The No. 6 Oregon Ducks host the No. 23 Washington Huskies on Saturday afternoon in what will be one of the most exciting college football games of the weekend, and potentially the season.
Washington is an elite passing team with a struggling secondary. Oregon has Heisman Trophy candidate Bo Nix and a solid but not perfect defensive unit.
So, it is very possible this game results in a high-octane shootout between Nix and Michael Penix, and Dan Lanning and Kalen DeBoer.
For Oregon to come away with a hard-fought victory, here are three keys:
Let Bo Cook
Washington became known for its elite secondary over the last half decade or so, but after losing Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon this offseason, the Huskies are struggling to defend the pass.
They are allowing 237.8 passing yards per game, which is 79th in the country among Football Bowl Subdivision programs.
For the Ducks, this means getting into the passing game early and often and letting Nix make things happen. Washington boats a top-25 run defense, so all the more reason to borrow from old friend Mike Leach and let it fly at Autzen Stadium.