Washington’s seven-game resume of pass defense has been, statistically, nothing short of exceptional. As a team, the Huskies rank first nationally in passing defense in terms of yards per game. The group has allowed an average of just 123 passing yards per contest this season. That’s 10 yards fewer than the next best in that category, where Texas has allowed 133 per game. Washington’s pass defense also ranks first in opponent completion percentage, allowing just 47.5%. Steve Belichick’s secondary has been really good this season, but the remaining five games on the schedule figure to test this unit. Indiana, USC, Penn State, UCLA, and Oregon are Washington’s upcoming opponents. Four of which are quarterbacked by some of the nation’s best in one category or another. Three of those teams are ranked within the top 13 as of the Week Nine AP Poll.
Indiana’s Passing Offense
Next Saturday, Washington has its second straight early morning wake-up call. This time, it’s a 9 am Pacific Time kickoff in Bloomington against the 13th-ranked Indiana Hoosiers. College Gameday has announced it will be in town for the matchup. Curt Cignetti and Indiana have dominated every opponent on their schedule en route to a perfect 7-0 record thus far. On a national level, the Hoosier offense ranks fifth in total yards and 11th in passing offense. Winning games by an average of 35 points, Indiana has done a lot of its damage in the first half of games. In the first two-quarters of games, Indiana’s passing offense ranks fourth nationally with 1,347 yards, averaging nearly 15 yards per completion. It’s no coincidence that the Hoosiers have yet to trail in a game this season.
Ohio transfer quarterback Kurtis Rourke has thrown 15 touchdowns, three interceptions, and nearly 2,000 yards on the season. But reports indicate that Rourke is unlikely to play next week against Washington. He suffered a thumb injury last week against Nebraska. With his availability in doubt, Tayven Jackson will likely start for the Hoosiers. The redshirt sophomore quarterback transferred to Indiana from Tennessee ahead of the 2023 season. This year, he’s seen action in four games, completing 12 of 18 passes for 225 yards and three touchdowns.
Elite Quarterbacks Ahead
Following Indiana, three of Washington’s final four opponents are led by quarterbacks that rate among the best in the nation. USC heads to Seattle in November with quarterback Miller Moss. The Trojans are currently 3-4 on the season, but their offense is rooted in the passing game. Moss is fourth nationally with 40.6 attempts per game. His 279 passing yards per game ranks 14th in the country. No one in the Big Ten passes the ball more frequently than USC.
After the old-school Pac-12 battle against USC, Washington will fly East to play Penn State inside Beaver Stadium. Nittany Lion quarterback Drew Allar has steadily commanded his offense to an undefeated record thus far. Allar ranks fourth in the country in yards per attempt with 10.2 on the season. He’s thrown for just 1,492 yards this year with around 250 per game. Nonetheless, Allar is a quarterback who is completing over 70% of his passes on the year and doesn’t make a lot of mistakes.
The season will be capped off with a trip south to Eugene. Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel is not only one of the nation’s top passers, he’s established himself as a Heisman Trophy contender through eight weeks. His potential Heisman Performance was two weeks ago in a victory over second-ranked Ohio State, the program’s biggest regular season victory. Gabriel tossed two touchdowns with 360 passing yards and ran for another score in that one. The Oregon quarterback has the best completion percentage in the nation at 77% this season, coming on 226 attempts (32 attempts per game). Gabriel’s downfield accuracy and care for the football have helped lift Oregon to the number one spot in this week’s AP Poll. On the season, Gabriel has thrown for 2,098 yards and 15 touchdowns.
A Show of Strength
To this point in the season, Washington has faced just one passing offense that ranks inside the top 70 in terms of yards per game. Washington State’s offense is currently 23rd with 283 pass yards per game with an average of nine yards per attempt. Against the Cougars in September, Washington allowed just a 50% completion percentage, but nearly 15 yards per completion. The Huskies’ Power Four opponents thus far were Northwestern, Rutgers, Michigan, and Iowa. Each ranked outside the top 104 in passing yards per game this season. But in those games, the Washington pass defense was suffocating. It allowed 53, 115, 113, and 108 passing yards against those four, respectively.
Indiana, USC, Penn State, and Oregon all rank within the top 30 nationally in passing yards per game. The test in front of Washington is significant. But thus far against teams without prolific air attacks, Washington has shown its ability to eliminate the pass. A look at the advanced metrics shows that Washington is second nationally in success rate against the pass, with a mere 31.2%. It also boasts a -0.41 expected points added (EPA) per play on the season, good for third nationally. EPA estimates how many points are gained or lost on a per-play basis, taking into account the score, down, and distance of the situation.
Standouts in the Secondary
Thaddeus Dixon has been the most targeted Husky defensive back this season with 27. He’s allowed just 10 receptions for 93 yards. Dixon also leads the team with seven pass breakups. Redshirt freshman Jordan Shaw has made a big impact on the defense as well. His five pass breakups are second-most on the team, and he’s allowed just eight receptions on 17 targets this season. Opposite Dixon, Arizona transfer Ephesians Prysock has yet to allow a touchdown. The three of them have forced 18 incompletions this season combined, according to Pro Football Focus.
