At Autzen Stadium on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (NBC), No. 1 Oregon will play Washington.
Andy Yamashita (@ANYamashitaon X), a beat reporter for Washington for The Seattle Times, was contacted by The Oregonian/OregonLive to ask him five questions and receive a forecast.
How to watch live streaming: Fubo offers a free trial, so you may watch this matchup live for free. Sign up for Peacock Premium ($7.99/month) and gain access to NBC’s streaming service to watch Notre Dame, the Big Ten, and other top college football games this season if you don’t have cable and want to watch today’s game on the cheap. This game is also available on DirecTV Stream (free trial). If you already have the login credentials for your cable or satellite provider, you can watch the event live on NBC Live.
1) What prepares Demond Williams Jr. to start at night against the nation’s top squad, if he does?
Yamashita: The key question is that. It would seem obvious that Demond Williams Jr. would start at center if Washington weren’t playing Oregon this week. After fifth-year quarterback Will Rogers had two terrible second-half interceptions, he ran for 31 yards and passed for 67 yards and a touchdown against UCLA, his best effort of the season.
Given that Rogers has been in that position multiple times prior to playing for Mississippi State against some of the top SEC teams, it is reasonable to wonder if throwing Williams into the deep end against Oregon with a struggling offensive line is the best way to boost a young quarterback’s confidence. However, Williams is also not your typical true freshman quarterback. The Chandler, Arizona native has played significant snaps in every game this season thanks to coach Jedd Fisch, who frequently gives him two to three series in each half. Fisch has maintained that he would rather to give Williams these chances now rather than subject him to high-pressure situations for the first time as the expected starter next season, even though it occasionally damaged UW in pivotal moments. Williams has also been getting better with time. He has already played in noisy nighttime settings, having played the whole second half against No. 4 Penn State in the White Out game at Beaver Stadium.
2) How did UCLA and Penn State manage to contain Denzel Boston so effectively?
Yamashita: The Nittany Lions were able to reach the quarterbacks, to put it simply. Abdul Carter, an edge rusher for Penn State, spent the whole game in the backfield, and Washington’s offensive line has been a work in progress all season. Rogers and Williams had very little time to locate any receivers, much less Boston, because the Nittany Lions had five sacks and were applying pressure all the time.
Against UCLA, Boston caught two passes for 47 yards on four targets. Two of them were uncatchable: a pass that was deflected before it reached Boston and a deep ball that Rogers overthrew. A few times, the Bruins were able to successfully press him at the line of scrimmage, and they typically covered him with safety cover. But Boston also suffered from Washington’s emphasis on screens versus UCLA, as Boston never received a screen ball while fellow receivers Giles Jackson, Jeremiah Hunter, and tight end Keleki Latu all caught at least one.
Washington (6-5, 4-4) vs. No. 1 Oregon (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten)
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When:
Saturday, Nov. 30
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Time:
4:30 p.m. PT
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Where:
Autzen Stadium, Eugene
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TV channel:
NBC
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Stream:
You canwatch this matchup live for FREE with Fubo
(free trial). If you don t have cable and want to watch the game on the cheap,
sign up for Peacock Premium
($7.99/month) and get it on NBC s streaming service. You can also get this game
on DirecTV Stream
(free trial). You can also watch the event live on
NBC Live
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3) Does Washington need to have a strong day for Jonah Coleman to pull off an upset?
Yamashita: Very likely. Despite frequently having to make a couple defenders miss in the backfield before he even made it past the line of scrimmage, the junior running back has been Washington’s finest offensive player all season. For UW’s passing game, Coleman’s threat of legs is perhaps more significant than his actual yards. Fisch frequently uses play-action in his deep shots, and those plays are less successful when Coleman is being contained.
4) Given the last three games, is there reason for concern and how is UW’s defense performing so well against the pass?
Yamashita: Early in the season, UW’s pass defense was aided by defensive coordinator Steve Belichick’s extensive use of window dressing, especially in third-down passing scenarios. With just 160.5 yards allowed per game, Washington continues to rank fifth in the nation in terms of throw yards allowed. Their numbers were also inflated by an easy start to the season against teams like Michigan and Northwestern that had weak passing offenses. However, senior cornerback Thaddeus Dixon has been outstanding throughout the season, and veteran safeties Cameron Broussard, Makell Esteen, and Kamren Fabiculanan have also contributed.
Although Washington’s defense would prefer to play a pass-heavy offense over a run-first one given that UW defeated both of the Los Angeles schools, the team hasn’t played well in its last three games, giving up 220 yards or more against USC, Penn State, and UCLA. This season, UW has been largely dominated by teams with strong running games, such as Penn State, Iowa, and No. 10 Indiana. After Williams joined the game, the Huskies established a significant lead, and USC had greater offensive success in the second half when it began rushing the ball more. UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers threw the ball a season-high 44 times.
5) What is your score prediction and how do you envision it unfolding?
Yamashita: Fisch was 0-2 versus Lanning when at Arizona, and Washington will need to play its finest game of the season if it hopes to extend its winning streak against Oregon to four games. Given the quarterback doubts and Washington’s dismal road performances, it is likely that Oregon will win the rivalry at Autzen Stadium to maintain its undefeated season. Huskies 24, Ducks 35
–The Oregon Ducks and Big Ten are covered by James Crepea. Get the Ducks Roundup email or listen to the Ducks Confidential podcast.
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