Michael Penix Jr. downplays how his experience with Michigan helps Washington

Michael Penix Jr., Washington’s star quarterback and the engine of the high-flying passing attack the Huskies deploy, enters Monday’s national championship already with a win over Michigan.

But the Huskies quarterback demurred about how his 2020 victory over the Wolverines at Indiana might factor in when speaking with reporters on a conference call on Wednesday. Besides the obvious — Penix plays for an entirely new team now — he explained that it being the Covid-altered year changes how much he can take away from it.

“I want to say I can’t really use anything from my past playing them because obviously I played them with a totally different team, so it was a totally different time. That was the year of COVID, as well,” Penix said.

There is one thing that consistent from that victory in 2020, though: Penix is running the explosive, devastating passing offense of Kalen DeBoer, who was then offensive coordinator at Indiana and is now the Washington head coach. Penix torched the Michigan defense then, going 30-for-50 for 342 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-21 win, a game that was arguably the nadir of the Jim Harbaugh era in Ann Arbor and led to some defensive overhauls heading into 2021.

So more than three years and a team removed from that win, Penix isn’t looking back for clues. He’s gearing up to try and topple the Michigan team in front of him on the field on Monday.

“Nothing that happened before will carry over to what we have to prepare for come Monday,” Penix said. “But I’m just super excited for the opportunity, and I know my guys will be ready.”

Penix has earned the respect of Jim Harbaugh

While Michigan and Jim Harbaugh likely wish they had some more time to prepare for Penix, they’re already deep into prep. He gave his early impressions of the Heisman Trophy runner-up, not having a negative thing to say. Described as “elite,” Penix is certainly playing that way at the moment.

“Super great,” Harbaugh said. “He’s a super great player. My impression of him when he played at Indiana was the same. Big-time arm talent. Tremendous presence in the pocket. Sees the field really well. He’s so polished. Watching him and his accuracy and decision-making, timing.

“He’s really continued to have this tremendous presence of going through progressions. He’s feels pressure, will drop it to a drop-down. It’s at an elite level.”