The Washington Huskies pulled off a strong win against Arizona State on Saturday, winning 27-20. The Huskies played mistake-free football outside of an interception thrown by receiver Andre Baccelia. That was a broken play that Chris Petersen took full blame for, and shouldn’t be looked into too deeply.
The Huskies are gearing up for a dogfight this weekend, as 20th ranked BYU comes to town. This game could define the Huskies season, as a win should vault them back into the top 10, while a loss would effectively end their playoff hopes.
QB Jake Browning
15/22, 202 yards, 3 TDs
Browning played exactly the game the Huskies needed him to. He was efficient with his throws, didn’t take any ridiculous sacks or try to do too much with the ball, and it showed. The run game showed up, and Browning did exactly what he was supposed to, and showed up when he was needed most.
The touchdown pass he threw to Cade Otton late in the fourth quarter was perfect. He rolled out when the pocket started to break down, and instead of trying to do too much with his feet, found the hole in the defense and delivered the dagger.
RB Myles Gaskin
21 rush, 86 yards, 2 rec. 23 yards
Gaskin was definitely a key for the Sun Devil defense, as he was unable to get a lot going on the ground. He still played well but wasn’t able to take over the game like he normally does.
The run game was saved by Salvon Ahmed, who had 10 carries for 71 yards. Having Ahmed is a great change of pace for Gaskin, and the two of them showed why the run game is such a focal point for this team.
OT Kaleb McGary
Another strong performance from McGary, especially against the ASU front that loves to rush five whenever they can. The offensive line only allowed one sack for two yards, and Jake Browning was throwing from a clean pocket on almost every play. McGary has been impressive all year long, and his draft stock is shooting up.
DT Greg Gaines
7 tackles, 4 solo, 0.5 TFL
Gaines anchored the UW defense against the ASU offense that wanted to run the ball early and often to avoid throwing at the UW secondary. The Sun Devils ended up rushing the ball 40 times for 164 yards, and Gaines was crucial in holding down the middle.
LB Ben Burr-Kirven
20 tackles, 14 solo, 1 fumble rec.
BBK was insane once again, racking up the highest tackles by a Washington player since 1996. Burr-Kirven also was awarded Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week for the second straight week. Burr-Kirven’s draft stock is on the rise, as he’s showing off his range and tackling ability every week.
S Taylor Rapp
7 tackles, 3 solo
Rapp was himself on Saturday. He came down in the box and hit hard in the run game, and when he sat back to patrol the middle of the field, Manny Wilkins didn’t even consider throwing in Rapp’s direction. He’s the best safety in America, and every week he just proves it however he feels like doing it.