Winners of 13 straight, the Huskies continue to roll
ARIZONA STATE
Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m.
Emma Ottosen
By Ty Gilstrap The Daily
3 Numbers to Know:
78 - The amount of newcomers
Arizona State has welcomed underneath first-year head coach
Kenny Dillingham, a mark that only falls shy of Colorado’s 88. The Sun Devils’ 29 returning scholarship players also fall only behind the Buffaloes, who brought back just eight from last season.
339.3 - The amount of yards
Arizona State’s defense has allowed this season, an amount that sits fifth in the Pac-12 and 41st in the nation. The Sun Devils have surrendered 217 yards passing and 122.3 yards rushing per game, while allowing just a little over 5 yards per play.
2-1 - Dillingham’s career record against Washington as an assistant coach across two teams. His two wins came as an offensive assistant with Arizona State from 2015-16. Dillingham’s only loss was in last season’s 37-34 thriller with Oregon, where he served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. ASU is Dillingham’s first head coaching opportunity.
2 Players to Watch: Elijhah Badger - The 6’2”, 190-pound wide receiver has flourished this season, picking up 33 receptions, 422 yards, and two touchdowns across six games. The junior is building off a breakthrough sophomore campaign, where he jumped from
seven receptions his freshman season to 70 catches and seven touchdowns last year. Two weeks ago against Colorado, Badger notched 12 catches and 134 yards, the most receptions for a Sun Devil since N’Keal Harry picked up 12 against Texas Tech in 2017.
Prince Dorbah - The Texas transfer has been a force on the defensive line this season, racking up 7 ½ tackles for a loss, 25 total tackles, and six sacks. The bulk of his production came against Colorado, where he secured 3 ½ tackles for a loss and 2 ½ sacks, both career highs for the redshirt junior.
1 Recap of Two Weeks Ago: On a day where Arizona State edged out Colorado in
Primer on Arizona State
most statistical categories, they ultimately came up short in the only one that actually mattered — the final score.
Redshirt junior quarterback Trenton Bourguet threw for 96 more yards than Colorado’s junior quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and the defense notched five sacks for a loss of 48 yards, but with the game tied at 24 with 50 seconds left on the clock, Sanders was able to connect with graduate wide receiver Javon Antonio for a 43-yard reception to set up the Buffaloes for the game-winning field goal and a 27-24 win.
The loss dropped Arizona State to 1-5 this season, and the future looks even more bleak for a Sun Devils squad that is desperately trying to find its footing. Dates
with Washington, Utah, and Oregon are all on the horizon for a squad with little to play for after a flurry of recruiting violations from former head coach Herm Edwards forced Arizona State to self-impose a one-year bowl ban. But for an overwhelmingly young program, a win against a powerhouse program could do wonders for confidence moving forward, and after falling at the hands of the Sun Devils last season, the Huskies will have to do everything in their power to ensure they’re not the one to provide them the momentum.
Reach Sports Editor Ty Gilstrap at sports@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @ty_gilstrap
Sage Zipeto The Daily
Wins over Oregon just mean more
By Ethan Kilbreath The Daily
As Michael Penix Jr. sat in front of a purple tapestry last Saturday afternoon, addressing the media after Washington’s thrilling 36-33 win over Oregon, he was abruptly stopped by an unruly holler.
The culprit for the interruption was head coach Kalen DeBoer, who came in to congratulate his star quarterback after perhaps the biggest win the duo had pulled off yet.
DeBoer and Penix shared a prolonged hug before the Huskies’ coach gave an apology for the interruption and sauntered away.
No apologies necessary, coach.
The reaction by the typically even-keeled DeBoer said that this wasn’t just any other game. Against Oregon, it just means more.
“If there’s a [game] that I’ve been a part of that was bigger or better, I can’t think of it right now,” DeBoer said. “There’s nothing more special as a football coach than to see these guys just enjoying the moment that we just had out there — they’re going to remember that forever.”
UW’s players most certainly will remember the signature win, as will the fans, whose storming of the field was the perfect ending after days of ceremony and anticipation.
“I remember feeling this when I
coached here in 2017 on the other end,” DeBoer said. “Husky Nation showed out, starting this morning at 6 a.m. — actually, a little before that.”
That gameday atmosphere wasn’t any coincidence — it was a top 10 matchup, with ESPN’s crew on sight, facing the Ducks.
Of all the reasons why last Saturday was so monumental for this program, coach, and fanbase, none were bigger than that final point: facing the Ducks.
Wins over Oregon, after all, aren’t something for Washington to take for granted. From 2003-2015, the Huskies suffered 12 consecutive losses against the Ducks, with the majority coming in blowout fashion.
The Chris Petersen-Jake Browning era finally produced two wins over Oregon, in 2016 and 2017, but another three-game slide ensued from 2018-2021.
