GAME DAILY
Race to NYC
Michael Penix Jr. has been college football’s most outstanding player
Pg. 4
CALIFORNIA
Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m.
Nathan Goh The Daily
Kilbreath: It’s time to believe that UW is a legitimate national title contender
By Ethan Kilbreath The Daily
Quick: What does the 2023 Washington football team have in common with the program’s 1991 national championship team?
For starters, they both entered the season in the top 10 with lofty aspirations. They also had supreme talent on both sides of the ball — although Bralen Trice has a ways to go before being the first pick in the NFL draft like the legendary Steve Emtman was 31 years ago.
How about this one: Both the national champions and current iteration of UW won their first three games of the season by an average of 34 points. In 1991, the 3-0 start also included a road win over a Big Ten team, although it was over No. 9 Nebraska, in comparison to UW’s win last weekend over an unranked Michigan State.
You can grasp at straws or cherry-pick stats to draw any number of comparisons between the 2023 Huskies and that legendary team from 32 years ago, but really, there’s only one parallel these Huskies are focused on drawing: the honor of bringing a football national championship to Montlake.
Washington hasn’t been coy about its lofty goal; all offseason,
they wouldn’t shy away from talk of a natty. Back then, mentions of a national championship drew eye rolls from anyone outside of the UW stratosphere. But as the Huskies steamrolled the Spartans in East Lansing last weekend, those eye rolls shifted to eyes glued to their televisions to watch one of the most dynamic offenses in recent college football memory go to work.
Winning was one thing — any kind of a victory against a brand like Michigan State is nothing to take for granted. But the way that the Huskies dismantled their opponent, exploiting gaps in the defense time and time again in a 42-7 rout, is what really allows for belief that UW is a legitimate national title contender.
“We always want to be our best and show what we’re capable of,” head coach Kalen DeBoer said. “It’s cool when that pays off in the production that we had, because it really just continues to be a motivator for when we get back on the practice field.”
That game, in which the 35-point margin was somehow still too small to represent the true size of the blowout, was the final means of proof necessary to confirm that every bit of the Husky hype has
been justified — and then some. The Huskies were so indestructible against their future Big Ten foes that, despite the defense holding a shutout through three quarters, the offense still stole the show with its 35 first half points.
The centerpiece, yet again, was senior quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who threw for 473 yards and 4 touchdowns. Penix and his Heisman campaign, after all, was at the heart of UW’s offseason hype. If Penix could somehow improve from his 4,641 yards passing, 31 touchdown campaign from 2022, then the Huskies would improve right along with him from the 11-2 team they were. Not only has Penix improved, he’s made it look as if 2022 were just a trailer for a true spectacle in 2023.
“Being able to come back for another year with the same guys in the offense for a second year is definitely gonna be special,” Penix said. “It’s been special so far, we’ve just got to continue to focus on the right things and execute at a high level.”
Penix is the engine that powers UW’s offense. The Pope is also Catholic, and the sky is blue, in other news. But the other part of the Husky hype train is the receiving corps. So far, they’ve been better
than advertised, as well.
Junior receiver Jalen McMillan has caught 20 passes for 311 yards and 3 touchdowns. Junior receiver Rome Odunze has 22 receptions for 419 yards and 2 touchdowns, and sophomore Ja’Lynn Polk has hauled in 13 passes for 300 yards and 2 touchdowns.
“We know who we are,” Polk said. “Nobody’s perfect, and we understand that, but we hold a standard with one another, and we believe that every pass that comes to us, we can catch it, no matter whether it’s too high or too low. We just stay hard on each other, and keep each other up, and know that we can make all those plays.”
National championship contenders aren’t built on one side of the ball, but the Huskies’ defense has held up their end of the bargain, as well.
