SEATTLE — Some final thoughts after Washington’s wild 49-39 victory over Arizona to improve to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in Pac-12 play …
1. For those (rightfully) lamenting Washington’s woes defending the pass, imagine waking up in Arizona and dissecting film of what Michael Penix Jr.He did so on Saturday. His 516 yards set a single-game UW record — Cody Pickett set the old mark of 455 against Arizona in 2001 — and put him back atop the national leaderboard in passing with 2,560 yards and 365.7 per game. He is fifth in the nation with 20 touchdown passes. Penix was able to do almost anything on Saturday. He completed 36-for-44 passes at an average of 11.7 yards per attempt. He had 13 completions of 15 or more yards — including three plays of 45-plus. Washington’s top three receivers — Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan Ja’Lynn Polk — had 341 yards and three touchdowns on 19 receptions as a group. The trio combined for 25 of Penix’s 44 targets. Good offense isn’t just about scheme — it’s about identifying your best players and finding ways to get the ball to them. It’s hard to give coaches anything less than an A+ in this category.
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