College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Washington Huskies season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Washington Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 8-5 overall, 4-5 in Pac-12
Head Coach: Jimmy Lake, 1st year
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 40
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 27
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 23
No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Washington Huskies Offense 3 Things To Know
– The Washington offense was SO maddening. It had an NFL-caliber quarterback in Jacob Eason. It had a line full of NFL talents, and it had talented skill parts who knew what they were doing. The result was an inconsistent mish-mosh of performances for an attack that finished eighth in the Pac-12.
The Huskies scored 31 points or more seven times – and 45 or more in four of those games – but stalled out at odd times with fewer than 20 points in four games.
And now just four starters are back for new offensive coordinator John Donovan, who spend the last three years working with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
CFN in 60 Video: Washington Huskies Preview
– It all starts with replacing Eason. Jacob Sirmon is the big bomber who was last year’s No. 2 man, but he might be the exact right fit for what Donovan wants to do with the offense that’s going to push the ball deep. However, Ethan Garbers was a big get in the latest recruiting class, and Dylan Morris was a decent get last year.
Leading yardage receiver Hunter Bryant is gone, but Cade Otten is a nice fill-in at tight end after catching 32 passes for 344 yards and two scores. Leading wideout Aaron Fuller is done along with Andre Baccellia, but Terrell Bynum is a good veteran to start with, and there’s good size across the board – even if there’s little to no experience. Freshman Jalen McMillan has the talent to be an instant star.
– The O line center Nick Harris to the Cleveland Browns, doesn’t have Trey Adams around anymore, and has to find a new left tackle, but it’ll be fine. Jackson Kirkland and Luke Wattenberg are decent options in the interior, and the tackles are going to be MASSIVE. Outside of Wattenberg, the other starting four will likely average over 320 pounds per man.
Leading rusher Salvon Ahmed is done, but sophomore Richard Newton ran for ten scores and Sean McGrew is a decent backup. Watch out for Newton to become a breakout star,
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Washington Huskies Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: Washington Huskies Defense 3 Things To Know
– New head coach Jimmy Lake became a star as a defensive coach – serving as the UW defensive coordinator over the last few years – and Pete Kwiatkowski is still around after starting as part of the DC mix with the program since 2014. The defense is going to be really, really well coached.
It has the talent back, too, with nine of the top 12 tacklers back, and with a whole wave of underclassmen about to become really big deals – at least in terms of providing depth – for a D that finished third in the Pac-12 overall and 15th in the nation in scoring defense.
– The Huskies run a versatile style built around two big defensive tackles and adapting from there. Outside linebackers are hybrid types, there are usually five defensive backs, and everyone can hit. It starts on the inside with 288-pound Levi Onwuzurike and 298-pound Josiah Bronson – both seniors – as the anchors, and they’re the lightweights. There’s a whole lot of young bulk behind them.
Joe Tryon is technically an outside linebacker, but the 6-5, 262-pounder is really more of a pass rushing defensive end, as is 6-0, 280-pound Ryan Bowman on the other side. On the way, though, is freshman super-recruit Sav’ell Smalls – he was the big get who made the class. Overall, the pass rush could be better, and there need to be more tackles for loss, but they’re coming.
– Losing Kyler Manu and Brandon Wellington from the linebacking corps is the biggest hit, but sophomore Edefuan Ulofoshio rose up and rocked late in the season and is more than ready to take over one of the spots full-time.
The real stars are in the secondary that get back four starters, all revolving around peerless leader and star Elijah Molden, a great-hitting playmaker who led the team with 79 tackles and four picks. Myles Bryant is done, but ten of the 13 interceptions accounted for are returning.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top Washington Huskies Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top Washington Huskies Players
Best Washington Huskies Offensive Player
QB Jacob Sirmon, Soph.
It’s going to be a fight for the starting quarterback job and Sirmon is hardly a lock, but for now, the 6-5, 235-pound former big-time recruit is the one who survived a revolving door of prospects at the position – okay, so he had a cup of coffee in the transfer portal before returning – over the last few years.
He hasn’t seen any real work so far, but he’s a pure pro-style bomber who can step in right away and stretch the field. As long as he’s steady, and as long as he’s spreading the ball around to keep the chains moving, he’ll be doing his job.
2. RB Richard Newton, Soph.
3. TE Cade Otton, Jr.
4. OG Jaxson Kirkland, Jr.
5. PK Peyton Henry, Jr.
Best Washington Huskies Defensive Player
S Elijah Molden, Sr.
