Washington's Defense Will Have Its Hands Full With Utah's Rushing Attack

The Washington Huskies defense has struggled against the run this season, allowing 143 yards per game. With the Utah Utes coming to town, the Huskies will have to find a way to take down one of the best rushing attacks in the Pac-12 Conference if they want to remain undefeated.

Spearheaded by sophomore running back Ja'Quinden Jackson — who has rushed for 598 yards and 2 touchdowns this year — and two-way standout safety Sione Vaki, who is averaging over 8 yards per carry, the Utes are averaging 192 yards per game this season.

While it has found success on the ground, Utah's offense hasn't been great through the air, averaging a Pac-12-low 159.4 passing yards per game. The Utes also are 10th in the conference in scoring, averaging 25 points per contest, and would have a lot of trouble keeping pace with Washington's high-flying offense if they can't run the ball effectively

After re-injuring his ankle against Arizona State last weekend, Jackson will be incredibly tough to bring down if he is able to play. However, his status is a big question mark for Utah because he left the team's 55-3 win over the Sun Devils in the third quarter and did not return.

"He's exceptionally tough," coach Kyle Whittingham said of Jackson's status. "He's giving it all he possibly can. He gets it as good as he can throughout the week, then lets it rip on Saturdays. His status is still up in the air, but we'll see how he feels this week."

To counter Utah's run game, which would turn to sophomore Jaylon Glover if Jackson is unable to play, Washington is prepared to give defensive tackle Tuli Letuligasenoa an increased workload, which adds a major contributor to the middle of Washington's defense.

"We know how desperately we need him as a huge factor for us here in the back half of the season," co-defensive coordinator Chuck Morrell said of Letuligasenoa. "Hopefully we can at least double his snap count this week."

The Huskies need to keep Utah's running backs from picking up yards after contact and cut down on missed tackles that have plagued the defense all season. Since the Utes don't have a prolific passing attack, Morrell can commit extra bodies to stop the run that should help negate that issue.

With Oregon State following Utah, Washington will face a pair of tough tests on the ground and needs to tighten up its defense before a potential Pac-12 championship appearance. Stopping Utah's running game would be a big step toward solidifying the unit as the regular season begins to wind down and postseason nears.

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