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Washington Game Week: Husky Defensive Line Needs to Step-Up

We all know the Washington offense is high-powered this year. Behind Jake Locker, the Huskies should have no problem moving the ball down the field. But can the Husky defense stop anyone?

John Berkowitz at UWDawgPound thinks the Husky defensive line could be a strong-point for Washington this year and is something to keep an eye on against BYU.

In the article above it bluntly states that “BYU will surely be able to move the ball on ground against Washington.” I am not buying into that. I don’t think any of the prognosticators are familiar with a guy named Alameda Ta’amu. My guess is they will after this Saturday.

Washington is strong up the middle starting with DT Alameda Ta’amu who has transformed his body in the off season. We saw glimpses of what Ta’amu could do last season but a lack of conditioning limited his effectiveness to maybe three solid plays in a row at best last season. He is faster, lighter, stronger,and most importantly is capable of staying in the game longer this season before requiring a breather.

There Huskies do have question marks about their front four, but Berkowitz is confident they’ll be able to step-up to the plate, stop the run and create pressure in passing situations. The play of the Washington defensive line is an often-overlooked key in the Huskies’ success on the field this year. How they play could be the difference between making a bowl game or staying home during the post-season.

The Huskies hit the road to take on BYU Saturday at 4 p.m.

For more on the Huskies, check out SB Nation’s UWDawgPound.