Previewing The Michigan Vs. Washington Matchup With A Huskies Insider

By Clayton Sayfie

TheWolverine.com caught up with Dan Raley of Inside The Huskies for insight on Washington ahead of the Huskies’ national championship game matchup with Michigan Wolverines football. Raley broke down Washington and offered a final score prediction. We begin with the projected starting lineup for U-M’s opponent:

Washington projected starters on offense

• #9 – Senior QB Michael Penix Jr. (6-3, 213) — The sixth-year player spent four seasons at Indiana from 2018-21 and started against Michigan in 2020, throwing for 342 yards in a 38-21 Hoosier win. The 2023 Heisman Trophy runner-up leads the nation with 4,648 passing yards and ranks tied for third with 35 touchdown tosses. He’s completing 66.7 percent of his throws and has 9 interceptions. Penix leads the sport in passes of 20-plus air yards with both 50 completions and 108 attempts. Sixteen of his touchdown passes and 9 of his interceptions have come on deep balls.

• #7 – Junior RB Dillon Johnson (6-0, 218) — Head coach Kalen DeBoer said this week that he expects Johnson, who was carted off at the end of the Sugar Bowl against Texas, to play. He’s been dealing with a foot injury that’s limited his effectiveness. Johnson leads the team with 1,162 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on 222 carries. Sophomore Will Nixon and freshman Tybo Rogers are Washington’s next two backs in line, but they’ve accumulated only 194 and 182 rushing yards this season, respectively.

• #1 – Junior WR Rome Odunze (6-3, 215) — PFF’s No. 10 overall NFL Draft prospect is third nationally with 110.9 receiving yards per game. He’s caught 87 passes for 1,553 yards and 13 scores. The outside receiver leads the country with 20 contested catches and 22 receptions on passes of 20-plus air yards.

• #2 – Sophomore WR Ja’Lynn Polk (6-2, 204) — The Texas Tech transfer is one of 19 receivers in the country to have 1,100-plus receiving yards (1,122), adding 9 touchdown grabs on 65 overall receptions. The slot receiver has hauled in 12 contested catches.

• #11 – Junior WR Jalen McMillan (6-1, 192) — Has caught 39 passes for 526 yards and 4 touchdowns. Twenty-eight of his grabs have come within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, and he’s dangerous with the ball in his hands, averaging 7.1 yards after the catch per reception.

• #37 – Senior TE Jack Westover (6-3, 248) — Has hauled in 41 catches for 391 yards and 4 touchdowns. His 70.1 PFF run-blocking rating ranks third on the team among those with more than 115 offensive snaps.

• #55 – Junior LT Troy Fautanu (6-4, 317) — The Associated Press third-team All-American has opened 30 career games at Washington. He has a 72.9 overall PFF grade with a team-best 88.0 mark in pass protection. He’s given up a team-worst 21 pressures and 2 sacks.

• #71 – Junior LG Nate Kalepo (6-6, 327) — The first-year starter has the starting offensive line’s worst overall PFF grade (56.3). He’s yielded 16 pressures in pass pro.

• #72 – Redshirt freshman C Parker Brailsford (6-2, 275) — Seized a starting job this season and was named second-team All-Pac-12 after not seeing any game action in 2022. His 79.7 overall PFF grade is the highest among Washington’s starting offensive linemen, as is his 79.9 run-blocking rating. He has an 84.9 mark in pass protection, giving up 9 pressures and 1 sack.

• #77 – Junior RG Julius Buelow (6-8, 313) — Set to make his 14th career start Monday night. He’s posted a 62.2 overall PFF rating and allowed 16 pressures and 1 sack.

• #73 – Sophomore RT Roger Rosengarten (6-6, 300) — The All-Pac-12 honorable mention is stellar in pass protection, with an 86.7 PFF grade in that category and 73.8 overall rating. He’s allowed 10 sacks.

Washington projected starters on defense

• #99 – Junior DT Faatui Tuitele (6-3, 317) — The former high school teammate of Michigan senior wide receiver Roman Wilson has made 6 tackles and broken up 3 passes this season, adding 7 pressures.

• #68 – Senior DT Ulumoo Ale (6-6, 327) — Has recorded 16 tackles, including 2 for loss, with 1 pass breakup and 8 pressures.

• #8 – Junior EDGE Bralen Trice (6-4, 274) — PFF’s No. 17 overall NFL Draft prospect leads the team with 11.5 tackles for loss and 7 sacks, totaling 46 stops, 2 pass breakups and 15 quarterback hurries. The Associated Press third-team All-American leads the nation with 77 pressures.

• #4 – Senior EDGE Zion Tupuola-Fetui (6-4, 254) — Earning All-Pac-12 honorable mention recognition, he’s racked up 29 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 2 quarterback hurries and 1 forced fumble with 25 pressures.

