In the immediate aftermath of No. 3 Washington’s 24-21 walk-off win over Washington State, Husky quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was asked what it meant to complete an undefeated regular season.
“It means a lot. It’s definitely one of the reasons why we came back,” Penix said Saturday. “We felt like we left a lot on the table [last year]. We felt like 11-2 was a good season, but we wanted to be great. We wanted to be legendary.
“I feel like we’re in the grasp of it, but we still have a lot of work to do. We just have to make sure we keep our heads down and not get caught up in the hype and the praises and the pats on the back. We just have to focus on what we can do to help this team get better.”
It’s true, these Huskies finished a regular season unbeaten for the first time since securing their last national title in 1991. They became the first program in the Pac-12’s 12-team era to complete the feat, dating to Oregon (in the then-Pac-10) in 2010. Despite winning each of its last eight games by 10 points or less, Washington never trailed by more than seven points all season. There’s plenty to celebrate.
But to beat Oregon (again) in the Pac-12 championship game, this offense better be a whole lot better.
“I am concerned,” UW wide receiver Rome Odunze said Saturday, when asked about UW’s offensive inconsistency. “I think we need to clean a lot of things up. In several different moments we were not able to execute and move the ball. When it comes down to our attitude and our effort on every single play, it needs to improve immediately.”
After all, the Huskies managed just 24 points, 306 total yards and 204 passing yards with 17 first downs and six punts on Saturday. They were outgained for the fifth time in their last seven games.
The latter is a surprising statistic for an undefeated team — as well as an occasionally unstoppable offense.
But since fans stormed Husky Stadium following a 36-33 win over Oregon on Oct. 14, that offense has underwhelmed.
First six games (up to and including Oregon)
Points per game: 44.3
Total yards per game: 530.7
First downs per game: 26
Passing yards per game: 424.7
Penix completion percentage: 72.1%
Penix TD/INT ratio: 20/3
Last six games (since Oregon)
Points per game: 31.7
Total yards per game: 392.5
First downs per game: 20.8
Passing yards per game: 266.3
Penix completion percentage: 58.9%
Penix TD/INT ratio: 12/5
Of course, there are always explanations. UW dominated lesser opponents in nonconference play. Penix was sick against Stanford and Arizona State. It was windy against Utah and rainy against Oregon State.
But it wasn’t rainy or windy or anything else inside Husky Stadium Saturday.
Plus, this isn’t only on Penix. After Husky running backs totaled 442 rushing yards with 7.2 yards per carry and five touchdowns against USC and Utah, those numbers have deflated to 185 yards with 4.3 yards per rush and one score in the two games since.
“Those are the ones we’ve got to really get dialed in on and make sure they don’t happen — the negative [running] plays,” UW coach Kalen DeBoer said Saturday. “If we can stay close or ahead of the chains, we have an explosive offense where we can convert those third-and-mediums to even third-and-longs. But it’s when you lose yardage and all of a sudden you’re in a third-and-eight, third-and-nine where it gets hard.
“We just have to keep stacking plays on top of plays. I thought there was some physicality still where the pile was moving and there was a lot of bodies in there. Dillon [Johnson] just runs really hard, and I think there’s a belief from our offensive line that they can get it done.”
And yet, Penix, wide receivers Odunze, Jalen McMillan and Ja’Lynn Polk, offensive tackles Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten, and tight ends Jack Westover and Devin Culp all came back for a reason — to build on an eye-opening offensive outburst in 2022.
And while Washington (12-0) may be better this fall, its offense has regressed in several statistical spots.
To be clear: UW’s offense is still statistically great.
But, like Penix said, great was never the only goal. They want to be legendary.
And against an Oregon team that topped its last six opponents by an average of 26 points, great might not be good enough.
“At this point I feel like we’ve proven we’re a resilient team. We’re willing to go through the adversity and grind out tough games,” said Odunze, who has turned in 73 catches with 1,326 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns in a statistically transcendent season. “Right now I don’t think it’s about that anymore. I think it’s about executing play in and play out so we can have success on the forefront of things rather than having to have Grady Gross save us with an incredible play [the game-winning 42-yard field goal against WSU].”
This team doesn’t need style points to top Oregon Friday and advance to the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2016.
But Washington will need plenty of points.
“An early thought?” Penix repeated, when asked to give an immediate analysis of the looming Pac-12 title game. “We’re just ready.”
