The No. 5 Ducks went 11-1 in the regular season, their only loss to the No. 3 Huskies, who completed a 12-0 regular season. Friday’s winner will have a strong case for a College Football Playoff berth, while quarterbacks Bo Nix of Oregon and Michael Penix Jr. of UW can make final cases for consideration for the Heisman Trophy.
Washington leads the all-time series between the two, 62-48-5, including 17-5-1 at neutral sites. The Huskies have won two straight and four of the last seven in the series.
ABC will televise Friday’s game at 5 p.m., with play by play from Chris Fowler, analysis by Kirk Herbstreit and sideline reporting by Holly Rowe.
Some storylines to watch when the game kicks off …
1. For the Ducks, among the many opportunities presented by Friday’s game is a chance to avenge their 36-33 loss in Seattle on Oct. 14.
But it’s a fine line between being motivated to prepare well, and letting emotions get carried away once the game begins. UO coach Dan Lanning wants to see his team play with focus and composure come Friday evening.
“We’ve got great energy; I don’t think it’s really my job to necessarily temper the energy, but more so make sure that we maintain the focus on where it needs to be,” Lanning said. “And our guys have done a great job of that. They realize that energy doesn’t win games — execution does.”
2. Coming into this week, Nix is considered the favorite for the Heisman Trophy by some pundits, though Penix also has a strong résumé. And while LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels’ team didn’t make this week’s SEC championship game, his numbers on the season are impressive as well.
So along with all the implications for Oregon as a team Friday, there’s the chance for Nix to make one last case for his Heisman candidacy.
“He’s been playing at a really, really high level the entirety of the season, and he’s playing as good as anybody in the nation right now,” Lanning said. “It’s really apparent.”
3. This week the finalists for the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best receiver were announced, and though Oregon’s Troy Franklin was a worthy candidate, he did not make the cut.
Among the trio who did was Washington’s Rome Odunze, who had two touchdowns in the Huskies’ win over the Ducks in October. When Penix is in trouble, Odunze is the receiver he targets.
How will…
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