• #5 – Senior LB Edefuan Ulofoshio (6-1, 236) — Second on the team with 90 tackles, including 8 for loss and 3 sacks, adding 1 interception, 2 pass breakups and a forced fumble. The Associated Press second-team All-American’s 84.7 overall PFF rating ranks second on the unit and his 91.0 coverage grade tops it. He’s allowing just 6.8 yards per reception as the primary man in coverage.

• #11 – Junior LB Alphonzo Tuputala (6-2, 240) — Has recorded 64 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 interception and 1 pass breakup.

• #3 – Junior NB Mishael Powell (6-1, 210) — Playing Washington’s ‘Husky’ position, he’s racked up 38 tackles, 2.5 for loss, 3 interceptions, 6 pass breakups and 2 quarterback hurries. His 89-yard pick-six gave Washington the lead in the fourth quarter against Arizona State, serving as the game-winning score in the 15-7 victory. He has a 75.7 PFF coverage rating and has given up 48 receptions for 432 yards and 2 touchdowns on 65 targets.

• #1 – Junior CB Jabbar Muhammad (5-10, 183) — The All-Pac-12 second-team honoree has posted 44 tackles, 5 stops for loss, 2 sacks, 3 interceptions and a team-high 16 pass breakups with 1 fumble recovery. He’s been targeted 82 times, allowing 43 catches for 465 yards and 2 scores.

• #25 – Sophomore CB Elijah Jackson (6-1, 191) — Had notched 56 tackles, 2 stops for loss, 5 pass breakups, 1 quarterback hurry, 2 forced fumbles and 1 blocked kick. He’s given up 38 catches for 594 yards and 7 touchdowns on 64 targets.

• #7 – Senior S Dominique Hampton (6-3, 220) — The All-Pac-12 honorable mention leads the team with 99 tackles, adding 2 interceptions and 6 pass breakups. He’s yielded 32 catches for 475 yards and a touchdown in 53 targets in coverage.

• #3 – Senior S Asa Turner (6-3, 200) — Has played in six games, posting 25 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and 1 fumble recovery. He has a 77.0 PFF coverage grade and has allowed 5 catches for 9 yards on 9 targets.

Washington specialists

• #95 – Sophomore PK Grady Gross (5-11, 209) — Has made 16 of his 20 field goal attempts with a 47-yard long against Arizona State. He’s 6-of-7 from 40-plus yards and hasn’t tried one from 50-plus. He’s a perfect 62-of-62 on extra points. He’s booted 47 touchbacks on 97 kickoffs.

• #38 – Sophomore P Jack McCallister (6-0, 216) — He averages 40.1 yards per punt with a 55-yard long, has 4 boots of 50-plus and has pinned opponents inside their own 20-yard line on 11 of his 40 kicks. His 3.61-second average hangtime ranks 119th out of the 143 kickers with 18 or more attempts.

• #21 – Junior RB Daniyel Ngata (5-9, 192) — The Arizona State transfer has attempted 16 kick returns, averaging 23.8 yards per try with a 41-yard long.

• #4 – Sophomore PR Germie Bernard (6-1, 203) — The Michigan State transfer has returned 3 punts for 43 yards with a 32-yard long. He’s fair caught 7 punts and muffed 1 against Texas.

Michael Penix Jr.’s stellar season

Penix finished second in Heisman Trophy voting after posting 4,000-plus passing yards and 30-plus touchdowns for the second consecutive season. He suffered season-ending injuries in his first four years of college football but has remained healthy over the last two and become the sport’s top passer.

“He had the worst luck of any college football player that’s probably come through in modern times,” Raley said. “There have been some guys who have been hurt forever, but when you get hurt four consecutive times, you start to get a little gun shy. And I think he probably thought, ‘Is it worth it?’ at some point. But he’s stayed healthy. They’ve protected him; they’ve let him run a little bit, but not very much.”

Penix gets the ball out quickly much of the time, but has also thrown and completed more deep balls than any signal-caller nationally, moving well in the pocket behind a Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line.

“He’s very, very confident, because he’s a sixth-year player that’s had a lot of success at Indiana and Washington,” Raley continued. “He’s got a fantastic offensive line. The left tackle is going to be an NFL football player, and the right tackle is too, and the center is a redshirt freshman who became second-team All-Pac-12 this season after not playing last year as a freshman. And his wide receivers — all three of the starters are going to go to the NFL after this season is over, and one of them will be a first-round draft pick in Odunze.

“So, he’s surrounded by talent, he’s got God-gifted skills and he’s stayed healthy.”

Washington’s offensive line

Washington has allowed just 11 sacks on 524 Penix drop-backs all season, tied for the fourth-fewest in the country. Even then, some of the sacks haven’t been charged to the offensive line, Raley made sure to point out.

Texas got some pressure on Penix in the Sugar Bowl, but he was sacked just once.