UW’s defensive unit, which raised some eyebrows at times last year despite a statistically sound season, has allowed just 12 points per game. Sure, the Huskies’ opponents haven’t all been worldbeaters. Boise State was a genuine challenge but not exactly daunting, and Tulsa was always projected as a major win. Michigan State is a historically high-caliber Big Ten program, but they’ve been in a
state of disarray as of late, both on and off the field. Regardless, the arguments against the Huskies are continuing to grow thinner.
With each passing week, UW shows something on the field that makes it look more national championship-caliber than the week before. It wouldn’t be wise to overlook Cal or Arizona, but if the Huskies can take care of business against their next two unranked opponents, they would enter a marquee matchup with Oregon at 5-0, and a potential top 5 ranking with a chance to move into the playoff picture.
Entering the season, it was well known that if the Huskies met expectations, they would be a great football team. Through three weeks, they’ve exceeded expectations, making them a genuine national championship candidate.
Until they win the remainder of games on their schedule, the Huskies can’t truly compare themselves to the 1991 squad. For now, though, the 2023 Huskies are looking pretty damn good in their own right.
Reach Sports Editor Ethan Kilbreath at sports@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @EthanArles
Evan Morud The Daily
Michael Penix Jr. Heisman Tracker: Week 4
3-2-1,
The Daily’s Primer on Cal
By Ty Gilstrap The Daily
3 Numbers to Know:
10: Turnovers gained in Cal’s first three games, tied for first in the NCAA. The Golden Bears have notched at least 3 turnovers in all three games, evenly splitting the difference between forced fumbles and interceptions with 5 each. Three of the forced fumbles came in its contest against Auburn, the most Cal has forced since its 2017 matchup with Weber State.
31: The amount of unanswered points Cal scored in its comeback win against Idaho last week. The Vandals jumped ahead to a 17-point lead at one point, before a second quarter surge allowed the Golden Bears to sprint past and put the game out of reach.
2-3: Justin Wilcox’s record against the Huskies since his hiring as head coach of the Golden Bears on Jan. 14, 2017. Wilcox’s two wins have come by a combined 3 points, with both coming during the first three years of his tenure.
2
Players to Watch:
Jaydn Ott: One of the premier running backs in the Pac-12, Ott tore up opposing defenses in his freshman campaign, cruising to 897 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 5.3 yards per carry. The sophomore tacked on an additional 321 receiving yards to lead all Pac-12 freshmen in all-purpose yards per game last season. After sustaining an upperbody injury against Auburn, Ott did not play last week against Idaho, but Wilcox expects the sophomore running back to return for Saturday’s matchup against Washington.
Kaleb Elarms-Orr: Just a year ago, the 6’2”, 230-pound Elarms-Orr was the fourth-string linebacker for Cal, a reality that’s difficult to imagine given his superb play of late, where he’s totaled 22 tackles, an interception, 1 forced fumble, and 3 pass breakups across his first three games.
1 Recap of Last Week:
After pushing Auburn to the brink in its matchup underneath the lights the week prior, Cal was downright outplayed by an FCS opponent in California Memorial Stadium last week.
For 21 minutes that is.
Propelled by 28 combined points in the second and third quarter, Cal stormed back to put away Idaho for good and stave off a late-afternoon upset. Redshirt senior running back and Bellevue native Isaiah Ifanse filled in nicely in Ott’s absence, picking up 137 rushing yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. But redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Jackson V appeared shaky throughout, posting just 108 yards on 12 of 23 passing attempts.
The Golden Bears’ defense held the Vandals scoreless for the final 39 minutes to secure a 31-7 win and a 2-1 record. As it enters conference play, Cal will largely look to use its defense to play spoiler for a few Pac-12 teams, but if the offense plays just well enough, the Golden Bears may be able to squeak into an early-December bowl game with a six-win season.
Reach Sports Editor Ty Gilstrap at sports@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @ty_gilstrap
WELCOME TO THE PACK!
43
The amount of yards receiving junior Rome Odunze needs to move to fifth all-time in Huskies history.
The last time Cal beat Washington at Husky Stadium. 2 0 1 9
OFFICIAL SOFT DRINK OF UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
2009
The last year Cal had a winning conference record.