Then came DeBoer.
On that cold night at Autzen Stadium last year, the Huskies burst through for the second biggest win of DeBoer’s tenure thus far (only to be topped by last Saturday), as UW rallied late to upset No. 6 Oregon.
That 2022 game, from the backand-forth offensive attack to the late defensive stop accompanied by an iconic final drive, distinctly resembles the 2023 game.
“It felt exactly like last year,” DeBoer said. “I was feeling the exact same thing on the field. I guess that’s one of things that kept me feeling like ‘keep fighting, keep fighting,’ because those are the experiences we’ve had together.”
It goes without saying that DeBoer’s Husky tenure has been an unimaginable success thus far — the 17-2 record is incredible, and Washington’s first appearance in the top 5 since 2017 would have been considered a pipe dream just two years ago.
But even with all the good fortune DeBoer has brought to the program, there’s perhaps one record that stands out above the rest:
2-0 against the Ducks.
Jimmy Lake lost in disastrous fashion in his only head coaching matchup against Oregon. Chris Petersen got two rather massive wins, but still finished with a 2-4 record against the Ducks as UW’s coach. Steve Sarkisian was goose-egged in five tries. Tyrone Willingham went 0-4.
So, DeBoer’s two wins in as many tries certainly aren’t to be taken for granted, especially considering the Ducks fielded a top 10 team in each occurrence.
Those two wins also happened to come in the most thrilling, dramatic ways possible, creating instant
classics that will be remembered in Husky lore for years.
“The [players] are gonna remember this forever,” DeBoer said. “Whatever happens the rest of the season, they’re going to be talking about the 2022 game and the 2023 game.”
They’ll certainly talk about Penix, who battled adversity, and willed the Huskies to victory twice against their biggest rival.
In 2022, after throwing a goal-line interception, Penix got one more chance with a seven-point deficit and 3:54 remaining. In a hostile environment, against a top 10 team, Penix delivered a picturesque pass down the sideline for a 62-yard touchdown, as the Huskies went on to win, 37-34.
It was hard to imagine a more collected, clutch performance than that night, but it was topped last Saturday, after the Huskies were stopped on the goal line with 6:33 remaining, trailing by four.
As he watched from the sideline, hoping for his defense to gift him one more shot at victory, Penix literally began to rap about a Huskies’ comeback.
Joe Montana once spotted actor John Candy in the stands to calm his team down in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl. Michael Penix spit bars instead.
He must have spoken it (or rapped it) into existence, because the Huskies stopped the Ducks on fourth down, then struck for a goahead touchdown in two plays en route to a 36-33 win.
Oh by the way, Penix was also dealing with severe cramping issues, and had to receive IV’s on the sideline.
“It comes down to the wire in those big time games,” Penix said. “That’s what it takes — it takes guts.” Penix has accumulated countless achievements throughout his college career, but his immense role in two of the biggest wins in the history of the rivalry will never be forgotten.
That 2-0 record may not look the same in two months; there’s a distinct chance that the Huskies and Ducks will meet up again for the Pac-12 Championship on Dec. 1. If that matchup does come to fruition, then maybe it’ll overtake the October matchup in relevance, and in stakes.
But, for now, these Huskies have the upper hand on the Ducks. And if beating Oregon is the legacy left by this cast of characters, then they’ll always be remembered fondly by the UW fanbase.
Reach Sports Editor Ethan Kilbreath at sports@dailyuw.com.
Twitter: @EthanArles
Notebook: The only fourth quarter Michael Penix Jr. didn’t want to miss
By Ty Gilstrap The Daily
By this point of the season, Dylan Morris has become a familiar sight for the Huskies in the fourth quarter.
Typically emerging once senior quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has dismantled the opposing defense for 300 yards and some change, the junior backup quarterback from Puyallup, Washington would often be handed the keys to the offense for the final 15 minutes of the game.
In a sense, Morris’s weekly appearances had become a bit like the Christmas tree you buy in early-December. While neither the holiday nor the win is quite there yet, you know it’s not too far away.
When Morris began taking warm-up snaps early in the fourth quarter against Oregon, it almost felt like coming across a Christmas tree in July. While there’s nothing wrong with the tree itself, it’s just not what you’re quite expecting to see it at that time.
But this was the reality the Huskies dealt with against Oregon, when Penix was relegated to the medical tent for the administration of a few IVs from the training staff, desperately trying to find relief from cramps that plagued him late in the second half.
“That wasn’t like a media deal,” offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said. “He was fighting to stand up at some points and even drive the football, and they were pulling IVs out right before he was going on the field, literally seconds before.”
With just seconds remaining in the TV timeout and Penix still concealed underneath the tent, Grubb was forced to prepare for what could have been the gamewinning drive without his star quarterback — a true nightmare before Christmas.
