Opponents Put UW's Odunze on Hold, But He Still Answers the Call

The Husky wide receiver has faced secondaries willing to do anything to stop him.

Rome Odunze was surrounded by people earlier in the week, people asking questions, people getting in his space, but for a change no one laid a hand on the University of Washington wide receiver.

This was new, welcome, liberating.

Since becoming recognized as one of the best at what he does across the college game, Odunze continuously has had to deal with opposing and clearly unnerved defensive backs stooping to whatever they can to try and slow him down — short of wrapping him up in yard-marker chain.

"The joke among some of my teammates is I'm the most held receiver in America," Odunze said.

For example, in last weekend's 35-28 victory over Utah, the Huskies' leading pass-catcher was targeted 11 times and came away with a season-low 3 catches yet a seriously-make-them-pay-for-it 111 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns.

The Utes resorted to hanging all over Odunze however they could. In the second quarter, Utes cornerback Zemiah Vaughn had a couple of handfuls of the UW receiver as they ran to the end zone on a third-and-10 play and he was flagged for pass interference, putting the ball on the 13. The Huskies scored three plays later on Dillon Johnson's 5-yard run.

A quarter later, Odunze raced downfield on a third-and-7 snap and, after getting bumped every which way, hauled in a 44-yard throw from Michael Penix Jr. to place the ball on the Utah 21. Utes cornerback Miles Battle drew a pass-interference call that wasn't needed because the catch was made and the Huskies took the long gainer.

"All DBs hold, it's part of the game," Odunze said. "You've got to have your trinkets to keep up with wide receivers these days. It is what it is. It's not something I'm going to make an excuse of, but I definitely feel I'm being held a lot."

Entering Saturday's game at Oregon State, Odunze has a team-best 59 catches for 1,100 yards and 9 touchdowns, 11 scores overall counting rushes and returns, and he leads the conference with 110 receiving yards per outing..

Defensive backs haven't had to treat him as honest as before because running mate Jalen McMillan has been dealing with a near season-long knee injury and largely unavailable. However, McMillan still could return and pull significant snaps against the Beavers, which can only be good news for Odunze and finding more freedom downfield.

The Beavers, with a veteran secondary that has a league-best 12 interceptions — one more than the UW — might not to hold as much as the others in coverage against Odunze and his fellow receivers. Or maybe Oregon State is just really good at holding and getting away with it.

Either way, Odunze is looking forward to this Willamette Valley test and will adjust to whatever the scenario presents. He's good at improvising.

"I remember playing there before and, for the longest time, I said that was the most hostile environment that I had to play in back when we weren't even a ranked team," he said. "We know we have a big challenge ahead of us. 

"We've just got to go out there and execute and do whatever we're taught and go make plays and we'll have some fun."

To hold or not to hold is hardly the question here. It's how Odunze can make them pay for it.

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