Good to the Last Bite: Huskies Beat Oregon Again at the End
The knockout punch should have came three minutes into the second half of a wildly entertaining Washington-Oregon football game, one that lived up to all of the week-long national TV ads, the GameDay antics and unwavering hype that preceded it.
In a four-point contest, on a 10-yard pass from Michael Penix Jr. to Rome Odunze, the Ducks lost both starting cornerbacks, Jahlil Florence and Khyree Jackson — something akin to a football death sentence. Each was left sprawled on the ground, surrounded by trainers, about 20 yards apart. The defensive backs walked off the field, slumped over in obvious pain with what appeared to be shoulder injuries.
Three plays later, Kalen DeBoer's team went right after one of the replacement corners, with Penix sending a 17-yard touchdown pass to Odunze, who outwrestled Oregon's Dontae Manning for the ball in the end zone and made it a two-score difference for the first time with possibly a lot more to come.
Game over, right?
Ah, but this is the 115-year Oregon-Washington rivalry where both sides try to scratch your eyes out and rip your arms off to the end.
The Ducks still had their offense intact and courageously rushed back to grab the lead with a pair of touchdowns, then gave it up on Odunze's 18-yard touchdown catch with 1:38 remaining and finally missed a game-tying field goal from 43 yards out to tie on the last play — all of it adding up to a scintillating 36-33 UW victory at a sold-out and fun-filled Husky Stadium.
The outcome enabled Kalen DeBoer's undefeated and No. 7 Huskies (6-0 overall, 3-0 Pac-12) to beat eighth-ranked Oregon (5-1, 2-1) by a field goal for the second consecutive season and keep themselves in the running for a Pac-12 championship, a College Football Playoff berth and undying high regard across the FBS landscape.
The win was so satisfying for DeBoer he entered the interview room and saw his quarterback seated at a table, let out a yell that bordered on a scream and gave Penix an emphatic bear hug. See the accompanying video for this high-spirited moment of pure coaching joy.
While the Ducks had to overcome losing half of "the greatest secondary in the United States of America," according to Huskies receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard, the UW had to regroup after having freshman running back Tybo Rogers stopped cold on a fourth-down carry from the Oregon 1 with six and a half minutes left to play.
It's hard to say which was more difficult to deal with, though the Huskies never once considered themselves done in this one.
"I think we're really a tough football team," DeBoer said. "We do it in different ways, but we have a lot of heart."
The visitors, however, figured they had to gamble to win this game, which was the approach they took the year before. The Ducks are now 0-for-2 in late game- management failings against the UW. Rather than punt while holding a 33-29 lead, they gave up the ball to the Huskies on downs at the Washington 47 with 1:49 remaining, which was way more than enough time for something to get done.
"I was always confident," Penix said. "I come into this game confident. You know, I never lose that confidence."
Offered this 109-second reprieve, Penix, cramping throughout the fourth quarter and visiting the training tent for the longest time, needed just two passes and 11 seconds to put the Huskies on top for good, hitting Ja'Lynn Polk for a 35-yard gain and finding Odunze for the game-winner from 18 yards out.
"He's the Heisman Trophy winner," Odunze said, pointing at his quarterback while leaving the interview area.
Then it was hang-on time once more. Bo Nix moved the Ducks within field-goal range, but Camden Lewis' potential tying kick sailed wide right and the entire Husky student section turned into a wild stampede to reach the field and celebrate.
Penix won the quarterback duel with Nix by throwing 4 touchdown passes while completing 23-of-37 passes for 302 yards. His Oregon counterpart finished at 33 of 44 for 337 yards and 2 scores.
Nix brought his team back in the second half with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Troy Franklin and then handed the ball to Jordan James, who basically backed into the end zone on a 10-yard scoring run for that 33-29 lead two minutes into the fourth quarter.
Odunze finished with 8 catches for 128 yards and his 2 scores, while Polk provided 6 grabs for 118 yards and a score.
The Ducks' Bucky Irving led all rushers with 127 yards and a TD on 22 carries, but the Huskies came up with their first 100-yard rusher of the season with Dillon Johnson running 20 times for an even 100 yards and a score, his first time over the century mark in his career.
