5 storylines to watch when the Huskies host Arkansas State
Two games into the season, the Washington Huskies, who were projected to be a contender in the Pac-12 North this season, are still searching for their first win.
UW still could contend for a division title, of course — conference play doesn’t open until next week when Cal visits — but the early results haven’t exactly suggested the Huskies will. In Week 1, they dropped a stunning loss to FCS opponent Montana. In Week 2, they fell against Michigan’s relentless rushing attack.
That leaves the Huskies staring down their worst start since the winless 2008 season, and looking for answers on how to turn this 0-2 start around. Their next chance to find them is Saturday afternoon, when they host one of college football’s most productive offenses to this point in Arkansas State (1-1). The Huskies are favored in the first meeting between the two programs in their histories, but will it result in UW’s first win of the season?
Here are five storylines to watch during the game:
1. Can this Huskies offense score enough to outperform Arkansas State’s up-tempo attack?
The matchup on paper doesn’t favor UW — and it’s not really close.
Arkansas State has averaged 45 points per game the first two weeks, and ranks 17th among FBS teams in that category. The Huskies have averaged 8.5 points, and rank 129th of 130 teams, with only Navy averaging fewer points per game.
Arkansas State has averaged 596.5 yards per game in its first two contests, and ranks fourth among FBS teams. The Huskies, after averaging 317 yards per game in the first two weeks, rank 112th.
Arkansas State has scored 11 offensive touchdowns in two weeks. UW has scored two — one on its opening drive of the season against Montana, and then another one week, seven quarters and 119 plays later against Michigan in Ann Arbor.
The results the first two weeks don’t exactly suggest the Huskies have the offensive attack to keep up. Of course, Arkansas State has also allowed 38 points and 509 yards per game to its opponents the first two weeks, so maybe this could be the week UW’s offense breaks out, but the Huskies need to show they can produce more.
“There’s definitely some things that we need to change,” Huskies coach Jimmy Lake said this week when asked if this UW offense had become predictable. “And I think there’s some things that we need to utilize who we have available, and … we’ve got to make sure we’re able to move the ball with who we have available.
“And I think that’s the bottom line of what we’ve gone through these last couple of weeks. We need to lean on our strengths and lean on who’s available.”
Lake also indicated this offense could be on the cusp of more success than it has had in the first two weeks.
“It could happen right now,” he said. “There’s no question. Because we were just doing it coming out of training camp. It should have happened two weeks ago, and it didn’t, and that’s on me. All the work we’ve been putting in, we need to see some results and we need to see results quickly.”
2. How will the offensive line respond to this slow start?
Days before the Huskies hosted Montana, Lake was asked about the strengths of his team, and this was his response:
“The first thing is our offensive line,” he said. “I think we are extremely veteran, talented and deep — very deep — on our offensive line. I would say that is a definite strength of ours. And then I’ll leave it right there.”
Four of UW’s starters on the offensive line — left tackle Jaxson Kirkland, center Luke Wattenberg, right guard Henry Bainivalu and right tackle Victor Curne — also started for the Huskies last season. Kirkland was an All-Pac-12 first-teamer, and the others received honorable mention nods when the season ended. Beyond those four, starting left guard Julius Buelow was the Huskies’ top offensive line recruit in their 2019 class, there are more linemen in the room with staring or playing experience, and UW returned every scholarship player from a season ago.
But, in two games, the Huskies have only rushed for 115 yards, averaging 1.9 per attempt. They’ve had a bit more success through the air, with Morris throwing for 519 yards in two games, but he’s also been sacked seven times.
“I really think it still just comes down to execution,” Kirkland said this week. “And if we have to practice harder, prepare even harder, we’ll do that.”
When asked earlier this week about the offensive line’s early struggles, Lake said he still has “extremely high hopes” for the group.
“But, for sure we have to block the run better,” he said. “We have to protect our quarterback better. That’s not the only position group that needs improvement. A lot of position groups need improvement, and need to play better.
“But, having all those guys back, and we added a few guys, and with another year with our offense, we need to function better. And it starts with coaching. … We have to coach them better. We have to put plays in that are going to work so we can get some positive flow going on that side of the ball.”
