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NOTE: CollegeFootballPoll.com's Dave Congrove is a nominating member for the Outland Trophy, presented by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. The Outland Trophy is considered to be the Heisman equivalant for those who strive to be the nation’s best interior lineman on offense or defense. Semifinalists for the 2019 Outland Trophy will be announced on Wed., Nov. 20 and the three finalists will be revealed on Tues., Nov. 26.
Oregon (5-1) at Washington (5-2), 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday on ABC: Our weekly Outland Trophy sojourn takes us to Seattle, where we check back in on Oregon and Washington in what may be the Pac-12’s biggest game of the year. The Ducks are on a five-game win streak heading into only their second true road game of the year – they won the first in another key Pac-12 clash at Stanford, 21-6 – and have won 13 of the last 15 meetings in the series. Washington lost its game at Stanford and both of its losses are in Pac-12 play, making this game a chance to get back in title contention.
Oregon already listed four Outland Trophy Watch List members when the season began, but then added another with September’s Of-fensive Player of the Month in Penei Sewell (#58, So., St. George, Utah), a left tackle who emerged in the season’s first half on an offensive front now considered among the best in the nation. Sewell’s addition gives the Ducks more Watch List members (five) than any other school, and he joined an already ultra-experienced Oregon line that now has a combined 183 career starts, which also leads all schools. Based on grading by Pro Football Focus, Sewell is the top-ranked offensive lineman in the nation with a 94.0 run-blocking grade that is second nationally on their charts and he has 27 knockdowns.
Senior center Jake Hanson (#55, Sr., Eureka, Calif.) has led the Ducks offense for three seasons, and they are now at a record-breaking pace. Oregon has outscored its last five opponents 195-25 with 27 touchdowns while yielding only one. The pass protection that line mates right tackle Calvin Throckmorton (#54, Sr., Bellevue, Wash.) and left guard Shane Lemieux (#68, Sr., Yakima, Wash.) have provided has been outstanding, giving quarterback Justin Herbert plenty of opportunities; he has thrown a touchdown pass in 34 con-secutive games, the longest such streak in the nation.
Throckmorton played center in Oregon’s win at Stanford when Hanson missed his first career game with an undisclosed injury and was the only FBS player to start at four (LT, C, RG, RT) offensive line positions in 2018. The versatile lineman has given up only one sack over his last 2,688 offensive snaps covering 37 games, including 1,330 in pass protection. Sewell has likewise given up only one sack this season.
Not to be forgotten here is Oregon’s defense that is third in the country in scoring defense (8.7 ppg) and eighth in total defense, giving up only 267.7 yards per game. Nose guard Jordan Scott (#34, Jr., Largo, Fla.), an FWAA Freshman All-American in 2017, is among 15 different Ducks who have at least half a sack in the first half of the season. Nine different players have an interception – tops in the country – and a different player has led the team in tackles each game. All five of Oregon’s opponents during the win streak have been held to single digits and opponents haven’t scored a touchdown in nine red-zone trips.
Washington also has an experienced line led by center Nick Harris (#56, Sr., Inglewood, Calif.) and left tackle Trey Adams (#72, Sr., Wenatchee, Wash.) Harris leads the blocking for an offense averaging 423.1 yards per game and has started at center in 14 of the last 16, missing only the Arizona game this season. The Huskies have been especially strong on the short field with a .906 success rate in red-zone offense that is second in the Pac-12 (32nd nationally). A fast start is essential for Washington; through seven games, UW has outscored its opponents 90-6 in the first quarter. Adams, a second-team FWAA All-American in 2016, has returned to form after missing the final four games of 2018.
Oregon edged Washington, 30-27, in overtime last year, scoring a touchdown on its first overtime possession to counter the Huskies’ field goal.
Boise State (6-0) at BYU (2-4), 1-:15 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPN2: Boise State remains undefeated and in good position in the weeks before the first playoff rankings are released. This game at BYU offers a good road test and, perhaps on paper to the moment, the stiffest test on its remaining schedule.
The Broncos are bolstered by the left side of its line with left tackle Ezra Cleveland (#76, Jr., Spanaway, Wash.) and left guard John Molchon (#77, Sr., Las Vegas, Nev.), pacing a balanced attack that leads the Mountain West at 488.2 yards per game. Boise State is 12th nationally in passing (321.7) and still averages 166.5 yards on the ground. Cleveland, according to PFF’s grading, was the second-highest-graded offensive tackle in 2018, second only to Outland Trophy finalist Jonah Williams of Alabama, and had an 83.6 run-blocking grade, second again only to Williams. Molchon (pronounced MOLE-chon) was tied for the 16th-highest grade in the same system. He is known as a hero in the weight room, as the 6-5, 317-pounder hang cleans 425 pounds and power cleans 365 for two reps. He has a vertical jump of 27.5 inches.
BYU aims to stop a three-game losing streak after consecutive overtime wins over Tennessee and USC. Nose tackle Khyiris Tonga (#95, Jr., West Valley, Utah) had his best game against USC, earning two pass breakups and his first sack of the season. Left tackle Brady Christensen (#67, So., Bountiful, Utah) is up front on an offense that averages 386.5 yards per game.