Late TD pass by Michael Penix Jr. lifts No. 7 Washington to wild 36-33 win over No. 8 Oregon

SEATTLE - Michael Penix Jr. came stomping off to the sidelines frustrated after No. 7 Washington was turned away at the goal line by the No. 8 Oregon Ducks with 6:33 left to play in the game.

Three straight runs from inside the 5-yard line had come up short of the end zone on what seemed as though it could be the last chance for the Huskies to overcome Oregon's 33-29 lead. But Penix was confident the Huskies would get another chance and was ready to come through when they did.

"I knew that we would get the ball back and once we did, I knew we were going to go down there and make a play and that's what we did," Penix said.

And boy did Washington's leader deliver in spectacular fashion.

After the Washington defense stopped the Ducks on fourth-and-3 to regain possession with 2:11 remaining, Penix delivered a 35-yard strike to Ja'Lynn Polk to quickly move the Huskies within sight of the end zone. Then on the very next play, Penix's back-shoulder throw to Rome Odunze beat Trikweze Bridges for an 18-yard touchdown that gave Washington a 36-33 lead.

"Luckily I was able to go up with strong hands, make kind of a back-shoulder catch in the back of the end zone," Odunze said.

In 33 seconds, the Huskies went from being one Oregon first down away from a critical loss to their Pac-12 rivals to having Penix author a touchdown drive to seize a chance at victory.

When Camden Lewis' 43-yard tying field goal attempt as time expired sailed just wide of the right upright, the celebration was on with one of the biggest victories in recent memory for a championship hopeful Husky program.

Penix threw for 302 yards and four touchdowns with an interception, Odunze had eight catches for 128 yards and two scores, and the Huskies were able to remain undefeated and notch a win over another top 10 team.

"This moment right now is something really special for our program," head coach Kalen DeBoer said. "I think it embodies everything that we've done over the last year and a half, two years. We keep saying if it's close, we're going to find a way to win. We're built for this."

Both teams were expending everything they had in search of the victory in a wild afternoon at Husky Stadium. Whether it was two-point conversion attempts or fourth down chances, each team was willing to task risks as the game progresses. However, it was Oregon head coach Dan Lanning that got caught being too cavalier with his decisions.

After Penix was intercepted by Jahlil Florence with just under a minute left in the first half, Oregon had a big opportunity to seize control of the game flow. Washington held a 22-18 lead, but the Ducks were set to get the football to open the second half and had time to score prior to the break as well. Oregon managed the clock well and drove inside the UW 5-yard line, but instead of taking a field goal on fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line, the Ducks went for the touchdown instead.

Bo Nix's pass for Bucky Irving on a rollout fell incomplete as Washington took a four-point lead into the locker rooms.

The Huskies then forced Oregon to go three-and-out on the first drive of the third quarter with the help of a holding penalty against right tackle Ajani Corenlius. Penix and the Huskies struck immediately to extend their advantage. A 17-yard back-shoulder fade from Penix to Odunze for a touchdown gave Washington a 29-18 lead.

Oregon looked primed to answer back and cut the UW lead to one-score again on the ensuing drive only for another questionable fourth down decision to come up empty. On fourth-and-3 from the UW 8-yard line, Nix's pass for Troy Franklin fell incomplete for another turnover on downs and three more points left on the board.

If the Ducks had just opted to take the two field goals, they would have only trailed 29-24 instead of being down 11 points.

"I think that this game is 100 percent on me. I don't think you have to look anywhere else besides me," Lanning said. 

After Odunze's second score gave the Huskies the lead with 1:38 remaining, the Ducks still had plenty of time to answer. A 15-yard completion from Nix to Terrance Ferguson moved Oregon into field goal range with 12 seconds left to play. The Ducks couldn't get any closer and Lewis came on for the tying kick attempt with four seconds left to play. As loud as the stadium had been throughout the final drive, the crowd dulled as 71,000-plus in attendance collectively held their breath the moment the kick climbed into the air.

When it sailed wide of the right upright, the roar surged back with the stands emptying onto the field in jubilation.

"We just had to keep fighting," Penix said. "We felt like at times we were beating ourselves, we allowed the game to be closer than what we wanted it to but at the end of the day they are a good team and were a good team. It comes down to the wire most of the time, so we were ready to go out and attack each and every play. That was my message, just not stopping and keeping our foot on the pedal, and go out there and get the win today and that's what we were able to do."

The first half was mostly a track meet between the two teams with touchdowns exchanged back and forth. Giles Jackson's 26-yard touchdown reception gave Washington the opening score. Irving answered with a 12-yard touchdown run with a two-point conversion to Patrick Herbert giving Oregon an 8-7 lead.

A 26-yard touchdown pass from Penix to Polk was followed by an 11-yard touchdown from Nix to Herbert. Dillon Johnson scored on a 7-yard run to put the Huskies back on top. The Washington defense finally came up with a stop that forced a 45-yard Lewis field goal that cut the UW lead to 22-18 with 2:04 left in the half.

Penix's third interception of the season then followed as Odunze fell down at the top of a route to give the Ducks the chance at the end of the half.

Johnson finished with 100 yards on 20 carries for Washington, Polk added six catches for 118 yards and a score, and Jackson had six catches for 58 yards and a touchdown in his first game of the season for the Huskies.

Oduzne's first touchdown of the game – a 17-yard strike from Penix early in the third quarter – extended Washington's lead to 29-18 as the Huskies appeared eager to seize command, especially with another failed fourth down try to come for Oregon.

However, the Ducks did have a counterpunch still left to throw. A 30-yard touchdown from Nix to Troy Franklin and subsequent two-point conversion cut the Washington lead to 29-26. After a UW three-and-out, the Ducks went 80 yards on six plays as Jordan James' 10-yard touchdown run put Oregon back on top.

Penix began to deal with cramps throughout the latter stages of the game and clearly wasn't at 100 percent. 

"I mean the guy was cramping up, I mean cramping cramping. You guys saw it, he was hunched over at times. (But) This is Michael, there’s no way you’re pulling him out of the fourth quarter," DeBoer said.

The hobbling Heisman hopeful managed to move the Huskies within reach of a go-ahead score. A key fourth-down conversion to Jackson kept a drive alive before Johnson sprung through the defense down to the Oregon 1-yard line. But two Johnson runs and a fourth down carry from Tybo Rogers were both stopped by the Ducks defense with 6:33 remaining.

While the first two fourth down decisions by Oregon seemed highly suspect, the final one seemed to be the right call. It just didn't go in Oregon's favor. Facing a fourth-and-3 from the UW 47-yard line with 2:16 left, a first down likely wins the game for Oregon as the Huskies were out of timeouts. A punt would give the ball back to the Huskies high-powered offense with plenty of time left to score. The calculated risk went bust with Nix's incomplete pass.

Penix then went full Kool-Aid Man on the cracked open door for Washington.

"It's a blessing to be able to share the field with that guy, man," Odunze said. "He's so talented. He does it week in and week out. He's out there hurting in the last quarter of the game, but he maintained his composure, maintained his stride and continued to make plays and believe in us, man. He's a dog."