24-31
The score the last time Cal played Washington on Montlake.
1.5
The number of quarters junior quarterback Dylan Morris hopefully plays Saturday.
17.3
The number of points allowed per game by the Cal defense this season.
242.7Cal’s yards rushing per game.
1 3 3 2 Michael Penix’s league-leading total yards passing this season.
0
5
5
2
1
46
GOLDEN BEARS
Through faith and family, Scott Huff has rejuvenated Washington’s offensive line
By Ty Gilstrap The Daily
Just a few days into his tenure as head coach of the Washington football team, Kalen DeBoer took his first gamble.
While building out his incoming staff, DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb descended upon the fate of offensive line coach Scott Huff, one of the many staff members who endured a regression in their progression group during the apocalyptic season-long campaign underneath former head coach Jimmy Lake.
It’s hardly customary for an incoming head coach to retain many members from the previous staff, and after ranking dead last in the Pac-12 in yards per rush and enduring a decisively down year for recruiting, retaining Huff made even less sense.
But to evaluate Huff purely on one disastrous season would be to ignore his impressive body of work built during his time at Washington. Since taking over the role in 2017, Huff has promoted seven offensive linemen to NFL rosters, with just a few of these names including Kaleb McGary, Coleman Shelton, and Jaxson Kirkland. He oversaw an offensive line that surrendered just 22 sacks across 13 games, and recruited star-studded signing classes that placed Seattle toeto-toe with several southern blue bloods.
But perhaps most importantly, Huff has cultivated a family within the locker room, one that not only serves as an effective recruiting pitch for some of the top offensive line talent in the nation, but serves as a remedy to retain top talent
on Montlake, especially amid the turnover with a changing staff.
So when the decision came to extend Huff’s tenure, the choice was as clear as a fourth-and-1 on the opponent’s side of the field.
DeBoer had to go for it.
It certainly paid off.
The offensive line rebounded to historic heights last season, finishing the season second in the nation with just 7 sacks allowed and 0.54 sacks surrendered per game. The rushing attack opened up behind it, cruising to 1,898 yards and a staggering 4.75 yards per rush. And, of course, little reminder is needed about last year’s exceptional passing attack, largely due to keeping quarterback Michael Penix Jr. upright, effectively alleviating the injury reputation that preceded his arrival on Montlake.
But while the temptation to understand the seismic improvement may be to point to schematic or fundamental adjustments within the offensive line play, the sudden statistical disparity between the two seasons may be as simple as weathering the storm — together.
“They’re absolutely a family, and like any family, we go through really good times, and we go through tough times,” Huff said.
“But at the end of the day, we all have each other’s backs. I think Coach DeBoer has made that perfectly clear, and that’s how that’s going to be here. You can’t take it for granted.”
Of course, this dynamic isn’t simply cultivated overnight. Huff and the offensive line unit has poured in endless hours together, both on the field and off, to build
trust and cohesiveness among the unit.
And for a group of big boys, sometimes it’s as easy as firing up the grill.
Look no further than Huff’s “Trench Dawg BBQ 2022,” which featured proportions well beyond even the most grandiose expectations. Fresh off the Big Green Egg Barbeque was 30 pounds of pulled pork, 20 pounds of smoked sausage, 30 pounds of leg quarters, and 20 pounds of smoked mac and cheese, perhaps the only amount that could feed a group of hungry linemen.
But beyond the good eats, the nights shared at Huff’s stomping grounds serve as the catalyst for bringing the group close together, a dynamic sophomore offensive lineman Roger Rosengarten believes rivals any other unit in the country.
“Every single one of those guys in that locker room is my brother,” Rosengarten said. “It doesn’t matter if they’re a freshman or a senior. Ever since I got here it’s kind of had that culture in that offensive line. Most teams and most coaches and whatnot say we got to have good schematics, but one of the biggest things is that you have to be cohesive with each other. You have to lean on each other, and it doesn’t matter if it’s my roommate or a senior like [Troy Fautanu]. Family is huge when it comes to O-line play.”
