Huskies Look Ready for Big Ten, Embarrass Michigan State on Road

EAST LANSING, Michigan — The University of Washington football team was missing a bunch of veteran defensive backs when it took the field on Saturday against Michigan State, a situation that cost the Huskies a couple of games a year ago, a real cause for concern.

This time, however, nobody noticed. Nobody cared. Old news.

On a gray day that turned more morose the longer it went for the home team, the eighth-ranked Huskies walked into Big Ten country and acted like they belonged by cranking up their offense and patching up the secondary as needed in a resounding 41-7 victory at Spartans Stadium.

"I think there's a lot of confidence," Husky receiver Rome Odunze. "That's a credit to the coaching staff and a credit to the players for buying into that and to the culture. We have a good thing going."

That they do. After a drive-opening stop, Kalen DeBoer's talent-laden UW team (3-0) needed just four plays and a little more than two minutes to get in the end zone and stick a dagger in the Spartans' heart. The coaching staff poignantly permitted Michigan State transfer Germie Bernard to do the honors against his former teammates with a 1-yard scoring run for the first of five first-half TDs.

Spartan Stadium turned deathly quiet after such an easy score. A way too easy score. They were almost all easy TDS thereafter. A fearsome rout was on. People started going home at halftime.

Not only that, the Huskies got some much-needed help in their thinned-down secondary, with veteran nickelback Mishael Powell coming up with his first career interception in the opening quarter by stepping in front of a static receiver. The turnover set up a second touchdown and more lightning-quick points, really setting things in motion.

This drive covered 44 yards in just three plays, with Michael Penix Jr. lobbing a 5-yard TD pass to tight end Jack Westover for a 14-0 lead with 1:14 left in the quarter. The only thing that went wrong with this offensive set was the UW coaching staff tried to get Bernard yet another score and he was held to a 1-yard gain before Westover got the call.

Westover would not have trouble getting into the end zone again and again. These weren't instant replays either. The sixth-year senior and a new starter this season had a most memorable Husky outing, catching 4 passes for 96 yards and 3 first-half touchdown passes, the latter matching his career total coming in.

Penix was at his very best in his first game back at a Big Ten site since leaving Indiana after four seasons for the Huskies. He beat the Spartans for the second time in three East Lansing outings and in three of four games overall. This one was the most punishing. Playing not even three quarters, the left-hander completed 27 of 36 passes for 473 yards and 4 TD throws.

"I'm blessed to be able to play for [DeBoer] and coach [Ryan] Grubb and the offense they installed for us," Penix said, including the offensive coordinator. "They just make it easy, plus having the best receiver corps in the nation."

Said Odunze in this post-game love-fest, "I think he's the best quarterback in the nation. Week in and week out, he goes out and proves it, whether with ridiculous throws or unbelievable plays. He's just that guy, man."

The Huskies rolled up a staggering 713 yards of total offense, 10 more than their previous best under the DeBoer coaching staff that came in the Apple Cup against Washington State — and a record against any Michigan State defense.

It mattered little that the Huskies didn't have the services of starting safety Asa Turner, back-up safety Kamren Fabiculanan and first-game cornerback standout Davon Banks, as well as starting center Matteo Mele, all injured and unavailable. Asked if each of them had a chance to play again, the coach said he would address their situations on Monday.

Sophomore safety Vince Nunley drew his first career start in place of Turner and held up well in the back row.

On offense, the Huskies did a mass shuffle to replace Mele and there was no protection falloff whatsoever. Redshirt freshman Parker Brailsford moved over from starting right guard to center, Nate Kalepo went from starting left guard to right guard and junior Julius Buelow made his first start since early in the 2021 season at left guard.

Buelow, however, suffered what appeared to be a knee injury in the third quarter and had to be helped off the field by trainers and teammates. He wasn't limping as badly after the game.

Michigan State, playing without suspended coach Mel Tucker, looked greatly overmatched and poorly coached, which is prone to happen when a team suddenly turns rudderless.

While the Spartans were solely underprepared, even with Michigan State's all-time winningest coach Mark Dantonio coming back to try and keep things together, DeBoer said his players had a great week of practice and came ready to play on a big Big Ten stage.

"We know this was an amazing environment and our guys were fired up to do that and kind of make a statement," DeBoer said.

The Spartans certainly had no defensive backs who could cover wide receivers Jalen McMillan, Ja'Lynn Polk and Odunze, who each made sensational diving catches, with Polk even scoring on a pass deflection.

Odunze and Polk each had 113 yards receiving by halftime, the third time in three games the Huskies have come up with a pair of pass-catchers with 100 yards in the same outing, and the 11th time in school history. Odunze finished with 180 yards, Polk 118, while McMillan, who played only the first half, just missed out with 96.

Up two touchdowns, the UW scored three more times in the second quarter to send much of the crowd heading for the exits during intermission. On a drive that was downright scary in how lethal it was, the Huskies covered 95 yards in three plays to cross the goal line.

On the first snap, Odunze made a leaping catch for a 50-yard gain. Polk next caught a pass high over his head for a 15-yard pick-up. The back-breaker was a Penix throw intended for reserve tight end Quinten Moore that a Spartan defensive back tipped and misdirected to Polk, who zipped through the Michigan State defense, slipped out of a tackle and dove into the end zone for what would be a 21-0 lead.

"We've got a bunch of elite players," Polk said. "We know when that ball is in the air we have to attack it."

After another stop, the Huskies moved 48 yards in just four plays for Westover's second touchdown, on a 13-yard from Penix. The quarterback faked to the running back, freezing the secondary, and lobbed to his tight end going up the left sideline for a 28-0 lead.

Curiously, the game next had three changes of possession with no points going up on the scoreboard before the UW got the ball back on its 35-yard-line with 41 seconds remaining — way too much time for these explosive Huskies to consider the half over.

McMillan caught a 35-yarder to start things but stayed down, with what looked to be an unsettling ankle injury. Yet he was soon on his feet walking it off on the sideline, though he was done playing.

Three plays later, Penix looked for Westover once again and found him with a 7-yard TD pass in which the tight end crashed into two defenders at the goal line and rolled off one of them and into the end zone for a 35-0 advantage. Six seconds remained on the clock. With these Huskies, every second counts.

"Every time we touch the football field, we expect to execute," Odunze said. "When things are going well and we're executing at a high level, we get the result we had today."

Meanwhile, Michigan State couldn't get off the field fast enough right then. Trouble was, the Spartans still had to play another half.

Kicker Grady Gross added a pair of third-quarter field goals. Only about half the crowd hung around to see it happen.

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