After Texas scored a touchdown with 7:23 remaining in the Sugar Bowl on Monday, Washington got the football back leading by just six points and in need of one last drive from from Michael Penix Jr. It was far too early for the Huskies to try and run out the clock, and with the Longhorns one score away from the taking the lead, Washington’s offense had to deliver once more.
Penix rose to the challenge, leading a 65-yard drive that ate 4:43 off the clock that resulted in a critical field goal to help the Huskies secure a 37-31 win over the Longhorns and punch their ticket to the College Football Playoff National Championship. Penix completed 29 of 38 passes for 430 yards and two touchdowns, repeatedly dropping precise throws into small windows as Washington racked up 532 total yards.
On the critical fourth quarter drive, he completed a third-down pass to tight end Jack Westover and hit Rome Odunze for a 32-yard gain as the Huskies reclaimed a two-possession lead, which proved significant as the Longhorns mounted a charge in the final three minutes. The throw to Odunze sent Penix over 400 yards for the fourth time this season. He also surpassed 4,600 yards passing for the second season in a row.
Most importantly, the performance helped improve the sixth-year senior to 25-2 in his two seasons as Washington’s starter and set up a showdown between the nation’s No. 1 passing offense and Michigan’s top-ranked defense next Monday at NRG Stadium in Houston.
Washington will be hard-pressed to surpass 500 yards against the Wolverines, who limited Alabama to a season-low 288 yards in the Rose Bowl. No Michigan opponent even surpassed 400 yards this season, while Washington has in 12 of its 14 games. But it would be unwise to bet against Penix, who finished second behind LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels in the Heisman voting.
“Maybe even being No. 2 in the whole voting thing, maybe some of that put a chip on his shoulder, too,” Washington coach Kalen DeBoer told ESPN on the field after the game, adding that Penix played like he was “on a mission” against Texas.
If the award were granted after Bowl Season, perhaps Penix would have logged more first-place votes after he shredded Texas. At one point, Penix completed 19 passes in a stretch of 20 attempts. He also made the Longhorns pay with his legs. After dealing with injuries throughout his four-year stint at Indiana, Penix became a hesitant runner at Washington over the past two seasons, relying solely on his precisely tuned left arm to dissect opponents.
Penix’ rushing total was in the negative numbers entering the Sugar Bowl, even though he was rarely sacked while playing behind one of the nation’s top offensive lines. But with the season on the line against Texas in the second half, he ran three times for 31 yards and a pair of first downs.
As a passer, Penix’s 430-yard game ranks fourth all-time in a CFP game behind a pair of Joe Burrow performances for LSU in 2019 and a Mac Jones outing for Alabama in 2020. Both those quarterbacks led their teams to national titles with the help of those memorable performances.
There are a lot of similarities between 2019 LSU, 2020 Alabama and Washington. All three teams feature elite passing offenses that lit up scoreboards with the help of dynamic receivers. Georgia shifted the paradigm the past two seasons by winning national titles on the back of great defense. But the Sugar Bowl illustrated that, with Penix at quarterback, the Huskies may have exactly what it takes to shift the sport’s power balance back to toward the high-flying offenses.