The dynamic shared between Huff and his players is what initially piqued four-star offensive tackle Paki Finau’s interest in Washington. After an extended conversation with Fautanu, and
a second visit to Husky Stadium for the team’s spring preview, Finau announced his commitment, selecting UW over competing offers from Penn State, Utah, and Miami.
“When Coach Huff started talking to me, I had no prior knowledge about Washington at all,” Finau said. “We started going back and forth for a little over a year. I felt like every time we talked on the phone, it was never a forced conversation; we [could] always talk about things other than football. I thought that was really cool. I’m going to be with this guy for the next four to five years, so of course, I want to have somebody that I’m close with.”
And, of course, for familycentered recruits such as Finau, the allure of a family away from home can persuade even the most stringent members.
“Even my dad had a great time,” Finau said. “He doesn’t trust his kids with just anybody, but he said Washington is one of the few schools that he’ll hand me over to because he knows I’ll be in good hands for the next four to five years.”
Beyond Finau, Huff was able to secure commitments from five additional offensive linemen in the 2023 recruiting class, including the addition of fourstars Landen Hatchett and Elishah Jackett, providing increased depth for a group that’ll inevitably face reshuffling as the season progresses.
And through three games, the Washington offensive line continues to prove that 2021 was just an anomaly. Penix has been
sacked just once this season, all the way back in the first quarter against Boise State. According to Pro Football Focus, Fautanu took 44 pass block snaps against Tulsa, a game where he allowed zero pressures. And last week against Michigan State, Brailsford switched to center, where he promptly took home Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors.
“It’s their work ethic,” Penix said. “Coach Huff is always making sure we pay attention to the details going into the week, but I feel like they’re a special group and they come out working each and every day. We challenge them all the time, and when I go out there, I feel comfortable behind them because of the work they put in Sunday through Friday.”
But in the end, none of this would be possible without a little bit of faith.
Scott Huff needed the offensive line’s faith that there were better days ahead, he needed faith from incoming recruits that Washington was the right home for them, and most of all, he needed Kalen DeBoer’s faith that he was the right man for the job.
He got all of that, and promptly rejuvenated a leaky offensive line this past season.
Now, his unit is repaying the favor, giving Huff faith that this team, and this offense, is going to go far.
Reach Sports Editor Ty Gilstrap at sports@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @ ty_gilstrap
Mark SummerThe Daily
Running behind: Washington’s rushing attack needs to overcome early struggles
By Ty Gilstrap The Daily
Being a running back on the nation’s leading passing offense is both a blessing and a curse.
While it presents the opportunity to attach one’s name to an offense that has buried opponents under a combined 140 points and 1,844 yards in three weeks of play, it comes with limited opportunities.
Extremely limited opportunities, that is.
Among the 133 competing teams in the FBS, Washington ranks 128th in total rushing attempts with just 74. Sam Houston State, Akron, and Eastern Michigan are a few of the other schools among UW’s statistical anomaly – certainly not the cream of the crop in terms of collegiate football talent.
But when you hone in on individual production, the numbers become even more bleak.
Junior running back Dillon Johnson, who missed Tulsa’s game with a lowerbody injury, ranks as the leading rusher for Washington but 293rd in the nation among eligible running backs with just 83 yards rushing. Sophomore running back Will Nixon lands shortly behind at 296th with 82 yards.
The struggles from the pair are emblematic of a floundering rushing unit, one that ranks 104th in the nation with only 121.3 yards
per game.
Of course, the group is on a much shorter leash than most units, given the Heisman candidate at the helm of a passing offense that leads the nation with 493.3 yards per game. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb has been quick to acknowledge that there is a reluctance to run the ball when the Huskies can move the ball downfield so effectively through the passing game.
