UW Huskies shake off inauspicious start to sprint past Boise State in season opener

SEATTLE – With 14 minutes, 9 seconds left in the second quarter Saturday, Michael Penix Jr. dropped a shotgun snap from the shadow of Washington’s west end zone. While the pocket tightened, the sixth-year senior calmly corralled the ball, turned and fired to wide receiver Jalen McMillan for a 7-yard score.

The touchdown – UW’s first in what could be a special season – was preceded by a pair of Husky punts.

But like Penix, the Huskies didn’t panic.

In a 56-19 win for No. 10 Washington (1-0) over Boise State, early stumbles gave way to success.

“Trying to get into the flow seemed a little bit harder, and sometimes that happens in your first game,” UW coach Kalen DeBoer said. “But our guys really stayed the course. It didn’t feel like they were rattled in any way – offense, defense or special teams. In that second quarter, they really kind of flexed and did some nice things.”

Specifically, UW found the end zone in four of its final six drives in the second quarter. Penix – the 6-foot-3, 213-pound senior – located McMillan again for a 38-yard score before tacking on touchdowns to wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk (44 yards) and tight end Jack Westover (20 yards).

Penix completed 29 of 40 passes (73%) for 450 yards and five touchdowns, his most in a game at Washington. DeBoer said, following ineffective early attempts to establish a running game and short passing attack, that “just kind of led you to feel like, ‘Hey, we’ve got to do what we do.’ … That’s to push the ball down the field.

“We did a good job of finding matchups. Mike’s just so well versed; he can make little calls and checks and go through a progression based on what he sees defensively and find the guy he needs to pretty quickly. He made those throws as the game went on more and more.”

Which helped highlight Washington’s standout wide receivers.

McMillan (eight catches for 95 yards and two touchdowns, plus a 19-yard TD run) and fellow junior Rome Odunze (seven catches for 132 yards and one TD) each surpassed triple digits in a prolific display.

Though it didn’t start off that way.

“We thought we were going to be able to hit some big shots on ’em, just with the way their defensive structure is. Sometimes they have low safeties,” said Odunze, who caught a fade from Penix for a 5-yard score. “We wanted to take advantage of that, and it took us a bit to get those plays. But once we started seeing it, we made it happen.”

“Once we started seeing the picture, it was on from there,” Penix said.

But despite 56 points and 568 total yards, there’s plenty to work on for Washington. The Huskies ran for just 78 yards and 4.1 yards per carry, with sophomore Will Nixon (48 rushing yards, 8 YPC) leading the way. Mississippi State transfer Dillon Johnson added a late 1-yard touchdown plunge .

The UW defense also staggered and responded.

While Boise State quarterback Taylen Green completed just 19 of 39 passes (49%), he beat the Huskies for big gains – including a 50-yard screen score to running back Ashton Jeanty (featuring a stiff-arm of linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio) to kick off the second half. The 5-9, 210-pound Jeanty recorded a 48-yard gain on an eerily similar screen in the second quarter .

“The screen game … we’ll be working on that tomorrow,” DeBoer said .

But the Husky defense also overcame an inauspicious start. After surrendering a 39-yard field goal to trail 9-7 with 12:06 left in the second quarter, the Broncos managed three punts, a Kamren Fabiculanan interception and a field goal in their final five first-half drives. Boise State added just seven points in the second half, and UW linebacker Carson Bruener added a late interception (and a 33-yard return) .

For this UW defense, adversity is nothing new.

“Going against a high-profile offense every day in practice, it kind of gets you molded for things like this,” said Oklahoma State cornerback transfer Jabbar Muhammad, who contributed a tackle and a pass breakup. “We take the jab and keep on coming.”

Green – the Mountain West Freshman of the Year in 2022 – threw for 244 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, plus 31 rushing yards. Jeanty – who managed 44 rushing yards and a 7-yard score, and four catches for 109 yards and a touchdown – was the Broncos’ primary producer.

But while the Broncos essentially punched themselves out, the Huskies just kept coming.

“The score … it’ll come back to you,” DeBoer said. “Just keep playing. Keep trusting and believing in the other side of the ball, that they’ll do their job.”

“We’ve been through it (before),” Odunze said. “We’ve been in tougher situations, and we practice to a level that puts that pressure on us and creates that standard. We know we’re just one play away from clicking and being the offense we believe we are.”

When that play arrived, Penix dropped a perfect shotgun snap.

Then Washington went to work.