Game Thread: Peach Bowl: Washington vs Alabama, ESPN, 12pm PST

[RegentDenali]

Feels like it's been forever waiting for this day. But it's here. Huskies in the playoffs.

 

[RegentDenali]

 

[RegentDenali]

YahooSports -- Alabama’s rushing defense has been the best in the nation all season and it’s just gotten better as the season has trekked on. It is allowing just 63.4 yards per game on the ground and only two TEAMS have gained 100 yards this season. The Washington running game has been the key to the Huskies’ offense thanks to Myles Gaskin, who has 1,339 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, and Lavon Coleman, who is averaging 7.8 yards per carry and has seven touchdowns. The Huskies will need to establish some sort of running game to allow quarterback Jake Browning to operate.

Browning has thrown for 3,280 yards, 42 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. But those interceptions came when Browning faced pressure from opposing defenses, which is what he’ll face against a stout Alabama defense. If there is a weak spot for Alabama — and there aren’t many — it’s in the secondary. The Tide is allowing 184.5 yards in the air per game, which is something Browning will need to exploit. But he’ll need to get the ball out of his hand quickly to keep away from that Bama defense.

Browning will rely heavily on top receivers John Ross, who caught 76 passes for 1,122 yards and 17 touchdowns, and Dante Pettis, who has 14 touchdown catches this season. Both players also are prolific in the return game with nine career return touchdowns between them.

Jalen Hurts won the starting quarterbacking job early in the season and while there have been a few growing pains, he’s had the composure to keep the Tide undefeated. Hurts is a quintessential dual-threat quarterback, which will be a struggle for Washington, especially if they can’t slow Tide running backs Damien Harris and Joshua Jacobs. Hurts has thrown for 2,592 yards, 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also has 841 rushing yards and 12 scores. Hurts is looking to join Oklahoma’s Jamelle Holieway (1985) as the only true freshman quarterbacks to lead a team to a national title.

Both of these teams excel off their opponents’ mistakes. Washington has forced 33 turnovers in 13 games and has a plus-21 turnover margin, which is No. 1 nationally. It has scored 112 points off turnovers this season and hasn’t lost a turnover in the red zone. Alabama has scored 123 points off turnovers this season. However, Alabama also has committed 19 turnovers as compared to Washington’s 12.

 

[OregonDucks]

.....youre looking forward to this...?

 

[RegentDenali]

.....youre looking forward to this...?

Absolutely. We already won the PAC championship. It all seems like gravy at this point in my mind. Sure I want to win this game. I want another national championship trophy at Montlake.

All things considered, Petersen getting us to here after only 3 years on the job is damn fine work. And the window is just opening for us. We're back and should be competing for Rose Bowls and playoff spots for years to come.

Go Dawgs!!! Beat Bama!!!

 

[TheDayMan]

Effin A

 

[fredmccallyRTR]

Let's do this.

 

[DJ]

Looking forward to this game.

 

[Mike30142]

I'm having a party at my house with homemade chili, homemade jalapeno cheddar bread, chocolate covered bacon, and lots of alcohol.

 

[bamabear82]

I'm having a party at my house with homemade chili, homemade jalapeno cheddar bread, chocolate covered bacon, and lots of alcohol.

I'm working.

The wife is coming up here to watch the game wif me doe.

 

[seafandoghawk]

.....youre looking forward to this...?

If you want to have the feeling that you're glad to see your team made the playoffs, the downside of it is that you might end up having to play a historic Bama team or some other juggernaut in any given year. It is what it is.

But this season is a major success for the Huskies regardless of the outcome today. One of the national stories going into this game is that Petersen has brought Huskies football back after just three years on the job. That should be good for the program in terms of recruiting going forward.

And very few people across the country believe that the Huskies can even be competitive against Alabama today. So all they have to be is reasonably competitive, and it will confirm the impression that Petersen has something good and growing that's going on in Montlake-- which also could pay recruiting dividends.

Besides, for fans it's fun to get this far. Only one of the four teams is going to walk away as a champion when all is said and done. But it's an accomplishment just being in the mix, and being a team that has shown it can compete for championships. Go Dawgs!

 

[TigerBait1971]

GEAUX DAWGS!

 

[fredmccallyRTR]

Rolling blunts, rolling blunts, rolling blunts, rolling blunts.....

I feel like an old Cuban lady.

 

[fredmccallyRTR]

If you want to have the feeling that you're glad to see your team made the playoffs, the downside of it is that you might end up having to play a historic Bama team or some other juggernaut in any given year. It is what it is.

But this season is a major success for the Huskies regardless of the outcome today. One of the national stories going into this game is that Petersen has brought Huskies football back after just three years on the job. That should be good for the program in terms of recruiting going forward.

And very few people across the country believe that the Huskies can even be competitive against Alabama today. So all they have to be is reasonably competitive, and it will confirm the impression that Petersen has something good and growing that's going on in Montlake-- which also could pay recruiting dividends.

Besides, for fans it's fun to get this far. Only one of the four teams is going to walk away as a champion when all is said and done. But it's an accomplishment just being in the mix, and being a team that has shown it can compete for championships. Go Dawgs!

Solid post, my friend. But, for this particular contributor you're talking to you're gonna need some bread crumbs to lure him in and then a fly swatter to reinforce your authority.

 

[bamabear82]

GEAUX DAWGS!

GO KENTUCKY!

 

[TheRobotDevil]

ROLL DANM TIDE!!!!!!

 

[AlaskaGuy]

 

[AlaskaGuy]

I'm having a party at my house with homemade chili, homemade jalapeno cheddar bread, chocolate covered bacon, and lots of alcohol.

Chocolate covered bacon?

 

[fredmccallyRTR]

Chocolate covered bacon?

Put that shit on a string.....Fat chicks all night long.

 

[Shanemansj13]

38-17