“They come in and [Texas defensive tackle] T’Vondre Sweat is the Outland Trophy winner, Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus All-American, and he never got near Penix at all,” Raley said of the lineman who notched 2 pressures in the game, per PFF. “He looked good. I could see him pushing and shoving and getting through, but he never got to Penix. And neither did [edge rusher] Byron Murphy, the other guy. So, I would say that would almost be the most impressive game of blocking all season, even though they’ve been pretty good.”

Added Raley, of the protection Penix has been afforded: “And then the scheme, it is a quick pass at times. But if they give him time, then he goes deep and he’s very, very good, very accurate at throwing the ball, more so than any other Washington quarterback I’ve seen.”

Raley noted that Washington has used a lot of misdirection and even lined up Penix as a receiver who receives a pass and then looks to throw himself.

“They do all kinds of weird stuff, and that’s what makes it kind of fun to watch it and cover it is you never know what’s coming,” Raley said. “If I was an opposing defense, I’d be scared to death to play this Washington team.”

Context surrounding Washington’s games against Arizona State, Oregon State

Washington put up 713 yards on Michigan State, 500-plus in six games and more than 400 in all but three contests. However, there were two games where the Huskies’ offensive output took a nose dive — in a 15-7 win over Arizona State (288 total yards) and a 22-20 victory over Oregon State (272).

However, context is important, and Raley provided some.

“The team has struggled, but I’d say the offense has only struggled one game, and it was against Arizona State and it was played in a major windstorm,” Raley explained. “The Washington football stadium is on the edge of a lake, so when the wind comes ripping through there, it’s just impossible. I used to laugh when USC would come in during a hurricane type of game, and nobody would throw the football and they were dropping kickoffs in the end zone and stuff like that.

“Well, Penix couldn’t do a thing against Arizona State, and he was also really sick. So, Washington won the game in the fourth quarter with an 89-yard interception return. That rescued them there. Oregon State, they played in a monsoon, so his numbers weren’t great, but they weren’t bad either and they ran up 22 points. They had 15 points against Arizona State, 22 against Oregon State. Arizona State was not a good team; Oregon State was until their coach quit and moved to Michigan [State].

“They had two games they had to rescue because of the weather conditions, and Penix should’ve been in bed for a couple of weeks … he got so sick I think he gave it to me.

“I’d say they’ve had one really bad offensive game, and I’d put a lot of it on his health, the wind was unreal and plus I think the Arizona State guys, the coaches, came there with a great plan and just went after him and were able to make it happen. The blocking maybe wasn’t quite as good. But they survived it, and I thought that was the game they were going to lose, for sure, was the Arizona State game.”

Washington defense is ‘just adequate’

Washington ranks 68th in the country in yards allowed per play (5.6). The Huskies have given up 4 or more yards per carry in nine games and 6-plus yards per pass in six.

“The defense is just adequate. It’s not bad; it’s not great,” Raley said. “Last year, it was bad at times because they had no secondary.

“The secondary is better, but it’s not a lot. They got a transfer, Jabbar Muhammad, from Oklahoma State — and he’s a lockdown cornerback. It’s the first one they’ve had since those guys went to the NFL. Jabbar Muhammad — great name — and he was named after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Muhammad Ali. He’ll be in the NFL after this year with eligibility remaining.

“Probably attack the secondary, because it’s adequate. I wouldn’t go at Muhammad too much. But the other guys, they’ve picked on this Elijah Jackson, this other cornerback.”

Raley mentioned that Jackson allowed big plays against Texas in the Sugar Bowl. He said the secondary overall is “really average,” and the same goes for some others on the unit.

“The linebackers are solid because Edefuan Ulofoshio — that’s Nigerian and his last name means ‘unafraid of war’ — is a first-team All-Pac-12 guy after missing a good part of the last two seasons with two different injuries. So, he’s a playmaker,” Raley said.

“The front two down linemen are really average. They just take up space. They have no sacks this year. And then Bralen Trice is the best guy on the defense. He’s an edge rusher who was a [third-team] All-American and he’ll be a first-round draft pick.”

Raley’s final score prediction

“Just to size it up, I’d be a fool if I pick against [Washington] at this point,” Raley said. “I’ve thought about it, because my attitude is, there’s only been one unbeaten, perfect Washington football team, and that was 1991. I covered that team; that’s how old I am. And they beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl and won the national championship and had a couple first-round draft picks. That team dominated every team I saw them play, except California, which went 10-2.

“But I’d pick them by one point. The last 10 games have all been decided by 10 or less, and a couple of them have come down to the very last play — about three of them have come down to that, including the Sugar Bowl. So, I’d say it’s going to be a great game.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Michigan comes in, flexes its muscles and wins, because they are a superior program. I’m not sure how good their quarterback is, to be honest, and Washington might feast on him if he’s not ready to go with what they do. But I’d pick Washington by one point.”

Prediction: Washington 28, Michigan 27