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Utah hadn't won in Autzen since 1994, hadn't beaten Arizona State since 1976, hadn't won a Pac-12 opener … ever.
So it might not say much about Saturday's game that Utah has never beaten Washington in eight tries — six of them coming more than 35 years ago — or that Kyle Whittingham has lost both times he's faced a team coached by Chris Petersen. Those teams were not these teams.
Still, these 4-4 Huskies, fresh off a 49-3 dismantling of Arizona, are favored against these 7-1 Utes.
"They seem to be hitting their stride right now, especially on defense," Whittingham said. "They're probably playing the best defense in the conference. I don't think anybody would argue with that."
Utah, meanwhile, is three weeks removed from the last performance that you'd call "convincing."
It fell to USC — another .500 favorite — and did not deconstruct Oregon State in the vengeful manner some fans had hoped for.
No. 12 in the eyes of the College Football Playoff Committee, the Utes have as much to play for as anybody. But dreary Seattle stands between them and the brightest of possible futures.
Time, Place and [Radio Waves in] Space • Utah and Washington kick off at 5:30 MT on FOX, Utah's first visit to Husky Stadium since 1979. They played at CenturyLink in 2012, while Husky Stadium was closed for renovations. Joe Davis, Brady Quinn and Kris Budden will call the game for FOX. As usual, Bill Riley, Frank Dolce and Bo Nagahi bring you the action on ESPN 700. Satellite listeners can tune in at Sirius or XM 81. The Weather.com forecast calls for a high of 54, a low of 45, and a 90 percent chance of rain. "We're used to the colder weather, so it shouldn't bother us at all," said Whittingham.
Line • Washington -1.5, over/under 44. At 7-1, Utah is 4-4 against the spread this season, while 4-4 Washington is 5-3. The under hit in 11 of the Huskies' previous 12 games, per OddsShark.com.
Opposing Coach • Petersen belongs to a trio of coaches who busted the BCS not once, but twice — TCU's Gary Patterson and Whittingham, of course, the others. He first cut his teeth as an assistant at UC Davis, later coaching quarterbacks at Pittsburgh and Portland State and wideouts at Oregon before joining Boise State's staff as an offensive coordinator. He's known for daring to call trick plays and his "multiple" scheme — probably most aptly described as "successful" — but the sledding has been tougher for Petersen's offense at UW. Washington's win over Washington State last season gave him his 100th career victory, a feat he achieved faster than any active FBS coach.
Utah Ties • Utah defensive coordinator John Pease coached Washington's defensive line under Don James from 1979 to 1982. "Husky Stadium has some great memories for me, and I hope this is just one more," he said Tuesday. Utah running backs coach Dennis Erickson was born in Everett, Wash., about a 30-minute drive from Husky Stadium, and employed Washington offensive coordinator Jonathan Smith while head coach at Oregon State. Utah receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield is a native of Yakima, 145 miles southeast of UW. Utah co-offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick very briefly joined Washington's staff in January 2009 as receivers coach, deciding to return to Utah within a week. Utah junior safety Jason Thompson is from Renton, Wash., and is the younger brother of former Huskies defensive lineman Everette. Sophomore defensive end Kendall Huey is from Tacoma, while senior walk-on defensive back Damian Greene is from Sammamish. Utah junior college quarterback commit Troy Williams played at Washington in 2012-13. Washington true freshman starting quarterback Jake Browning was a high school classmate of Utah walk-on freshman linebacker Sam Whittingham at Folsom High.
Pregame Quotable • After failing to generate a turnover for a second consecutive game (but still ranking seventh in the nation, with 19), Kyle Whittingham was asked to explain the drought: "We're saving them all up for down the stretch."
Media Guide Nugget • Washington junior linebacker Psalm Wooching is a professional fire dancer who performs at luaus.
Telling Stat • Since beating Oregon 49-7 in the second and third quarters in Eugene, Utah has been outscored by its opponents 59-27 in the middle two periods. Washington, meanwhile, has outscored opponents 104-28 in the third quarter this season. Utah opened well against Oregon State, but sorely needs to sustain that note.
Huskies Offensive Outlook • Which Huskies offense, though?
Washington ranks 101st in total offense, at 351 yards per game, 108th in rushing offense, at 132 yards per game, and 113th in first downs.
But against Arizona, it took whatever it wanted. Frosh Jake Browning threw for four touchdowns and ran for another after sitting out Washington's loss to Stanford — its only defeat this season by more than one score — and is "getting better every week," Whittingham said.
"He's a true freshman but you can see his development and his growth, as you watch the film, from game to game."
Pease also highlighted true freshman rusher Myles Gaskin, who has 655 yards and six touchdowns on just 108 carries.
"He's the best freshman back I've seen in a long time," Pease said. "He is quick, quick, quick. There's film of him, almost like Barry Sanders, into the line of scrimmage and the linebacker shows up and all of a sudden, Bow! he pops out of there and makes a quick jump turn."
Gaskin and 6-foot-2, 226-pound junior Dwayne Washington — who has 227 rushing yards and four touchdowns and 307 receiving yards and three scores — necessitate that Utah defenders stay true to their assignments, as will Petersen's penchant for trick plays.
