What to Watch as Huskies Take on Boise State Saturday in the Final LA Bowl

SEATTLE, Wash. - Bowl games in 2025 might be a prime example of the phrase, “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.”

The non-College Football Playoff Bowls in some ways have become a kickoff to next season as much as a culmination of the current one. Of course, coaches and players want to finish the season holding a trophy, even if it’s perhaps not the one they dreamed about when they got into the football business. To drag another tired phrase into this story, “A win is a win.”

And both Washington (8-4) and Boise State (9-4) would like to get one last win in 2025 when the Bucked Up LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk kicks off at 5 p.m. Saturday (5 p.m., ABC).

“You’ve got to teach your team how to win in bowl games,” Huskies coach Jedd Fisch said Friday. “You’ve got to treat every bowl game like a championship opportunity if they’re keeping score and there’s a trophy or belt or both. … For us, there’s always something you can learn from championship opportunities.”

Fisch said again on Friday that there are no opt-outs by players for the bowl, and that he anticipates that anyone who was able to play in the Oregon game two weeks earlier to be available Saturday. Edge Isaiah Ward is expected to play for the first time since the Michigan game on Oct. 18. Cornerback Tacario Davis, who missed the Oregon game with a hamstring injury, has practiced this week but will be a game-time decision.

“I think we’re in a good spot, but we’ll have to work him out before the game,” Fisch said of his senior cornerback. “We don’t want to take any risks there, especially with a chance at the Senior Bowl, combine, the fact that he’s going to be such a highly-drafted kid.”

While it’s become common for players to skip bowl games to prepare for a chance at the NFL, that does not appear to be the case for UW.

How many snaps certain players get, however, is another question.

It’s unlikely we’ll see senior running back Jonah Coleman get 30 carries. Junior Denzel Boston, who walked on Senior Day, might not be lined up at the X for every snap. If Davis plays, it seems probable that true freshman Dylan Robinson will see significant time at corner. Other seniors, such as edge Zach Durfee, tight end Quentin Moore, cornerback Ephesians Prysock and a few defensive linemen could also play a more limited role as the youngsters step in.

Recruiting Without Recruiting

It’s an NCAA-mandated “dead period” for recruiting, meaning coaches can’t reach out to players or invite them to the bowl game. However, both Fisch and Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson have made it clear that Saturday’s game is an opportunity for players in Southern California to see their teams in action. Both teams recruit the LA area heavily, and will bring rosters with many current players who hail from California.

“We can’t see them right now, but they can watch us,” Fisch said. “So we hope they’re tuned in. We hope they come see us play live.”

Meanwhile, In Michigan…

In case you missed it, Michigan coach Sherrone Moore was fired Wednesday and then charged with stalking and home invasion on Friday. That’s a bad week at the office. Fisch, who some surmised was a potential candidate for earlier openings at Florida and UCLA, is being bantied about once again as a candidate for another coaching job.

Asked on Friday if he expects to be here in 2026 as he had proclaimed a few weeks ago, he said, “Yeah, I expect to be here.”

It seems imminent that a few players will enter the transfer portal when it opens January 2. Fisch, defensive coordinator Ryan Walters, and offensive coordinator Jimmie Dougherty have been considered candidates in some form at other schools. Fisch said on Friday that the future has not been a topic of discussion this week.

“We haven’t spent any time focused in on what people are saying out in the outside noise regarding me or other coaches on our staff,” Fisch said. “We know that’s the world we’re in right now. We know our players are being talked about or talked to from other teams, and we just have to really stay focused on the task at hand, which is the game tomorrow.”

I expect Michigan to call big names for the opening. Though terms like “dumpster fire” and “radioactive” are being used to describe Michigan, it’ll once again be considered a Top 5 job in college football when the fumes clear Ann Arbor. I think Kalen DeBoer ends up wearing the Maize and Blue, especially if Alabama loses its playoff opener at Oklahoma on December 19. If DeBoer and a couple others say “no,” then anything is possible.

The Pick

While I’ve picked every Big Ten game all season, I’ll take a hard pass at picking non-CFP Bowl games that count toward my season picks record. The motivations of players on teams are too hard to predict, let alone trying to figure out who will actually play in the games. Just for funsies, I’ll say:
Northwestern 36, Central Michigan 17
New Mexico 27, Minnesota 24
Clemson 30, Penn State 20
Tennessee 38, Illinois 24
TCU 45, USC 44

But I’ll throw away one pick at the UW-Boise State matchup, since it’s kind of my job.

Boise State (9-4) vs. Washington (8-4) -10
5 p.m. Saturday at SoFi Stadium (ABC)

The timing of this game is a little different than most bowl games. For Washington, it’s basically a normal schedule for a team that has a bye week. Boise State beat UNLV in the Mountain West Conference championship game during UW’s “bye” to earn a trip to the LA Bowl. Though the Huskies did not know who they would play — or even for certain which bowl game they would end up in — Fisch indicated that the team had been preparing for potential opponents. I’m guessing they spent significant time prepping for Boise State.

With the Huskies feeling they have a bright future, and Fisch saying everyone who can play will play, it would seem Washington has a significant talent edge. That should be enough to overcome Boise State’s typical chip on the shoulder, but it may be a little ugly early on. Gronk predicted Boise State 27-24. I’ll take a massive chance and go against his deep analysis:

Washington 31, Boise State 24

PIcks Records

Season: 110-22, 81-61 against the spread
Huskies picks (weekly): 9-3, 8-4 ATS
Huskies picks (from preseason): 11-1, 8-4 ATS