For a second consecutive season, the Washington Huskies and Texas Longhorns will meet in a bowl recreation. Solely this time, a visit to the nationwide championship is at stake.
Final 12 months’s Valero Alamo Bowl offered loads of offensive fireworks with each groups combining for 865 yards in a 27-20 Huskies win. With such excessive stakes this 12 months, Monday’s Sugar Bowl matchup will probably be as entertaining, if no more.
Listed here are three explanation why Texas can beat Washington within the Faculty Soccer Playoff semifinals:
1. The defensive position
Defensive deal with T’Vondre Sweat, who’s labored his approach into the first-round dialog, was named the Huge 12 Defensive Participant of the 12 months and he received the Outland Trophy, given yearly to the nation’s high inside lineman. Washington must account for him on each down. Subsequent to Sweat is Byron Murphy II, the Huge 12 Defensive Lineman of the 12 months and a probable Spherical 2 draft decide. The duo mixed for 68 pressures, 54 hurries, 16 tackles for loss, seven sacks and 6 QB hits.
As if that wasn’t sufficient for the Huskies offensive line to fret about, the Longhorns even have a powerful rotation of lineman together with defensive ends Ethan Burke, Barryn Sorrell and Jett Bush plus defensive deal with Alfred Collins to throw UW’s approach. The foursome mixed for 99 pressures, 67 hurries, 21 QB hits, 18 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries.
Not solely do the Longhorns generate loads of strain up the center, however in addition they take away operating lanes and basically construct a wall on the line of scrimmage, which not solely impacts Huskies QB Michael Penix Jr. however operating again Dillon Johnson as nicely.
2. The pass-catchers
Whereas Washington has a trio of athletically gifted wideouts who will all probably be drafted in April, Texas is not any slouch in the case of weapons within the passing recreation. Xavier Worthy headlines an underrated group that additionally options Adonai Mitchell, Jordan Whittington and tight finish Ja’Tavion Sanders — three of whom are top-60 draft prospects.
Worthy leads the workforce in receptions (73) and yards (969), and he’s all the time a risk to take a punt return to the home. Mitchell (51 receptions, 813 yards) leads the workforce in touchdowns (10), and Whittington put up stable numbers as UT’s No. 3 wideout with 38 catches and 435 yards.
Conversely, Sanders, who had 39 catches for 607 yards and two scores, is arguably the No. 2 TE within the 2024 draft behind Georgia’s Brock Bowers. He completed second in yards per reception (5.6), fifth in receiving yards and yards after the catch (326), and 14th in receptions amongst all tight ends this 12 months.
3. The teaching workers
Whereas Washington’s Kalen DeBoer has established himself as one of many high school coaches during the last two years, Steve Sarkisian has the determined edge in big-game expertise having spent three years within the NFL (one with the Raiders, two with the Falcons) and three seasons as an offensive analyst after which offensive coordinator at Alabama, the place he received a nationwide title in 2020 and coached in one other in 2016.
Past Sarkisian’s intensive expertise, the remainder of the Texas teaching workers has a mixed 15 video games of expertise teaching within the CFP, whereas Washington’s workers has none.