UW Offensive Line Held Up Against Oregon's Strong Defensive Front

Since Michael Penix Jr. arrived at Washington, he has been sacked just 10 times over his 19 starts. While the Heisman Trophy favorite is one of the best at getting the ball out quickly to his talented group of receivers, his offensive line deserves a lot of credit for keeping him upright and healthy.

On Saturday, in one of its toughest challenges against an Oregon Ducks pass rush that came into the game with 18 sacks, the Husky line held strong.

As Penix threw for 302 yards and 4 touchdowns while dealing with cramping issues, his offensive line did a great job keeping the pocket clean. Penix was hurried 11 times on his 38 drop backs, but ESPN credited Oregon's defensive line with just two quarterback hits.

He was also sacked once by Brandon Dorlus, which is only the fourth time this year Penix has been brought down.

The line also enabled running back Dillon Johnson's best performance in a Husky uniform. He took 20 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown, his first triple-digit rushing game of the year and his career.

Anchored by tackles Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten, Washington's offensive line held its own against Oregon's talented defensive front led by Dorlus and Jordan Burch. The Ducks were able to get pressure from the interior at times, but redshirt freshman center Parker Brailsford otherwise was tough against the bigger, more experienced Oregon linemen.

Thank you 9.#Penix4Heisman @themikepenix 🏹 pic.twitter.com/brVT99rZRx
— Washington Football (@UW_Football) October 15, 2023

Offensive guard Julius Buelow suited up for the first time since he was injured on the Huskies' trip to Michigan State, but he didn't take a snap on Saturday. Geirean Hatchett started once more and, while the Ducks were able to get pressure while lining up across from him early in the game, he got stronger as the day went along.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning and co-defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi also threw a lot of unique pressure looks at Penix that are hard for a quarterback to identify before the ball is snapped.

Facing defensive linemen dropping into coverage and stunts from multiple different positions, the Husky front was effective in figuring out where the rush was coming from and adjusting appropriately after the snap.

As Penix became the leading Heisman candidate following the win over Oregon, his offensive line played a big part in his success.

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