2022 Alamo Bowl press conference.
In every football season, there are plays that teams wish they could have back. After a 10-2 season, there aren’t very many moments the Washington Huskies would take a do-over on.
Then again, even with the great record, UW didn’t reach a New Year’s-6 bowl game. That’s because they finished 12th in the College Football Playoff poll. Since there were a couple of upsets in other conference championship games and a team from the “Group of 5” schools got an automatic invite, Washington was squeezed out.
Here are four plays from the 2022 season that could have changed things for the Huskies.
The first two are Washington Huskies specific.
On September 30, the 15th-ranked Washington Hunkies came into the Rose Bowl with a 4-0 record for Friday Night Lights. They were taking on UCLA, who struggled two weeks prior at home to beat South Alabama 32-31.
The game started as well as it could. Washington received the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards to the house, including a 33 yard touchdown pass from Michael Penix to Rome Odunze.
Trailing 7-0, UCLA got a nice kick return from Kazmeir Allen. He went 40 yards with an additional 15 tacked on due to a UW personal foul. The Bruins had excellent field position at Washington’s 43 yard line.
Ten plays later, UCLA had 1st and goal from the 7 yard line. After a 4 yard run by Zach Charbonnet, the Huskies shut Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson three times to force a turnover on downs.
On Washington’s second play, running back Wayne Taulapapa muffed a handoff. He was tackled for a two-point safety. Even worse, UCLA drove down the field for a touchdown after the free kick. So, instead of a 7-0 lead with a chance to go up by more, the Washington Huskies were down 9-7.
Two positions later, UCLA defensive back Stephan Blaylock jumped a Penix pass intended for Jalen McMillan. It took only one play for the Bruins to score another touchdown. By halftime, the Washington Huskies were down 26-10 and couldn’t catch up.
The following week Washington had a chance to right their ship at Arizona State, one of the Pac-12’s bottom teams. Even better, with starter Emory Jones out due to an injury, the Sun Devils started backup Trenton Bourguet.
ASU was unfazed. They scored on their first three possessions to take a 17-10 lead with 3:47 left in the second quarter.
That was a harbinger of things to come. Washington couldn’t stop the Sun Devils all game. Arizona State only punted twice (their first and last possessions of the second half).
The Huskies needed their offense to pull this game out, but the opposite happened. Inspired by their own offense, it was Arizona State’s defense that made its mark.
In the second quarter, Washington was hanging in and putting together a nice drive close to mid-field. Under a heavy rush, Penix decided to throw instead of taking a sack.
The pass hit Washington tackle Jaxon Kirkland’s helmet, popping up in the air. ASU defensive back Jordan Clark caught the “doinked” pass and took it to the house for a 38 yard pick-six, putting the Washington Huskies down 24-10. Again two touchdowns were too much to make up despite a strong second half.
In hindsight, this play probably cost Penix any chance he had to win the Heisman Trophy.
The Washington Huskies weren’t directly involved in these plays but they affected where UW wound up.
Utah earned their way into the Rose Bowl. They beat USC in the Pac-12 Championship Game last week, which punched the Utes ticket to Pasadena. But it was their first game against the Trojans that put Utah in a position to play for the Pac-12 title.
The Utes never led in this game. Down 42-35 with 48 seconds left in the game, Utah had the ball 4th and goal on the 1. QB Cameron Rising followed his blockers into the endzone to pull within one point at 42-41.
Utah could have kicked the extra point and tried to win in overtime. Instead, coach Kyle Whittingham went for the win. With no receivers open, Rising ran it in himself to put the Utes ahead 43-42. That play saved their season and broke Southern Cal’s six-game win streak.
Without that “W,” Utah wouldn’t have tied the Huskies and Oregon for second place. Since UW beat Oregon, the Huskies would have played in Las Vegas for a shot at the Rose Bowl.
Despite not playing on Championship Weekend, the Washington Huskies still had a good chance to play in a New Year’s-6 bowl. That is until TCU blew their undefeated season in the Big 12 Championship Game.
Trailing 21-17 in the 3rd quarter, TCU had the ball 3rd and 7 at the Kansas State 8 yard line. Horned Frogs QB Max Duggan made a horrible throw under pressure that KSU picked off in the end zone.
On the Wildcats’ sixth play after the touchback, Duece Vaughn broke a 44 yard touchdown run. That was a 10 to 14 point swing in a game that was decided in overtime.
Even with the loss, TCU stayed in the College Football Playoffs. But Kansas State’s win made them the Big 12 Champions and catapulted the Wildcats into the Sugar Bowl against Alabama.