What should the Oregon Ducks expect from Washington Huskies' defense?

If you had told Oregon Duck fans at the start of the season that they would be going into the final week of the year with one loss on their record, and a chance to beat the Washington Huskies to clinch a spot in the College Football Playoff, they would take it every single time. Now, Oregon also has a chance to get into the Big Ten Title game for the second year in a row, but whether or not fans would want that opportunity again is a separate conversation.

It's all on the line for Dan Lanning and his team today, with a game against the Huskies up in Seattle for all the marbles. Coming off a comfortable 42-27 win over the USC Trojans last week, Oregon is feeling good, but hoping to be healthier this next week with a rivalry on the line.

On the flip side, the Huskies are out of the playoff mix, but hoping to upend the Ducks' season and ruin their postseason dreams. Washington has been dealing with some injuries as well, but there will be no excuses on either side of the ball in Week 14 with all that's at play.

So what can we expect to see from this Washington team, and in particular, what type of challenges will they present? Let's dive in.

What do the Washington Huskies do well on defense?

The Huskies have been solid on defense this year, holding teams to an average of 19.7 points per game, which is 19th-best in the nation. They excel against the run better than they do the pass, using standout performances from guys like Xe'Ree Alexander and Jacob Lante to fill rushing lanes and force opponents into long down and distances. Against the pass, they are a bit more porous, allowing an average of 206.4 yards per game, which ranks 41st in the nation. They have a pair of very good cornerbacks in Tacario Davis and Ephysians Prysock, but are succeptible to giving up some yards through the air.

Who are the top players to know about?

LB Xe'Ree Alexander

Standing 6-foot-2 and 223 pounds, Xe'Ree Alexander doesn't possess the typical size at the linebacker position but makes up for it by flying around the field and locating the football. The junior transferred to Washington from UCF and got off to a slow start before excelling in the past four games, averaging nine tackles per game. He's up to 60 tackles this season, second on the team. Washington will need him to continue his hot streak of taking down ball-carriers against the Ducks' excellent rushing attack.

S Alex McLaughlin

A transfer from Northern Arizona, where he was named first-team All-Big Sky as a sophomore, Alex McLaughlin has been far and away the top defender for the Huskies. He leads them with 81 tackles, with 55 being tallied as solo. He's also revealed himself as a ballhawk from his safety position, totaling six passes defensed and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. At 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds, McLaughlin has the frame to also contribute to the run defense, which will be needed against the Ducks.

Are the Oregon Ducks built to score on Washington?

Oregon's offense has proven this year that it can win in a multitude of ways, making it a tough matchup for any opposing defense. While Oregon's bread-and-butter has been the running game, especially with the injuries at receiver over the past few weeks, they still can hurt you through the air, as see this past week against the USC Trojans. Dante Moore is playing some of his best football as of late, finding guys like Kenyon Sadiq, Malik Benson, and Jamari Johnson down the field.

Meanwhile, the Ducks' rushing attack remains one of the best in the nation, with a three-headed monster of Noah Whittington, Jordon Davison, and Dierre Hill leading the way. Last week against USC, we saw the Trojans load the box to stop the run, so Moore took advantage and aired it out. Should the Huskies try and do a similar thing and take away one aspect of the Ducks' game, don't be surprised to see them have success in other ways.

What should we expect on Saturday?

The biggest question going into this game has to do with health for the Ducks. We already know that Oregon has been banged up at wide receiver, missing guys like Dakorien Moore and Gary Bryant Jr. But they also have been taking on water on the offensive line, with both Isaiah World and Alex Harkey missing time, while Iapani Laloulu went down with an injury last week vs. USC. If Oregon is at full strength, or even close to it on the offensive line this weekend, I think they should have a relatively easy time moving the ball against the Huskies. However, should they continue to be banged up, that might be more difficult.

Regardless of who is out there for the Ducks, I like Oregon in this matchup. It just might a little bit less comfortable should there be a handful of backups out there again, like last week.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: What the Oregon Ducks should expect from Washington Huskies' defense