Commentary: UW’s Kalen DeBoer was not afraid to gamble this season, and it was fun to watch

The Pac-12 title game could be in Anchorage or Punxsutawney or the center of Siberia, and Kalen DeBoer would still want to be there next year. The Huskies’ football coach seems like the type who would give a small appendage for his team to have a chance to win its conference.

But I’m starting to think DeBoer is motivated that much more by the fact that the league-championship game would give him a reason to fly to Vegas. Because, damn, that dude just loves to roll the dice.

With flea flickers and double reverses and a host of other trick plays in his first season at Washington, there’s no doubt that DeBoer has shown style. But with his regular fourth-down gambles, he has also shown stones. In fact, the two the Huskies converted in Thursday’s Alamo Bowl versus Texas likely earned them the win.

The first came with Washington leading 13-10 early in the third quarter, when quarterback Michael Penix Jr. sneaked it on fourth-and-1 from UW’s 34 to extend a drive that ended in a touchdown. The second came with Washington leading 20-10 later in the third, when Penix completed a pass to Devin Culp on fourth-and-2 from UW’s 47 to extend a drive that also ended in a TD.

I’ll admit I thought punting was the right play before the chains moved on the latter. But given how the Huskies won, 27-20, it seemed necessary in retrospect to tack on another seven points. The payoff made me want to look back at all the other times DeBoer kept his special teamers on the sideline in frightening fourth-down situations this season. Is he a mad genius, or just plain mad?

Major Dice Roll No. 1: Facing then-No. 11 Michigan State, the unranked Huskies – leading 7-0 – went for it on fourth-and-goal from their own 1 toward the end of the first quarter, only for Penix to be stuffed short of the plane. Seemed like a situation that could have robbed Husky Stadium of its energy for the rest of the night, but the football gods rewarded DeBoer’s bravery via a safety one play later before the Dawgs established a 21-point halftime lead in their 11-point win.

Major Dice Roll No. 2: A week after going four for four on fourth downs in a loss to UCLA – none of which were particularly “risky” due to their field position and/or the score – the Huskies faced a fourth-and-1 from their own 32 while down seven early in the third quarter vs. Arizona State. DeBoer went for it, but receiver Rome Odunze was stopped on a run play three yards behind the line of scrimmage. The Sun Devils scored a touchdown on their ensuing drive and won, 45-38.

A lot went wrong in that game for Washington – particularly on the back end of its defense. And a lot went right after that game – with the Huskies (11-2) beating their next seven opponents, including then-No. 6 Oregon on the road. But assuming the rest of the regular season would have played out the same way – which is a big assumption – that inexplicable loss in Tempe was the reason Washington didn’t get a shot at the College Football Playoff. And as courageous and calculated as that fourth-down call was, its failure may have been the difference between a dub and a defeat.

Major Dice Roll Nos. 3 & 4: Something about those Grand Canyon State schools. Facing Arizona with a seven-point lead in the first quarter, the Huskies went for it on fourth-and-2 from the Wildcats’ 19, but running back Wayne Taulapapa was stopped short of the first-down marker. Arizona tied the score on its next possession. One quarter later, while again holding a seven-point lead, UW’s Cameron Davis was stuffed on fourth-and-1 from the Wildcats’ 19.

Didn’t matter in the end. Washington won 49-39, but likely left six points on the board in a closer-than-it-should-have-been outcome.

I’m going to be honest – my pre-research hypothesis was that DeBoer’s fourth-down courage regularly produced points. And though I did omit some conversions that took place in conventional fourth-down territory (a fourth-and-6 from the opponent’s 33, etc.), the big risks didn’t generally produce big rewards through Washington’s first 12 games.

Which is why it was so cool to see DeBoer remain fearless Thursday.

Just because a few calls went kerplunk in the past doesn’t mean they were the wrong calls. And regardless of whether they were the right calls, they were undoubtedly the fun calls.

It would be understandable if DeBoer got skittish based on previous misfortunes, but here’s hoping he continues to gamble no matter how high the stakes. He’s proven himself to be bold, and it’s been beautiful to watch.