Washington Husky Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. surprised many people when decided to return for one more year and lead the Huskies. Well leading he is and Husky Nation is gushing over the Heisman Trophy Candidate. To be truthful the one disappointment with the Washington Athletic Department has been its soft Michael Penix Jr for Heisman Trophy Candidate. What is clear is that Penix Jr did not return for personal accolades.
ASSAULT ON THE RECORD BOOK
A humble, caring, and team-orientated individual Penix Jr is letting his play garner all the notoriety. And notoriety he has garnered. Before the season Penix Jr was pretty much on every preseason watch list including the prestigious Johnny Unitas, Manning Award and Maxwell Award lists. The Huskies are 3-0 ranked no. 8 and will begin their final Pac-12 season Saturday when they host the Cal Bears. Three games into the season Penix Jr has moved from watchlist to award winner.
AWARD WINNER
With plenty of football to be played Penix Jr’s early season assault on the NCAA record book has earned him praise and acknowledgment. Penix Jr. was named the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week, the Walter Camp Football Foundation announced on Sunday. On Monday the Pac-12 named him Offensive Player of the Week.
BOLD STATEMENT IN EAST LANSING
Last Saturday the Huskies were supposed to encounter their biggest challenge to the early season when they face off against Michigan State. The challenge never materialized and the Huskies simply outclassed the Spartans Penix Jr. threw for 473 yards and four touchdowns. The four touchdowns were in the first half tying the UW record set by Jake Brown in 2016 at Cal of all teams.
This season, Penix Jr. ranks first nationally in passing yards (1,332), passing yards per game (444), and total offensive (447). He is also second in passing touchdowns (12), fifth in completions per game (28), and ninth in completion percentage (74.3%). Maybe the Washington Athletic Department knew not to oversell their prized commodity and let his work speak for itself.
Kalen DeBoer agreed with Ryan Grubb’s assessment of Michael Penix Jr ‘s complete game at MSU . #PurpleReign @CascadiasportsN pic.twitter.com/TZZXZWjXQ4
— MazvitaMaraire (@MazvitaMaraire) September 18, 2023
PENIX JR. AWARD NOTES
PAC- 12 offensive Player of the Week
The 473 yards were third-most in Washington history (behind only two other Penix totals from last year), despite the fact that he left the game midway through the third quarter due to the lopsided score.
Washington’s 713 yards of total offense were also third in school history, and the most ever surrendered by a Michigan State team.
4th time Penix has won this award after taking it home 3 times last season. It’s the 2nd most ever by a Husky behind former RB Napoleon Kaufmann who was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week 6 times between 1992-94.
WALTER CAMP AWARD NOTES
This is the 20th year that the Walter Camp Football Foundation will honour one offensive and one defensive player as its national Football Bowl Subdivision player of the week during the regular season. Recipients are selected by a panel of national media members and administered by the Foundation. It is the nation’s longest-running Player of the Week award.
Washington all-time Walter Camp National Player of the Week honors
9/20/09 Donald Butler, LB
9/14/14 Shaq Thompson, LB
10/1/16 Psalm Wooching, LB
10/29/16 Azeem Victor, LB
9/17/23 Michael Penix Jr., QB