But it would be remiss to acknowledge that Washington appears to be one of the few passing-dominant offenses that has struggled to strike a balance between its passing and rushing offense. Caleb Williams and USC rank fourth in passing yards per game and 40th in the nation with 185 rushing yards per game.
Oregon lands fifth in the nation in passing yards per game while still racking up 216.3 rushing yards per game – good for 17th in the nation.
The only other school that shares a similar predicament as Washington is Colorado, which sits second in the nation with 418 passing yards per game but 127th in rushing yards per game with 61. The Buffaloes, however, can attribute this largely to nearabysmal play from their offensive line.
Advanced metrics indicate that the running back has been stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage
on 19% of Colorado’s runs, while the Buffaloes have accumulated just three line yards per rush.
Washington’s offensive line, led by sophomore Roger Rosengarten and junior Troy Fautanu, has been considerably better, even with some recent reshuffling following the loss of senior Matteo Mele. Sure, there were some growing pains earlier this season, something head coach Kalen DeBoer acknowledged they began to shore up in East Lansing.
“We were a lot more explosive there, and I thought the scheme was great, and our guys’ execution of it was the best it’s been,” DeBoer said. “A lot of times, it’s just one block that’s missed that makes the difference between a three and 20-yard gain, and we were getting those blocks.”
But, even with this improved performance, Washington still racked up just 36 rushing yards in the first half. Johnson was running tough early on, but it wasn’t necessarily what the Huskies were looking for to complement the passing attack.
There was a rushing explosion in the fourth quarter, with 143 yards gained, but only once the Huskies had cruised to a 41-point lead. Freshman running back Tybo Rogers composed the bulk of those second-half carries, picking up 74 yards on 15 carries. But in a game that had been decided considerably before this, it’s difficult to discern
how much stock to put into his performance.
“We got what we’ve seen out of Tybo from the beginning [on Saturday],” DeBoer said. “It was good to see him turn that burst on when he had those opportunities, whether it was down the sideline or right down the middle of the field. He was very decisive given that it was his first ever action at the collegiate level.”
With junior running back Cam Davis out for the season, Rogers may have to be the back that takes the lion’s share of carries out of the backfield now that he’s served his in-house suspension, something Grubb believes may lead to success in game.
“He’s getting a lot better, and he’s getting more mature,” Grubb said. “I think if Tybo would have come in and had success week one and not had some of those off-field issues corrected, I don’t know if he’d be as far along as he is right now. So I’m super happy with where he’s at, I’m proud of the work he’s put in, and we expect big things from him and to keep getting better.”
Still, the meandering rushing attack won’t be the utmost priority for Grubb as long as the offense continues to post 614.7 yards and 46.7 points per game, finding success against both Group of Five and Big Ten Conference opponents.
But as Washington enters
conference play and down-and-out Pac-12 schools look to play spoiler, a more balanced offense becomes more of a priority. Look no further than Cal, who has surrendered just 185.7 passing yards and 17.3 points per game. DeBoer still believes this will come naturally.
“I think everything goes full circle; you’re going to see the defense try to take away those explosive plays in the passing game, and now you can run the football,” DeBoer said.
But an issue arises if this “full circle” balanced offense only emerges in the fourth quarter of blowout games, leaving Penix Jr. stranded as the lone magic-maker early on in order to open up the rushing attack.
Of course, as we’re still just three games in, there’s no need to write off the running back room just yet. Perhaps the complementing rushing attack will emerge as the offensive line becomes a more cohesive unit, as Johnson receives more reps in practice, or Rogers emerges as the top back in the unit.
But if it doesn’t, well, Michael Penix Jr. better be perfect.
Reach Sports Editor Ty Gilstrap at sports@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @ ty_gilstrap
Evan Morud
The Daily’s picks for UW vs. Cal
Score and prediction?
