The Huskies jumped out to a 48-7 lead over Fresno State early in the third quarter and cruised to an easy victory, 48-16.
We went 3-0 against a pillowy soft non-conference schedule, beating up on the likes of Rutgers, Montana, and Fresno State by a combined score of 141-37.
Jake Browning was once again ridiculously efficient, hitting 19 of 22 for 255 yards and 4 touchdowns. The running game didn’t get going all that great, but Myles Gaskin looked good and elusive on his 8 carries for 56 yards and 2 touchdowns. Dante Pettis was the real star of the show, though. Of the 5 balls he caught, 3 were for touchdowns (on 92 total yards). On top of that, he had his third straight game with a punt return, taking over the lead for all-time punt returns in the Pac-12, and tying the overall NCAA record. That guy is gonna KILL IT at the next level.
Defensively, the Huskies look like the real deal. They look every bit as good as they did last year, and they also look like they could be even BETTER than they are now. As the season goes along, this unit could morph into something really special.
But, as has been the case for the last three weeks, there’s nothing really to glean from a win over a crap team like Fresno State. This Saturday, the first real test takes place, on the road, against a good Colorado team. Not great, likely not as great as they were last season, but with a lot of the same pieces as last year, and they get the luxury of being at home. They also have the luxury of being the most difficult team we will have faced this season, so it could be a real Punch To The Mouth situation. The Huskies just need to withstand the initial storm, settle into a groove and they should be fine.
Make no mistake, this is a game the Huskies very much SHOULD win, and the line (-10) reflects that. But, it’s no guarantee, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Dawgs don’t cover that spread. Ideally, you come away with a victory any way you can get it, don’t get anyone of import injured, and Colorado ends up being on the list of Quality Wins by season’s end. They have a very reasonable schedule, with a tough road slate, so if they can steal some wins against the likes of UCLA, Wazzu, or USC at home, we could be talking about a ranked team come bowl time.
Now the REAL fun begins. I’m gonna be in a lather come Saturday night.