The Washington Huskies will put their unbeaten 4-0 record on the line when they face No. 16 Stanford Cardinal in a highly-anticipated Pac-12 North showdown this coming Saturday. Washington’s offense has carried them through their opening four games but they will face their toughest test yet when they encounter the highly-physical Stanford defense.
In this clash of styles, who will emerge victorious? Read on for a complete preview of this game and while you’re at it check out our preview of the UCLA Bruins vs. Arizona State Sun Devils Pac-12 South game as well.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Stanford Cardinal vs. Washington Huskies Betting Preview
Where: Husky Stadium, Washington
When: Saturday, September 27, 2014, 4:15 PM ET
Line: Stanford Cardinal (-7.5) at Washington Huskies (+7.5) – view all NCAA Football lines
Betting on the Stanford Cardinal
Last week, the Stanford Cardinal bounced back from a disappointing 13-10 Week 2 loss to rivals University of Southern California, trouncing Army 35-0 last September 13.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]Quarterback Kevin Hogan was the star of the show for the Cardinal, completing 20-of-28 passes for 216 yards and four touchdowns as they totally dominated the hapless Black Knights.
A week after they struggled offensively against the Trojans, the Cardinal showed what they are fully capable of, outgaining Army 415 to 207 yards en route to their monster victory. Senior wide receiver Devon Cajuste was the beneficiary of Stanford’s free-flowing offense as he snagged a career-high three three touchdowns as he finished the game with 52 receiving yards.
In fact, the Cardinal had a huge 216-9 passing yard edge against the Black Knights once the dust settled. Much of the credit for that goes to the Stanford defense which for the third-straight game was once again spectacular.
For the second time in three games, the Cardinal defense was able to register a shutout. They have allowed just a total of 10 points in their first three assignments as they look to be in peak form ahead of their meeting with the Huskies.
Even Stanford’s rushing defense was on cue last Saturday as they limited an Army team, that rushed for 341 yards and seven touchdowns in their opener against Buffalo, to only 198 yards in this game.
That is crucial when tackling Washington this coming Saturday as the Huskies’ main source of offense this season has come from the running game. They are 24th in the nation in terms of rushing yards with a 258.3 average so far this season.
The Cardinal are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against the Huskies dating back to September 2003.
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Betting on the Washington Huskies
The Washington Huskies’ perfect season is still intact after they defeated Georgia State 45-14 on Saturday night but not before being given an almighty scare by a stubborn Panthers side.
In fact, a huge upset was in the offing as Georgia State raced out to a 14-0 advantage heading into halftime. The Huskies were just in total disarray as they were outgained by the unheralded Panthers 231-73 in the first half. Such was their dominance in the first half that Georgia State held possession for over 21 minutes during that time.
Fortunately for Washington, head coach Chris Petersen’s halftime adjustments worked wonders as they completely overwhelmed Georgia State in the second half, outscoring the Panthers 45-0 in the process solidifying their hold at the top of the Pac-12 standings.
Chris Petersen is the first Washington coach since Gil Dobie back in 1908 to begin his career with the Huskies with a 4-0 record. He can make it five in a row this Saturday.
They will need to be better, though, as they will face a Cardinal team that is allowing just 3.3 points per game this season which is the best in the entire nation. Much of the responsibility will fall to their sophomore quarterback Cyler Miles who, after a sluggish start, performed admirably against the Panthers, completing 19-of-27 passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns.
Miles has guided a Washington offense that is averaging an impressive 41.3 points per game this season.
Aside from Miles, Petersen will be pinning his hopes on his running attack which has been exemplary this early in the season. Running back Lavon Coleman has been a revelation for the Huskies in his first year with the team, leading Washington in the rushing yards department with 242 to his name through four games.
He, alongside RB Dwayne Washington (131 yards, 3 TDs) will spearhead the Huskies’ running attack as they will contend with a Cardinal defense that is 76th in the nation when it comes to opponent rushing yards with a 177.0 average.
The Huskies are an impressive 9-1 in their last 10 home games dating back to August of last season.
Writer’s Prediction
The Cardinal (-7.5) put an end to the Huskies’ perfect start.
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