Here's How Penix Threw 'The Perfect Pass' Against Oregon

The quarterback used enormous arm strength and pinpoint accuracy to throw a dagger through the heart of the Ducks.

Michael Penix has thrown an exhaustive 426 passes so far this season, from all arm angles, with different velocities, as long as you want, completing 67 percent of them.

The talented left-hander has completed 286 of these pinpoint offerings to 13 different receivers, for 3,640 yards and 25 touchdowns, spreading the air-minded glory as only he can do.

He saved his very best delivery for Oregon. 

Replay it over and over, and watch in awe as Penix lets fly with what is as close as it comes to the perfect pass in the Huskies' electric 37-34 victory on Saturday night at Autzen Stadium.

It came on a 62-yard touchdown strike to Taj Davis, considered his fourth-best receiver, to tie the game at 34 with 3:07 remaining to play.

Circumstances aside, what Penix did with the degree of difficult involved was a lot like a pitcher throwing a fastball over the inside corner of the plate — from straightaway centerfield.

S-t-t-t-r-r-r-i-i-i--k-k-k-e-e-e!

"That's the best throw I've seen Mike make in a game," UW offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said. "I've seen Mike make a lot of crazy throws in practice, but just his recognition of the coverage scheme was phenomenal and his ability to get the ball out on time and throw the right type of ball."

 

Glad everyone got to see 3 for what he is…. A playmaker. Love this team 💯 pic.twitter.com/gEH5IimX15

— Troy Fautanu ™ (@tFautanu) November 14, 2022

It came out of Penix's hand on a third-and-7 down from the UW 38.

From the right hashmark all the way across the field to the left sideline. Maybe 40-45 yards at a diagonal angle.

In the tiniest of windows, just beyond the reach of Oregon's diving and late-arriving senior nickelback Bennett Williams.

To the complete horror of a confident Ducks crowd not used to seeing its always talent-heavy team get beat in Eugene, let alone its secondary get absolutely manhandled such as this one was on this play.

While it quieted the crowd, this laser beam totally excited another left-handed Husky quarterback from another time, practically bringing this guy out of his seat in the FOX TV booth up above.

"There are very few in all of the land who can make that throw, college or pro. ... What a rocket shot!" exclaimed Brock Huard, the second in the line of three Husky QBs from this family lineage.

Minutes later live on the air from the studio, Pac-12 Network football analyst Max Browne, the former USC and Pittsburgh quarterback who was raised in the Seattle area, was equally bowled over by this heroic heave, supplying this observation, "That's an NFL throw! That's a throw a college quarterback doesn't think of trying!"

For the man who threw it, Penix made it sound like this was just business as usual for him — just another clutch, third-down, fourth-quarter, heat-of-the battle toss.

"It was just a go route on the outside and an out route," the quarterback said, replaying it almost like an auctioneer. "I've just got to read the corner. The corner bit down on the out route and on the go route. That's all it was. I threw a whole shot."

He threw the shot heard all around the college football world, or at least from the downcast Willamette Valley to a giddy Montlake.

The perfect pass.

Go to si.com/college/washington to read the latest Inside the Huskies stories — as soon as they’re published.

Not all stories are posted on the fan sites.

Find Inside the Huskies on Facebook by searching: Inside Huskies/FanNation at SI.com or https://www.facebook.com/dan.raley.12

Follow Dan Raley of Inside the Huskies on Twitter: @DanRaley1 or @UWFanNation or @DanRaley3