PAC-12 Football Power Rankings week ending 10/3
5. #21 Washington Huskies (4–1, 1-1)
Last Game: UCLA 40 – Washington 32
What a game. Washington seized momentum early with a touchdown and defensive stop. But Wayne Taulapapa’s fumble in his own end zone on the next possession turned the game around.
Michael Penix had a rough first half throwing two interceptions. His turnovers led to two long UCLA drives and a touchdown, putting the Huskies in a deep 26-10 hole at the half.
He shook it off in the second half and showed maturity beyond his years. Washington scored touchdowns on all three of their second-half possessions, led by a cool and calm Penix.
The defense, however, continued to struggle. They couldn’t stop Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson or get much pressure on him.
If DTR wasn’t beating them with the RPO, Zach Charbonnet ran wild. The defending Pac-12 rushing leader had 170 yards and a touchdown on 25 touches.
This Week: at ASU, 1:00 PM – Pac-12 Networks
UW stayed in the Top 25 despite the loss and now looks to regain ground. If Southern Cal could torch ASU for 328 yards, the country’s third most prolific passing offense will burn Sun Devil Stadium to the ground.
Get ready for the Michael Penix Jr. tour stop in Tempe, Arizona. He leads all of FBS with1,733 passing yards, and his 16 passing touchdowns are fifth-best. But it’s more than numbers.
The senior has demonstrated remarkable maturity this season in leading the Washington Huskies. He gets everyone involved in the offense, making UW very difficult to defend.
That’s one of the reasons why Washington will pound the ball down ASU’s throat. Arizona State yields 173.4 yards per game on the ground. The other reason is that U-Dub has a running back, Wayne Taulapapa, who is looking for redemption after his early fumble changed the tide of the game around last week.
Washington’s defense is pretty good too. They seek redemption after a disappointing performance against UCLA.
The only QB in college football to throw for at least 300 yards in every game this year:
Michael Penix Jr. pic.twitter.com/ikVRFmCoCx
— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) September 29, 2022