Washington used an explosive third quarter to stave off Arizona on Saturday and end its brief two-game losing streak.
Junior quarterback Michael Penix Jr. threw a pair of touchdowns to sophomore wide receiver Rome Odunze – the first for 45-yards and the second for 48-yards – and set the single-game record for passing yards in school history with 516 to key the Huskies to a 49-39 victory over the Wildcats.
Penix missed on just five throws in the first half and ended the game 36 of 44, his most efficient game to date in Purple and Gold, and he kept a clean stat sheet with zero interceptions after throwing three in the previous two games combined.
UW came out of halftime with a seven-point lead and kept its foot on the pedal adding four second half touchdowns, three of which directly involved Penix.
“It’s gotta be up there,” head coach Kalen DeBoer said when asked after the game where Penix’s performance against Arizona ranks in his career.
“Because it’s not just about what he did statistically. He just keeps putting the pressure on and really leading the charge to win the football game. We needed all those points and all those yards that he gave us.”
The Huskies, who improve to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in Pac-12 Conference play with the win, took advantage of optimal field position after recovering an onside kick at the Wildcats 48-yard line and scored on their first possession of the second half.
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Odunze flew past sophomore safety DJ Warnell Jr. and broke toward the middle of the field to haul in one of Penix’s patented deep balls, with some flare. It took a couple of tips to himself before the sophomore hauled in his first touchdown of the game and doubled UW’s lead in the process.
It proved to be the road map for Penix to find his top receiver late in the third quarter.
The two connected for a 48-yard score with 1:56 to go in the third to push the lead to 42-24 and it marked the first 400-yard game of his Husky career. As was the case against UCLA and Arizona State, the offense would need to continue scoring to keep the result in UW’s favor.
Odunze became the first player in school history to record four consecutive 100-yard receiving games Saturday with nine catches for 169 yards, also single game career high, more than half of which came on his two touchdown receptions.
“I’m just blessed. I just appreciate all guys who made that possible for me,” Odunze said of the accomplishment. “It’s a credit to them. They’re the reason I can do it.”
Arizona scored two touchdowns in under seven minutes in the fourth quarter which cut the deficit to a field goal with 9:51 left.
In between the two Wildcats scoring drives Penix broke the school record for passing yards in a game after he completed a pair of passes, the first to running back Wayne Taulapapa for 27-yards and the second to receiver Taj Davis for 10 yards.
The previous record was set back on Oct. 20, 2001 by Cody Pickett, who threw for 455 yards against Arizona at Husky Stadium in a 31-28 win. Pickett finished with three touchdowns through the air and one 3-yard run, almost mirroring the game Penix had Saturday night.
With just under 10 minutes remaining UW took the field and methodically marched down the field before Cameron Davis punched in his second touchdown of the game from 19-yards out.
Davis finished the game as the leading rusher with 41 yards on eight carries, one of three running backs used against the Wildcats.
Sam Adams II, the son of 14-year NFL veteran Sam Adams, scored his first career touchdown on a 4-yard pass from Penix just before halftime to give UW a 21-14 lead. He finished with 20 yards on six carries to go along with a pair of catches for 14 yards, including the score.
Penix completed 20 of 25 attempts for 252 yards and a pair of scores in the first half, including 8 of 10 on the final series that ended with Adams II finding the end zone.
UW heads back out on the road next Saturday to face California before heading into its bye week.
