Breaking Down How No. 18 Utah and No. 5 Washington Match Up

The No. 18 Utes travel to Seattle for their week 10 slate against No. 5 Washington in what will be a must-win game for both sides.

After a whopping 55-3 win over ASU, the 7-2 Utes take their Pac-12 championship dreams into hostile territory to face Heisman favorite Michael Penix and his undefeated Huskies. 

Up to this point in the season the Utes have overcome plenty of obstacles to keep themselves in the Pac-12 championship conversation but this matchup seems on paper to be lopsided. However, when Utah was in the same position last year, they defied all the odds and will be looking to do so again. Analyzing how these teams matchup position by position, will help better understand how this matchup could potentially play out. 

Quarterback

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The QB matchup is one of two different stories. On one side, you have a Heisman favorite, Michael Penix, who's thrown for over 3,200 yards and 26 touchdowns with only 7 interceptions while balling against the likes of Oregon and Arizona. On the other side, you have a pig farmer, Bryson Barnes, who's thrown for 930 yards and 8 touchdowns with 5 interceptions and was just awarded a scholarship during the season. Although Penix is better and is planning on staying in CFP contention, it doesn't necessarily mean the Utes are to be taken lightly. Coming off of a much-needed victory against ASU and with championship hopes still alive, this is prime time for Utah to pull off some magic and shock the sports world.

Running Backs

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The Huskie's Dillon Johnson has run for 686 yards and crossed the pylon 10 times this season while Utah's Ja'Quinden Jackson has 598 yards and 2 touchdowns during the campaign. Going into the game questionable with an ankle injury, the Utes may turn to a running back committee once more consisting of Jaylon Glover, Sione Vaki, and Nate Johnson. However, the running game may come down to which O-line can stop the opposing side's defense first, and while Washington has the better running back, the Utes may hold a strategy advantage with a flurry of different runners. 

Wide Receivers

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Washington has a clear advantage when it comes to receivers. Now, it helps to have a future Heisman winner throwing the ball but it's the receivers that make the plays and that's exactly what the duo of Odunze and Polk have done. On the season, Rome Odunze has 989 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns while Ja'lynn Polk has 888 yards and 8 touchdowns. Compared to the Utes receiving corps of Devaughn Vele (337 yards and 2 touchdowns) and Money Parks (244 yards and 2 touchdowns) Utah's defense will have their work cut out if they plan on stopping the Huskies duo.

Offensive Line

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A good offensive line usually equates to a good offense and that is exactly what Washington has. The Huskies rank second in total yards per game averages with 509.1 trailing only Oregon in the Pac-12. On the contrary, the Utes rank second to last in the Pac-12 in the same category with a measly 352.1 yards per game, only surpassing ASU. Despite Utah's next-level defense, the Washington O-line has proven strong against Oregon's stout defense while the Ute's O-line failed to put up much of a fight against that same defense two weeks ago. However, if HC Kyle Whittingham and DC Morgan Scalley can find a weakness in the Husky line and exploit it, the tides may turn in favor of Utah for the most crucial game of the year.

Defense

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The Utes came into this season with the arguably best defense the program has ever fielded and they have not disappointed. Going into week 10, Utah statistically has the best defense in the Pac-12 allowing a staggering 15.9 points per game in what is considered by many to be the best power-five conference. Washington comes into this game with the 6th best defense in the conference allowing 23 points per game and while normally that wouldn't lead to an undefeated record, their high-powered offense propels them to victory. However, there is no debate that the Utah unit has the better defense and very well may be the critical difference between devastation or elation for the Utah faithful.