Battle Royale
I’m starting to get convinced that Washington could have a team as talented as the ‘85 Chicago Bears, and they still wouldn’t be able to completely storm over Cal. With that being said, Jim McMahon didn’t have an arm quite like Michael Penix Jr. does. The Huskies will continue to flex their offensive muscles, and roll to a win at Husky Stadium, 45-14.
Washington has struggled to pull away from Cal as of late, taking the last two matchups by just a combined 14 points. With the Golden Bears’ defense dominating out of the gates, the Huskies’ offense may have to endure its first true test of the season Saturday. I don’t think the Husky faithful will be nervous at any point, but offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb certainly won’t be able to run up the score. Washington wins, 31-14.
The Cal defense has proved to be formidable early in the season, only allowing 17.3 points per game. The caveat about this stat; however, is that Cal has not faced an offense quite nearly as dynamic as the Huskies thus far. Being that this is the first league matchup, and the first game at Husky Stadium with the entire student body, I think the Huskies roll in this one 38-13.
The Huskies have scored 40 or more points in every game this season. While the Golden Bears defense is stingier than the other three that the Huskies have faced, I expect the Husky offense to produce another 40-point game. A feat made a little easier by a solid defensive performance giving the offense good field position all game. 44-10 Huskies.
Would you prefer a foggy day in Berkeley or a rainy day in Seattle?
Joining in the mass exodus of the Pac12, Cal and Stanford announced their intention to compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference starting in the 2024-25 academic year. What is the most random school you’d like to see join the Big Ten Conference?
It’s Superhero Day in Husky Stadium! Which current or former Husky would you most trust to save your life?
I’ll take the rain in Seattle 10 times out of 10. As someone who’s lived in Seattle my whole life, a little drizzle sounds like beach weather to me.
Why not Gonzaga as a basketballonly addition? They make as much sense geographically as UW does, and they’d certainly vault the Big Ten to the top of the basketball conference rankings. Bring on the Zags.
Even in perfect conditions, I’m far from the best driver on the road, but fog has proven time and time again to be my personal kryptonite. I’ll place most of the blame on my 2000-era headlights, but at least in the rain, I can verify that there is still a road in front of me.
I’m not naive enough to argue that it would be involved in many competitive matchups, but if it continues to score at this historic rate, I think the Big Ten Conference should at least explore extending an offer to Division II University of Texas-Permian Basin. UTPB crushed Texas College 96-0 in its season opener before dominating Southwest Baptist 86-7 just two weeks later. Would it be a stretch to say they would score more than Michigan State? I think it’s worth finding out.
If Michael Penix Jr. can take down the Ducks in Autzen, I’m sure he can save me from whatever is coming my way.
If senior tight end Jack Westover is as dependable off the field as he is on it, I don’t think I’d be nervous for a second if I ever found myself in danger
Living about an hour away from Berkeley for the majority of my life, I would say even in ideal conditions it is not the place to be. Seattle, however, is a vibrant and colorful city even in the rain, so I would much rather have a rainy Seattle day.
About five years ago I made a promise to myself that I would root for the worst team in division one football for the rest of my life, and that team just so happened to be the Miners of the University of Texas El-Paso. UTEP has always had a special place in my heart, so to see them potentially face off against the Huskies would be a dream come true.
Being born and raised in Tacoma has made me immune to the rain. Do I own an umbrella? Not a chance. Shorts and a T-shirt in the driving rain? Absolutely. Give me a rainy day in Seattle every day of the week.
The answer to this question absolutely has to be the University of Hawaii. Do they provide a boost to the conference athletically? Not necessarily. But having an away game in Hawaii to look forward to every couple of years makes it all worth it. Plus, who doesn’t want to play the Rainbow Warriors? Best team mascot in college football.
I would have to go with current Huskies tight end and fellow Bellarmine College Prep graduate Griffin Waiss. Griffin, being a Bellarmine graduate, has the perfect combination of brains and braun to keep me feeling at ease during a time of grave danger.
Something tells me that even at the age of 47, Brock Huard could still save me if I found myself in a bad situation.
UNIVERSITY
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