As a Husky Homer my biggest fear was that the Washington team that played the Sun Devils and the Cougars would show up instead of the one that beat Utah, USC, and Oregon. But true to form this year Washington always played their best against the best competition and they did it again in this one. Before the game I’m not sure I heard a single sports commentator with the opinion that the Ducks, who opened as a 7.5 point favorite to win the PAC-12 Title, weren’t going to win this game. Washington Head Coach Kalen DeBoer didn’t have to do a lot of creative thinking in order to fire up the Huskies—just about everyone in the college football world doubted that they could beat Oregon twice. But wow, were they ever wrong!
It was a close game in the end, 34-31, but for a big part of the game it didn’t feel that way. Hats off to the Husky line who controlled the line of scrimmage on offense, opening up holes for their talented Junior RB Dillon Johnson who rushed 28 times for 152 yards and 2 TD’s against a team that was allowing just over 90 yards per game on averaging coming in. Dillon also threw it twice, connecting on both—one for another score. All that certainly made it easier for QB Michael Penix-Jr to connect on close to 70% of his passes for 319 yards and 1 TD while keeping the chains moving and either getting into the red zone and scoring or close enough for their new scholarship player, Sophomore Place Kicker Grady Gross, to kick a couple of field goals.
Maybe Oregon came in with the same mindset as the experts—we’re going to win this going away. But before that notion got shaken out of them the Huskies scored on their first two possessions while holding the Ducks to three-and-outs on their two to lead it 10-0 at the end of the 1st Qtr. Oregon finally got on the board about half-way through the second quarter but four plays later after a couple lengthy Penix-Jr passes, one to Rome Odunze for 22 yards and the other to Jalen McMillan for 45, RB Dillon Johnson threw his own TD pass to Germie Bernard to go up 17-3. After holding the Ducks to another three-and-out Washington would expand that lead to 20-3 on another Grady Gross field goal with well less than two minutes left in the half to cap off a creative whirlwind of offense that was making it look easy. But this is certainly when it got interesting. Having deferred to start the game, Oregon was going to get the ball after the break and although there was only 1:39 left in the 2nd Qtr the commentators noted that with back-to-back scores, one before the half and one to start the 3rd Qtr, the Ducks would be right back in this game. And that’s exactly what happened. Bo Nix took the Ducks 75 yards in seven plays and with a short 2 yard pass to Junior TE Terrance Ferguson closed that score to 20-10 right before the break.
Oregon liked that drive so much that they started the 3rd Qtr with another 75 yard drive that ate up a lot more clock but ended the exact same way—a two yard TD pass to Ferguson to make it 20-17. And then, as far as Husky fans were concerned, the unthinkable happened—Penix was intercepted and all of a sudden it seemed as though this magical game towards the unbeaten season, a PAC-12 Championship, and a trip to the national semi-final was close to going up in smoke. But two plays later Junior Safety Mishael Powell found himself in front of and between a ball thrown by Bo Nix to his wide receiver and picks up an easy interception giving the Huskies a golden opportunity to extend that lead and hang onto those lofty goals they talked about before the season even started. But in spite of an Oregon pass interference penalty the Huskies still found themselves 4th and 2 at the Oregon 28 yard line. With Grady Gross having made 5-of-6 on the year from this range it was probably an easy three points. But, if made, it would only put them up by six with a whole quarter and then some for Bo Nix and the Ducks to score a TD and an extra point to take the lead. So instead, they go for it but Penix-Jr gets sacked and between a Bo Nix seven yard pass and 44 yard run the Ducks find themselves sitting 1st and 5 at the Washington six yard line where RB Jordan James takes it in to make it 24-20—Oregon’s first lead of the game. After the Camden Lewis 65 yard kick-off for a touchback and a Michael Penix-Jr incomplete pass, he throws back-to-back-to-back completions—the last a 31 yard TD pass to Junior WR Jalen McMillan to go back up 27-24—and Washington wasn’t done. With the defense digging in and forcing the Ducks to punt the Huskies went on a 12 play 82 yard drive—eating up well over six minutes of clock—to go up 34-24 on a Dillon Johnson TD run with less than three minutes left in the 4th Qtr. But the Ducks weren’t about to go quietly and were back in the end zone just 30 seconds later on a Bo Nix 63 yard TD pass to Junior WR Traeshon Holden to close within three, 34-31, with over two minutes left in the game.
Oregon tried an on-side kick but it was recovered by Washington at their own 45 yard line. Between the Ducks calling a time-out after every play and the Huskies committing a holding penalty Washington found itself at 1st and 20 on their own 47 yard line with almost two minutes still left in the game. After a Dillon Johnson three yard run Oregon called their last time-out. On a 2nd and 17 Johnson rushed for another 8 yards down to the Oregon 42 yard line. Washington took a time-out themselves sitting 3rd and 9 with just over a minute left. Dillon’s next rush sealed the deal—an 18 yard run to the Oregon 24 for a first down with less than 30 seconds left. Bo Nix connected on 21-of-34 for 239 yards, 3 TD’s and a rare interception—just his third of the year while also leading the team in rushing yards with 69 on six attempts. Washington led the way in 1st downs, 26-to-17; passing yards, 324-to-239, rushing, 157-to-124; converted their 3rd down attempts at a 67% clip compared to 30% for Oregon; and had possession of the ball for 14 minutes more.
The Ducks will take a few weeks off to heal up, regroup, and get ready for the Sun Bowl on Friday, December 29th at 11:00am on CBS where they’ll be taking on No. 16 Notre Dame—should be a good one. The Huskies move on to the College Football Playoff Semi-Final where they’ll be taking on No. 3 Texas at the Allstate Sugar Bowl at 5:45pm on ESPN.