Chris Petersen: “There’s No Doubt - This is One of The Best Defenses in The Country.”

Washington Husky head coach Chris Petersen knows that a very good football team is coming to Seattle this weekend to take on his Dawgs. The #9 ranked Utah Utes (7-1 overall 4-1 in conference) are currently the top team in the Pac 12 South and have their eyes set on the Pac 12 Championship.

Much of Utah’s success in 2019 has rested on the shoulders of their suffocating defense. The front 7 do an excellent job of putting pressure on opposing teams quarterbacks, while the defensive backs are capable of covering the best receivers in the conference. The Utah defense has drawn lots of praise from UW’s coach Chris Petersen, who when asked about them on Monday morning described them as, “One of the best defenses in the country.”  In fact, The Utes will enter Saturday’s contest vs the Dawgs flaunting the number three overall defense in all of college football. They are also the number one run defense in the nation.

The Washington Husky offense, who has shown the ability to put lots of points on the scoreboard this season (an average of 38.5 points per game) will have their work cut out for them as they try to take on the role of Pac 12 spoiler this weekend.

However, the Utes are not simply a one dimensional team that is dependent on their defense to win games for them. While they are well know for their tough defense, they also have explosive weapons on offense, led by senior quarterback Tyler Huntley. Huntley, a dual threat quarterback, has thrown for 1,778 yards, 10 TD’s and only 1 interception this season. Washington Husky’s coach Petersen has watched Huntley grow into the quarterback he is today over the past 4 years, and is impressed with the player’s progression. 

Watch the press conference below to see what Petersen had to say about Utah’s talented QB, the highly touted Ute defense, and what he expects to see when these two teams face off at 1 pm PST in Husky Stadium this Saturday.