The first series of the game for each of these offensive-minded teams was a total wash. Defense ruled for both sides. Penix had a pair of passes deflected while Oregon watched a pair of rushes go for no gain and one yard.
However, the second time the Huskies got the ball, it was time to flip the offensive switch. With a Duck jumping offside and a free play to burn, Penix looped one up the left side to Odunze, who got behind the Ducks' Florence and hauled in a 43-yard pass. That seemed to open things up for everyone.
The UW wasn't done abusing Florence either. On the very next play, Penix hit Giles Jackson in stride up the left hashmark for a 26-yard score as the receiver making his season debut, got a step on the Oregon corner with the game barely four minutes old.
It was Jackson's first appearance of the season after injuring his left hand in fall camp and wearing plenty of protection on it. His legs worked just fine as had a big gap between himself and Florence when he crossed the goal line.
The Huskies needed him more than they originally planned. Starter Jalen McMillan, after missing two and a half games with a leg or knee injury, limped off the field with a re-injury in the opening quarter and didn't come back.
Giles Jackson made his season debut with a 26-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.
Steven Bisig/USA TODAY Sports
Oregon similarly was ready to move the ball after the first series misfire. Mixing runs and short passes, the Ducks methodically moved 90 yards in 14 plays for Irving's 12-yard touchdown run up the middle standing up.
The Ducks, hardly content to tie the score, next handed the ball to back-up tight end Patrick Herbert, younger brother of Justin, the former Oregon and now NFL quarterback, and he ran it in for a two-point conversion and the visitors led 8-7 with 4:54 left in the opening quarter.
So much for a defensive battle. The Huskies responded with another 26-yard TD pass. This one went to Polk, who got behind Jackson, the other Oregon starting cornerback, to make a tough catch in the right corner of the end zone. That capped an 8-play 75-yard drive and the UW led 14-8 with 46 seconds left in quarter.
With the game turning into punch and counterpunch, the Ducks came roaring back with their own 75-yard drive, needing 9 plays to reclaim the lead. The problematic Herbert was left uncovered in the end zone where he snagged an 11-yard scoring pass from Bo Nix. Lewis' extra-point kick put Oregon ahead 15-14 with just three minutes and 16 seconds gone in the second quarter.
By now, defense really was a thing of the past. The Huskies put together a 12-play, 82-drive, with Johnson carrying six times, including 7 yards for a go-ahead score
Dillon Johnson, taking a handoff from Michael Penix Jr., scored on a 7-yard touchdown run.
Steven Bisig/USA TODAY Sports
Dillon took a handoff and ran for the left cone, diving into the end zone with Oregon safety Steve Stephens IV wrapping him up after he crossed the goal line. Then things got really fun.
The Huskies went for two, lining up with three clusters of players. Penix tossed the ball to Jack Westover to the right, who weaved his way throughout traffic into the end zone for a 22-15 lead.
Oregon answered with a field goal, rather than a touchdown. Linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio helped slow the drive with a 9-yard sack of Nix, powering his way up the middle to drop the quarterback. Lewis' 46-yard field goal closed the gap to 22-18.
Defense, however, showed up to close out the half. Oregon's Florence intercepted a Penix pass intended for Odunze, setting up the Ducks on the their 49 with just under a minute left in the half.
They marched down to the UW 3 where on fourth-and-goal Nix's pass into the end zone was knocked away by Husky safety Dominique Hampton. Time for both teams to exhale.
Then it was on to 30 minutes of unforgettable football, no matter which side you were on. In 115 years of Oregon-Washington games, it was hard to top this one.
"It was be ready, be ready for anything," Husky offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten said. "We went down there and scored and the rest was history."
Go to si.com/college/washington to read the latest Inside the Huskies stories — as soon as they’re published. Not all stories are posted on the fan sites.
Find Inside the Huskies on Facebook by searching: Inside Huskies/FanNation at SI.com or https://www.facebook.com/dan.raley.12
Follow Dan Raley of Inside the Huskies on Twitter: @DanRaley1 or @UWFanNation or @DanRaley3
Have a question, direct message me on Facebook or Twitter.
