Cal Football: First Look at Washington Huskies and Explosive QB Michael Penix Jr.
The Washington Huskies, who visit Cal next Saturday night, give up a lot of points. But, boy, they score even more.
The Bears’ coaching staff has enough going on with their own roster to lose sleep this week after a 20-13 overtime loss to previously winless Colorado on Saturday.
Coach Justin Wilcox talks about those issues in the video at the top of this story.
While Cal was struggling at Boulder, Colorado, the Huskies were doing what they do every week: Score.
UW (5-2, 2-2), snapped a two-game losing streak with a 49-39 win over Arizona, powered by Pac-12 passing leader Michael Penix Jr.
A transfer from Indiana, Penix broke UW’s 21-year-old single-game passing yardage record with a 516-yard performance on 36-for-44 accuracy (82 perent) that included four touchdown passes. He also ran for a touchdown.
Penix eclipsed Cody Pickett’s program record of 455 yards, set in 2001.
"On account of this offense we have and the guys we have around me, we could put up those numbers every week," Penix said.
While the Seattle Mariners across town went 18 scoreless innings before losing 1-0 to the Houston Astros to be swept out of the ALDS, the Huskies continue to boast a prolific offense.
Washington is allowing nearly 29 points per game but scores at a 42.1 clip. They have gotten on the scoreboard on their first possession of every game, and have put up at least 32 points in all seven.
They have topped 40 points four times this fall.
Penix, a junior left-hander, is at the heart of the UW attack. He has thrown for an FBS-leading 2,560 yards (365.7 per game), with 20 TD passes and just four interceptions.
“You put the ball in his hands and good things are happening,” UW coach Kalen DeBoer told the Seattle Times. “It’s not just about the statistics. It’s about how he leads and how he’s so calm under pressure and keeps charging ahead. When you’re that talented and you’re that prepared, good things should happen.”
At Indiana, bad things kept happening — each of his four seasons at Bloomington ended in injury. He passed for 4,197 yards with 29 TDs at IU, but never played more than six games.
“I feel like (the injuries were) just bad luck,” Penix said. “But for me, I just go out there and have fun. I can’t really worry about injuries.”
He’s certainly having fun playing catch with Washington’s two talented sophomore wideouts.
Rome Odunze celebrates a touchdown against UCLA
Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA Today
In particular, Rome Odunze, a 6-foot-3 native of Las Vegas, has been spectacular. He caught nine passes for 169 yards and TDs of 45 and 48 yards vs. Arizona, his school-record fourth straight 100-yard receiving game.
Odunze has 44 catches for 693 yards and six scores this season.
“He’s certainly special,” said DeBoer, in is first season as UW's coach after leading Fresno State to a 9-3 record in 2021. “He brings that size and that strength. What I’ve seen of him, based on last year’s film and even spring ball, I feel so much more confident with the 50-50 balls and him finding a way.
“He can run by people, as we saw in the one touchdown catch he bobbled a little bit. He can get behind a defense. But I’ve seen it in practice, throughout fall camp, throughout the season: Give him a chance and he’ll find a way.”
Not to be ignored is Jalen Williams, a 6-1 product of Fresno, who had six catches for 77 yards and a TD vs. the Wildcats. That boosted his season numbers to 37 receptions for 530 yards and five TDs.
Washington does struggle on the other side of the line of scrimmage. The Huskies allowed Arizona 526 total yards and have surrendered 124 points . . . in the past three games. They lost two of those, falling 40-32 at UCLA, then 45-38 at Arizona State before beating Arizona.
Their opponents are converting 49 percent of their third-down chances and 47 percent on fourth down.
But the Husky defense does one thing quite well — pressure the passer. They have 20 sacks in seven games, including five by señor edge Jeremiah Martin and 4.5 by sophomore edge Braley Trice.
Cal’s beleaguered offensive line, which has surrendered 18 sacks through six games, could have its hands full.
If there is any reason for optimism among Old Blues it may be this: Cal matched UW’s scoring total against Arizona, putting up 49 points three weeks ago.
The Bears — who have put up just one touchdown each of their past two games — may need to approach 49 points next week just to keep pace with the Michael Penix Jr. and the Huskies.
Cover photo of Michael Penix Jr. by Joe Camporeale, USA Today
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
