4 takeaways from Washington Huskies 52-6 win over Portland St
Herb Nightengale
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The Washington Huskies continued their winning ways with a 52-6 beatdown over Portland State. Here are our four big takeaways.
The Washington Huskies continued to roll as they beat Portland State 52-6 at Husky Stadium on Saturday. Buoyed by a balanced offense and stingy defense, UW easily handled their FCS opponents in front of the hometown crowd. These are our four takeaways from the game.
Takeaway #1 Penix – Yes!
Once again, Michael Penix Jr showed why he was the right choice as the Washington Huskies starting quarterback. He utilized nine different receivers in completing 20 of 27 passes for 337 yards and 2 touchdowns. Penix showed he was human, just before halftime, when he threw his first interception of the 2022 season.
Takeaway #2 Huskies receivers have a field day.
Even without Rome Odunze, who didn’t suit up for the game, Washington’s receivers had a big day. In his absence, Jalen McMillan put up 127 yards and a touchdown on four receptions.
As a reward for a great training camp, Giles Jackson picked up some increased playing time. He responded with 6 catches for 105 yards. Ja’Lynn Polk also had a TD reception.
A week before the season, Jalen McMillan's grandfather passed away.
Herle Gene McMillan was 68 and a diehard Husky fan.
Through 2 games, Jalen has 9 catches, 214 yds and 3 TDs.
"His grandpa meant the world to him. He's playing for more than just himself."@jalenmcmillan20 pic.twitter.com/YOTjsC18VU
— Jake García (@Jake_M_Garcia) September 11, 2022
Takeaway #3 Respect UW’s run game
Washington Huskies running backs rushed for 241 yards and five touchdowns. They were led by starter Wayne Taulapapa who carried 12 times for 94 and a touchdown. Backup Cameron Davis had 10 carries for 70 yards and 2 more touchdowns.
Returning from injuries that limited him to only 4 games in 2021, Richard Newton had 10 rushing attempts for 59 yards. As an added note, freshman receiver Denzel Boston had the first catch of his career, as well as running the ball in for six points.
With 94 yards on 12 carries, Wayne Taulapapa has the second 90-yard game of his career and is one yard shy of his single-game career high (95 against Duke in 2020).
— Christian Caple (@ChristianCaple) September 10, 2022
Takeaway #4 Don’t mess with the D
The Washington Huskies held Portland State to a mere 131 total yards. Vikings starting quarterback Dante Chachere completed only 6 of 17 for 50 yards, no touchdowns, and UW sacked him three times. This was a week after Chachere completed 24 out of 37 for 270 yards and two touchdowns against San Jose State.
Though the Huskies didn’t have interceptions, it was still quite an impressive display of pass defense. Heralded as a dual threat, Chachere had only five yards on seven attempts compared to 83 yards on 14 carries last week.
Washington Huskies linebacker Cam Bright led the team with 5 tackles. Fellow linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala had 4 tackles and 1 sack. Edge rusher Bralen Trice had 4 tackles, with 1.5 sacks.
We will have to see how the Huskies do against #14 ranked Michigan State next week when the Spartans come to Montlake. These are two big-time programs out to flex some muscle. Did a pair of blowout wins prepare Washington for the challenge? We’ll find out next Saturday. Go Dawgs!