There is one thing that is certain when talking about the Washington Huskies football team: their offense can put up points. The run game has been solid with Myles Gaskin and Lavon Coleman leading the way, but it has been their passing attack that has put them in a position to outscore almost any opponent.
Let’s take a look at the Huskies’ star quarterback and several of his weapons.
Jake Browning (#3)
Position: Quarterback
Class: Sophomore
Height: 6’2
Weight: 209
Hometown: Folsom, California
2016 Statistics: 223/353 (63.2%), 3,280 passing yards, 42 touchdowns, seven interceptions
Player Analysis: So, would fans like the good news or the bad news first? Let’s go with the good news. The good news is that Alabama should be able to put consistent pressure on Jake Browning and the Washington passing game. The Huskies’ offensive line should struggle — especially at right tackle and right guard — and Alabama can exploit that.
The bad news? It might not matter. Jake Browning has been one of the most effective quarterbacks in college football this season when he has been under pressure — throwing for 10 touchdowns to only two interceptions under pressure. That doesn’t mean that he has been perfect in this area, however.
According to Pro Football Focus, Browning was under pressure against USC’s front-seven on 23 of his 43 drop-backs on November 12th. That resulted in Browning having one of his worst statistical performances of the season. He did throw for 259-yards, but he only completed 47.2-percent of his passes. It was also the only time this season that Browning threw more interceptions than touchdowns — one touchdown to two interceptions.
Browning is by no means a perfect quarterback, but he does have the ability to shred opposing secondaries. His deep ball has been particularly effective. On passes traveling 20-yards or more downfield, Browning has thrown for 1,116-yards and 15 touchdowns. Now, there are times where he under throws the receiver on deep balls, which Alabama can take advantage of if given the opportunity.
Browning’s above average accuracy doesn’t stop on his deep throws. In fact, it’s his ability to make accurate throws to all levels of the field that makes him such dangerous passer. Here is Browning putting the ball where only his receiver can get it:
https://vine.co/v/5EEi3WLdaag
The other thing to notice is Browning’s ability to extend the play with his legs. In the previous play, he is able to elude the pass rush, move to his left and still deliver a perfect throw. That’s about as good as it gets. Alabama will need to keep Browning’s ability with his legs in mind.
https://vine.co/v/5EEMUhqFUYl
Browning has four rushing touchdowns this season.
John Ross (#1)
Position: Wide Receiver
Class: Junior
Height: 5’11
Weight: 190
Hometown: Long Beach, California
2016 Statistics: 76 receptions, 1,122 receiving yards, 17 touchdowns
Player Analysis: Outside of Clemson’s Mike Williams, there might not be a more talented draft-eligible wide receiver than John Ross.
The guy makes things look easy out there. Ross is so smooth with his movement, and he is extremely hard to bring down in the open field. Here is an example of Ross’s elusiveness:
https://vine.co/v/5EEeQDrVWAg
Watching this clip, it’s not surprising to see why Ross leads all Power-5 wide receivers in receiving touchdowns with 17. He has elite speed that can take the top off of a defense in a similar manner to other former Pac-12 receivers such as DeSean Jackson and Brandin Cooks. Here is another clip of Ross showing off his speed and getting deep:
https://vine.co/v/5EEOnbLpxub
Now, you might not have noticed it from this clip, but this was one of those occasions where Browning under threw his receiver. Ross still does an excellent job of slowing down, keeping control of his body and continuing to shield the defender in order to make the catch.
Washington will use Ross in a number of different ways, but his biggest strength is his speed. They love to get him deep, but they also like to use his speed working him across the middle of the field through traffic. Ross isn’t considered an elite route runner, but there is a smoothness about him that allows him to still effectively set up opposing defensive backs in coverage.
Alabama’s secondary might have their hands full if Marlon Humphrey and Anthony Averett struggle to contest the deep ball at the catch-point — this has been a continued issue for Humphrey in particular.
Dante Pettis (#8)
Position: Wide Receiver
Class: Junior
Height: 6’1
Weight: 188
Hometown: San Clemente, California
2016 Statistics: 50 receptions, 796 receiving yards, 14 touchdowns
Player Analysis: There are very few people who would argue that John Ross is the most talented player on Washington’s offense. That doesn’t mean that the team’s no. 2 receiver doesn’t make some outstanding plays.
Pettis has shown flashes during his first two years at Washington, but he has finally found a way to put it all together and become an excellent second option for Jake Browning. At only 6’1 188-pounds, Pettis has struggled with physical cornerbacks in the past that would jam him on the line of scrimmage. Due to improved hand usage off the line and a better understanding of the game, Pettis has improved significantly in this area.
One thing that Pettis seems to do a better job of than Ross is his ability to go up and get the football at the high-point. Here is a clip of Pettis doing just that:
https://vine.co/v/5EEpJpX2Dw7
He has shown excellent hands over the course of this season, and that has really opened things up for offense as a whole.
https://vine.co/v/5EEdxTV9jYP
There are two things to notice on this play. One, Jake Browning couldn’t have put this ball in a better spot. It included incredible touch. The other thing is the catch. Pettis makes this one-handed grab look easy.
Alabama is going to give Ross a lot of attention come Saturday, but they would be wise to keep Pettis in check as well. Ross leads all Power-5 receivers in receiving touchdowns with 17, but Pettis isn’t far behind with 14 of his own — good for fourth among Power-5 receivers. Look for Pettis on third-downs as well. He has been extremely effective coming through when the offense needs to move the chains.
Darrell Daniels (#15)
Position: Tight End
Class: Senior
Height: 6’4
Weight: 246
Hometown: Pittsburg, California
2016 Statistics: 17 receptions, 307 receiving yards, three touchdowns
Player Analysis: Darrell Daniels has been an underrated part of the Huskies’ offense for some time now. After coming in as a 6’4 205-pound receiver back in 2013, the former four-star progressively gained weight to the point where he was able to make the move to tight end.
He isn’t what you would consider an in-line blocking tight end, but rather a move tight end that can make plays in space. Here you can see the type of impact that Daniels can have in the red-zone.
https://vine.co/v/5EEP2lAK9vY
There is definitely talent in Daniels, and it’s entirely possible that we could end up seeing him play on Sundays sometime in the future. Alabama’s defense has done an excellent job of containing tight ends this season — outside of Ole Miss’s tight end Evan Engram — so it remains to be seen if Daniels can have any sort of significant impact in this game. He is definitely a guy to monitor, however.
Clint Lamb is a columnist for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “follow” him on Twitter @ClintRLamb.
