QUICKIE RECAP
It was the game the entire college football universe expected and was hoping to get. Two top-10 behemoths punching each other in the mouth with neither willing to succumb to the other.
Certainly a clash of the titans.
In the first thirty minutes, the lead changed hands twice but it was the Huskies who went into the break with the lead 22-18.
In the second half, the Ducks defense stepped up and helped them retake the lead at 33-29 with 12:58 to play in the game. But in the end, the Ducks just couldn’t stop Heisman candidate Michael Penix Jr who threw the game-winning touchdown with a minute and a half to play giving Washington a 36-33 win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
This one certainly lived up to the hype.
Washington struck the first blow on its second possession of the game when Michael Penix found receiver Giles Jackson coming across the middle of the field in single coverage for a 25-yard touchdown.
But Oregon immediately struck back under the five-minute mark of the first quarter when Bucky Irving pushed his way to the endzone on a 12-yard run to score the Ducks first points. Oregon converted the two-point try to take an 8-7 lead.
Before the quarter ended, with :46 remaining, the Huskies scored again when Penix Jr threw his second touchdown of the game when he found Ja’Lynn Polk on a 26 yarder to give UW a 14-8 lead.
In the second quarter, and on the Ducks next possession, Bo Nix found the first down marker on a 12-yard scamper to keep the drive alive. Nix then found Tez Johnson on a 14 yard hookup to get the Ducks just outside the 10 yard line.
Nix then found TE Patrick Herbert coming across the middle of the endzone for a leaping catch to once again put the Ducks in front 15-14 at the 11:44 mark of the second.
The Huskies would go on to put another 7 on the board when RB Dillon Johnson scored on a 7 yard run. Penix then found receiver Jack Westover on the 2-point conversion to give UW a 22-15 lead at the 5:12 mark of the second.
Oregon pulled within four points ( 22-18 ) when placekicker Camden Lewis drilled a 46 yard field goal with 2:04 remaining before the break.
With the clock running down with just under a minute to play in the first half, Penix threw an interception to DB Donte’ Manning near midfield giving the Ducks a chance to take a halftime lead.
But on a fourth and goal from the 3 yard line, Nix failed to find an open receiver as the clock hit zero. UW went into the break holding their 22-18 lead.
In the third quarter, The Ducks offense sputtered in their opening possession and were forced to punt.
UW took advantage with Penix led the Huskies down the field on a 6 play – 65 yard drive finding Rome Odunze on a 17 yard score to extend the Huskies lead to 28-18 at the 10:31 mark.
Nix then led the Ducks down the field on a drive of their own to the UW 9 yard line, but again failed to convert on a 4th & 3 when Lanning again showed his riverboat gambling style and decided again not to take the easy three points.
The Oregon defense began to find their footing and once again held up under pressure from Penix. Getting the ball back, Nix drove the Ducks down the field on a 3 play – 50 yard drive that ended with Nix finding Troy Franklin on a 30 yard score to tighten the UW lead to 29-26 at the 1:36 mark of the third.
Early in the fourth, the Ducks regained possession after the Ducks defense held on a 3rd and 5. Nix then found Franklin on a 49 yard strike to put the ball on the UW 14. Just a couple of plays later, RB Jordan James found the endzone up the middle on a 10 yard score to put the Ducks in front 33-29.
With 6:33 to play, the Oregon defense once again stopped UW inside the Oregon 3 yard line on a 4th and goal play giving the Ducks the ball back on a turnover on downs.
The Ducks went on a four-minute drive to try and burn the clock but had to give the ball up when they failed on a 4th and 3 that would have likely sealed the game with Washington having extinguished all of their timeouts.
The sprint out to the sideline failed giving the Huskies the ball back with a short field. And Penix took advantage.
In just two plays and :33 seconds, the Huskies scored on an 18 yard strike to WR Rome Odunze sealing the win for UW.
With 1:30 to play the Ducks put themselves in position to tie the game at 36, however, kicker Camden Lewis missed right on a 43 yard attempt to give the Huskies a 36-33 win.
PLAYER OR PLAY OF THE GAME
This one certainly belonged to Michael Penix Jr who completed 22 of 37 attempts for 302 yards and four touchdowns. Whenever the Huskies needed a big play to convert a third or fouth down, Penix was able to find an open receiver including the game-winner to Odunze who caught 8 balls for 128 yards and two scores.