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THE GAME: The Washington soccer team continues its season-opening, four-game homestand this Saturday as Portland State travels up Interstate 5 to take on the Dawgs at Alaska Airlines Field in Husky Stadium. Kick-off is at 1:00 p.m. PT and the game will be broadcast on Pac-12 Washington. Last Saturday, Washington (1-0) won the first game under new head coach Kalen De Boer, beating Kent State, 45-20. Last Thursday, the Vikings started this season with a heavy 21-17 loss at San Jose State, with the Spartans scoring the game-winning touchdown with only 1:11 left in the game. The Huskies will stay home for two more Saturdays after this week’s game, as Michigan State visits Seattle on September 17 for the first time since the season opener in 1970. The following week, the Huskies open the Pac-12 game against their oldest collegiate rival, Stanford, on September 28.

FAST HITTERS: Eight players made their first career starts for the Huskies vs. Kent State – five on the attack: C Corey LucianoLG Nate KalepoRT Roger RosengartenQB Michael Penix and RB Wayne Taulapapa; and three in defence: LB Cam ClearLB Alphonzo Tuputalaand CB Jordan Perryman … a total of 21 UW players made their college-debut vs. Kent State…two real freshmen played in the opener: Jayvon Parker and Jayvion Green…UW’s 21 points in the first quarter vs. Kent State marked the highest single-quarter total for the Huskies since they scored 24 in the fourth quarter vs. Arizona on October 12, 2019, a 22-game series. .. UW scored on his first six possession vs. Kent State (five touchdowns, one field goal)…not counting the pandemic-shortened 2020 season—when due to cancellations, the entire UW schedule was made up of just four games, all at home—the last time the Huskies opened a season with four consecutive home games was in 1976, when the Dawgs opened against Virgina, Colorado, Indiana and Minnesota… the current UW rosters include players who list hometowns from 16 different states.. the Husky roster includes 31 entrants in 2022; Here’s a breakdown: 20 freshmen, two junior college transfers, and nine four-year college transfers…of the 114 players on the roster, 55 are listed as freshmen (17) or red shirt freshmen (38) with more once 27 sophomores…that means 82 out of 114 players (72 percent) are eligible for three or more years to go into the 2022 season…Washington has 12 players who are only eligible for one more year.

TELEVISION: The Washington-Portland State match is broadcast on Pac-12 Washington, with Elise Woodward and Max Browne calling the action. Fans with the right subscription can also check out Pac-12.com.

RADIO: All Washington football games are broadcast on the Washington Sports Network from Learfield, featuring: Tony Castricone (play by play), former Husky tight end Cameron Cleeland (analyst) and former UW basketball player Elise Woodward (sideline) on the line. Radio coverage begins four hours before kick-off on the network’s flagship station — Seattle’s SportsRadio KJR 93.3 FM — with “Husky Gameday” live from The Zone for Husky home games. Statewide coverage on the 12-station Washington Sports Network begins two hours before kick-off. The entire broadcast is available worldwide on the Huskies Gameday mobile app and the Varsity app. The UW broadcast of this game will also air on SiriusXM channel 108 or 204. In addition, the Husky Football Coaches Show will air every Wednesday during the season (starting Aug. 24) at 6:00 p.m. PT.

HUSKIES vs. THE BIG SKY: The Huskies have played games against six of the 13 teams currently in football’s Big Sky Conference, although four of those teams (Eastern Washington, Portland State, Idaho State and Sacramento State) are for the first time in the last decade. Washington has won Eastern Washington twice in games at Husky Stadium: 30-27 in 2011 and 59-52 in 2014. The Huskies are 2-0 vs. Portland State: 52-13 in 2012 (at Lumen Field) and 41-3 in 2016. The Huskies also defeated Idaho State, 56-0 in 2013, and Sacramento State, 49-0, in 2015. The two current Big Sky- opponents, the Huskies, have played far more often than the others are Montana and Idaho, both of which are members of the Pacific Coast Conference (predecessor to the Pac-12) along with the UW for the majority of those meetings. The Huskies are 17-2-1 all-time vs. the Grizzlies in a series of games that ran from 1920 to 1951, then started again in 2017. Washington is 36-2-2 vs. Idaho, after playing against the Vandals somewhat regularly between 1900 and 1973, and then seven times since 2000. Washington won 19 consecutive times against Idaho, dating from a 1938 draw. Montana left the PCC after the 1950 season, while Idaho was a member until 1959. Combined the UW is all-time 59-4-3 against current Big Sky teams.

YOUR vs. PORTLAND STATE: Washington has only played against Portland State twice, both in the past ten years. In 2012, the season UW played at what is now known as Lumen Field, the Huskies and Vikings met in week three. Bishop Sankey rushed for two touchdowns and Keith Price threw for three in a 52-13 win. The match also featured a blocked field goal returned for a TD from Tre Watson, and an interception return for a score from Marcus Peters. In the third week of the 2016 season, the Huskies defeated Portland State 41-3 at Husky Stadium, with Jake Browing throwing four TD passes.

EXPERIENCE AND YOUTH: Thanks in part to the extensive eligibility that has resulted from the pandemic, Washington’s 2021 roster is remarkable for both his youth and experience, all at once. The roster includes 18 individuals who started at least one game on offense and another 18 on defense. All in all, those 35 players (one of them, Alex Cook, has started on offense and on defense) have started 248 games (147 on offense, 101 on defense). And that doesn’t take into account the handful of veterans who were perennial starters in their previous school, nor specialists, who are also seasoned starters in their positions.

That said, the UW roster only features 12 players in their final year of eligibility: CB Jordan PerrymanLB Cam ClearSIDE Jeremiah Martins Alex CookWR Brennan Holmeshorsepower Peyton HenryOL Jaxson KirklandOL Henry BainivaluOL Corey Lucianop Kevin RyanLB Kristopher Mol and RB Wayne Taulapapa. Of the 114 players on the current roster, 55 are listed as freshmen (17) or red shirt freshmen (38), while 27 more are sophomores. That means 82 out of 114 players (72 percent) are eligible to enter the 2022 season for three or more years.

HOME vs. NON-CONFERENCE: Washington has been very hard to beat in home, non-conference games for the past few decades. Going back to (and including) the 1981 season, the Huskies set a record 73-14 against non-Pac-10/Pac-12 enemies at Husky Stadium. Those 14 losses have come to Montana (2021), Nebraska (2010), LSU (2009), BYU (2008), Oklahoma (2008), Ohio State (2007), Notre Dame (2005), Fresno State (2004), Nevada (2003), Air Force (1999), Nebraska (1997), Notre Dame (1995), Colorado (1989) and Oklahoma State (1985). Notable victories on that stretch include victories over No. 19 Boise State in 2013, No. 22 Boise State in 2007, No. 11 Michigan in 2001, No. 4 Miami in 2000 and No. 12 Nebraska in 1992. Prior to the 2004 Loss to Nevada, Washington had not lost a home game to a non-league opponent since falling 31-21 against Air Force on September 18, 1999. The Huskies had won 10 such games before that Nevada loss. UW had broken a 20-game home, non-conference win streak last year.