A 42-yard game-winning field goal by Grady Groos completed the UW Husky’s undefeated regular season with a 24-21 win over a stubborn Washington State Cougars team. The last time the Huskies finished a season undefeated was in 1991. An 11-0 season in 1991 saw the Huskies finish the season with a win against Michigan in the Rose Bowl. The Huskies’ win over their instate rivals kept the team’s playoff aspirations alive.
SOMETHING TO PLAY FOR
For all the talk about the Huskies’ magical season, the Cougars had a stake in the game. A win would have made them bowl-eligible and ruined their opponent’s undefeated season. After giving up two first-half touchdowns to the high-powered Husky offense the Cougar defense surrendered ten second-half points. The Cougar defense held the Husky offense to just 118 yards of total offense in the first half.
HUSKY OFFENSE CAME UP CLUTCH WHEN NEEDED
The Husky offense continued its offensive struggles for most of the second half but was able to find its rhythm in the final two minutes of the game. The offense started on its 10-yard line and marched to the Cougars ‘ yard line for the game-winning field goal.
In the critical drive, the Huskies converted a 4th and 1 from their 29-yard line.
The Huskies finish the season 12-0 for the season and will meet the Oregon Ducks next Friday in the Pac-12 Championship with the winner pretty much guaranteed a place in the College Playoff series.
Post-Game Notes
Washington vs. Washington State
Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium, Nov. 25, 2023
Washington finished the regular season unbeaten and untied for the first time since 1991 when the Huskies ran the table and finished 12-0 (11-game regular season, followed by a win over Michigan in the 1992 Rose Bowl). UW also finished unbeaten and untied six other times, all more than 100 years ago: 1909-1913, 1915. None of those seasons consisted of more than seven games.
Washington has reached 12 wins for just the third time in program history. As noted, the Dawgs went 12-0 in 1991. They also finished 12-2 in 2016. The Huskies have never won more than 12 games in a season but will have the chance for at least two more victories in 2023.
Washington has won 19 straight games, the second-longest active streak in the country, behind Georgia, and the third-longest in Husky history (longer UW streaks: 40 straight wins 1908-16; 22 straight wins 1990-92).
The Huskies have never gone 7-0 at home in back-to-back seasons (the didn’t play that many seven-game home schedules until the last couple of decades). The last time that Washington was undefeated at home in back-to-back seasons was 2000-2001, going 6-0 on Montlake in each of those two seasons. The streak was broken with a loss in the fourth home game of the 2002 season.
UW has won nine of the last 10 Apple Cup games, as well as 12 of the last 14.
This season, through 12 games, Washington has never trailed by more than seven points. The Huskies never trailed at all in seven of 12 games (including today vs. WSU). Over a total of 720 minutes this season (12 games x 60 minutes = 720 minutes), the Huskies have trailed for just 95 minutes and 38 seconds, meaning they’ve been tied or ahead for 624 minutes and 22 seconds.
Washington has allowed a total of just 24 fourth-quarter points over its last seven games, and just 10 points in the fourth over the last four games (Oregon State scored three; WSU scored seven, while USC and Utah were both held scoreless in the fourth).
UW receiver Rome Odunze notched the eighth 100-yard receiving game of the season, finishing the game with seven catches for 120 yards, and two touchdowns. For the season, Odunze now has 1,326 yards, second in UW single-season history.
Odunze’s 13 touchdowns this season (he had two today) are fourth-most in UW single-season history. With 24 in his career, he’s tied for third on the Husky career top-10 (record is 30, Mario Bailey, 1988-91).
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