The Guide to the Huskies Beating Alabama
By Nick Lee
Despite a lack of faith by the national sports media, the Washington Huskies do, in fact, have a chance against Alabama in the College Football Playoff.
The Washington Huskies will face the Alabama Crimson Tide on New Year’s Eve with a place in the National Championship Game at stake. The odds-makers do not give Washington much of a chance as the line is 14 points in Alabama’s favor.
The Huskies do have the pieces in place to upset the Crimson Tide. Here are four keys to a Huskies victory…
1. Score touchdowns in the first half
At first glance, that sounds silly. However, upon a closer look, the Huskies need to get it while the gettin’ is good. Alabama’s defense is outside the top-8 in scoring during the first half. Their scoring defense skyrockets to number one after halftime. The Huskies must score touchdowns, not field goals, in the red zone, especially when the window is slightly open in the first half.
Washington is 10th in red zone scoring percentage at 92.45%. Alabama allows a score (touchdown or field goal) 80% of the time, which is 40th. There’s a wisp of a draft coming from a cracked window here. Alabama’s defense is extremely stiff; they lead the nation by allowing just 1.2 offensive touchdowns a game. The Huskies must get in the end zone when they have a chance. That is most likely to occur in the first half. If the Huskies are down by more than one score at the half, it will be very hard to win this game.
2. “Stay on schedule”
If you watch, play or coach football, you will hear the phrase “stay on schedule” when speaking of a team’s offense. This means an offense needs to avoid 2nd and 3rd down and long. The Huskies must do everything they can to avoid “2nd and 10.” They need to turn 2nd and medium into 3rd and short. If they get into an “and long” down situation, the Tide will do what they do best, attack the quarterback.
In Washington’s loss to USC, the average 2nd down was “2nd and 9.” That limits your playbook. If you have to limit your playbook, odds are the opposing defense will answer what you throw out there. Alabama will certainly be up to the task.
The Huskies must turn “1st and 10” into “2nd and 6” or shorter. It will be tough, but the Huskies need to try their best to get some yardage with Myles Gaskin on the ground.
3. Win Field Position Battle
Nothing will doom Washington faster than Alabama having a short field. There is no shame in jockeying for position with punts. Punters JK Scott (Alabama) and Tristan Vizcaino (Washington) will play a big factor in how this game shakes out. With how both of these defenses play, there will be a flurry of punts.
The key for the Huskies will be to pin the Crimson Tide back inside their 25 consistently. The blueprint to beat Alabama seems to lie in the games they have played with Ole Miss the last 3 years (‘Bama is 1-2 in those games, winning this year’s contest by staging a furious comeback). Every time Alabama started inside their 25 yard line, they failed to score against Ole Miss this season. They scored a touchdown every time they started the drive in Ole Miss territory. Washington cannot afford to give the Tide any short fields.
4. Feed John Ross
John Ross has SEC-type speed. His athletic ability matches that of anything Alabama can throw out on defense. Ross has 19 touchdowns this year (17 receiving, 1 rushing, 1 kick return). In addition, he has amounted 1,588 all-purpose yards.
The Huskies need to give Ross the ball over and over. The goal should be 10 touches. Ross has gotten at least 10 touches three times this season and the Huskies are undefeated in those games. He has the vertical speed to take the top off of a top-tier defense like Alabama’s. Their pass defense is not as good as their stifling run defense. If the Huskies have a shot in this game, it will be through the air with Jake Browning connecting passes downfield with the likes of John Ross and Dante Pettis.
So You’re Saying There’s a Chance…
The Huskies absolutely can win this game. The battle will be most important when Washington’s offense is on the field. We know UW has a great defense. It will be what happens in the trenches when the Huskies have the ball that will decide whether or not Washington will be playing for a national championship.