The Washington Huskies took to the road for the first time in 2023 season as they travelled to Michigan State to take on the Spartans. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. had his third-straight 400-yard passing performance to open the season, throwing for 473 yards and 4 touchdowns in just three quarters.
While coach Kalen DeBoer’s team suffered a few key injuries to wide receiver Jalen McMillan and offensive lineman Julius Buelow, the Huskies still tallied 713 yards of offense. Also on the injury front, center Parker Brailsford made his first start at the position after Matteo Mele was lost for the year at the end of the Tulsa game.
Rome Odunze led the way for Washington’s receivers with 8 catches for 180 yards, while tight end Jack Westover finished his day with 4 grabs for 37 yards and 3 touchdowns, all coming before halftime. Ja’Lynn Polk added 5 receptions for 118 yards and a score on a few miraculous grabs, while McMillan had 4 catches for 96 yards before going down.
Cornerback Mishael Powell pulled in the first interception of his career while freshman Tybo Rogers led all ball carriers with 74 rushing yards. Wide receiver Germie Bernard opened the scoring with a rushing touchdown against his former team, which felt like an intentional move by offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb.
As we look back through Washington’s magical run to the national championship in 2023, enjoy some of the best photos of the journey from our USA TODAY network of photographers.