Washington Huskies Sugar Bowl Champions Cap. Our Three Takeaways: Title Game. Revised storybook ending, desperate OL, and resilient defense. 1. Joe Moore: Show Me Arizona State was important to stopping Michael Penix Jr. in the second half, analysts noted. It only takes sustained pressure from many rushers in his face while UW has reshuffled their interior offensive line, Penix has the flu, it’s raining, and the defense loses fumbles and tipped passes at the line. Easy-peasy. Texas player Byron Murphy II was often pressured inside, but Penix dodged him and found an open receiver in a stable pocket. Against Michigan? Not so much. Because Penix could shrug off pressure and throw the ball away or leap pass to one of UW’s best receivers all year, they typically won. That didn’t happen against Michigan. Washington’s offensive line allowed 16 pressures on 53 dropbacks, per Pro Football Focus. 14 fewer dropbacks than Penix faced against Texas. How quickly Michigan applied pressure was crucial. Penix’s third-lowest throw time of the season was 2.45 seconds (the lowest being 2.4 seconds vs ASU). With 2.93 seconds, he tied for 3rd against Texas. Despite Washington’s rapid throws, Michigan’s pressure hindered offense math. Right side of line collapsed overnight. PFF credit Roger Rosengarten and Julius Buelow with 6 pressures. Rosengarten was called for two holds, but Husky fans will dispute the first negating Odunze’s 32-yard reception. PFF gave Buelow a 0 for obstructing Blutarsky on a rare pass. Overall pressure was awful. Penix completed 3 of 15 for 14 yards with two interceptions and a score. 0.9% yards per attempt won’t work under pressure. Especially because he averaged 6.7 clean yards. Penix’s offensive genius improved the offensive line. We assumed that wasn’t the nation’s best line. To challenge the Dawgs, the Huskies had to hold their own against the season’s best defense. 2. Finally Resilient: After Michigan grabbed a 17-3 lead early in the second quarter with 3 40+ yard rushes, many fans thought the Huskies were done. A sensible position. Michigan seemed able to run the ball at will and grind the Dawgs. However, if you’ve followed this team all season, you know the defense can start poorly and then get stops in any way necessary. Michigan’s opening three possessions averaged nearly 15 yards per play and gained 65 yards or more. Most teams struggle against overmatched FCS competition. The defense eventually understood. Michigan had fewer than 30 yards on 6 of their next 7 plays and scored a field goal on a 12-yard drive. Although 34-13 appears like a blowout, Penix interceptions allowed Michigan 10 points on possessions where the defense gave up 12 or fewer yards. Husky defense excelled in tight circumstances all season. One might wonder why they can’t play that manner all game but excel in crucial moments. Michigan appeared ready to flee, but the defense allowed Washington’s attack to return. Any other opponent this season would have sufficed. Not in the season’s biggest game. Washington sometimes faced a fairy tale season. What to do with so many tight wins. So many key moments. The defense and Michael Penix Jr. javelins made many 4th-down stops. It looked like Penix would miss Heisman yet win a national title for the team. He failed both. All Husky players believed they could win a national title. They thought Michael Penix Jr. could get them there. His return eased Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, and Bralen Trice’s choice. Correcting them is challenging. The better team was Michigan. Hard to argue with that. They gained yards per play, succeeded, and turned over less. But the Huskies were still within striking distance midway through the third quarter. Their late-game magic may return. It didn’t. The offense lost their first big play on an offensive holding call, while the defense gave up a tremendous throwing play to assist Michigan score the winning touchdown. A team that relied on bend but don’t break all season broke when the pressure was too much. The team never broke. He sprained his only good ankle, Dillon Johnson’s left. Penix Jr. left the game bruised and suffering on the closing drives. Details enhance your favorite sports movie’s amazing return. We missed the movie. The squad was funny for four and a half months. It may not be the best team in program history, but it will be close. Michael Penix Jr. will be hailed as the best Husky quarterback despite playing less. Rome Odunze, Mario Bailey, and Reggie Williams were great Husky receivers. Ideally, they would have won a national title and gone 15-0. They’ll get second place and our eternal love. Unfortunately, we were 60 minutes from a better result. But this team’s players, coaches, and staff deserve thanks. Next year will be big. A new conference. New QB. New playoffs. Many eras ended this season. What a finale.

