College Football Week 5 Picks – Washington Huskies at Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Saturday, October 3rd – Notre Dame Stadium – 3:30 PM ET
NCAA Football Line: ND -12.5, O/U: 55
Washington: The Week That Was
If the Huskies were flying high after their stunning upset of USC, they were brought back to earth this past weekend at Stanford. Washington got clobbered by the Cardinal, 34-14, as Steve Sarkisian’s club surrendered 321 rushing yards, 200 of them to Stanford running back Toby Gerhart. Despite allowing only seven completed passes, Washington’s defense was repeatedly gashed on the ground, a sign that UW’s defensive front needs to get stronger.
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On offense, UW quarterback Jake Locker – an evidently gifted athlete with tremendous leadership skills – proved against Stanford that he’s a far-from-polished product under center. Locker completed only 16-of-31 passes against the Cardinal, with two interceptions and only one touchdown. Washington is far better than last year’s 0-12 team, but this group needs to make substantial improvements on both sides of the ball before Sarkisian and Co. can expect to reach a bowl game. 
Notre Dame: The Week That Was
The Fighting Irish alternated between brilliance and mediocrity for a third straight week, enduring another rollercoaster ride in a 24-21 win at Purdue. Charlie Weis’ team rallied behind injured quarterback Jimmy Clausen on a game-winning 72-yard touchdown drive. Clausen shook off a turf toe injury and threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Rudolph with 24 seconds left in the game.
Notre Dame’s offense is doing enough to win, but its defense is playing poorly. The Irish have coughed up gobs of passing yards to average Big Ten quarterbacks in recent weeks. Kirk Cousins of Michigan State smoked Weis’ defense for 302 passing yards on Sept. 19, and this past weekend, Purdue’s Joey Elliott racked up 289 yards through the air. Notre Dame’s last three games have all been decided in the final minute of regulation, but the Irish have managed to win the past two.
The Week That Is:
Last year, in Tyrone Willingham’s final season as Washington’s head coach, Notre Dame beat a Locker-less Husky team, 33-7. This time, Washington needs Locker to be a truly dynamic difference-maker. Locker must scramble in the open field whenever he sees a running lane. On the occasions when the Irish keep him in the pocket, the Washington quarterback has to expose a frail Irish secondary.
The need for Locker to perform is made apparent by the weakness of Washington’s defensive line. Clausen said this week that his toe is “feeling better every day,” which means that the Irish should score big unless the Huskies can pressure him. Receiver Golden Tate figures to catch a number of downfield passes from Clausen, unless Washington figures things out with its front seven.
This game should be high-scoring, so the Irish – blessed with a sharper quarterback and more athletic receivers – have the weaponry needed to thrive. While Notre Dame has been living on the edge, it’s hard to see Washington hanging with the Irish up front. This game could be close through the first 35 minutes, but by the time 60 minutes are done, expect the Irish to win comfortably.
Pick: Notre Dame -13 over 55
