**Editor’s Note: Each week during football season, we feature an essay from the opponent’s student newspaper on why Oregon will lose. This week’s edition is from Alexis Mansanarez, the sports editor at the The Daily of the University of Washington.**
Thirteen will be Washington’s lucky number as it travels to Autzen Stadium to face Oregon on Saturday night. The Ducks (2-3, 0-2 Pac-12) have not have much success recently as they will travel back to Eugene on a three-game losing streak.
The Huskies (5-0, 2-0 Pac-12) hope to claim bragging rights over their northwest rival for the first time in 12 years. Led by quarterback Jake Browning and the Pac-12’s top scoring defense, the UW will do the unprecedented and beat Oregon on its own turf.
In the past, Washington had trouble scoring against and containing Oregon on both sides of the ball. This season, the undefeated Huskies show no signs of slowing down, bringing the conference’s best scoring offense to face one of the Pac-12 worst scoring defenses in the Ducks.
Browning enters the weekend with the second best pass efficiency (196.3) in the FBS and has a total of 17 touchdowns under his belt and plenty of targets to look to against Oregon’s shaky defense. Wide receivers John Ross III, Dante Pettis, and Chico McClatcher have just over 800 yards combined, more than half of what Oregon has allowed all season.
With tight end Darrell Daniels, tailback Myles Gaskin, and true freshman receiver Aaron Fuller also making large contributions on offense, the Huskies will have no problem moving the ball down the field.
What has plagued Washington in the past is Oregon’s explosive offense, but this year the Huskies have a dynamic defense that can even stop one of the nation’s top running backs. If the UW could stop Heisman-hopeful Christian McCaffrey, it will have no trouble stopping Royce Freeman, who averages 8.3 yards a carry.
The Ducks have been mediocre protecting their quarterback, and Washington’s defensive front is hoping to exploit that. The Huskies are good for a conference-leading total of 21 sacks for a loss of 123 yards, and they can do more than just rush the pocket.
Washington leads the nation in fumble recoveries (11) and takeaways (15), and have added 52 points to the scoreboard off turnovers. A mistake from Dakota Prukop could be the deciding factor in Saturday’s game, and with two interceptions on the books, the nonstop pressure of Washington’s ‘Death Row’ will surely cost Prukop.
The UW has arguably its best team since its championship season in 1991. Just as Oregon has fallen from the top of the Pac-12 North, so will its 12-game winning streak.
Reach Sports Editor Alexis Mansanarez at sports@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @almansanarez