What You Need to Know About Washington Huskies Sugar Bowl Champions Cap:

Michigan defeated the UW Huskies 34-13 on Monday night, ending their 2023 season and hopes for a national title. This Husky squad will go down in history for many reasons, including winning a school-record 14 games this season, but next year’s team will be considerably different, especially in leadership, as all four captains will not return. Next for Washington? Everything you need to know as the Huskies face the offseason. Kalen DeBoer’s staff. Kalen DeBoer is scheduled to get compensated. Washington’s second-year head coach is 25-3 and deserves a deal that reflects his success. In 2023, DeBoer’s head coaching pay was 44th nationwide. Troy Dannen, who joined UW in October, said DeBoer had been working on a new contract for months, but his main goal was to win the national championship. Washington wants to sign DeBoer, who will be among the Big Ten’s highest-paid coaches, according to The Associated Press. With Jim Harbaugh’s future uncertain, Michigan is the only major threat this offseason, but DeBoer will manage the Huskies again until he leaves. Staff is another key factor in DeBoer’s new contract. Keep that group together and prevent helpers from taking better-paying jobs with more responsibilities will take work. Ryan Grubb, offensive coordinator, received two contract extensions in 2022. Last year, Texas A&M and Alabama offered him to lead their offenses, but he chose Washington under DeBoer. It seemed unlikely that Grubb would depart Washington for another offensive coordinator role. A head coaching gig? Different story: Grubb told reporters this year that’s his ultimate objective. As the coaching carousel winds down, Grubb may return to Washington. Potential wildcard? Grubb worked under DeBoer as offensive coordinator at Fresno State before joining Seattle. On multiple occasions, Bulldogs head coach Jeff Tedford has resigned for health concerns. Fresno State would likely pursue Grubb if Tedford quits. He was an assistant there for five years. Offense’s future. Quarterback. Offense helped Washington regain national relevance. The offense has been strong the last two seasons thanks to quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and the coaching staff. In 2024, the Huskies will have a new quarterback because Penix, who placed second in Heisman voting this year and was captain the last two years, will go pro. Will Rogers, a Mississippi State record-setting transfer quarterback, should start next year. Austin Mack, a former four-star prospect who left high school a year early to study under Penix and the coaching staff, is Washington’s young, gifted quarterback and potentially the offense’s future. After redshirting in 2023, Mack was slated to play his rookie season next year. His future is praised, however he may start in 2025 rather than 2024. Skill roles. The best receiving group in America helped Penix. This year’s top-10 pick may be All-American Rome Odunze. He captained the team like Penix. Last two seasons, Jalen McMillan and Ja’Lynn Polk both had 1,000-yard seasons. Polk announced his NFL Draft declaration Tuesday to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Odunze is likely to go pro. McMillan may catch passes from Rogers or Mack next year. Injury ruined McMillan’s 2023 season, which was supposed to be his last at Washington. He played well in the Huskies’ final three games, but will a healthy 2024 senior season improve his draft stock? Polk was UW’s No. 3 receiver in 2022 and had a bigger role this year with McMillan injured. Polk broke 1,000 yards and will go pro. Polk ranks 60th on Pro Football Focus’ big board. After sixth-year seniors Jack Westover and Devin Culp leave, the Huskies will have new tight ends. Josh Cuevas, who went to Washington this season, Quentin Moore, and Fresno State transfer Tre Watson are set to step up. Ryan Otton, a redshirt freshman, is the brother of former UW tight end Cade Otton, a Tampa Bay Buccaneers second-round choice several years ago. ESPN ranked the younger Otton fourth in 2022 tight end recruiting. In 2024, the Huskies will either have their horse back or use younger running backs. This year, Dillon Johnson ran for over 1,000 yards despite various lower-body ailments. The junior running back may return for a senior season, but given the NFL running back shelf life and the hits he endured this year, going pro makes more sense. If Johnson leaves, Will Dixon and Tybo Rogers, a true freshman this season, might play more next year. Remember Cameron Davis, who was expected to be UW’s top back until a season-ending injury in camp last summer. He ran for 522 yards and 13 scores in 2022.