University of Washington
No. 18 Boise State Broncos vs. UW Huskies: What to watch for in Las Vegas Bowl
NO. 18 BOISE STATE (12-1) VS. WASHINGTON (7-5)
When: 4:30 p.m. PT, Saturday
Where: Sam Boyd Stadium (Las Vegas, Nev.)
TV: ABC
Radio: KOMO-AM 1000/FM-97.7
Outlook: Washington head coach Chris Petersen will coach his final game on Saturday as he faces off against his former team in the Las Vegas Bowl. While Petersen has tried to avoid it — and has shifted the focus to his players as much as possible — he’s found himself in the spotlight more often than not this week. But there is still a game to play, so let’s talk about it.
Boise State has only dropped one game this season, a 28-25 loss BYU in October. The Cougars were a common opponent for UW and the Boise State, with the Huskies topping BYU 45-19 in September.
Boise State leads the Mountain West Conference with 36.8 points per game and is second in total offense, averaging 469.3 yards. The Broncos’ 62 touchdowns also rank second in the conference behind Hawaii, another opponent that UW faced. The Huskies topped Hawaii 52-20. Boise State beat Hawaii twice this season, most recently winning the Mountain West championship game, 31-10.
The Broncos have started three quarterbacks. Jaylon Henderson, who has started the last four games, opened the year as the No. 3 quarterback. He moved into the starting role after injuries ravaged the position and hasn’t relinquished it even with the other two quarterbacks — freshman Hank Bachmeier and sophomore Chase Chord — now reportedly healthy and available. Henderson missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday due to illness, and there was no word Friday on whether or not he would play. Broncos head coach Bryan Harsin did say that Bachmeier and Chord would likely see the field, too.
Henderson has completed 84-of-133 passes for 1,032 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions this season.
UW dropped three of its final five games but did end the season with a 31-13 victory over Washington State. The Huskies will be without a few key players on Saturday. Junior tight end Hunter Bryant and senior left tackle Trey Adams are sitting out the bowl game as they begin preparation for the 2020 NFL Draft. Sophomore right guard Jaxson Kirkland, who was injured in the loss to Colorado, didn’t make the trip to Las Vegas for health reasons.
UW’s offense will be looking to end the season with a strong performance after scoring fewer than 20 points in two of its final three games. The Huskies managed just two touchdowns in a 20-14 loss to Colorado.
UW player to watch: Quarterback Jacob Eason. It remains to be seen whether Eason will return to UW next season or declare for the NFL Draft. It seems unlikely that decision will come down to a single performance, but Eason might have something to prove after struggling late in the regular season.
Boise State player to watch: Defensive lineman/linebacker Curtis Weaver, especially against the Huskies’ depleted offensive line. Weaver, who was named the Mountain West defensive player of the Year, has 13.5 sacks on the season. That leads the conference and ranks sixth in the country. He’s the Mountain West’s all-time sacks leader with 34. He also has 18.5 tackles for loss this season, which tops the conference and is tied for 14th nationally.
Keep an eye on: Special teams. The Huskies’ have been strong on special teams all season, but Boise State has the Mountain West special teams player of the year in punt returner Avery Williams. He’s scored two touchdowns in punt returns this season.
This story was originally published December 21, 2019, 7:00 AM.
