No. 4 Washington is the big surprise of the college football season, and all eyes are on the Huskies in their big showdown with No. 17 Utah this week. Washington has rolled through its schedule so far this season (including a huge win over then-No. 7 Stanford) but will have to face the Utes' big-play duo of Troy Williams and Joe Williams (no, they are not brothers).
The Huskies are hoping to add another quality win to its somewhat weak schedule to impress the College Football Playoff selection committee, but Utah is looking to play spoiler. It'll be a fun one in Salt Lake City.
MORE: Week 9 bowl projections
Here's how to watch Washington at Utah, and keys to victory for both teams.
Washington at Utah
When: Saturday, Oct. 29, 3:30 p.m. ET
Where: Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah
TV: FS1
Online: FoxSportsGo.com
Washington-Utah all-time series
Washington and Utah have played just nine games in their series history, and the Huskies hold an 8-1 advantage. The Utes won the last meeting between the teams, 34-23, and they'll host just the second game between these teams in Salt Lake City.
Numbers that matter
4
The Huskies are one of four teams in the nation that ranks in the top 10 in scoring offense and scoring defense (Alabama, Michigan and Ohio State being the others). Washington averages 48.3 points per game (4th) and holds opponents to 14.6 points per game (7th). For a team that gets notice mostly for Jake Browning's arm, the Huskies are surprisingly well-rounded.
26
Washington quarterback Jake Browning is a very efficient passer, throwing 26 touchdowns in just 118 completions. Browning's efficiency rating (199.6) is second-best in the nation and is shooting up the Huskies' record books this season. He's the key to Washington's offense.
255.5
Utah running back Joe Williams has rushed for an average of 255.5 yards in his last two games. Williams retired at the beginning of the season, but agreed to return to the team when the other three running backs got injured. Williams also posted the first 300+ yard game in school history, rushing for 332 yards against UCLA, and he'll be an integral part of the offense against the Huskies.
Social buzz
This is the first major West Coast matchup this season that will get national attention. The Stanford-Washington game on Sept. 22 was a 9 p.m. ET Friday night kickoff and turned out to be a blowout, so many people tuned out. This game, however, is a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff and has College Football Playoff implications — if Washington wins — and the Utes will be the toughest team the Huskies have faced all season.
The big question
Will the Pac 12 play itself out of the CFP? If Utah beats Washington, the Huskies will most likely fall out of the CFP conversation for the time being. The Utes will then become the favorite for the conference title, but will most likely have to face Washington again, and the one-loss conference champ will still have a chance at a playoff spot. The Pac 12's best hope for a CFP bid is for Washington to beat Utah on Saturday, and then beat the Utes again (most likely) in the title game. But teams like Louisville and Ohio State will be rooting for Utah.
