Despite mistakes, UW blows through overmatched Tulsa

SEATTLE – It’s an unwanted compliment, but Washington’s offense is so explosive that the Huskies produced four drops, an end-zone interception and a red-zone fumble in the first half on Saturday … and it didn’t remotely matter.

In a 43-10 win over Tulsa, eighth-ranked UW’s big plays meant more than its mounting mistakes.

Take Ja’Lynn Polk’s 27-yard touchdown run. With 2 minutes, 46 seconds left in the first quarter, UW quarterback Michael Penix Jr. faked a handoff and flipped to Polk on an end-around. The 6-foot-2, 204-pound wideout burst around the left edge and followed a caravan of blockers – left guard Nate Kalepo, left tackle Troy Fautau, wide receiver Rome Odunze and tight end Devin Culp – into the end zone.

The Huskies repeated the feat late in the third quarter, with Penix flipping to Odunze for a similar 14-yard rushing score.

Meanwhile, UW running backs Will Nixon, Daniyel Ngata and Sam Adams II combined for just 49 yards on 16 carries (3.1 yards per rush) – plus a late Ngata touchdown plunge – while junior Dillon Johnson sat out with an assumed injury.

But with all these wide receivers … who needs running backs?

Speaking of, Penix found junior Jalen McMillan in the flat for a 35-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage and added a 33-yarder to Polk, a 26-yarder to Odunze and 16-yard strikes to both Odunze and Polk in an eventful first half. The sixth-year senior added three touchdown passes – a 2-yarder to Odunze on UW’s opening drive, a 9-yarder to McMillan (the junior’s fourth score in his first two games) and a 7-yarder to sophomore wideout Germie Bernard (his first UW TD).

Penix completed 28 of 38 passes (74%) for 409 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in another dominant display. McMillan had eight catches for 120 yards and a touchdown, while Odunze added seven catches, 121 total yards and two touchdowns. Polk had five catches for 81 yards, plus the 27-yard rushing score.

But there could have been – should have been – even more.

That’s because, despite the razzle-dazzle, there were also uncharacteristic mistakes. Odunze missed two point-blank passes in an uneven first half, while McMillan dropped a walk-in score and lost a fumble in the same half-ending drive. Penix tossed his first interception of the season – an end-zone heave intended for Odunze that nickelback Jaise Oliver centered under instead. Sophomore kicker Grady Gross clanked his first field-goal attempt of the season, a 33-yarder, of the left upright.

On the other side, Tulsa entered Husky territory six times … but managed 10 points. Junior safety Kamren Fabiculanan nabbed a jump ball in the end zone for his second interception of the season, and the Huskies produced a pair of fourth-down stops.

Tulsa quarterbacks Roman Fuller and Cardell Williams combined to complete 18 of 32 passes for 150 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The Golden Hurricane rushed for 126 yards and 3.8 yards per carry.