Not Many Complaints About Husky Offensive Line These Days
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Michael Penix Jr. arrived in Seattle to run the show, Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan have blossomed flanked on the outside, and the University of Washington football team is running at full speed ahead by offering the nation's top passing attack.
Not so obvious is what the Husky offensive linemen have done throughout eight games. A year ago, it seemed these guys couldn't do anything right. Now the occasional sack allowed is cause for surprise.
Left tackle Troy Fautanu might be having an All-Pac-12 season. Left guard Jaxson Kirkland is regaining his all-conference form after having surgery, considering the NFL draft and insisting the NCAA reinstate him.
Add to that right tackle Roger Rosengarten, who is playing at an advanced level for a redshirt freshman and center Corey Luciano, who except for one fateful snap at Arizona State, has been fairly reliable.
That leaves right guard Henry Bainivalu, a sixth-year senior from Sammamish, Washington, who quietly has gone about his business and held up his end.
Unlike the other four players, Bainivalu is a lot smaller than the other guys.
Whereas 6-foot-7 Kirkland plays at 340 pounds, which 30 heavier than a year ago, the 6-foot-6 Bainivalu is carrying a much more svelte 307 pounds after packing 330 the previous season.
He credits first-year UW strength and conditioning coach Ron McKeefery and staff for helping get him into shape. The collective line results point this out.
"Just being at this weight I really feel I'm in better condition, I'm better explosively, the speed I have now is definitely better than I've had in the past," Bainivalu said. "It definitely helps in this offense. Being able to move, being able get up on the ball and go whenever they want. and it'll be ok like if you get a break here and there. We're all about going after people and I really like it."
In continual passing downs, the five Husky line starters and their occasional replacements have permitted just five sacks of Penix over eight games.
They've provided protection for their left-handed quarterback and bhis ackups to complete 237 of 352 passes — just shy of 70 percent — for 3,034 yards and 22 touchdowns.
They've opened enough holes for their running backs and others to rush 259 times for 1,028 yards and 19 scores.
So what's different in 12 months?
A different overall coaching staff, though offensive-line coach Scott Huff remains a constant.
The change in offensive approach from run-first has taken some of the pressure of these guys to be old-school blockers. Bainivalu feels young again.
"I haven't been this light since my freshman year," the sixth-year guard said.
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