Washington's Big Ten era rolls into Week 2 with a scheduling formality: a Group of Five team that just walked into the toughest opening stretch in the sport.
Bush’s Picks
USUWASH
USUWASH
OverUnder
Best BetWashington
Washington returns the engine of a 34-point-a-game offense in Demond Williams Jr. and is playing a Utah State team breaking in a brand-new quarterback and a defense that was the worst in the Mountain West last year. This is about as close to a lock as a moneyline gets on paper. The only real risk is a sluggish start out of a home slate, not anything Utah State brings to the table.
Utah State
+RB Javen Jacobs averaged 6.6 yards a carry
+LB Olevao Jr., S Hamblin anchor a veteran defense
+OC Robert Anae returns, familiar system for staff
−Defense ranked last in Mountain West, 440 yds/gm allowed
−Brand-new starter in BYU transfer QB Hillstead
−Season win total set at just 4.5 games
Washington
+Offense returns intact: 410 yards, 34 points a game
+QB Demond Williams Jr. back for a Big Ten push
+Deep roster, portal reinforcements under Jedd Fisch
−Defense still needs answers at corner and edge
−S Jayvon Parker out early recovering from Achilles injury
−Williams still building a track record in big spots
This is the kind of game that exists to pad a resume. Washington is coming off the Apple Cup and building toward a real season under Jedd Fisch, with Demond Williams Jr. back at quarterback after the Huskies leaned on him to run an offense that averaged 410 yards and 34 points a game. Utah State, meanwhile, is starting a new era of its own — first year in the reshaped Pac-12, second year under Bronco Mendenhall — and it opens with a murderer's row of a non-conference slate: at Washington, then Utah, then Boise State.
The Aggies handed the keys to McCae Hillstead, a BYU transfer who didn't play last season, and brought back offensive coordinator Robert Anae to build around him. It's a lot of newness to throw at a Big Ten defense in Week 2. On the other side, Washington's own defense isn't without questions — safety Jayvon Parker is working back from an Achilles injury and the Huskies needed the portal to address edge rusher and cornerback depth. Neither defense enters this one as a finished product.
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USU Utah State
WASH Washington
Where the gap actually shows up is on the other side of the ball. Utah State ranked last in the Mountain West in total defense a year ago, giving up 440 yards a game, and now it's asking a rebuilt front seven to slow down a Husky offense that's kept its top playmaker and its system intact. That mismatch is the whole story of this game, and it's a big reason nobody's circling this one as competitive.
Utah State Aggies
Sep 5?vs Idaho State—
Washington Huskies
Sep 6?vs Washington State—
Recent form.
Utah State does have pieces worth watching even in a lopsided spot. Safety Brevin Hamblin (114 tackles) and linebacker Bronson Olevao Jr. (90 tackles, 4 sacks) anchor the defense, and running back Javen Jacobs averaged 6.6 yards a carry last season when given the ball. If the Aggies are going to make this respectable, it starts with those two units keeping the game close enough for Jacobs to matter in the second half.
Utah State Aggies
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Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Washington Huskies
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Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
For Washington, this is less about the opponent and more about staying sharp. Fisch has a Big Ten opener against Minnesota looming, and games like this one exist to get reps for a deep roster without much risk attached. Utah State's oddsmakers have already pegged the season for a rough ride — the Aggies' win total sits at just 4.5 games — and a trip to Husky Stadium in Week 2 is exactly the kind of game that explains why.
