Michael Penix Jr. completed 28-of-38 passes for 409 yards and three touchdowns as No. 8 Washington defeated Tulsa 43-10 in a nonconference game Saturday in Seattle.
Wide receivers Ja’Lynn Polk and Rome Odunze rushed for touchdowns for the Huskies (2-0).
Jalen McMillan made eight receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown, and Odunze had seven catches for 107 yards and another score as the Huskies amassed 563 yards of total offense.
Tulsa redshirt freshman quarterback Cardell Williams, making his first start because Braylon Braxton was nursing an ankle injury suffered in the season opener, didn’t make it through the first half. Williams was 6-of-14 passing for 65 yards and an interception before being replaced by Roman Fuller.
Fuller, who was 12 of 18 for 85 yards, guided the Golden Hurricane (1-1) to their lone touchdown drive, hitting tight end Luke McGary for a 15-yard score on a fourth-and-5 play with 11:12 remaining.
Jordan Ford, Bill Jackson and Anthony Watkins all gained more than 50 yards on the ground as the Golden Hurricane rushed 40 times for 168 yards.
The Huskies took a 22-3 halftime lead as Penix threw two touchdown passes. The lead might have been larger if not for some uncharacteristic mistakes by UW’s receiving corps, considered one of the deepest in the country.
Penix capped the opening drive with a 2-yard TD pass to Odunze.
Tulsa responded with a 44-yard field goal by Chase Meyer to make it 7-3.
Polk scored on a 27-yard end around on the Huskies’ second drive.
Washington’s next possession ended with an interception in the end zone as a receiver got turned around. On UW’s next drive, McMillan scored on a 9-yard slant pattern, with a two-point conversion making it 22-3.
The Huskies had their final possession of the half end when McMillan fumbled at Tulsa’s 18-yard line following a catch.
Penix was 16 of 23 for 222 yards in the half despite three dropped passes.
Penix hit Germie Bernard for a 7-yard touchdown pass on the Huskies’ opening drive of the second half to make it 29-3.
Odunze scored on a 14-yard end around on UW’s next possession.
Backup QB Dylan Morris guided Washington to its final score, a 1-yard TD run by Daniyel Ngata.
–Field Level Media