Inside The Huskies

Odunze Played Through Punctured Lung Suffered Against Arizona

Washington's top receiver battled multiple injuries over the second half of the season.

Roman Tomashoff

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Whenever the Washington Huskies needed a big play, they would turn to wide receiver Rome Odunze. Of the team's 13 victories, seven came in one-possession games and, more often than not, the junior from Las Vegas was responsible for a deciding play.

Odunze, a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, has caught 81 passes for 1,428 yards and 13 touchdowns this season and did it while playing through a great deal of pain. 

According to multiple reports, Odunze suffered a broken rib and a punctured lung during Washington's 31-24 victory over the Arizona Wildcats on Sept. 30 in Tucson. 

He appeared to get hurt while recovering an onside kick recovery with 1:07 remaining that wrapped up the game for the Huskies. He took a hit so severe he was unable to fly to Seattle with the team and had to be driven back, covering a distance of more than 1,500 miles.

Punctured lungs can take six to eight weeks to heal, meaning that Odunze took off the Huskies' bye week that immediately followed the Arizona game but he played hurt for quite some time. 

In spite of the injuries, Odunze didn't miss a game and, in Washington's first matchup with Oregon, he caught 8 passes for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns, including the game-winner, an 18-yarder with 1:38 left in a 36-33 victory at Husky Stadium. He also led the UW in receiving yards in five of the team's final eight games.

Over those eight games, Odunze pulled in 49 receptions for 820 yards and 9 touchdowns. He now has nearly a month to fully recover before Washington takes on Texas in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1 with a trip to the national championship on the line.

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Roman Tomashoff
ROMAN TOMASHOFF

I've followed the Huskies for my entire life, and to be in a position where I get to cover them full-time is nothing short of an honor. After graduating from Lasell University in 2019, I moved to Seattle to pursue my dream of working in sports media. While writing for the Husky Haul, I also covered local sports for the Everett Daily Herald before the COVID-19 pandemic. After being hired by Realdawg.com in February of 2021, I also transitioned into doing a lot of entertainment writing, as I work on a variety of magazines as a contributing writer for Centennial Media, and have also contributed to Emmy Magazine, as well as Walt Disney Television Studios. 

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