Washington cornerback Tacario Davis, who has been out since Week 2 with an injury, is doubtful to play Saturday against Ohio State, according to ESPN. Davis’ extended absence is a blow to the Huskies, who host the Buckeyes at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+ in both teams’ Big Ten opener. Defending Ohio State superstar Jeremiah Smith is difficult enough already, but Washington could have an even tougher time slowing down the Buckeyes wide receiver because of its health, or lack thereof, in the secondary.
Davis left Washington’s Sept. 6 win over UC Davis after taking a hard landing on an interception. He spent the Huskies’ first bye week on the mend and missed last week’s Apple Cup win at Washington State, and despite reportedly moving well in practice, the two-time all-conference pass defender is unlikely to return to the lineup against Ohio State.
In Davis’ absence, Ephesians Prysock projects to draw the Smith matchup in man coverage situations. Prysock, like Davis, transferred from Arizona when Jedd Fisch took the job in Seattle last year and has been a stalwart in the defensive backfield throughout his four-year career.
The hole in Washington’s lineup presents an opportunity for both Smith and his running mate, Carnell Tate, to carve up a defense that looked vulnerable for much of last week’s rivalry win at Washington State. Without Davis in the lineup, the Huskies surrendered 277 yards and two touchdowns through the air to the Cougars, who rattled off a number of big plays before the game got out of hand in the fourth quarter.
Washington ranks just 75th nationally against the pass and allowed 200 yards per game over its first three outings. That does not bode well for a matchup against a star-studded offense.
Smith, arguably the best player in college football, got off to a slow start with a couple of drops and a modest 43-yard effort against the vaunted Texas defense in the season opener. Since then, though, the Heisman Trophy contender has been as electric as expected. He obliterated overmatched defenses in his last two outings, combining for 14 catches, 272 yards and three touchdowns against Grambling and Ohio with another score on the ground.
If Washington keys in on Smith, it will be forced to send a backup into coverage against Tate, who can make the Huskies pay. Tate may be Smith’s understudy in the Ohio State offense, but he is an outstanding receiver in his own right and found the end zone in each of the first three games of the year. He is also fresh off his first 100-yard outing of the campaign.
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