Until the savior emerged just in time.
“Matter of fact, on that one series, I thought [Morris] was coming out, and I thought [he] was going to get out there and start the drive, just because they weren’t done with the IV bag yet,” Grubb said. “But Mike ran out there at the last second and was ready to go.”
This perhaps should have been expected, even if Penix had been receiving treatment over in Swedish Hospital.
For a quarterback whose injury history had long taken precedence over his talent level, he was going to find a way to get on the field for the most important drive of his life. Grubb and head coach Kalen DeBoer may admit they were prepared for Morris to enter the game for a few snaps, but at that moment, and with those stakes, no one other than Penix was destined to lead the charge.
“All the experiences in his time playing football and everything he’s been through,” DeBoer said. “He was going to do everything in his power to be in charge to lead the team to victory.”
Similar Sun Devils?
Here’s a helpful tip for a few of you worried Husky fans: don’t compare Arizona State’s schedule with last year’s. Otherwise, you’ll find a team astonishingly similar to the one who pulled off a miraculous upset victory over Washington.
So for the faint of heart, look away.
Both seasons, Arizona State had just one win entering the matchup, with each one coming against an FCS opponent in the season-opener. There was a loss to Oklahoma State, and then a thwacking by USC. Little left to play for, and a fast-track to another underwhelming season for the Sun Devils.
If you’re having flashbacks to lastseason’s crushing loss, you’re not entirely alone.
“I just thought of the same scenario,” Grubb said. “Overwhelming favorite, playing an underdog team.”
Alabama’s head coach Nick Saban has long talked about the danger of having “rat poison” float around the locker room, a danger that occurs when the media becomes infatuated with a team — much like the national media is doing after Washington’s seismic victory over Oregon. With an inflated ego, it’s easy to become complacent against the worst team in the Pac-12.
“If we say we’re all about the standard, then the standard doesn’t change whether you’re playing the Ducks or Arizona State,” Grubb said. “I told the guys I’m excited to be out there on Tuesday with all of them and see if that’s just talk, or if that’s really who we are.”
But for DeBoer, he’s confident that the outside noise doesn’t make its way to the locker room. When it comes time for the preparation to begin, he knows his group is ready to meet, and exceed, the standard they have set all year.
For a group defined by last season’s loss in Tempe, he knows they understand better than anyone else what could happen without a dominating win on Saturday.
This year, there’s little danger of it happening again.
“The standard is the standard,” DeBoer said. “It doesn’t take much to realize what this game was a year ago. As far as the impact it had looking back on the season, and certainly being once that hurt our chances in having bigger opportunities, whether it be a conference championship or whatever that may be, but that game really made us who we are.”
After missing the previous two weeks with an injury sustained against Michigan State, junior wide receiver Jalen McMillan returned for just seven snaps against Oregon before exiting the field. But thankfully for Washington, it seems as if McMillan may have avoided any significant setbacks in his recovery process.
“He’s doing better,” Grubb said. “I think it just surprised him a little bit, honestly that his knee gave out a little bit. He was feeling good after the game. I know he’s back at the doctor today, and they’re just double-checking everything. Strength was good and structure was good after the game, and they were feeling pretty confident.””
DeBoer also mentioned that McMillan would likely be practicing again as early as this week, but don’t necessarily take that as an assurance he’ll be on the field against Arizona State.
After the win over the Spartans, DeBoer assured the media McMillan would be back the following week. He went on to miss the games against both Cal and Arizona. But in the absence of McMillan, the Huskies received some additional help in their receiving room with the return of senior wide receiver Giles Jackson from a thumb injury, providing yet another talented weapon to complement junior wide receiver Rome Odunze and sophomore wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk. In his first game of the season against the Ducks, Jackson recorded 58 yards receiving and a touchdown.
Reach Sports Editor Ty Gilstrap at sports@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @ty_gilstrap
76 Schureman, Griffin OL 6-1 255 Fr. Queen Creek, Ariz. / Queen Creek
77 Scott, Kyle OL 6-5 330 Jr. Lake Elsinore, Calif. / Temescal Canyon
78 Garvin, Colby OL 6-6 250 R-So. Queen Creek, Ariz. / Queen Creek
79 Fautanu, Leif OL 6-2 320 R-Jr. Honolulu, Hawai’i / University Laboratory
80 Swinson, Messiah OL 6-8 260 R-Sr. Bay Shore, N.Y. / Lutheran
81 Young II, Jamaal TE 5-11 185 Fr. Tempe, Ariz. / Marcos De Niza
82 Brown, Tre WR 6-2 245 Gr. Moreno Valley, Calif. / Linfield Christian
82 Johnson, Andre LB 6-4 215 R-Sr. Avondale, Ariz. / Tolleson Union
83 Eusebio, Derek
Hendrix, Korbin
85 Morgan, Ryan
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The Daily’s picks for UW vs. Arizona State
Score and prediction?
