Washington's Lackluster Title-Game Start Proved Too Much to Overcome

The Huskies played from behind almost immediately and dug too deep a hole.

HOUSTON — The Washington Huskies couldn't finish off a magical season the right way, falling to Michigan 34-13 on Monday night in the CFP championship game when the Wolverines disrupted them in so many ways. The start of the game had everything to do with the end result.

The Big Ten team's elite pass defense forced quarterback Michael Penix Jr. out of his rhythm, especially after it jumped to a 14-3 in the first quarter.

An overly physical team, the Wolverines left UW running back Dillon Johnson in less than optimum shape when he suffered a high-ankle sprain on the Huskies' first offensive snap.

"I felt like I was fine coming into the game and then I injured something else," said Johnson, who was dealing with both a knee and a foot injury throughout the week. "I felt like what I wasn't capable of doing hurt the team. We were in long situations and we weren't clicking on offense today."

Add to that a pair of 40-plus-yard touchdown scampers from running back Donovan Edwards, and Michigan never looked back and refused to let Washington take the lead. The Wolverines outgained the Huskies 443 yards to 301 in total offense — 229  to 74 in the opening quarter.

After the slow start, Washington's defense did an admirable job of making adjustments to counter Michigan's run game. Yet without any rhythm on offense, the Huskies never found a way to even the score.

As the game slogged on, Michigan's fast start continued to loom larger the second half began to wind down, making a comeback out of the question.

Washington was flagged for a few costly penalties, including a holding call on right tackle Roger Rosengarten that negated a 32-yard pass to Rome Odunze that would have moved the Huskies deep into Michigan territory with an opportunity to tie the game. 

A number of things that can be faulted for ending the Huskies' 21-game win streak, but few seemed to loom as large as the lackluster start to a game on the biggest stage for coach Kalen DeBoer's team.

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