How Washington Can Beat Oregon State: 5 Keys to Victory

5. Handling Reser Stadium

This will be the toughest road test the Washington Huskies have faced. They traveled to East Lansing but Michigan State has been awful this season. USC was a road game but no one would call that an intimidating atmosphere. The Oregon and Utah games were both at home and the only other actual road test was at Arizona, a game Washington narrowly escaped with a win. The Huskies will need to handle the hostile crowd of Oregon State.

2. Stay Balanced

One way to help protect against a strong pass rush is to run the ball effectively. Dillon Johnson has emerged as a very good running back and the Huskies need to lean on the run game to remain balanced.

3. Beat Oregon State's Secondary

Despite having a great pass rush, the Oregon State secondary has struggled. The Beavers have allowed 241.9 yards per game, placing them 82nd in the country. Washington's elite receiving corps is led by Rome Odunze and they need to have a big game to exploit the Oregon State weakness.

4. Limit the OSU Running Game

The biggest threat to Washington's unbeaten season on Saturday night will be Oregon State's ability to run the ball. The Beavers are averaging 5.2 yards per carry and are capable of using Damien Martinez, Deshaun Fenwick and quarterback DJ Uiagalelei to pound the ball and chew up clock. Washington will need to minimize the damage Oregon State does on the ground.

5. Handling Reser Stadium

This will be the toughest road test the Washington Huskies have faced. They traveled to East Lansing but Michigan State has been awful this season. USC was a road game but no one would call that an intimidating atmosphere. The Oregon and Utah games were both at home and the only other actual road test was at Arizona, a game Washington narrowly escaped with a win. The Huskies will need to handle the hostile crowd of Oregon State.