Battle Royale
It would be nice to have a little breather after the collective cardiac arrest that everyone went through last season. UW knows better than anyone that a struggling ASU team can play spoiler, but the Huskies won’t be caught off guard this time. Penix will pad his Heisman resume, Dillon Johnson will punch in two touchdowns, and the Huskies will roll to a win, 52-14.
Arizona State has stumbled to a 1-5 record this season, with its lone win coming against Southern Utah, an FCS opponent that’s just 2-4 on the year. Oh, and the Sun Devils barely escaped that game with just a 24-21 win. Don’t be distracted by the two close scores against Colorado and Cal, as Washington’s going to tie its highest point total of the season in a 56-7 drubbing of the visitors.
Coming off the biggest win of the year thus far, don’t be surprised with a slow start from the Huskies. With that being said, a slow start probably won’t matter too much against the worst team in the Pac12 record-wise. If this game were in Tempe I’d have some doubts, but with the Husky faithful still buzzing from last week, I’ll take the Dawgs big in this one, 51-24, with, of course, another Jack Westover touchdown (he’s due for it).
I’m all for blowout games, but after what was just about the most stressful four hours of my life last Saturday, I want to be a little more tempered with my expectations, if for no other reason than safeguarding my sanity. But I guess that isn’t what college football is about. Huskies are going to take the dub, 35-30.
Washington has outscored its opponents 80-23 in first quarters this season. How many points will the Huskies’ score in Saturday’s first quarter?
After students repeatedly threw them onto the field, tortillas were placed on the prohibited item list at Sun Devil Stadium in 2014. What else do you wish would get banned from football stadiums?
(Feel free to take this in any direction you please, e.g. cowbells, The Wave, nachos, obnoxious fans, etc.)
Arizona State frequently proclaims itself as the “leader in innovation” among American universities. What should Washington proclaim itself as the leader in?
Truthfully, I think you just take however many first quarter possessions the Huskies get and multiply it by seven to get your point total. I’ll say they get three drives in the first quarter, and I’m a comms major so forgive me if my math is fuzzy, but I think that should make 21.
I’ll be honest, I’m kind of getting tired of seeing senior quarterback Michael Penix Jr. make an appearance in both the first and fourth quarters the last two weeks. This game, I think Penix and co. jump to an early 21-0 lead in the first quarter, allowing his night to end after just 45 minutes.
As long as our cherished Game Dailies aren’t banned, we’re all good!
Amount of slipping on campus per capita. (Red Square moment).
Before I advocate for their abolishment, I would like to acknowledge that I fully understand longer television timeouts only stand to benefit the programs we all know and love with increased revenue numbers. But with that being said, when the television timeout coordinator emerges with their digital clock that reads 3:05 for what feels like the 76th time that game, a tiny part of me dies inside.
As I mentioned above, don’t be surprised by a slow start from Washington. Now, a slow start for the Washington offense is not like a slow start for most teams, so I think the Huskies will still put up two touchdowns in the quarter.
I’ll buy into another first quarter explosion, I say a tidy 21 points in the first 15 minutes.
I for one have never been a fan of the “sing along” segment during Husky football games. This may be a hot take, but I feel I have good reasoning. The segment itself could be good if the song choices were just a tad better. Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the U.S.A.” was tortuous enough last year, and while Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” is slightly better, it’s still a very generic choice. To upgrade the segment maybe sprinkle in songs from Seattle artists (except Macklemore), which there are plenty of.
I’m going to have to disagree with that last one. Personally, I think we should ban all songs that aren’t Macklemore for games.
Washington is the hands-down leader in keeping students out of their intended major. Every day I become a bit more thankful that my 18-year old self picked political science, one of the least competitive areas of study. But then again, there may be a reason for that…
Washington should easily be considered the leader in boba among college campuses. I dare anyone to find a place with more boba shops in a square mile than on the Ave.
Good for them. Seems like these days we’re leading the Heisman hype train with Michael Penix Jr., so I’ll take that. Oh, and a world-class research university, a first-in-the-world oceanography department, and one of the best medical schools around. We do all right for ourselves here in the Pacific Northwest.
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UW: STOP THE MONKEY BUSINESS
Snatched from their homes. Shoved into planes. Sick. Suffering in labs.
During the last 30 years, the University of Washington has imported pig-tailed macaques from Indonesia, cramming them into diseaseridden U.S. facilities and selling their babies to laboratories around the country for use in cruel and wasteful experiments. UW also acquires long-tailed macaques imported from around the world.
U.S. experimenters’ demand for these species is wiping them off the face of the Earth.
UW must get out of the global monkey trade and end its flawed experiments on monkeys.