3. The Huskies’ depth at wide receiver has been challenged by injuries early on. Who will be available this week?
UW was unexpectedly without its three projected starting wide receivers — Terrell Bynum, Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan — against Montana. While Bynum and Odunze were both listed as starters on the initial depth chart, neither played a snap in Week 1. McMillan’s absence from that first game was somewhat easier to anticipate — he had not been seen participating at camp after leaving with an apparent hand injury in the second week.
But, still, the Huskies were left without the three wideouts who had been expected to start throughout fall practices.
Ja’Lynn Polk, Taj Davis, Giles Jackson and Sawyer Racanelli were the four receivers who ultimately played against Montana.
Polk was injured on the first play of UW’s opening drive, Lake said later on, had emergency surgery and is expected to be out long term.
At that point, that left Davis, Jackson and Racanelli as the only healthy receivers remaining on UW’s roster with game experience, with Lake listing Bynum, Odunze and McMillan as week-to-week.
Bynum did return against Michigan — playing 49 of 69 offensive snaps, and leading the Huskies in receiving with 115 yards on five catches and their only touchdown — and is listed as a starter again this week.
McMillan also played in Ann Arbor, but was limited to four offensive snaps and was not targeted. His availability and Odunze’s remain unclear entering this Week 3 matchup with Arkansas State, and both are listed as backups on the depth chart.
Davis and Jackson are listed as the other two starters with Bynum this week after hauling in multiple catches each of the past two games. They have been quarterback Dylan Morris’ top two wideout targets to this point.
Davis is UW’s leading receiver through two games, with 12 catches for 137 yards, while tight end Cade Otton is second (11 catches, 115 yards), Bynum third and Jackson fourth (seven catches, 64 yards).
4. The Huskies have had trouble stopping the run — but how much will they need to against Arkansas State?
Montana ran the ball well enough to hand the Huskies a loss in Week 1. Michigan ripped up UW’s defense on the ground in Week 2.
So, here the Huskies are, ranked 122nd of 130 among FBS teams in yards per game allowed on the ground at 235. They’ve allowed 5.22 yards per rushing play.
But, how much will Arkansas State run the ball? The Red Wolves did attempt more rushing plays than passing plays in their 19-point win over Central Arkansas in Week 1, but just barely, running the ball on 39 plays — and collecting 194 yards and a touchdown — and throwing it on 38.
They rushed less often last week, during a 55-50 shootout loss against Memphis, attempting 32 plays on the ground — and finishing with 98 yards and one score — while throwing the ball 66 times.
So, it seems if the Huskies can contain Arkansas State on the ground, the Red Wolves will be more likely to test UW through the air with their up-tempo attack.
“They are going to go extremely fast,” Lake said. “They have two quality quarterbacks. They have a solid run game, but they’ve thrown a bunch.”
5. What does Arkansas State’s pass-heavy attack mean for UW’s secondary?
Arkansas State’s high-flying attack, led by its two quarterbacks, James Blackman and Layne Hatcher, has been its primary source of offensive success during the first two weeks.
Blackman is 35-of-54 passing for 475 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.
Hatcher is 35-of-50 passing for 426 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions.
Three of the Red Wolves’ wide receivers — Jeff Foreman (13 catches, 253 yards, TD), Te’Vailance Hunt (15 catches, 219 yards, two TDs) and Corey Rucker (14 catches, 214 yards, four TDs) — have eclipsed 200 yards in two games.
Arkansas State’s 450.5 yards per game passing rank second among FBS schools through two weeks, their 104 passing attempts top the rankings, their 70 completions rank second and their nine passing touchdowns rank third.
“They like to throw the ball,” UW cornerback Kyler Gordon said this week. “We’re ready for that, and we’ve been waiting for that. It’s going to be a fun game.”
UW’s first two opponents combined for only 38 passing attempts, so this week should offer the first significant test for UW’s secondary.
Gordon and preseason All-Pac-12 first-team pick Trent McDuffie remain UW’s starters at corner, while Brendan Radley-Hiles is the listed starter again this week at nickelback, and the Huskies continue to rotate safeties, with Alex Cook and Cameron Williams listed as the starters this week.
This story was originally published September 17, 2021 at 5:30 AM with the headline "5 storylines to watch when the Huskies host Arkansas State."
