DAWG SHOWS ’24

New Husky history to be written with maiden voyage in the Big Ten Conference

UW Opponent Game Previews

BY BART POTTER • FOR GO HUSKIES MAGAZINE

_________________

This first-ever Weber State battle will feature QB Richie Muñoz’s air attack

Weber State Wildcats: 2023 – 6-5, 4-4 Big Sky Conference

AUG. 31 • 8 p.m. • Seattle • Big Ten Network

Washington’s first-ever meeting with Weber State of Ogden, Utah, pits the Huskies in their non-conference opener against a Wildcat team that made noise late in the 2023 Big Sky Conference season. True freshman quarterback Richie Muñoz took over as starter midseason, throwing for 1,054 yards and 10 touchdowns in five games and led WSU to three straight victories to close the season, including a win against then-No. 4 (FCS) Idaho. Weber will count on a return to health for senior running back Damon Bankston, who averaged 77.6 yards per game and 6.1 yards per carry in five games before a season-ending injury. Returning All-Big Sky linebacker Jack Kelly leads the Weber defense (12 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles in ‘23).

LAST MEETING: Teams have never met.

_________________

Eagles defense preyed upon MAC foes in 2023 with stingy linemen and CBs

Eastern Michigan Eagles: 2023 – 6-7, 4-4 Mid-American Conference

SEPT. 7 • 12:30 p.m. • Seattle • Big Ten Network

The Eastern Michigan Eagles of Ypsilanti, Mich., will be looking for a fourth straight postseason bowl berth as they enter their 11th season under Coach Chris Creighton. EMU was strong on defense in 2023, ranking in the top half of the nation in most defensive categories and were stingy on fourth down, ranking 11th nationally and second in the MAC with a 35 percent success rate. On offense, prolific University of Buffalo transfer quarterback Cole Snyder will take the reins for the Eagles after passing for more than 5,000 yards in 25 games at Buffalo. The run game is bolstered by the return of Jaylon Jackson (136 carries, 576 yards in 2023).

LAST MEETING: Teams have never met.

_________________

New wave Apple Cup at Lumen Field for 112th Dawgs and Cougs showdown

Washington State Cougars: 2023 – 5-7, 2-7 Pac-12 Conference

SEPT. 14 • 12:30 p.m. • Seattle (Lumen Field) • Peacock

The first Apple Cup in the post-Pac 12 era will be played in Week 3 on a neutral field in Seattle. Washington will meet a Jake Dickert-coached Cougar team facing uncertainty about its conference future but with promising talent ready to compete for playing time in key spots. Top contender to fill the void left by the transfer of QB Cam Ward to Miami (3,732 yards, 25 TDs in ’23) is redshirt sophomore John Mateer of Little Elm, Texas. Wideout Josh Kelly’s portal exit to Texas Tech leaves pass-catching mainly in the hands of incoming transfers Kyle Williams (40 catches, 541 yards, five TDs at UNLV) and Kris Hutson (40 catches, 472 yards at Oregon in 2022).

LAST MEETING: 2023 – Washington 24-21. SERIES: Washington 73-32-6.

_________________

Big Ten debut features former Vandy and Mississippi State gunslinger Mike Wright

Northwestern Wildcats: 2023 – 8-5, 5-4 Big Ten Conference

SEPT. 21 • Seattle • Time and TV TBD

David Braun had his “interim” tag lifted as Northwestern’s head football coach in November 2023 on the way to leading the Wildcats to an 8-5 record that included a Las Vegas Bowl victory over Utah. Braun was named consensus Big Ten Coach of the Year for turning a 1-11 team in 2022 into a winner in his first season. Former Vanderbilt and Mississippi State QB Mike Wright will step in as signal-caller, grad student Cam Porter (168 rushes, 651 yards) is a known quantity at running back and Bryce Kirtz (14.3 yards per catch) leads an experienced receiver group. Grad student linebacker Xander Mueller figures to be the best tackler on what projects as a strong Northwestern defense.

LAST MEETING: 1984 – Washington 26-0. SERIES: Washington 3-0.

