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Five Takeaways: Arizona

What are some of the key things that we noticed in the matchup with Arizona? Winning ugly, defending the spread, special teams, an offensive key and Steve Sarkisian's evolution.

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

1. The Huskies can and will win ugly if they need to. This game was anything but pretty with the weather throwing a wrench in what the Huskies wanted to do, but they were able to lean on their defense and running game, minimize mistakes, play great special teams, and ultimately win an old school style ballgame.

2. The defense can defend the spread and the no huddle. Every team they've played has run their own variation of those two things, and the Huskies have shut them all down. Emphatically. What gave this team so much trouble just one year ago has become nothing more than an annoyance to these guys.

3. The special teams have come a long way. Travis Coons was one of the best players on the field yesterday, in both of his duties. Kicking in that weather is no easy task, yet Coons knocked one in from 42. Field position was key, and every one of UW's punts ended up pinning Arizona inside of their own 20.

4. The offense loses a lot when Jaydon Mickens isn't involved. Through the first two games he was able to pick up quick and easy yards in good sized chunks, and when that wasn't available the Huskies had some trouble putting together drives. They've got to find a way to get Mickens worked in when defenses are taking him away, or a workaround to get those yardage chunks in another way.

5. Steve Sarkisian is continuing to grow. In the past, I don't think he would have leaned on the running game like he did on Saturday. It seems like he would have stubbornly kept trying to pass when it just wasn't working, and it probably would have cost the Huskies dearly. Instead, he hitched his wagon to the run game and let his horses carry the team to victory.

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