How Long Can The Purple Reign?
by Kyle Golik
The legendary rivalry of Oregon vs. Washington added a classic to it, one filled with so many great moments. It will surely be added somehow and someway to the Top 5 moments in this rivalry.
What we came away from the "Showdown in Seattle" was a thought and a question. The thought was filled with hope that we see in Las Vegas, these two teams close out the Pac-12 Conference for the championship with an epic encore.
The question now is, how good are the Huskies? Are they the class of the Pac-12? Are they College Football Playoff material? Let’s explore:
Oct 14, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) passes the ball against the Oregon Ducks during the first half at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium.
© Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Michael Penix Jr. is as good as advertised but has a flaw.
If Saturday was your first impression of Michael Penix Jr., you walked away with a very good first impression as Penix finished completing 22 of 37 passes for 302 yards and four touchdowns.
Penix did have a bad interception at the end of the first half that set up Oregon for at least a field goal, but the Husky defense held firm on the goal line, denying the Ducks a score to end the first half.
All the superlatives you hear about Penix were lived up to, especially considering the egg-laying in South Bend by Caleb Williams.
On Saturday, Penix should be near even with Williams in most Heisman Power Rankings and has earned it. What he displayed this weekend is that when given the time, Penix is a surgeon with his arm, and the ball placement he has is among the best, if not the best, in the country.
That was best personified late in the fourth quarter. After the Washington defense stuffed Oregon on fourth down, the throw Penix made to Ja’Lynn Polk for a 35-yard gain was a play that was a highlight that captured everything that makes Penix special.
I did have a caveat about Penix. If you noticed, I mentioned that Penix, “when given the time,” has the ability to carve up any defense. It was something mentioned at the beginning of the second half that I took notice of.
When Oregon was administering pressure, Penix had not completed any passes and was in the graphic at the start of the second half 0 for 4 on pressures. The Ducks' defense will be the absolute best defense Washington will face in the regular season, Oregon State also has the ability to give Washington headaches, ranking in the Top 20 in sacks per game (tied for No. 16 at 3.14 sacks per game).
Again, Penix really hasn’t been challenged defensively by an elite front seven that may come back to hurt Washington, but if Penix can do better against the blitz, it only means Washington is that much more dangerous.
Oct 14, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk (2) catches a pass for a touchdown against the Oregon Ducks during the first half at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium.
© Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Without Jalen McMillan, they are the best WR group in the country. With him, they are extremely dangerous.
I have been on record saying since the preseason that the best wide receiver unit in the country resides in Seattle, and I continue to emphasize this.
Jalen McMillan had been hoping to return in grand fashion against Oregon but left the game in the first quarter, reaggravating a previous leg injury he suffered.
Even without McMillan, the nation’s best receiver heading into this game, Rome Odunze, played as a prohibitive favorite for the Biletnikoff Award, hauling in eight receptions for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Odunze finished over the century mark in receiving for a fifth time in six games.
Ja'Lynn Polk, a sophomore from Lufkin, Texas, had, to me, the highlight play offensively on the final scoring drive on the 35-yard reception that set up Odunze for the deciding touchdown.
The play epitomized what makes Penix and this wide receiving unit special; the chemistry is off the charts, and on that play, Penix had enough trust Polk would get the ball. Polk not only made the reception, but the way he worked towards it showed he wasn’t going to be denied.
Stepping in for McMillan was Giles Jackson. The senior finished with six receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown. When you consider the talent level of Oregon’s secondary, and how the trio of Odunze-Polk-Jackson did what they wanted, it is impressive what the Huskies have.
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Husky quarterback Michael Penix Jr. reiterated to the Seattle Times: “I’ve got the best receiving corps in the country. If anybody else is saying anything different, they’ve got to turn on the tape. Those guys show it every day.”
The quartet of Odunze-Polk-Jackson-McMillan will give elite defenses and secondaries fits because they can create plays, and the chemistry with Penix makes it almost impossible to game plan against.
Oct 14, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies running back Dillon Johnson (7) carries the ball against the Oregon Ducks during the first half at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Dillon Johnson is the missing piece to the puzzle
One of my biggest criticisms of the Washington offense this season was the lack of balance with their nation’s best passing team and a ground game that was often ignored.
Mississippi State transfer Dillon Johnson seems to have the past two weeks gel into the offense, and now the Washington offense is clicking on all cylinders. With Washington now balancing the run and pass more, Johnson racked up 100 yards on 20 rushes and a rushing touchdown (plus two receptions for 10 yards).
After his breakout against Arizona, where Washington was held without a passing touchdown, it was Johnson who was the key to survival. He had 139 yards from scrimmage (91 rush and 48 receiving) and two rushing touchdowns.
Expect to see Johnson more involved, and finding him depth will be key to avoiding a single point of failure in the ground game, something Southern California experienced last season when Travis Dye went out with an injury.
The Huskies need both Will Nixon and Tybo Rogers to step up and demonstrate they can complement their dynamic offensive partners. Johnson is the clearcut RB1, but they need a definitive RB2. While they need to step up, they also both have to be given an opportunity to contribute, as both managed only two total touches versus Oregon.
Oct 14, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies defensive end Bralen Trice (8) tackles Oregon Ducks running back Bucky Irving (0) during the second half at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
The Huskies Defense is a tough one
In most of the country, when you discuss top wide receiver units, you hear Washington, Ohio State, Florida State, or Texas as the top units. Oregon has a trio that can cause a lot of damage in Troy Franklin, Gary Bryant Jr., and Tez Johnson.
While they were making plays, at one point, Oregon quarterback Bo Nix was 14 for 15 passing in the second half. The secondary successfully put the vice grip on the Oregon passing game. The Washington defensive backs were physical with the Oregon receivers and running stride for stride, not giving much separation when it counted.
On the fourth down gambles, twice the Ducks went to the air and were denied by a Huskies defense that were able to close all the throwing lanes, giving Nix poor options to throw.
The linebacking duo of Edefuan Ulofoshio and Alphonzo Tuputala combined for 20 tackles (17 solo), sack, and tackle for loss, were all over the field making plays and weren’t missing any tackles. They were freed to roam and cover sideline to sideline because the defensive line was able to win their battles against an elite Oregon Ducks offensive line unit.
Oct 14, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies wide receiver Rome Odunze (1) celebrates scoring a touchdown against the Oregon Ducks in the late fourth quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium.
© Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Verdict: Playoff Caliber
Kalen DeBoer has been a winner wherever he has been, and that isn’t a cliche.
He won 67 of 70 games he coached at NAIA Sioux Falls, where he won three NAIA national championships, went 12-6 at Fresno State, and now has won 17 of 19 at Washington, including two major wins against hated Oregon.
This team is the class of the Pac-12. I don’t feel Southern California’s explosive offense is that much better than Washington’s, and definitely not enough to make up for their deficiencies elsewhere.
After the November 4 encounter against Southern Cal, Washington plays in consecutive weeks Utah, Oregon State, and The Apple Cup against Washington State. The Huskies are talented enough to run the table and go undefeated, but this being the Pac-12, and we all know it is never quite that easy.
The team will go as far as Penix and their wide receiving unit will take them, as far as the ground game will complement them, and the defense making plays when it matters most.
Washington should win the Pac-12 and return to the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2016. Beyond that, if they earn the opportunity to play in the Playoff, they are as good as any team in the nation, and “Purple Reign” can go all the way to Houston on January 8.
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