_________________

East Coast away game will look to stifle Big Ten rushing leader Kyle Monangai

Rutgers Scarlet Knights: 2023 – 7-6, Big Ten Conference

Sept. 27 (Fri.) • 5 p.m. • Piscataway, N.J. • Fox

Washington travels to Piscataway to play Rutgers, which last season recorded its first winning season and bowl victory since 2014. The Scarlet Knights under Greg Schiano feature physical defense and a run-heavy offense, and with talent returning on both sides of the ball, they’re the team no one in the Big Ten wants to play. Senior stud Kyle Monangai led the Big Ten in rushing with 1,262 yards (with eight touchdowns) and was Pinstripe Bowl MVP — he’ll operate behind an offensive line that returns four starters. Quarterback is a question, but the o-line will help here, too — the unit allowed the fewest sacks in the conference last year. Senior linebacker Mohamed Toure (93 tackles in 2023) leads an experienced defense.

LAST MEETING: 2017 – UW 30-14. SERIES: Washington 2-0.

_________________

Championship rematch: Sherrone Moore’s new team led by RB Donovan Edwards

Michigan Wolverines: 2023 – 5-0, 9-0 Big Ten Conference

Oct. 5 • Time TBD • Seattle • Big Ten Network

Two teams that look very little like those that met for the national championship in January will face off in Seattle in a key Big Ten matchup. Michigan beat Washington, 34-13, in that title game, but the Wolverines lost their head coach and tons of talent to various destinations … just like the Huskies. The cupboard for new Michigan Head Coach Sherrone Moore is hardly bare. The defense, featuring DT Mason Graham, 6-3, 339-pound nose tackle Kenneth Grant and cornerback Will Johnson, should remain among the nation’s best. The offense should be fine, too, with junior Alex Orji debuting at quarterback and senior running back Donovan Edwards (104 yards vs. Washington in the title game) working behind a solid offensive line.

LAST MEETING: 2024 – Michigan 34-13 (National Championship Game). SERIES: Michigan 9-5.

_________________

First UW showdown in 29 years Iowa only allowed 14.8 ppg in 2023

Iowa Hawkeyes: 2023 – 10-4, 7-2 Big Ten Conference

Oct. 12 • Time TBD • Seattle • Big Ten Network

Offense is the question in Iowa City. Quarterback Cade McNamara is so far not the answer. McNamara helped lead Michigan to the Big Ten title in 2021, was benched in 2022, then transferred to Iowa for 2023 as the designated savior for the Hawkeyes’ anemic offense. Then played only five games due to injury as the team averaged 234.6 yards per game, 133rd in the nation (dead last), scored 22 touchdowns in 14 games and averaged 15.4 points a game (132nd). McNamara is back for 2024. Thankfully, so is much of the defense, which had to be good for the Hawkeyes to win 10 games, and it was: 282.5 opponent yards per game and, critically, 14.8 points allowed, fourth best in the nation.

LAST MEETING: 1995 – Iowa 38-18. SERIES: 3-3.

_________________

Battle in Bloomington: Rebuilt IU has high hopes for portal star QB Rourke

Indiana Hoosiers: 2023 – 3-9, 1-8 Big Ten Conference

Oct. 26 • Time TBD • Bloomington, Ind. • Big Ten Network

New head coach Curt Cignetti takes over a program also needing an uptick on offense, and he worked the portal to acquire — and retain — talent on that side of the ball. The biggest get was former Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year Kurtis Rourke (6-foot-5, 231 pounds) who amassed 8,479 yards of total offense in 33 quarterback starts at Ohio University. Wideout Donaven McCulley entered, then withdrew, from the portal — he led the Hoosiers in receptions (48) and receiving yards (644) in 2023. Cignetti’s former program, James Madison, yielded a cluster of premium defensive transfers, including all-Sun Belt Conference performers in defensive tackle James Carpenter (141 career tackles) and defensive end Mikail Kamara (17.5 tackles for loss in ’23).

LAST MEETING: 2003 – Washington 38-13. SERIES: Indiana 2-1.

