Stanford QB Tanner McKee faces test in tough Washington pass defense

First-year starting quarterback Tanner McKee has been a consistent bright spot in Stanford’s up-and-down season. But the sophomore may face his toughest challenge so far Saturday night against Washington at Stanford Stadium (19:30, FS1).

The Huskies (3-4, 2-2) lead the Pac-12 in defense to passing efficiency and allow only 140 passing yards a game and four total touchdown passes under second-year coach Jimmy Lake, a former strong security whose background is in coaching the secondary . Washington has held three opponents for less than 100 yards, including Arizona last week.

McKee has thrown for 14 TDs, the second most in the Pac-12, completing 64.7 percent of his passes in 1,722 yards. He also has only three INTs, making him one of 15 quarterbacks in the country with at least 14 TDs and three or fewer picks.

McKee has made six starts since claiming the job after the first game of the season.

“He’s gotten better every single week,” coach David Shaw said. “His expectation, his recognition, his accuracy, his adjustments from week to week. … Put the movie on now and he does not look like a guy who is in the first half of his first year. He looks like a veteran. Dare I say he looks like one of the best, if not the best, quarterbacks in our conference. From time to time he can reach those heights. ”

Shaw said the biggest improvement lately has been McKee’s ability to review his progressions quickly and get the ball out of his hands, even if it means checking down to avoid a negative game.

“Guy like Tanner, they just need more suns coming up and more suns going down,” Shaw said. “Every training, every fight, just the accumulation of experience will continue to help him.”

McKee has done this despite a running game that is late in the Pac-12 with 94.3 yards a game (Washington is penultimate at 107.7) and a wide receiving space that has been ravaged by injuries. Three of the Cardinals’ top four receivers heading into the season have missed several matches due to undisclosed injuries. Top widow Michael Wilson can finally get his first appearance on Saturday, while Brycen Tremayne was due to undergo surgery earlier this month, and John Humphreys is doubtful against the Huskies.

If the Humphreys are unable to play, then Elijah Higgins (33 catches for 410 yards) will be the only active receiver with more than five receptions. But the passing game has benefited from the emergence of tight-end Benjamin Yurosek, who has 11 receptions on 217 yards and a touchdown in the last two games.

The upcoming schedule could also help Stanford translate McKee’s improvement into victories. After a tough opening streak that featured four ranked opponents and five away games, Stanford is coming out of its open week with what looks like a more manageable road ahead – four straight unranked opponents and four of the last five games at Stanford Stadium.

“I would like to say we are a better team than 3-4, but 3-4 is how we played,” Shaw said. “I think every coach and player on our team thinks we’re better than our record, but that does not matter. We have to play better to win matches. The difference between the top and the bottom of each “Conference right now is a lot closer than it has been in college football for a long time. It puts more emphasis on every little game.”