A special safety who should be in the NFL, he’s been an all-star over the last few years both on the field and in the classroom. A tremendous leader, the 5-10, 191-pounder led the team with 79 tackles with four interceptions and 13 broken up passes. Always a half-step ahead of everyone else, he’s the quarterback of the D.
2. DT Levi Onwuzurike, Sr.
3. LB Joe Tryon, Jr.
4. LB Ryan Bowman, Sr.
5. CB Kyler Gordon, Soph.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Washington Huskies Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: Washington Huskies Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The Washington Huskies Offense
Get things moving already on third downs. The offense ripped it up when it was able to convert in the big moments – the team scored 38 or more four times when it converted 50% or more of their tries. They also won all four games.
When they converted fewer than 40% of their chances? 4-5.
On the season, the offense was last in the Pac-12 converting 35.7% of the time – almost two percentage points worse than what Cal was able to do – after converting over 45% of the time in 2018.
There’s going to be a focus on a big passing attack and more big plays, but merely being consistent could be enough. Own third downs, control the tempo of games, and let the defense do the rest.
Biggest Key To The Washington Huskies Defense
Take the ball away. A lot. Overall, takeaways weren’t a problem – the Huskies finished 23rd in the nation in forced turnovers and third in the Pac-12 with 22. However, when those didn’t come, there were problems.
Washington came up with two fumble recoveries against Utah, and lost. However, the defense came up with three or more against Hawaii, BYU, USC, Arizona, Washington State, and in the bowl win over Boise State – and went 6-0 in those games.
Forget the FCS game against Eastern Washington, against Cal, Stanford, Oregon, and Colorado, Washington came up with a grand total of no takeaways – and went 0-4.
In 2018, the Huskies failed to generate a takeaways against Auburn in the opener, Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, and during the season against Cal – and went 0-3.
Going back to the middle of 2016 after a win over Utah, Washington is 0-10 against FBS teams when it doesn’t generate at least one takeaway.
Key Washington Huskies Player To A Successful Season
OT Nate Kalepo, RFr.
The Huskies have turned into a factory for top offensive linemen, and the 6-6, 342-pound redshirt freshman needs to – and should be – the next star up. The line loses two starters but should be good on the inside. Junior Henry Bainivalu should be a decent tackle on one side, and Kalepo has to lock it down on the other – most likely at left tackle.
Key Game To The Washington Huskies Season
Michigan, Sept. 5
The road game at Oregon on October 3rd is far more important overall, and dealing with Utah and USC on the road and Stanford at home will be a big deal, but the Jimmy Lake era will be rebuilt fast with a win over Michigan.
It’s a winnable home game over a brand name program. Among all the Pac-12’s other big non-conference games, this is a big deal for national attention. Beat the Wolverines, and the rebuilding job – at least offensively, might be instantly complete.
– Washington Huskies Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 Washington Fun Stats
– 1st Quarter Scoring: Washington 121 – Opponents 23
– 4th Down Conversions: Washington 23-of-32 (72%) – Opponents 14-of-23 (61%)
– Red Zone Scores: Washington 49-of-54 (91%) – Opponents 34-of-43 (79%)
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Washington Huskies Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: Washington Huskies Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
CFN in 60 Video: Washington Huskies Preview
This is a big year for the Washington program.
Chris Petersen was able to get it back up and rolling again – he got it into the College Football Playoff, a Rose Bowl, and won two Pac-12 championships, but now it’s Jimmy Lake’s plane to fly.
Overall, things are in place for Washington to be a perennial Pac-12 title contender, but 1) Petersen will go down as one of the greatest head coaches to not win a national title – the guy won almost 80% of his career games, ten ten-win campaigns in 14 seasons, and the one 7-6 run in 2015 was a relative disaster for him – and 2) Oregon is rising up into something potentially special.
Fortunately for the Huskies, the coaching staff appears to be terrific, the defense should be among the best in the Pac-12 and potentially the country, and there aren’t a ton of offensive concerns even with just four starters back.
Set The Washington Huskies Regular Season Win Total At … 8
Bet at BetMGM Win Total Line: 8.5
Michigan, at Oregon, at Utah, at Cal, at USC. Throw in the dates against Stanford and Washington State, and there are more than enough landmines to keep the schedule from being a breeze.
The showdown against Oregon is on the road, but there’s a week off for the Huskies to rest up and prepare, and the Ducks have to go to Colorado the week before.
Out of the five nasty games mentioned before, as long as UW wins two of them, it’ll be a good season with a good shot of getting to eight wins. Win three or more of them, and it should be a nine-win campaign and be in the mix for the Pac-12 title.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Schedule Analysis
