Arizona Football prepares for inclement weather and the Washington Huskies

Arizona Football (0-1, 0-1) could be battling more than just the Washington Huskies (1-0, 1-0) on Saturday as the forecast in Seattle calls for inclement weather.

So, the 2020 season didn’t quite get off to the start for Arizona Football that many had hoped for. Especially as the Wildcats’ upset bid against the USC Trojans just came up short.

However, the show goes on for the Wildcats as they prepare for this weeks’ match-up against the Washington Huskies. Continuing on with their condensed 2020 season!

Arizona Wildcats

Coming into this one, it should be quite the interesting match-up, as the Wildcats have recently struggled against the Huskies, and once again, Arizona enters this one as a double-digit underdog.

However, the major thing to note here is that Washington has a head coach in his first year, they are still settling the quarterback position, and the Huskies won’t have any fans in the stands.

Well come this weekend, the Wildcats will be battling more than just those things aforementioned. As it stands, it is projected to be 43°with a 70 percent chance of rain on Saturday evening, and the Wildcats will be playing in their first road game in the Pandemic-plagued season.

There are so many story lines to follow here and we are curious to see how this game will play out. With that said, here is our Week Three preview of the Wildcats’ match-up against the Huskies.

Know Thy Foe:

Team: Washington Huskies (1-0, 1-0)

Conference: Pac-12 Conference

2019 Record: The Huskies finished 8-5 (4-5) in 2019, and it was the conference season where Washington really seemed to spiral out of control. Despite starting the year 5-2, they limped to a 3-3 finish. They did however finish the year by beating Boise State 38-7 in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Head Coach: Jimmy Lake is entering his first season as head coach with the Huskies, after Chris Petersen shocked everyone by announcing he was stepping away from the program following the 2019 season.

Jimmy was an easy choice as he was one of the fastest rising assistants in college football, and now the real test is ahead of him as he navigates through his first season as head coach.

Key Returners/ Starters: Still trying to find their long-term starter at quarterback, the Huskies are more of a running football team, and this is a squad that has a talented backfield. Using a combination of Richard Newton, Kamari Pleasant and Sean McGrew, they have the blend of power, speed and agility, all three being different types of runners.

Additionally, the Huskies have some talented pass catchers like Terrell Bynum, Ty Jones and Puka Nacua that should challenge the Wildcats vertically.

Largely led by players like Defensive Back Elijah Molden, and Linebackers Edefuan Ulofoshio and Zion Tupuola-Fetui on defense, this is a group that should excel.

The Huskies have A LOT of talent returning from last year on that side of the ball, and even with a new head coach, this is going to be a solid group that is going to challenge the Wildcats.

Washington is well-coached on defense, and if this turns into a ‘grind it out’ kind of game that will be played on the ground due to rainy conditions, that does not favor the Cats. Nonetheless, we will see what happens in this one.

Key Losses: 

QB – Jacob Eason (Drafted by Indianapolis Colts)
OL – Nick Harris (Drafted by Cleveland Browns)
RB – Salvon Ahmed (Undrafted Free Agent)
WR – Andre Baccellia (Graduated)
WR – Aaron Fuller (Undrafted Free Agent)
TE – Hunter Bryant (Undrafted Free Agent)
DL – Benning Potoa’e (Undrafted Free Agent)
LB – Brandon Wellington (Undrafted Free Agent)
DB – Myles Bryant (Undrafted Free Agent)

Key Injuries: 

Washington

• No significant injuries have been reported.

Arizona 

• LB – Jabar Triplett (Achilles) – The freshman is out for the season after suffering from a surgically repaired Achilles this off-season.
• RB – Frank Brown (Knee) – MCL Injury, will be back in another week or so.
• WR – Jaden Mitchell (Knee) – ACL Tear. Out for the season

Game Information: 

When: Saturday, November 21st, 2020

Time: 5:00 PM (PST)/6:00 PM (MST – Arizona Time)

Watch: Fox

Where: Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium – Seattle, WA (70,138… 0,000)

Spread: +11.5 Arizona

Overall Series Record: 22-11-1 Washington. Still holding a sizeable lead, the Huskies have definitely dominated this series, winning six of the last nine match-ups.

Last Meeting vs. Arizona: Washington thumped Arizona in Tucson last year, walking away with the 51-27 victory over the Cats.

My Prediction: Arizona played well in that first game against USC all things considered, and it was heartbreaking that they could not get the upset to help build their confidence. Unfortunately for Arizona, they have to follow that up, with a tough match-up against the Washington Huskies.

The Wildcats may have a chance here, as the Huskies did not play all that well last weekend against Oregon State, however, what may not benefit the Wildcats here is that that first game was a chance for Washington to correct some things and improve.

With the Wildcats facing a motivated Washington team in inclement weather, to me, that doesn’t seem like a recipe for success. I think Arizona struggles on the road and their depth becomes an issue late in the game again. Washington 31 Arizona 27.

Prediction record so far: 1-0

At Zona Zealots, we’re hoping the Wildcats can get a win on the road, even though this will be a daunting challenge. As always, Bear Down Arizona and Beat the Huskies!