PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Justin Herbert makes Oregon’s offense fly, with 1,411 passing yards and 15 touchdowns on the season. But, for how good Herbert is, he’s yet to get a signature win against a top-tier defense. He did everything he could against Stanford earlier in the year, but the Ducks still came up short. This could be the last time the hometown legend gets a chance for a big-time win, and what better scenario than against hated rival Washington?
–DE Jalen Jelks had somewhat of a slow start after he burst onto the college football scene last year, but that can all change with a great performance against the Huskies. Jelks must put pressure on Washington quarterback Jake Browning, making him uncomfortable in the pocket and forcing him into bad throws. At the same time, Jelks must be a force against the run, containing Myles Gaskin and setting the edge. Doing both will prove to NFL scouts that Jelks is a legit prospect.
–WR Dillon Mitchell is Herbert’s sidekick. If Herbert is Oregon’s best offensive player, then Mitchell is arguably the most important. After a slow start to the season, Mitchell has been unstoppable his past two games, catching 21 passes for 344 yards and one score against two of the better pass defenses in the country.
–LB Troy Dye is Oregon’s most inspirational player, a leader who plays with his heart on his sleeve and wills his teammates to do better. Dye will be tasked with stopping RB Myles Gaskin, Washington’s record-setting running back, while also playing well in pass defense. While his stats will be needed, Dye’s most important role will be communication among the defense. It will be up to him to make sure the entire defense — particularly the secondary — is on the same page. The Ducks can’t afford breakdowns defensively if they want to win this game.
SERIES HISTORY: Washington leads Oregon 60-45-5. From 2004-15, Oregon won 12 in a row but then in 2016, the Huskies exacted revenge with a 70-21 victory in the first career start for Ducks QB Justin Herbert. Washington won 38-3 last season as QB Jake Browning threw for two scores and RB Myles Gaskin rushed for 123 yards and a score.
Quote to Note: “We also understand the importance of making sure that we attack practice and preparation with passion and not emotion. Because you have to make sure that at the end of the day, after that first series or so, some of that emotional stuff withers away, and you’re playing on your preparation and the passion you have for the game and your teammates.” — Oregon coach Mario Cristobal
