The fun definitely returned to Montlake and Alaska Airlines Husky Stadium this past Saturday with the tail-gates, the sail-gates, the 77,000+ fans, and most importantly a huge win over then No. 11 Michigan State. Having played QB at Indiana before coming to Washington via the transfer portal Junior QB Michael Penix Jr. was more than familiar with Michigan State, having skewered them twice while playing in the Big 10. He didn’t let up as a Husky but poured it on connecting on 24-of-40 for three ticks shy of 400 yards in the air to go along with 4 TD’s and no interceptions, completions which Mike Vorel describes in his article for the Seattle Times writing; “He piled up a collection of head-turning completions — a 47-yard floater to wide receiver Jalen McMillan on the opening drive, a 19-yard back-shoulder sizzler to running back Wayne Taulapapa for a 19-yard score, a 17-yard touchdown rolling to his left to Ja’Lynn Polk to close the first half, and a picturesque 53-yard looper to Polk in the second.” Sophomore RB Cameron Davis added another while collectively the Huskies rushed 36 times for 106 yards while the defense held the Spartans to just 42 yards on the ground on 29 attempts, averaging less than 1.5 yards-per-carry. Michigan State’s passing game faired a lot better with their Junior QB Payton Thorne connected on over 70% of his passes for 323 yards, 3 TD’s and 1 pick.
The Huskies dominated what Vorel described as a, “ruthlessly efficient first half,” outpacing the Spartans in total yards 322-to-90 while forging a 29-8 lead by the break which included a safety leading to another Washington possession and TD. Michigan State got the ball first after the half and marched the ball 75 yards in 8 plays ending in a 26 yard Peyton Thorne to Tre Mosley TD pass to make it 29-14 after a failed PAT. But back came the Huskies 73 yards in 4 plays under a minute to score another TD on a 53 yard bomb from Penix to Ja’Lynn Polk to push the score to 36-14. As pointed out in Vorel’s column; “Polk nabbed six receptions for 153 yards and became the first Washington player to catch three touchdowns in a game since Dante Pettis against Oregon State in 2017.”
After a Peyton Henry field goal with nine plus minutes left in the 4th Qtr to put Washington up by 25, 39-to-14, Michigan State would make their only real run at getting back in the game with back-to-back TD’s in under four minutes after holding Washington to a three-and-out–getting to within 11 at 39-28. But their next possession with just under four minutes remaining would fall flat, turning the ball back over to the Huskies after five back-to-back incompletions by Thorne. With just under three minutes remaining Washington would run the clock out on six consecutive running plays which included a drive extending 30 yard rush by Cameron Davis. And just like that Washington is back on the map and the fan base is ecstatic and can’t wait for next week’s home opener against Stanford, a team they first played in 1893.