8 takeaways from Washington Huskies 39-28 upset over Michigan State

Ed Stein   |  

Sep 18, 2022

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The Washington Huskies moved to 3-0 with a 39-28 upset over ninth-ranked Michigan State. Here are our eight big takeaways.

The Washington Huskies continued to roll as they upset ninth-ranked Michigan State 39-28 at Husky Stadium on Saturday. Led by a dynamic passing attack and bruising defense, Washington seized the early momentum and didn’t look back. These are our eight takeaways from the big win.

Positives

Takeaway #1 Penix Envy

Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. came out of the chute on fire. He seemingly completed passes at will in the first half. When Penix didn’t have a receiver open, he was able to buy time with his feet until his man came available.

Penix was in sync with wideouts Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan. Polk had 6 catches for 153 yards and 3 TDs, while McMillan had 7 for 94.

It wasn’t just the dynamic duo; Penix hit nine different receivers. He finished 24 of 40 for 397 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Takeaway #2 Get ’em Down and Keep ’em Down

UW scored early and often. By the second quarter, they jumped out to leads of 22-0 and 29-8. Not only was Penix on point early on, but so was the Huskies’ defense. They shut down MSU.

Both units were determined not to let Michigan State back into the game. Hats off to Huskies Head Coach Kalen DeBoer for having his team in the right mindset.

Takeaway #3 Turn that Frown Around

For the first three-plus quarters, every time Michigan State did something to pump themselves up, Washington answered to deflate their bubble. Here are a few examples:

First quarter – The Huskies got stuffed on the one-yard line, turning the ball over on downs. On the next play, they came away with a safety and then scored a touchdown on the ensuing possession.

Second quarter – Michigan State finally got on the scoreboard with 1:30 left in the half. Penix then took Washington down the field and hit Polk with a 17-yard TD pass to take the teams into the intermission.

Third quarter – On the opening possession of the second half, MSU scored another touchdown closing the gap to 29-14. Less than a minute later, Penix found a wide-open Polk for a 57-yard touchdown strike.

Takeaway #4 Huskies Meant Business

Did they ever mean business. Michigan State is a physical team, but Washington set the tone. The Huskies hit hard and made big sticks all game long. They looked like a team who wanted it more.

Negatives

Takeaway #5 What Happened to 60 Minutes?

With all the good things the Washington Huskies did on Saturday Night, they didn’t finish effectively. It was Michigan State that found momentum, closing to within 11 points with 5:17 left in the game.

Penix was 1 of 7 for 3 yards in the final quarter. The lone completion was a 3-yarder to McMillan. The QB missed a few golden opportunities to put the opposition away for good.

With the offense struggling late, Washington’s secondary was gassed by the end of the game, and Michigan State took advantage.

Takeaway #6 Pick your poison

Coming into the game, Michigan State thrived as a rushing team. Jalen Berger had 237 yards and 4 touchdowns on 33 carries. Washington was ready for him.

They stymied MSU’s vaunted running game. With 6:37 to go in the first half, the Spartans had -12 rushing yards and finished with a minuscule 42 yards. Berger had 27 on 13 carries.

Jamming the run had its cost. The Washington Huskies secondary looked overmatched against quarterback Payton Thorne, who struggled against two Mid-American Conference teams to complete passes.

As a result, UW gave up 323 yards and 3 touchdowns to a team missing their best receiver.

Takeaway #7 No Push

Another season and the talented Washington offensive line continues to disappoint. Twice Washington had the ball inside the two-yard line, and twice MSU stuffed them for four downs.

It wasn’t just those plays. Washington ran the ball 30 times for 106 yards (2.9 yards per carry), and 30 of them came on one fourth quarter play.

At times Penix had room to throw. At others, he had to move around the backfield to buy time and find a passing lane.

To punctuate their difficulties, late in the game, when the Washington Huskies needed to take time off the clock, the O-line couldn’t open holes.

Big Ten Bias?

Takeaway #8 Missing the Point

So here they are at Husky Stadium, “The Greatest Setting in College Football.” The home team is winning, and their fans in the stands are going nuts. ESPN/ABC was more interested in showing disappointed Michigan State fans than fired-up Washington Huskies fans. It was almost like the production crew couldn’t believe Washington would be good.

With this win, the Washington Huskies cracked the Top 25. Next week, they begin Pac-12 Conference play with a home game against Stanford.