Washington Will Give Michigan's Defense Its Toughest Test
Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. played arguably the best game of his college career in the Sugar Bowl, where he led Washington's high-powered offense to a 37-31 victory over Texas.
Now the Huskies will play in the national championship game in Houston on Monday against the Michigan Wolverines, who are led by the best defense in the country, according to most major metrics. The Wolverines have allowed the lowest scoring average in the nation this year, holding opponents to 10.2 points per game.
However, coach Jim Harbaugh's team has faced only three offenses with top 50 scoring averages this season. Washington has had as many matchups with top 20 scoring defenses, including both games against Oregon as well as with Texas in the Sugar Bowl.
In those three games, Penix threw for a combined 1,051 yards and 7 touchdowns, and Harbaugh knows his secondary will have its hands full with the former Indiana Hoosier.
"He's a super great player; my impressions of him when he played at Indiana were the same," Harbaugh said in a media teleconference on Wednesday. "Big-time arm talent, tremendous presence in the pocket, sees the field really well."
"He is so polished. Watching him and his accuracy, his decision-making, timing, he has really just continued to have this tremendous presence of going through progression, feeling pressure and will drop it off to a check-down."
Aided by his receiving corps of Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan and Ja'Lynn Polk, Penix has led Washington to the country's best aerial attack and a top-10 overall offense. Behind the Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line, Penix has been hard to pressure this season.
The Wolverines are going to do their best to move him off his spot and force a few errant throws, and have the personnel in place to do it, but will also face the nation's best offensive line.
Michigan's elite pass rush is headlined by senior Jaylen Harrell, which has overwhelmed a lot of quarterbacks this year. The Wolverines' defense has allowed just 150 yards per game through the air while accumulating 38 sacks and 16 interceptions.
Washington has had its fair share of tough defenses to face. Athough Michigan hasn't faced an offense of the UW's caliber, it has a well-coached group that can put a fair amount of strain on offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb's scheme, too.
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 Roman Tomashoff of Inside the Huskies on Twitter: @rtomashoff34 or @UWFanNation
Subscribe to the Locked On Huskies Podcast on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.
Have a question? Message me on Twitter!