Nothing in any coach's bag of tricks is really new, Whittingham said. But whether they are a credit to Petersen's inventiveness, they can be a hassle to prepare for.
Browning lacks a true go-to receiver. But Utah's opportunistic defense has been tested by less risky quick passes in recent weeks, and Pease expects more of the same.
"Now, hopefully, a young quarterback will try to throw quick and throw some to us."
Huskies Defensive Outlook • It defies logic that 2014 Husky defenders Danny Shelton, Marcus Peters, Shaq Thompson and Hau'oli Kikaha would all be selected within the first 44 picks of the NFL draft and that Washington would be better without them. But that's what's happened.
UW leads the Pac-12 in scoring defense (allowing 16.9 points per game) and whatever you might say about the merits of a big day against Arizona's suspect defense, its offense had entered last week's game averaging 41.8 points.
"They're a physical defense," said Utah's Travis Wilson. "They're very good against the pass and the run. We definitely have a challenge this weekend."
Senior outside linebacker Travis Feeney leads the Pac-12 with 6.5 sacks and is second in tackles for loss, at 13, a test for a Utah line that will likely be without senior center Siaosi Aiono but is second in the Pac-12 in sacks allowed, at 11.
The scary prospect about the rest of Washington's top performers is that they may be around awhile.
Sophomore corners Darren Gardenhire and Sidney Jones, junior Kevin King and sophomore safety Budda Baker have combined for nine interceptions and 18 pass breakups, while sophomore inside linebackers Azeem Victor and Keishawn Bierra have totaled 115 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss.
Although Washington allows just 137 yards per game on the ground, they've struggled to contain running backs of Devontae Booker's caliber.
Stanford's Christian McCaffrey rushed 23 times for 109 yards and a touchdown while catching five passes for 112 yards and another score, and Oregon's Royce Freeman had 138 yards on 27 carries.
Huskies Special Teams Outlook • Junior kicker Cameron Van Winkle is 7-for-9 on field goals, with a long of 48, but hasn't attempted one in two games. Sophomore Tristan Vizcaino handles kickoff duties and was called upon two weeks ago to haul down Oregon's Bralon Addison after an 87-yard return. Sophomore wideout Dante Pettis — cousin of former Boise State star Austin — is a threat on punt returns, taking one back 76 yards against his cousin's former team.
Required Reading
• DE Pita Taumoepenu has become more comfortable — quarterbacks less so
• Washington — yes, Washington — may be the toughest test remaining for Utes
• Monson: Utah has no business losing to Washington — for a ninth straight time
Injury Report • Utah senior center Siaosi Aiono is expected to miss Saturday's game, and the status of junior defensive end Hunter Dimick is unknown. Whittingham announced last week that Utah wideout Tim Patrick will likely seek a medical redshirt. Senior cornerback Ahmad Christian has yet to make his return from an Achilles injury and had suffered a "setback," Whittingham said this week. Junior tight end Siale Fakailoatonga (knee) joined senior tight end Evan Moeai (lower leg), sophomore running back Troy McCormick (knee) and sophomore nickelback Jordan Fogal (knee) on the list of players who are lost for the season. Freshman running back Marcel Brooks-Brown (gunshot wound) is back practicing but is not expected to play this season, while the status of sophomore guard Lo Falemaka (gunshot wounds) remains unknown.
Three Big Questions
1. Will we see a new defensive look from Utah? • A single high safety has been a staple of the Utah defense, so it was no great surprise to hear that senior Tevin Carter was playing a hybrid safety/linebacker role as sophomore Marcus Williams patrolled center field. But Pease said this week that Utah's trying to figure out how to add redshirt freshman Chase Hansen — the team's No. 3 quarterback — to that mix. "He's skyrocketing, his skill level," Pease said. "... He's a direct bullet to the ball." Don't be surprised to see all three safeties on the field at the same time in Seattle — a countermeasure against frequent attacks on the edges of Utah's defense.
2. Can Utah get Kenneth Scott involved? • Whittingham called it "a recurring theme" that Utah feels it should have passed more frequently — singling out the effectiveness of his sixth-year senior captain. "He either comes down with the ball or causes a P.I. most of the time," Whittingham said, and yet Scott has 44 or fewer receiving yards in all but two games this season. Scott, for his part, said he just wants to erase the "bitter taste" of losing to Washington in 2011 and 2012. But he was cognizant that one more catch would tie him with Freddie Brown for 13th-most in school history, at 116. "I've been looking up to him since I was yay high," he said. Washington trusts its corners in single coverage, as Utah does. Will Utah test them?
3. Which team can start fastest? • Saturday's opponents mirror each other somewhat in that trying to make up ground against them can spell disaster. If Utah can strike first, it's easy to imagine a heavy dose of Booker and a mistake or two from Browning leading to a firm grip on the game for Utah. If Washington seizes any kind of sizable lead, then Wilson may have to take some risks. In that scenario, there exists the potential for things to get out of hand quickly.
— Matthew Piper
mpiper@sltrib.com
Twitter: @matthew_piper