Washington Huskies Game Day Grades – Week 3

Washington Huskies
Jake Locker Photo Credit: TheDailySportsHerald - Under Creative Commons License

The Washington Huskies went into a tough road game at Utah and flexed their muscles, winning 21-7 over the Utes. The defense looked great, holding Utah quarterback Tyler Huntley to just 138 yards passing and forcing three turnovers. Sophomore receiver Ty Jones capped off his homecoming with his third touchdown in his last two games. The Huskies return home this week for a big game against N’Keal Harry and Arizona State.

QB Jake Browning

14-24, 155 yards, 2 total TDs (1 rushing), 1 INT

Despite the mediocre numbers, Browning really didn’t look terrible on Saturday. The running game looked great, as the Huskies rushed for 172 yards as a team. So Jake didn’t need to do too much outside of running the offense. And other than the bad interception early in the fourth quarter, where he admitted he was trying to do too much, Browning was fine.

RB Myles Gaskin

30 rushes, 143 yards, 1 TD

This was peak Myles Gaskin. He always seems to get up a little extra when UW faces off with Utah. He showed it from the Huskies’ first drive of the game, busting off a 38-yard touchdown run. Gaskin continued to show his power and shiftiness all game long and showed out the way Husky fans are used to.

OT Kaleb McGary

McGary anchored a Huskies line that saw a lot of changes during this game, against a tough Utah D-line. It didn’t seem to matter much, as Utah only was able to sack Browning once. McGary might be the unsung hero of this team, he comes in every week and does his job. The Huskies are able to isolate him one on one on the edge, and more often than not, he gets the job done.

DT Greg Gaines

3 tackles, 1 solo, 1 sack

Gaines is a man among boys out on the field, an immovable object. He stands strong against the run, forcing teams to run away from him. He’s also starting to prove himself as more of a pass rusher, which was hard to do next to Vita Vea last season. He’s had a good season so far and only has room to grow.

LB Ben Burr-Kirven

11 tackles, 4 solo

Burr-Kirven was all over the field on Saturday, and his 11 tackles were enough to earn him Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week. Linebacker was one of the big questions for the Huskies coming into this season, and Burr-Kirven has been great. His range and tackling skills are incredible and have been rock solid so far this season in the middle of the Husky defense.

The Huskies return home this week for a big game against N’Keal Harry and Arizona State.

Taylor Rapp

4 tackles, 2 solos, 1 sack

It’s never going to get old saying it, Taylor Rapp is the best safety in the country. He hits, he tackles, and he’s a ball hawk. There really isn’t much to say at this point, it’s hard to find flaws in the way he played at Utah, or how he looks like an NFL prospect.