UCLA football (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) will take on its first ranked opponent of the season when No. 15 Washington (4-0, 1-0) comes to the Rose Bowl on Friday. The Bruins are in search of an upset win over a surging Huskies squad, as well as a potential return to the AP Poll. Here is this week’s scouting report from Sports editor Sam Settleman and staff writer Gavin Carlson.

Washington’s offense
Offensive scheme: Spread
Run-pass percentage: 52% pass, 48% run
Strength: Passing offense
Weakness: Nothing
X-factor: QB Michael Penix Jr.

What a difference a year makes.

In 2021, Washington had one of the worst offenses in the Pac-12, barely eclipsing 20 points a game. Led by defensive specialist Jimmy Lake as head coach and Dylan Morris as quarterback, the Huskies struggled mightily to put points on the board.

But since then, Washington has added a brand new staff led by coach Kalen DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb while adding a rising star at quarterback in Michael Penix Jr.

DeBoer and Grubb spent the last two seasons at Fresno State, where they led the top offense in the Mountain West a season ago and put up 569 yards in a win over UCLA. Penix, on the other hand, transferred from Indiana, where he and DeBoer overlapped for one season in 2019.

With all three reuniting in Washington, this offense looks special. Through four games, the Huskies rank in the top five in the nation in total offense and have dropped 44 points per game.

And as much credit as DeBoer and Grubb deserve for the Huskies’ monumental turnaround, Penix is the one that ignited it.

For the fifth-year junior, it’s never been about a lack of talent. His first four collegiate seasons were cut short by season-ending injuries, including two ACL tears. Now at full health, Penix is lighting it up as the top passer in the country through four games.

He won’t routinely beat you with his legs, but Penix is as sound of a passer as you’ll find in college football right now.

Penix has a multitude of weapons to throw to, with four wide receivers boasting more than 13 receptions apiece. That group is led by Jalen McMillan and Rome Odunze, two returners who have both enjoyed breakout years with Penix at the helm of the offense.

McMillan and Odunze have had no trouble finding the holes in opposing defenses but can also make the contested catches when called upon.

The Huskies aren’t one-dimensional either, though. Led by graduate transfer Wayne Taulapapa, Washington’s running back room has already put up nine touchdowns on the season, with Taulapapa averaging 6.4 yards per carry.

Not to mention Penix has yet to take a single sack through four games.

Put simply, Washington is one of the best offensive teams in the country. It’s no secret that this UCLA defense – and its passing defense in particular – has been far from above average, so don’t expect the Bruins to have any chance at slowing down Penix and the Huskies.

Washington’s defense
Defensive scheme: Attacking nickel
Strength: Pass rush stunts
Weakness: Vulnerable to the big play
X-factor: S Alex Cook

The Huskies’ defensive mindset fascinates me.

While it’s not always the case, defenses often shape their play-calling and tendencies based on the strengths of their offense. When an offense is as explosive and dynamic as Washington’s, you’d expect its defense to be a bit more conservative and simply avoid losing the game.

But that’s not how this team works.

Despite having the nation’s top passer on the other side of the ball, the Huskies have been an attacking, risk-taking defense thus far this season – and it’s worked out just fine for them.

With tight press coverage, loaded boxes and a plethora of disguised blitzes and stunts, Washington sacked Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee eight times and had 10 tackles for loss overall. The week prior against then-No. 11 Michigan State, Washington tallied another two sacks and five tackles for loss.

On passing plays, they’ve been getting in the backfield at will so far and are tied in rank for third in the nation with 15 sacks. And they do it in a variety of ways.

Washington loves to drop an edge rusher into coverage to allow its two linebackers to wreak havoc. Sometimes they’ll hover around the line of scrimmage, almost like an aggressive quarterback spy, but other times they’ll seek out a running back trying to pass protect and overpower them.

The Huskies supplement that with extreme shallow coverage from their safeties that takes away quick reads and allows time for their pass rush to get there.

Whether we classify them as coverage sacks or slow-developing blitzes, the result is classic Husky havoc.

Despite lacking first-round NFL pass-rushing talent, Washington manufactures pressure with overload blitzes and looping stunts.

The Huskies also load the box against the run and pass, with safety Alex Cook making plays all over the field.

Washington held Michigan State to 42 rushing yards on 29 carries and held its own against Stanford’s run-heavy approach for most of last week’s contest. However, the Huskies are vulnerable to the occasional breakaway run, something UCLA senior running back Zach Charbonnet is certainly capable of.

Speaking of vulnerabilities, it hasn’t been too costly so far, but Washington’s risk-taking defense has the potential to give up big plays in the passing game.

In one play, despite holding a 17-point lead and the Cardinal facing a second-and-long, the Huskies sent their entire front six at a weak run fake, brought both safeties in tight and left one of their corners vulnerable on the outside to get burned.

That shouldn’t happen on a second-and-long up three scores, but that’s how Washington plays.

And don’t blame the run fake in that example. Even on a straight pass, and even when Washington is sending just four and dropping into coverage, the aggressive philosophy costs them.

On the exact same drive and on another second-and-long, Washington’s two safeties briefly run in at the snap to bluff the same shallow coverage before dropping back into their expected deep coverage, but the somewhat useless fake ends up leaving their safety out of position, and they give up another wide open streak down the sideline for an easy 23-yard touchdown.

That shouldn’t happen given the game scenario, but that’s the risky Husky way.

Washington’s defense has been impressive, but it also can be beaten over the top because of its tendency to leave its corners on islands.

If UCLA can establish the run game, avoid panicking under pressure and connect on deep shots to redshirt junior wide receiver Kazmeir Allen and others, the defense from Seattle should be in for its toughest test thus far this season.