Michigan football opponent preview: Washington Huskies

Trent Knoop | 2 Hours Ago

Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham looks to tackle Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. during the second half of U-M's 34-13 win in the College Football Playoff national championship game in Houston on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. / Melanie Maxwell / USA TODAY NETWORK

In a rematch of the National Championship Game last season, the Michigan Wolverines will head West to take on Washington. The Huskies, who are 3-2, are hoping to get their first signature win since coming over to the Big Ten Conference. Washington has lost to both rival Washington State and to Big Ten foe Rutgers. The chance of knocking off No. 10 ranked Michigan is something Jedd Fisch and the Huskies are salivating for -- especially after Washington lost to Michigan for the national championship.

Of course, both of these rosters are entirely different since last year. Washington not only lost its starting quarterback, running back, and star receivers, but the Huskies lost coach Kalen Deboer to Alabama. While Fisch is a solid replacement, losing an all-star coach like that isn't easy -- ask Michigan. The Wolverines lost Jim Harbaugh to the NFL and while Sherrone Moore is 4-1, there are already fans in the Michigan fanbase wishing they had Harbaugh for another year.

The maize and blue enter the game as underdogs heading out to Washington. The Huskies are having a Purple Out for their fans and the stadium should be rocking for an NBC-aired game. Here are some stats to compare before kickoff and some Washington players that Michigan fans should keep an eye on.

2024 stat comparison:

Scoring offense:
Michigan - 24.8 PPG (92nd)
Washington - 25.2 PPG (89th)

Scoring defense:
Michigan - 21.4 PPG (51st)
Washington - 12.4 PPG (10th)

Passing offense:
Michigan - 115.4 YPG (130th)
Washington - 296.2 YPG (24th)

Passing defense:
Michigan - 248.8 YPG (103rd)
Washington - 128 YPG (6th)

Rushing offense:
Michigan - 194.8 YPG (34th)
Washington - 173.2 YPG (61st)

Rushing defense:
Michigan - 68.8 YPG (6th)
Washington - 121.8 YPG (51st)

Total offense:
Michigan - 310.2 YPG (116th)
Washington - 469.4 YPG (21st)

Total defense:
Michigan - 317.6 YPG (43rd)
Washington - 249.8 YPG (10th)

Turnovers:
Michigan - 10
Washington - 2

Turnovers gained:
Michigan - 7
Washington - 4

Sacks Allowed:
Michigan - 7
Washington - 7

Sacks:
Michigan - 13
Washington - 12

2024 PFF comparison:

Overall grade:
Michigan - 91.6 (20th)
Washington - 92.4 (17th)

Offense:
Michigan - 75.3 (57th)
Washington - 83.8 (13th)

Passing:
Michigan - 69.4 (76th)
Washington - 84.3 (23rd)

Pass block:
Michigan - 58.0 (110th)
Washington - 74.6 (41st)

Running:
Michigan - 83.6 (24th)
Washington - 83.1 (27th)

Run block:
Michigan - 70.2 (32nd)
Washington - 62.8 (68th)

Defense:
Michigan - 90.4 (14th)
Washington - 85.2 (31st)

Run defense:
Michigan - 87.2 (23rd)
Washington - 85.4 (29th)

Pass rush:
Michigan - 86.3 (1st)
Washington - 70.1 (56th)

Coverage:
Michigan - 89.4 (23rd)
Washington - 89.6 (21st)

Top Washington players to know:

QB Will Rogers: Rogers, who broke several passing records at Mississippi State over his career, has been very good for Washington and Jedd Fisch. Rogers has thrown for 1,354 yards and 10 touchdowns while throwing zero interceptions through five games. Rogers isn't a quarterback who is phased from being pressured, as his completion percentage doesn't drop much, but Michigan will want to get as much pressure on him as it can on Saturday.

QB Demond Williams Jr. - Williams Jr. is a true freshman quarterback the Huskies like playing. He is an athletic quarterback who Washington primarily uses in the run game. He has thrown 15 total passes this season and he's run it 14 times. Williams Jr. has one touchdown.

RB Jonah Coleman: Fisch brought Coleman along with him from Arizona and as much as Washington likes throwing the football, Coleman has been great on the ground. He has 521 yards and four scores through five games and he has similar stature as Blake Corum -- a tad bigger. Michigan needs to make Washington as one-dimensional as possible by taking Coleman or the pass out of the equation.

WR Denzel Boston: Boston has been Rogers' favorite target this season. He leads the team with 412 yards on 30 receptions and he has seven touchdowns to his name. It feels likely that Will Johnson will be covering Boston for a lot of the football game.

WR Giles Jackson: Hello, old friend. Yes, that same Giles Jackson who played at Michigan is still playing in college football. For as good as Boston has been, Jackson makes a strong argument for being just as effective. He has 34 catches for 401 yards and one score through five games.

LB Carson Bruener: Bruener is the heart and soul of the Washington defense. He plays right in the middle and if Michigan attacks the middle of the field, it's likely the Wolverines will meet him. He leads the Huskies with 30 tackles.

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