Oregon @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 8, 2016 ) Washington 70, Oregon 21

Washington halted a 12-game losing streak to Oregon in convincing fashion last season and the No. 12 Huskies find themselves in a must-win position when they host the Ducks on Saturday. Washington, which rolled to a 70-21 victory over the Ducks in 2016, is also No. 12 in the first College Football Playoff rankings and a second loss will eliminate the squad from contention.

Oregon first-year coach Willie Taggart has reminded his players of the beating they endured last season to make sure they are at a peak motivation level. "I'm sure any competitor out there wouldn't forget what happened," Taggart said at a press conference. "Our job this week is to make sure we're at our best this week, to see to it that what happened last year doesn't happen again." The Huskies saw their hopes of returning to the CFP take a major hit when they lost to Arizona State on Oct. 14 but the players maintain they control their fate, not a committee of people dressed in suits and ties. "If we play to our level, if we do what we know how to do, it doesn't matter who we play against, or what the quarterback is, or what record they have," sophomore cornerback Austin Joyner said. "It doesn't matter as long as we handle business how we can."

TV: 10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1. LINE: Washington -17.5

ABOUT OREGON (5-4, 2-4 Pac-12): Senior running back Royce Freeman (1,096 yards, 10 touchdowns) has reached 1,000 yards for the third time in his stellar career and he will look to keep his success going against a Washington run defense that ranks second nationally at 71.6 yards per game. Rumors persist that sophomore quarterback Justin Herbert (nine touchdowns, two interceptions) could return from a fractured collarbone, but if not, freshman quarterback Braxton Burmeister (two touchdowns, five interceptions) will make his fifth consecutive start. Sophomore linebacker Troy Dye is the standout of the defense with 80 tackles, including five games with 10 or more stops, while junior defensive end Jalen Jelks has a team-best 12.5 tackles for loss, including a team-high six sacks.

ABOUT WASHINGTON (7-1, 4-1): Junior quarterback Jake Browning passed for a season-low 98 yards against UCLA last Saturday and has gone two weeks without throwing a scoring pass but he accounted for eight touchdowns (six passing, two rushing) and passed for 304 yards against the Ducks last year. Junior running back Myles Gaskin (795 yards) has topped 100 yards in three of the past five games and will look to post another strong outing against an Oregon rushing defense that ranks 15th in the nation against the run (115.9). Sophomore cornerback Myles Bryant (38 tackles) is performing well with the team down two starting corners, while junior inside linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven has a team-leading 49 tackles.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Oregon has won 17 of the past 22 meetings.

2. The Ducks rank 98th nationally in passing yards allowed at 253.7 per game.

3. Huskies freshman TE Hunter Bryant (22 receptions, 331 yards) is out indefinitely with a leg injury.

PREDICTION: Washington 48, Oregon 31