It’s finally time for the moment you’ve all been waiting for! The first predictions of the year are upon us, so let’s get to what each of our writers thinks will transpire at 8 PM on Saturday!
The Huskies are currently 21.5 point favorites according to Fanduel Sportsbook. Terms and Conditions apply. See https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/ncaaf for more details.
Andrew Berg (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS)
Jay Norvell has turned Colorado St into a consistently respectable team. They bring back QB Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi for his third year as the starter. He tallied almost 3,500 yards in ‘23, but also threw 16 interceptions. His numbers regressed last year due to a receiving corps that was injured and underperforming. With UW’s secondary strength, it will not be easy for a sub-par receiving group to make big plays. CSU will also start a RB who got benched last year behind five new offensive line starters. The Dawgs have legitimate questions along the defensive front, but this is a gentle start for that group. Unless the Rams suddenly perform much better than their component pieces have in the past, it should be a good introduction for Ryan Walters as the DC. The alignment of strengths and weaknesses is not as favorable for the UW offense. Some of the most interesting players on the defense line up on the edge and the Rams should be able to get pressure on the QB. UW starts a converted LT and a RT who did not play well last year in front of a QB who is still calibrating his internal pressure clock. The Huskies should be able to run the ball, but if Demond Williams takes too many ill-timed sacks, it could cause promising drives to stall out. Based on the reports through the fall, I expect the defense to look better than the offense in Week 1, but I think the offense should be able to put up numbers nonetheless. It’s fair to question whether they score enough to cover a spread greater than three TDs, but I’ll take optimism into the season opener.
Washington 35 – Colorado St 10
Max Vrooman (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS)
Washington is a three-touchdown favorite right now but Colorado State certainly isn’t just a pushover. They nearly made the Mountain West title game last year after a slow start. But part of that was just feasting on the bottom end of a bad conference. CSU’s wins last year were over an FCS team plus another 7 schools that finished a combined 30-56. Their only games against power conference schools resulted in a 52-0 loss to Texas and a 28-9 loss to in-state “rivals” Colorado. Still, this is a team that could threaten a Husky team that is looking past them. I don’t think Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi is a very good quarterback but he’ll take shots and he just needs to complete a few 50/50 balls to put up a decent number of points. This is one of the more talented overall teams in the MWC and they won’t be intimidated coming into an 8p start at Husky Stadium. I expect this to be closer than you’d like at halftime before Washington pulls away a bit in the second half but a late Colorado State touchdown gives them the cover.
Washington- 34, Colorado State- 17
Mark Schafer (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS)
We’re finally here! It’s week 1 of the 2025 season and the optimism is still fresh in the minds of many, myself included! Even with all the returning pieces we’ve got coming back, a full offensive line room, and the additions on defense, both to the staff and the roster itself, I think Colorado State will be a good first test as to how good this team really is, and will hopefully answers some lingering questions about the Huskies that I still have. This shouldn’t be a team that we look past, as they went 8-5 a year ago and returned their starting quarterback. I don’t expect us to come out firing and it might be a low scoring first half, as this is still a team with a newer offensive line, and Colorado State’s defense will look to force turnovers. I think this team will hammer the Rams’ defense in the second quarter behind Demond’s skills as a passer and runner, and Jonah’s ability as a great all-around back, before grinding out drives in the second half, pulling away in the fourth. On the defensive side, Brayden Fowler-Nicholosi could really provide a stiff test for Ryan Walters’ new defensive unit, but the Rams don’t have many experienced weapons in the pass game, which is where Rams OC Matt Mumme’s primary focus lies. He only needs a few to go his way to catch fire, though, so he shouldn’t be underestimated. However, the fact that the Husky defense has looked better than the offense based on practice reports means that if the defense holds up and shuts down Fowler-Nicholosi, it could be a very long night for Colorado State.
Washington-38, Colorado State-17
Raymond Lucas Jr. (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS)
After what feels like forever, Husky football is back. On one end, I see a scenario where the new-look Huskies (both uniform and roster makeup-wise) get off to an explosive start by throttling Colorado State as the legs of QB Demond Williams and RB Jonah Coleman overwhelm the Rams. On the other, I see a potentially slow start in the first half before the offense finds its groove and pours on points.
What I don’t foresee is a shootout or a defeat. Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of having a dual-threat QB is how they can help you avoid bad losses. If the passing game isn’t working, they can run. If neither works, they can extend plays and make something out of nothing. And if all three of those are bottled up, well, that’s why you have Coleman. We should see a healthy dose of him in this game, which is problematic for CSU. Pac-12 defenders have struggled, Big Ten defenders have struggled, so as you can imagine, Mountain West defenders will struggle.
Speaking of defense, in this type of game (talent gap), CSU’s best shot would be to flourish in the pass game and try to keep pace with the Huskies.
What was already a talented secondary added Arizona transfer Tacario Davis, who should play a significant role in the defense as a whole, being better.
In this game, I expect the Huskies to cruise.
Washington-38, Colorado State-10
Straight Up: Washington-4, Colorado State-0
Against The Spread: Washington-2, Colorado State-2
Average Score: Washington-36, Colorado State-14
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