Michael Penix Jr. making no excuses for his two-interception game against Arizona State
Washington survived what was almost a letdown spot for them as they managed to win 15-7 over Arizona State this weekend. The Huskies didn’t play their best game against the Sun Devils, including QB Michael Penix Jr..
Penix Jr. addressed his two-interception performance on Saturday night following the close victory over ASU. He took the full brunt of the blame for the mistakes and said he has to expect better himself. Still, he also cut himself and his teammates some slack for dealing with the miscues to still come out on top.
“No excuses for them but I feel like I just gotta play better,” said Penix Jr. “I gotta do better for the team and I should hold myself up to the standard to do better for the team.”
“I know one of the interceptions? The ball was batted down, had Rome (Odunze) wide open in the endzone for a touchdown,” Penix Jr. explained. “Sometimes things don’t go your way. Adversity hits – it’s just about how you react to it.”
Coming into last weekend, Penix Jr. had just three interceptions on the season. With his two against Arizona State, he nearly doubled that total in one game. That’s not to mention two fumbles that he coughed up, including one that he lost, as he accounted for three of the Huskies’ four turnovers. They each contributed to the team’s slow start as all three came within their first four drives of the game.
For a quarterback with 20 touchdowns on the year, Penix Jr. didn’t throw for a score for the second time in three outings either. His 275 passing yards were also his fewest of this campaign while his completion rate of 64.3% was the second worst of the year as well.
Still, it didn’t end up costing Washington in the end. On a night where one of country’s best offenses and teams sputtered, the defense, which had its own struggles in spots, won it in the end with a pick-six that gave them enough of a margin.
Now, with their seventh win secured and their undefeated start still intact, Penix Jr. is only focused on how he and Washington can be better from this moment on.
“We’ve just got to continue to keep pushing forward,” said Penix Jr..
Kalen DeBoer believes Jalen McMillan is ‘really close’ to returning
Jalen McMillan’s return is just over the horizon.
After Washington’s 15-7 win over Arizona State on Saturday, Kalen DeBoer provided an update on his standout wide receiver.
“I would say both of them have a chance next week. I would like to think that,” DeBoer said. “I’ll probably have a better idea for sure by Monday. I would think that Jalen is really close.”
McMillan was unavailable in Washington’s wins over California and Arizona. He attempted to return in the Huskies’ 36-33 victory over Oregon. However, after one series, McMillan did not return to the game.
The team certainly missed McMillan at times during that stretch. In just three appearances this season, McMillan has amassed 20 receptions, 311 receiving yards, and hauled in a touchdown. He also boasts a rushing score on the year.