Huard: How No. 12 UW Huskies can bounce back against UCLA
Oct 26, 2017, 11:49 AM | Updated: 11:49 am
UW needs to look to its running game to get the offense on track, Brock Huard says. (AP)
(AP)
The No. 12 Washington Huskies return to action after a bye week with a 12:30 p.m. Saturday matchup against UCLA in Pac-12 play. Not only are the Dawgs coming off a two-week break, they’ll be on the field for the first time since their shocking first loss of the season, a 13-7 defeat at Arionza State on Oct. 14. Here’s what Brock Huard will have his eyes on for the Huskies when he calls the action for UW-UCLA on ABC and ESPN2.
1. Get points on the board as soon as possible.
The Huskies need to get their offense and kicking game going early. The sooner the ball goes through the uprights and the sooner they hit explosive plays, they will finally be able to move past the difficult loss in Tempe.
2. Look to the running game to get the offense on track.
If the Huskies are going to find a groove on offense this season, it will begin with their run game. This team is not equipped to just throw it all over the yard; they are built to be a run/play-action team. Myles Gaskin has been and can be a dominant runner again in this league, but he needs his touches and the group up front to grow in consistency and execution – made all the more difficult with the injury to its best lineman, left tackle Trey Adams.
3. How will the Huskies move on without Adams?
The loss of Adams to a season-ending knee injury is an enormous loss that is only softened by the ability to play at home and communicate much easier than on the road. I would expect to see a rotation at left tackle between senior Andrew Kirkland and redshirt freshman Luke Wattenberg, and the Huskies will benefit from having multiple tight ends that will now have to do their part to aid in protection and blocking for the run game on the edges.
4. A simplified game plan for Jake Browning.
Like his counterpart in Pullman, Cougars quarterback Luke Falk, UW’s Jake Browning is at his best when the ball is out of his hands in rhythm. I expect a paired down call sheet and more opportunity for Jake to react rather than process and check so much at the line of scrimmage.
5. Exploit UCLA’s Achilles heel: turnovers.
On defense, the Huskies need to get back to their playmaking ways in the takeaway column. The Bruins are minus-8 in turnover margin, which ranks 119th in the country, while UW ranks 15th at plus-7. A raucous home crowd on a picture perfect day should help the home team battle through tremendous inexperience at both left tackle and cornerback, spots UCLA will surely attack.
