The Protection for Penix Broke Down Against Tulsa, Literally

Of all potential nightmares, the Husky quarterback had to make a touchdown-saving tackle.

The University of Washington football team, in rapidly turning the program around under Kalen DeBoer in 2022, had to achieve one main objective to make that happen.

Keep Michael Penix Jr. healthy throughout the 13-game campaign. Turn Secret Service detail and guard him with your life. Protect the former snake-bit Indiana quarterback — he of the four season-ending injuries in the Big Ten — at all times from any further damage, which had included a pair of torn ACLS, a fractured clavicle and a shoulder dislocation.

Outside of one play at Arizona State, in which a pair of overzealous rushers left Penix gasping for a breath with a sandwich hit and sitting out for a play, it was mission accomplished for the Huskies.

So it was with great horror last Saturday at end of the first half when the UW fumbled twice — first with wide receiver Jalen McMillan coughing up the ball, and then with its Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback forced to make a touchdown-preventing tackle.

The unthinkable happened because UW players stood  around thinking the next-to-last play of the half was over while Tulsa nickelback Reggie Ellis zipped through them on a 43-yard runback, with only Penix between him and the end zone. 

Up in the press box, Husky offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb was none too pleased by what he witnessed, with his high-value quarterback wrapping up and bringing the wayward return man down.

"I was pissed at everybody on the field," Grubb said. "I can't believe that he has to make that play. I was like genuinely, extremely upset."

Penix, of course, lived through it all to run another half of plays. He just shrugged and smiled later when asked about it during the postgame media interrogation.

Grubb vowed to get everyone "coached up" so something like that doesn't remotely come close to happening again.

Not skipping a beat, the offensive coordinator next went from indignant with everyone else to showing his full appreciation for his swashbuckling quarterback showing no fear as an emergency and effective defender. After all, no one got hurt ... this time.

"You watch the tight shot of Mike on that that play and he runs over there, he uses the sideline as a friend, cuts the guy in half, jumps up and he's jogging back to the sideline," Grubb said. "It was awesome."

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