For a second consecutive season, the Washington Huskies and Texas Longhorns will meet within the school soccer postseason. Solely this time, a visit to the nationwide championship is on the road.
Final yr’s Valero Alamo Bowl offered loads of offensive fireworks because the groups mixed for 865 yards in a 27-20 Huskies win. With such excessive stakes this yr, Monday’s Sugar Bowl matchup will doubtless be as entertaining, if no more.
Listed here are three the reason why Washington can beat Texas within the School Soccer Playoff semifinals.
1. Michael Penix Jr.
Washington has the No. 1 passing offense within the nation, and it’s led by Heisman finalist Penix Jr., who threw for 4,218 yards, 33 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. He had 9 video games of 300 or extra yards passing and he threw three or extra touchdowns in six of them.
Penix Jr.’s two worst video games this season have been in opposition to Oregon State and Arizona State. Each have been one-score video games, and each defenses did an excellent job of not letting the 6-foot-3 senior get too snug within the pocket and disrupting his timing. Texas ranks thirty fourth within the nation in sacks, and none of its edge-rushers or defensive lineman had greater than 5.5 this season.
If Penix Jr. has time to sit down again within the pocket and dissect the Longhorns’ secondary, Washington might put up factors in bunches.
2. A roster loaded with NFL expertise
Washington has seven gamers on its roster along with Penix Jr. who might hear their names known as through the 2024 NFL Draft in April, 4 of which might go within the first spherical.
Receiver Rome Odunze, who anticipated to be a top-15 choose, ranks third within the nation in receiving yards (1,428), and he’s tied for sixth in touchdowns (13) and tied for nineteenth in receptions (81). His associate in crime Ja’Lynn Polk, who’s projected as a second-round choose, additionally had a 1,000-yard season and eight touchdowns as well.
Edge-rusher Bralen Trice, who’s additionally anticipated to be a Spherical 1 choice, was one of many prime pass-rushers within the nation, logging 70 pressures, 49 hurries, 15 QB hits and 5 sacks. Offensive deal with Troy Fautanu allowed simply 19 pressures and two sacks this season, and he might be a mid-to-late first-rounder as nicely.
Past these 5 gamers, receiver Jalen McMillan, cornerback Jabbar Muhammad and defensive finish Zion Tupuola-Fetui are all anticipated to be drafted as nicely.
3. Washington is arguably the most popular workforce in school soccer
Relationship again to final season, the Huskies are using a 20-game win streak, and so they’ve gained 24 of their final 26 video games. Over that span, they’ve scored 1,006 factors and outscored opponents by 362 factors.
The Huskies have 5 wins over ranked groups this yr, together with two over No. 8 Oregon. In these 5 video games, UW averages 439.4 yards of whole offense and 35.8 factors per sport.