The Atlanta Falcons invested heavily in former Pac-12 players during April’s NFL draft. Not only did they select former Washington Huskies star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and defensive lineman Bralen Trice in the first and third rounds, but they also selected former Oregon Ducks defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus in the fourth round.
Even though they’re on the same side now, that hasn’t stopped the bitter college rivals from taking friendly jabs at one another.
On Saturday, Dorlus tried to crash Penix’s media availability session by yelling, “Go Ducks,” in the background, but the runner-up for the 2023 Heisman Trophy and No. 8 overall pick was having none of it.
“What’s he talking about?” Penix said to the media. “We whooped them three times.”
Atlanta #Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. reminds teammate that his @UW_Football owned the @GoDucks
#NFLTrainingCamp #AtlantaFalcons #3ptcnvrsn pic.twitter.com/RyNfFl0nad
— The 3 Point Conversion (@3ptCnvrsn) July 26, 2024
After his performances in all three games, Penix has earned ultimate bragging rights over Dorlus and the Ducks. In his two-year career on Montlake, he completed 75 of 111 pass attempts, good for a 67.6 percent completion percentage and 1,029 yards along with 7 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.
All three of those victories came against top-10 ranked Oregon teams, with a 37-34 upset over the No. 6 Ducks in Eugene, a 36-33 win over the No. 8 Ducks in Seattle, and a final 34-31 triumph to win the Pac-12 championship over coach Dan Lanning’s No. 5 ranked team in Las Vegas.
Check out some of the best photos from Penix’s three historic victories over the Ducks.