UW plays like ‘best team in the country’ in fourth

LOS ANGELES — If the Pac-12 as we know it will find itself dissolved by the death knell of conference realignment next season, then it would be fitting that one of its final season’s lasting memories may be Saturday’s night offensive explosion between No. 5 Washington and No. 20 USC.

Under the lights of the Los Angeles Coliseum, two of the nation’s best offenses, led by two of the nation’s best quarterbacks, went mostly undeterred over the course of 60 minutes, totaling more than 1,000 yards of offense while bouncing from one end zone to the other as if in a video game. Or in this case, as if the defenses that were supposed to be stopping them may as well have been just wallpaper.

But when the fourth quarter arrived, a defense did have to make a stand, and it was Washington. The Huskies held USC scoreless in the final frame, leading to a 52-42 victory that kept Washington’s undefeated record intact, while further igniting their already fervent confidence.

“We thought we were the best team in the country coming into the season,” Washington linebacker Zion Tupuola-Fetui said. “So, we just got to go out there and prove it every week. I know that there may be a particular style in ways that people want us to win, but a win is a win.”

Washington coach Kalen DeBoer did not pretend that he and his team hadn’t heard the chatter that had surrounded them in recent weeks. After winning a three-point thriller against Oregon in Seattle, the Huskies had proceeded to escape close contests against Arizona State by a score of 15-7 and Stanford by a score of 42-33.

What appeared unbecoming of a top-5 team with College Football Playoff aspirations was, to DeBoer and his players, both affirmation of their abilities and motivation for what is to come.

“I’m excited about the way we bounced back, considering kind of everyone’s thoughts on what we were doing the last couple of weeks,” DeBoer said with a slight grin. “I feel like that’s what we do best is when the lights are brightest, our guys are ready to play.”

Saturday’s game was proof of that. Washington finished with 572 yards of offense, fueled by over 300 yards on the ground and an average of nearly eight yards per play. The Huskies tallied up 27 first downs, seven third-down conversions, nine throws of 15 yards or more and nine runs of 10 yards or more. DeBoer’s team made seven trips to the red zone and never came up empty-handed.

“The one thing I anticipated was a win, however it came, however it went about,” Penix Jr. said when asked if he expected a shootout. “We just got to continue to keep our foot on the pedal and never get complacent.”

While this had been pegged as a juggernaut matchup between Penix Jr. and reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams, it was running back Dillon Johnson — aided by USC’s sieve of a running defense — that had the performance of the game. Johnson carried the ball 26 times for a whopping 256 rushing yards – good for an average of 9.8 yards per carry. The junior back added four touchdowns as well, including the last one which sealed the result.

“I just came into the fourth quarter trying to finish the finish off USC,” Johnson said. “The last two weeks we haven’t played up to our standards. … We just wanted to be the most physical team and we were.”

In a conference where offense is the main currency, Washington knows it will have to be more than just a one-sided team to accomplish all of its goals, let alone an undefeated season. When it mattered on Saturday, the defense stepped up, keeping Williams and USC’s offense at bay in the fourth quarter thanks to a game-shifting sack that forced a Trojans punt.

“(We’ve) found different ways to win,” Penix Jr. said. “When I came back it was about getting that second year with these guys and I knew that we were going to be able to do something special and we’re doing it.”

Winning in more than one way will be useful in potential Pac-12 and CFP semifinals matchups. But before the Huskies start envisioning bigger games, plenty remains on their slate. With USC and Oregon in their rearview mirror, Washington still has three tough matchups between them and an undefeated regular season. They will host Utah next week before traveling to Oregon State for what’s likely to be another top-20 matchup before the Apple Cup finale against Washington State.

“They’re confident because we’ve done it not just one game. We’ve done it for a couple of years now with the same guys,” DeBoer said. “We’re always going to continue to improve, but I do feel like we have the makings of what it takes to be a championship football team.”