picks against Stanford last game and that is actually a very good defense. It’d help Browning even more if the ground game could get going, and it certainly did against Stanford. RB Myles Gaskin (402 yards, 4 TD) had been struggling to start the year, but he erupted for 100 yards and two touchdowns on only 18 carries last week. Look for him to run wild on Saturday as well.

The Ducks are struggling right now and QB Dakota Prukop (1,173 yards, 8 TD, 2 INT) is playing for his job on Saturday. Prukop threw for only 132 yards with no touchdowns and an interception in last week’s loss to Washington State. If he does not start this game off well then look for head coach Mark Helfrich to waste no time replacing Prukop with freshman QB Justin Herbert. One way the Ducks can still find a way to put up points is by feeding RB Royce Freeman (463 yards, 7 TD) early and often in this game. Freeman carried the rock 19 times for 138 yards and three touchdowns in the loss to Washington State and the Ducks need to get him involved in this one. Washington’s rushing defense is very solid, but Freeman is a unique runner and should be able to find some holes on Saturday. Defensively, the Ducks need to make Jake Browning uncomfortable in the pocket. If they do not get any pressure on him in this game then Browning will surely pick them apart. They’d be better off doing everything they can to take away the passing game and allow Washington to try to win this one on the ground.