More UW Records Could Fall as Penix Embraces his First Bowl Game

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Early in the week in this overly accommodating Texas town, Michael Penix Jr. swam with the dolphins at Sea World. On Thursday night at the 30th Alamo Bowl in the Alamodome, he'll try to run with the Longhorns.

Against Texas, this headlining University of Washington quarterback by way of an Indiana transfer will make the long-awaited first bowl appearance of his college career after suffering four season-ending injuries in as many years that previously prevented him from putting on a uniform for the postseason.

The Huskies have been able to keep Penix healthy and well protected once they got him and he's responded in kind with all sorts of statistical gunslinging, which is apropos for this authentic Old West environment.

Now he's out to do it all. Penix currently ranks in the top 10 of 43 different game, season and career passing categories for the Huskies — and he stands first in 10 of them. He's got the full attention of the Longhorns entering this game.

"Their offense, it starts with the quarterback," said Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski, who came to the Longhorns from the UW. "Penix is an outstanding quarterback, very accurate. The O-line does a good job of keeping him clean and they have three really good wide receivers that he can distribute the ball to. So we've got a huge challenge in front of us, for sure."

If everything goes on pace comparable to the first dozen Husky games, this 6-foot-3, 213-pound left-hander from Tampa, Florida, should break the UW school record for passing yards in a season right around the midway point of the second quarter.

He's thrown for a national-best 4,354 yards, which leaves him just 104 shy of catching Husky standard-bearer Cody Pickett, who set the school record in 2002. That's practically two or three sideline passes for this current guy.

With Penix having already declared his return for the 2023 season and a sixth year of college football, he stands to completely rewrite most UW passing records by the time he's done. He's seems eager to make everything a possibility.

National championship. Heisman Trophy. Montlake legend.

"I feel like just me coming back, being part of this program, being part of this offense for another year, getting it under my belt, I think it definitely will help elevate my game and I'll be able to help elevate everybody on the offensive side of the ball, as well," Penix said. "I feel like it was definitely the best decision at that time. That's all it was."

Breaking it down, he ranks No. 1 in passing yards in a game (516 against Arizona), completions in a game (36 against California and Arizona), total offense in a game (529 against Arizona), passing yards per game in a season (362.8), total offense yards in a season (4,400), total offense yards per game in a season (370), career completion percentage (66.0), career interception percentage (.0140), career total offense per game (370) and career total offense each attempt (8.71).

Penix has played every Husky game in an open-air stadium this season, forced to battle severe wind conditions against Oregon State and the chill of late-night games against the likes of UCLA, California, Michigan State and Washington State. In the temperature-controlled elements of the Alamodome, he should be comfortable setting up, at his very best in letting the ball fly and have a chance to roll up some huge numbers.

With a little mixing and matching, foremost with Jaxson Kirkland and Troy Fautanu flipping positions at left guard and left tackle, Kalen DeBoer's coaching staff made it a priority to put together an extra cohesive offensive line that hasn't let anyone get anywhere near the quarterback with a few exceptions.

Penix has been sacked just five times and been roughed up just once in the process, with two Arizona State players hitting him high and low and drawing a targeting penalty for their dirty work. That was the closest he's come to getting injured again, left on the ground gasping for air before leaving the field for just one play to regroup. Otherwise, he's felt safe.

"I knew no doubt in my mind that we were going to have the season that we had, especially with those guys up front blocking for me and the playmakers we have on the outside," Penix said. "They give me a lot of time to get the ball out and, with those guys on the outside making plays, special things are going to happen."

The Alamo Bowl couldn't have been happier to use Penix in its promotional spots leading up to the game, putting a wet suit on the quarterback and having him carried through the water by a dolphin from the local aquatic zoo.

Yet now it's now time to treat the Longhorns like the running of the Pamplona bulls, carefully get out of their way and try to put a few new entries in the UW record book.

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