Inside The Huskies

Odunze's Spectacular Season Continues Against WSU in Apple Cup

The Huskies' top receiver was Mr. Reliable once again when his quarterback needed him.

Roman Tomashoff

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On a day when Washington State outgained the Washington Huskies by 75 yards, the difference-maker was wide receiver Rome Odunze. With the game on the line, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb turned to to the junior and he came through in a big way.

With 1:14 remaining in the fourth quarter on fourth and 1 from Washington's 29-yard line, Grubb called an end-around for Odunze, who took it for 23 yards and helped set up Grady Gross' 42-yard field goal to give the Huskies a 24-21 victory.

After the game, Odunze said that he was prepared for the call that helped lift the Huskies to their first 12-0 regular-season finish in school history.

"It was definitely kind of a risky call, but every time we go for it I say 'Okay, let's go get the first down,'" Odunze said. "I'll go for it on fourth and 25 in Madden sometimes. I don't care, I want to go get the first down."

The 23-yard run capped off what already had been an impressive day for Odunze, who caught 7 passes for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns. His second score was the 24th receiving touchdown of his career, moving him ahead of Reggie Williams and into a tie with Dante Pettis for the third-most in school history.

On a day where quarterback Michael Penix Jr. completed just 55 percent of his passes, he continued to turn to Odunze whenever the Huskies needed to make a play. 

Outside of receiver Jalen McMillan, no other Husky pass catcher pulled in more than 2 receptions in the game. That left Odunze to shoulder the load for Penix and he received 14 targets from his quarterback on Saturday.

Even though Washington struggled to develop a rhythm in the passing game outside of his performance, Odunze said he believes the team can find a way to get it back before a rematch with Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game.

"I think it goes back to all the adversity this team has been through, because we know we can come out with a win," Odunze said. "We know if we keep our heads in it and keep fighting regardless of what's happened up to that point, that we have a chance."

Odunze, a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award that singles out the nation's top receiver, has been a big part of giving the Huskies a chance week after week.

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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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