WASHINGTON Knack for takeaways bodes well for Huskies
Among the few who have given Washington a chance to beat Alabama in Saturday’s Peach Bowl, the most popular rationale is Chris Petersen’s history at Boise State of pulling upsets against more talented opponents, particularly when his teams had time to prepare.
But a trick play here or nice adjustment there isn’t going to be enough to prevent the Crimson Tide from winning their fifth national title in eight years. Washington is going to have to find an advantage somewhere and exploit it against a defense that allows a meager 2.03 yards per rush and doesn’t let teams drive up and down the field.
Fortunately for the Huskies, their potential advantage is a big one: turnover margin. Washington’s defense created a nation-leading 33 turnovers this season while its offense committed only 12, a statistic that provides the most plausible path to winning.
The caveat is that turnovers are a highly variable factor from game to game, and it’s possible Alabama will play clean football Saturday or benefit from a lucky bounce if one of its skill players happens to fumble.
But Washington’s secondary is an experienced, talented, ballhawking group that came up with 19 interceptions. It’s facing a freshman quarterback in Jalen Hurts who isn’t a polished passer and has shown a propensity to be loose with the ball at times, throwing eight interceptions over Alabama’s final eight games.
If the Huskies can cobble together 17 points and avoid turning the ball over themselves, they’ll be in the game entering the fourth quarter. We know Alabama is a terrific front-runner, but it’s uncertain how this team and its inexperienced quarterback would react if it was pushed to the limit because nobody in the Southeastern Conference was good enough this year to do that. Maybe, just maybe, putting Hurts in a pressurized situation will finally expose his inexperience if he has to make throws to win a football game.
When Saban says Washington is the best team Alabama has played this season, he’s not blowing smoke. And if the Huskies force turnovers at their typical rate, they just might prove it.