The Washington Huskies and Texas Longhorns are set to battle for a spot in the national championship. For Texas, the most sure path there is straightforward: stop the Washington passing attack.
Accomplishing that feat is easier said than done. Doing so might involve allowing more space in the running game than Texas is accustomed to yielding to its opponents.
The Washington passing attack stands as the best in the country. The Huskies average 343.8 passing yards per game. The team ranks No. 8 nationally in yards per attempt.
In some ways, the conference that the Huskies play in might have something to do with Washington’s high level of passing production. The No. 2 and 3 passing attacks in yards per game nationally are Oregon (342.8) and Washington State (336.8).
Half of the Pac-12 lands within the worst 16 pass defenses in the country without a single unit in the nation’s Top 50 against the pass. Even so, the Huskies proved their legitimacy in their season sweep of No. 8 Oregon earning a place in the College Football Playoff.
So how does Texas slow the Washington passing attack? Tight coverage, quarterback pressure and opportunistic defense.
The Longhorns gave somewhat of a preview of how this game could go in last season’s game. Texas surrendered 158 rushing yards yet held Washington to 27 points on the game.
Washington’s receiving corps won some battles last season. They will likely do the same this year. Nevertheless, it wasn’t as if the group was running away from Texas defenders at will.
In last season’s game, Washington’s top three receivers were Jalen McMillan with 58 yards, Rome Odunze with 57 yards and Ja’Lynn Polk with 45 yards. Michael Penix averaged 5.3 yards per attempt.
Texas can neutralize the Huskies’ passing attack with tight coverage that allows a four-man rush to get home. This time, the Longhorns should get help from an improved offense led by a more consistent version of starting quarterback Quinn Ewers. Add in a more complete receiver room with Adonai Mitchell supplementing Xavier Worthy, Ja’Tavion Sanders and Jordan Whittington and Texas has the players to win.