_________________

West Coast whopper: USC looks to avenge last year’s 52-42 heartbreaker in LA

USC Trojans: 2023 – 8-5, 5-4 Pac-12 Conference

Nov. 2 • Time TBD • Seattle • Big Ten Network

Lincoln Riley, never lacking for offensive firepower in eight years as a college head coach, takes his Trojan program this season into the physical Big Ten with big shoes to fill at quarterback and big strides needed on defense. Redshirt junior Miller Moss, who threw for 372 yards and six touchdowns in the Holiday Bowl as No. 1 NFL draft pick Caleb Williams sat it out, will likely get first crack at the starting quarterback job. Mississippi State transfer Woody Marks stands to emerge as a multi-purpose star after 32 college starts at tailback. On defense, USC nabbed coordinator D’Anton Lynn from rival UCLA, where the Bruins improved from 87th nationally to 11th in one season under Lynn’s tutelage.

LAST MEETING: 2023 – Washington 52-42. SERIES: USC 52-30-4.

_________________

Lion’s lair: 106,000 PSU faithful to roar when Dawgs duel at Beaver Stadium

State Nittany Lions: 2023 – 10-3, 7-2 Big Ten Conference

Nov. 9 • Time TBD • University Park, Pa. • Big Ten Network

Penn State enters the 2024 season with new coordinators on both sides of the football for head coach James Franklin. Offensive coordinator Tony Kotelnicki had a leg up on day one of the job, with junior Drew Allar inked in to start at quarterback after a stellar 2023. Allar, 6-foot-5 and 238 pounds, threw for 2,631 yards and 25 touchdowns with two interceptions for the 10-win Nittany Lions. Senior wideout Julian Fleming, a transfer from Ohio State (80 career catches, 990 yards; 15.7 yards per catch in ’23), adds big-play potential to a thin receiver corps. Defensive coordinator Tom Allen can field strength on the edges with converted linebacker-to-defensive-end Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton, who combined for eight sacks in 2023.

LAST MEETING: 2017 – Penn State 35-28. SERIES: Penn State 3-0.

_________________

New helmsman DeShawn Foster brings UCLA to Jet City for 79th UW meeting

UCLA Bruins: 2023 – 8-5, 4-5 Pac 12 Conference

Nov. 15 • 6 p.m. • Seattle • Big Ten Network

Things will look different for the UCLA Bruins in 2024, even beyond the program’s debut as a member of the Big Ten. After the dust had settled from the resignation of head coach Chip Kelly to become the offensive coordinator at Ohio State, the school hired former Bruin All-American and NFL running back DeShaun Foster as head coach. More dominoes fell: USC hired away UCLA defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, and successful NFL assistant Eric Bienemy was brought in to be the Bruins’ offensive coordinator. Former Husky star defender Ikaika Malloe was hired to be the new defensive coordinator. On the field in 2024, the Bruins will have talented pieces to attempt to fit together in a vastly different environment.

LAST MEETING: 2022 – UCLA 40-32. SERIES: UCLA 42-32-4.

_________________

Ducks paddle though portal — CB Muhammad and QB Gabriel flock to Eugene

Oregon Ducks: 2023 – 12-2, 8-1 Pac-12 Conference

Nov. 30 • Time TBD • Eugene, Ore. • Big Ten Network

When the Big Ten admitted Washington and Oregon to its ranks, it also imported a fierce ready-made rivalry. The Huskies, who have taken three straight from the Ducks over the past two seasons, including the final Pac-12 championship game last December, travel to Eugene’s Autzen Stadium for the 2024 renewal in each team’s regular-season finale. Coach Dan Lanning’s Oregon program worked the portal to replace key personnel, notably acquiring quarterback Dillon Gabriel, last seen at Oklahoma (266 of 384, 3,660 yards, 30 TDs; 373 rushing yards, 12 TDs). Oregon got a portal steal from the Huskies in cornerback Jabbar Muhammad (Associated Press All-Pac-12 in ‘23), who is expected to lead the Duck defense along with senior defensive end Jordan Burch.

LAST MEETING: 2023 – Washington 34-31 (Pac-12 Championship Game). SERIES: Washington 63-48-5.

_________________