Washington Football: 3 takeaways from Huskies statement win over BYU
By Matt Barry
Washington football made a statement last night with a 35-7 win over 20th ranked BYU. Matt Barry has three takeaways from the #11 Huskies win.
Washington football confirmed on Saturday night that they are a contender for a college football playoff spot after demolishing a good BYU team 35-7. The Huskies had never lost a non-conference home game under head coach Chris Petersen and that streak continues. Nothing but positive takeaways this week and here are three of them.
You can’t say enough about the defense
Saturday evening, the Huskies defense once again set the tone. The run defense was exceptional. Brigham Young was able to muster just 34 yards on 28 carries. Cougars quarterback Tanner Mangum completed 18 of 21 passes, but the BYU offense had only seven first downs. There were also four three-and-outs. UW was aggressive at the line of scrimmage and dominant for much of the game, after some trouble early with BYU’s jet sweeps.
Washington linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven was everywhere again on Saturday. There is no doubt Burr-Kirven will play on Sundays someday. He reminds me a little of Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuehly. The Ohio native was a bit undersized at Boston College but turned out to be a five-time Pro Bowler.
The secondary is also terrific and plays an aggressive style which makes it difficult for opponents to make plays downfield. Defensively, UW has what it takes to make a run through their schedule and win a PAC-12 title. With the offense coming along nicely, this Huskies team can win games in several different ways.