Michael Penix Jr. passed for 485 yards and three touchdowns and added two rushing scores to lead No. 13 Washington to a 51-33 victory over Apple Cup-rival Washington State on Saturday night in Pac-12 play at Pullman, Wash.
Penix, who completed 25 of 43 passes, became the second quarterback in Huskies’ history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a season. His total sits at 4,353, trailing only Cody Pickett (4,458 in 2002).
Jalen McMillan caught six passes for 150 yards and one touchdown, and Rome Odunze had five receptions for 157 yards and scored two touchdowns — one receiving, one rushing — for Washington (10-2, 7-2 Pac-12). Wayne Taulapapa rushed for 126 yards and one score for the Huskies, who won their sixth consecutive game.
Cameron Ward completed 33 of 52 passes for 322 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for a score for the Cougars (7-5, 4-5), who had a three-game winning streak halted.
Nakia Watson accounted for two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving) for Washington State, which had 433 offensive yards.
Washington converted 11 of 13 third-down attempts while rolling up 703 yards of total offense, third in program history.
The Huskies won the Apple Cup for the 18th time in the past 24 meetings. The 84 combined points is the most in the rivalry.
Penix threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to McMillan on the first play of the third quarter to give Washington a 35-27 lead.
Watson scored on a 4-yard run with 6:31 left in the period, but Ward’s two-point conversion run failed.
Odunze scored on a 5-yard jet sweep with 14:30 left in the game, and Peyton Henry booted a 20-yard field goal to make it an 11-point margin with 5:02 left. Taulapapa sealed it with a 40-yard touchdown run with 1:28 left.
Washington had 326 yards in the first half while holding a 28-27 lead. The Cougars had 304 in the half.
Penix threw a 26-yard scoring pass to Ja’Lynn Polk for a 7-3 lead with 5:23 left in the first quarter. Ward scampered in from 14 yards to give Washington State a three-point lead with 53 seconds remaining.
Penix connected on a 47-yard touchdown pass to Odunze to put the Huskies back ahead 93 seconds into the second quarter. But the Cougars answered with Ward’s 34-yard pass to Robert Ferrel to take a 17-14 advantage with 11:05 left in the half.
A trick play in which Penix caught a backward pass from McMillan and ran 30 yards for a score put the Huskies back ahead. Washington State responded with Ward’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Watson to take a 24-21 lead with 5:07 remaining in the half.
Penix scored on a 4-yard run as the Huskies again moved ahead. Dean Janikowski kicked a 29-yard field goal as time expired to move Washington State within one.
–Field Level Media
