Quarterback
Washington’s Jake Locker is such a good athlete — he was drafted by the Anaheim Angels in the 10th round of the 2009 MLB draft despite not playing baseball since high school.
Turning down a lucrative signing bonus, Locker is the biggest reason the Huskies have turned into a competitive football team.
Locker, a dual threat quarterback playing in a pro-style, pro-set offense, leads the Pac-10 in total offense by a substantial margin, averaging nearly 300 yards a game on the ground and in the air.
Locker runs a sub 4.4 40-yard dash and led the Huskies to four wins in 2007 with a monster freshman year, and, not coincidentally, UW lost every single game in 2008, all of which Locker missed with a thumb injury.
Locker had 222 total yards in the Huskies 16-13 upset against USC and led the team with 92 rushing yards and three touchdown passes in last week’s 36-33 upset of UA.
Senior Danny Sullivan threw three interceptions in last week’s win against WSU, but led four touchdown drives including a touchdown run and pass.
Freshman Brock Osweiler played three unfruitful possessions. Coach Dennis Erickson said after the game that he will need better play from the position, whether from the senior or freshman, if the team has a chance to beat the Huskies.
EDGE: Huskies
Running back
Redshirt freshman Chris Polk is a bruising running back, gaining a reputation for his YAC — yards after contact.
Polk is third in the conference in rushing attempts and was second heading into last week but suffered a shoulder injury against UA and could be out against ASU, which would mean carries for freshman Demetrius Bronson.
ASU senior Dimitri Nance set a career high with 113 yards against WSU, and the Sun Devils totaled a season-high 220 yards against the porous Cougars defense as freshman Cameron Marshall and sophomore Ryan Bass joined the mix.
EDGE: Draw
Receiver/Tight end
Despite being among the conference leaders in pass attempts, the Huskies don’t have a receiver in the top 10 in pass receptions.
A young unit, seven UW receivers have at least 10 receptions and four are tied for the team lead with two touchdown receptions.
The balanced attack is led by freshman Josh Johnson with 22 catches.
6-foot-5, 253-pound sophomore tight end Kavario Middleton has aided the passing offense with 17 receptions.
For a second consecutive week, the Sun Devils got a career high in receptions from one of their seniors, both playing the slot position.
First, Chris McGaha caught 15 balls in the loss to OSU. Last week, Kyle Williams had 13 receptions for 126 yards to go along with a 53-yard reverse.
Sullivan has thrown more at the slot machines than a grandma in Vegas with a purse full of coins. ASU tight ends are stuck at three receptions through five games.
EDGE: Draw
Offensive line
Jake Locker has been sacked 12 times on the season and the UW running game has averaged only 3.7 yards per carry.
The Huskies line was said to be out of shape last year, but under new coach Steve Sarkisian, UW has a new line coach and conditioning coach who appear to have upgraded the unit from poor to average.
The Huskies run a zone-blocking scheme and start a freshman right tackle. Junior center Gregory Christine sustained a broken fibula last week and will be out, giving the job to sophomore Nick Wood, a converted defensive tackle.
The Sun Devil offensive line held its own against WSU, allowing only one sack and a few pressures while opening up running lanes.
EDGE: Draw
Defensive Line
UW has retained its lineup from the start of the season without a major injury.
The unit hasn’t been overwhelming but has made timely plays late in the game in the Huskies two big wins against UA and USC. 350-pound sophomore defensive tackle Alameda Ta’amu had a crucial sack on UA’s last drive.
UW has yielded five yards per carry and helped to create only eight sacks on the year. Not a frightening unit to face for most Pac-10 teams, but neither was OSU.
The Sun Devils defensive line uncorked like a champagne bottle on prom night, sacking WSU quarterbacks a school record 12 times, against a very young, and perhaps not fully developed WSU offensive line.
Did the ASU defensive line, with 2.5 sacks from both sophomores Lawrence Guy and James Brooks and 1.5 from senior Dexter Davis, break out? Or was it the opponent?
EDGE: Sun Devils
Linebackers
Junior outside linebacker Mason Foster was the hero in UW’s miraculous win against UA, intercepting a ball that hit off the foot of a Wildcat receiver and returning it for a touchdown to give the Huskies a lead they wouldn’t relinquish with less than three minutes remaining. Foster also had 11 tackles. Senior Donald Butler made a huge tackle on fourth down at the goal line against UA and is an above-average middle linebacker.
Freshman Vontaze Burfict, sophomore Brandon Magee and senior Mike Nixon all joined the sack party against WSU, as the Sun Devils blitzed in the second half. ASU’s linebacker crew remains one of the best and most versatile in the country.
EDGE: Sun Devils
Secondary
Highly touted freshman Desmond Trufant, brother of Seattle Seahawk cornerback Marcus Trufant, had the game-sealing interception against UA. Washington’s pass defense is eighth in the conference in yards allowed and Trufant’s pick is the lone turnover created by the secondary on the season.
ASU has the 24th ranked pass defense in the country. Hard-hitting senior safety Ryan McFoy had a pick against WSU, joining safety Jarrell Holman who has three on the year.
EDGE: Sun Devils
Special Teams
Washington is last in the conference in kick-return average and second to last in kick off coverage. Washington sophomore kicker Erick Folk is nine of 10 in field goal attempts this year.
Freshman Bobby Wenzig missed two extra points against WSU and the Sun Devils return game has tailed off the last few weeks. Junior Trevor Hankins is solid at pinning teams inside the 20 but must hold on to the ball this week.
EDGE: Huskies
Overall EDGE: Huskies
