5:57
And the Huskies offense may have just figured some things out. On third-and-10 from the Washington 25, Browning finds Aaron Fuller for 13 yards. Then Saivon Ahmed breaks into the second level for 22 yards into Auburn territory. And after a holding penalty, Browning goes deep for Fuller, who draws pass interference and still reels in a 42 yards to the Auburn 8.
And then it’s Washington’s turn to stall out. Two stuffed runs and an incomplete fade route turn into a 29-yard field goal from Henry. Auburn 12, Washington 6.
10:35
Rinse, repeat. Auburn works the ball into the red zone with ease — this time thanks to a 19-yard Martin run on fourth-and-1 — and then stalls out. Carlson hits a 28-yarder this time. The Tigers are completely dominating but are giving the Huskies a chance to figure things out.
- Yards: Auburn 223, Washington 66
- Scoring opportunities: Auburn 5, Washington 1
- Points: Auburn 12, Washington 3.
14:41
After a quick incompletion to Gaskin, Washington has to punt. Davis rips off another huge return, but an illegal block brings it back. Auburn 9, Washington 3.
0:00
The quarter ends with Washington facing a third-and-6 from its 24. Auburn 9, Washington 3.
0:29
Goodness, Auburn is just destroying Washington through the air. Stidham finds Nick Coe for 17 yards, then throws short to Davis and Cox, who use great blocking to gain a combined 36 yards. Washington is controlling the run, though, and forces another field goal after two short runs and an incompletion. Anders Carlson pushes a 32-yard attempt way left, and Washington dodges a bullet. Auburn 9, Washington 3.
2:59
Gaskin goes for 14 yards around the right edge, then Browning makes his first big pass of the day, a 32-yarder to Aaron Fuller. Auburn stiffens from there, giving up zero yards in three plays, but a 31-yard Peyton Henry field goal puts Washington on the board. Auburn 9, Washington 3.
5:39
Washington’s defensive line has established itself a bit, but the Auburn receiving corps is trouncing the Huskies’ secondary. Stidham finds a wide open Darius Slayton for 18 yards on third-and-12, then hits Nate Craig-Myers for 24 over the middle on third-and-6. Slayton can’t quite reel in a third-and-5 shot in the end zone, though, and The Latest Carlson hits a 32-yard field goal.
Current passer ratings: Stidham 214.9, Browning 15.4. Matches what the eyes have told us so far. This game has started about as poorly for the Huskies as the Fiesta Bowl did last year. Auburn 9, Washington 0.
9:42
Gaskin rushes for 10 yards on the first play, then Browning completes a third-and-9 pass to Drew Sample to the UW 46. Some positivity for Washington, but it’s brief. On second-and-9, Browning scrambles to his left and throws downfield ... directly to Auburn’s Jamel Dean. Only guy in the vicinity. Either a failed throwaway or an absolutely horrid decision. Either way, Auburn ball at its 37. Auburn 6, Washington 0.
11:45
Auburn’s offense comes out whipping the ball from side to side. Short passes to Davis and Kam Martin go for a combined 21. And on third down, after a couple of short passes, Jarrett Stidham’s first downfield pass of the year is a hitch-and-go to Sal Cannella, who makes a lovely catch for a touchdown. Auburn gets greedy and attempts a trick-play two-point conversion. It fails. But the Tigers look good so far. Auburn 6, Washington 0.
13:57
Auburn’s defensive line makes an immediate statement on Washington’s first possession. Myles Gaskin gets blown up by Daniel Thomas on first down, Jake Browning has to scramble and throw an incomplete chest pass on second, and a screen pass is erased on third. A very quick three-and-out, and Ryan Davis returns the punt 32 yards to the Washington 36. Auburn 0, Washington 0.
The No. 6 Washington Huskies and No. 9 Auburn Tigers will meet for perhaps the biggest matchup of college football’s first week on Saturday. The game is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC (live streaming via ABC), and is the only top-10 matchup of Week 1.
The Pac-12 needs a big, splashy win and the Huskies have a talented roster of veterans, but Auburn is not an easy team to beat. That’s especially true with one of the league’s best defensive fronts and Jarrett Stidham at quarterback. Saturday’s matchup from Mercedes-Benz Stadium is definitely the Week 1 matchup to watch.
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.
- TV: ABC
- Streaming: ABC
- Odds: Auburn opened as 3-point favorites, though the line has narrowed, with them being favored by as little as 1.5 points on some books at the time of writing.
- Auburn released its official depth chart and there were few surprises. Notably, Aidan Marshall won the punting job and Sal Cannella is listed as a starter.
- Every single writer at College And Magnolia picked Auburn to beat to beat Washington, which is definitely not at all surprising.
- And it seems like Washington fans may be a little more pessimistic, as multiple writers at WR Dawg Pound picked Auburn as well!
- There’s a ton of buzz about the Huskies this year, and everyone knows it:
It’s that sense that the success of the program is more a factor of the program itself than the stars going through it that we all ought to be targeting. For the first time in decades, there is a real opportunity for Washington to achieve that status ... a status that is normally reserved for the truly elite programs in all of college football.
A win over Auburn tomorrow isn’t an absolute requirement if this kind of ascension is the expectation. But it sure wouldn’t hurt.
Either way, this has the potential to be a real pivot season for the program. Failure to take that next step could very well undermine the credibility of the path that the current staff is taking the program down. However, a few credible improvements over next year could build optimism around the bright talents of the great young talent that this program has in its reserves and create a real groundswell of momentum among spectators and recruits alike.
Success begets success. That’s what we all should expect.
- Auburn starting cornerback Jamel Dean practiced on Tuesday, and is expected to play against Washington on Saturday.
As far as S&P+ metrics go, Auburn has a 22.1 projected S&P+, with Washington at 23.5, a difference of just .4, which would indicate that Washington would have the advantage on a neutral field. While Auburn isn’t playing at home, they are playing in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, so this is a very hard one to call.
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