Undefeated Oregon Ducks look to continue streak vs Washington Huskies

Both teams are now in the Big Ten and while the Huskies are not having the best season, rivalry games still bring out the best performances. I expect this matchup to bring some added punch since there is more to this game. For years, it was the matchup that made the Pac-12 conference and Dan Lanning has yet to get the Huskies off his back. Washington has won all three games with Lanning as head coach including the Pac-12 Championship game last year.

The game in 2024 has one team with all the momentum, a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback in Dillon Gabriel and Oregon is now the lone team in the country without a loss following Notre Dame's win over Navy on Saturday. The Huskies have not had the season they thought. Following a National Championship runner-up label from last season in a loss to Michigan, the mass exodus and transfer portal took effect.

Washington's last game was a loss at Penn State, but they, like the Ducks had a bye week prior to their matchup at Autzen Stadium on Nov. 30. For Oregon, it has been a week to get healthy. Key areas for Oregon that have had injuries most of the season include the offensive line, where they have found a way to be competitive. I doubt that Oregon will have transfer Matthew Bedford on the field vs Washington.

The Oregon offense had a scare vs Michigan as Tez Johnson went down with an injury. It was not a season-ending injury at the time and last week Johnson announced on Instagram that he was healthy enough to be back. Over the weekend he had a signing event in Oregon and was seen taking pictures with fans from across the state. I expect he will be on the field on Saturday.

Saturday will be Senior Day for the Ducks against one of their biggest rivals. The Ducks and Huskies kick off at 4:30 p.m. PT from Autzen Stadium. The game will be broadcast on NBC.

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