Keith Price has been wrecking it up as a redshirt sophomore, which has been critical for keeping Washington's offense moving forward. But he's going to have his hands full in his second straight road test, as he'll almost certainly need to throw the ball effectively to notch UW their first road win of the season.
Washington rush offense vs Utah rush defense
For all the talk about Chris Polk coming into the season, this has been the quietest part of Washington's offense this season. The Huskies are averaging only 4.1 yards per rushing attempt on the ground, making Price's success all the more impressive. Washington has been straight stonewalled on first down (3.79 yards per rush), forcing more obvious passing situations than Steve Sarkisian would have liked.
Won't get any easier against the Utes. Utah has one of the top rush defenses in the country, giving up less than 80 rushing yards per game, 2.64 yards per attempt, and only one ground touchdown on the season. Washington will almost certainly have to rely on Price again for the Huskies to get to 4-1.
Washington pass offense vs Utah pass defense
Hard to find many weaknesses for Price up to this point in his stat numbers. He's completing two-thirds of his passes and looks pretty solid in almost every situation he faces. In the red zone he's pretty much automatic, with TEN touchdowns on 20 passing attempts and a 304 passer rating.
Utah's defense might be the most formidable test for Price this season, as the Utes have been able to slow down Matt Barkley and Jake Heaps in their first two big tests of the season. The Utes only allow a 56.4% completion rate (37th in the nation), 6.8 yards per pass attempt (53rd in the nation), and most importantly, three passing touchdowns (tied for 17th). Hardly a spectacular pass D, but they could provide Price with his first real heat check as a Pac-12 starter in Salt Lake City.
For more on Washington football, go to UW Dawg Pound. For more on Utah football, check out Block U.