No. 7 Washington Prevails Over No. 8 Oregon as Game-Tying Field Goal Misses Wide Right –

Despite the unquestioned pedigree of Washington’s program — the high-powered Huskies are on the hunt for their 16th Rose Bowl appearance after a 5-0 start — games like this one only seem to blow through the Puget Sound once in a generation. 

No. 7 Washington hosts No. 8 Oregon in a sport-stopping showdown Saturday afternoon, only the fourth time since 1982 that Montlake has hosted a top-10 matchup: the Huskies bested No. 9 UCLA that year in a dogged 10-7 affair, lost to No. 7 Nebraska 27-14 in 1997 and clobbered No. 7 Stanford 44-6 in 2016. But when Michael Penix Jr. steps back into his menacing shotgun stance and surveys a stingy Oregon secondary that has been nearly impervious in recent weeks, the 70,000-strong wall of purple-and-gold may well be witnessing one of the most prolific matchups in Husky Stadium’s 103-year history. 

The Washington offense currently ranks second in FBS for expected yards added (EPA) per pass, a lofty perch that still likely confounds anyone who has watched the Huskies this year: how could there be a better aerial attack in college football? Penix and his magic left arm have carved up every single opponent, opening the season with a five touchdown, nearly 500-yard performance against Boise State and has eclipsed 350 yards against every opponent except for Cal — Washington’s defense and special teams supplied Penix with a 14-0 lead against the Golden Bears before he even touched the ball. 

Even beyond Penix’s burgeoning Heisman campaign, the Husky stat sheet is populated with near perfection. The best overall offense in America, UW remarkably ranks first in early down EPA while also slotted at sixth in third and fourth down conversion rare. A stunning 68 percent of Washington’s drives turn into quality possessions, again tops in FBS, and UW is among the best at finishing drives in the red zone. 

This aerial attack is hardly new to Dan Lanning and the Ducks defense, however, having faced off against Shedeur Sanders and a Colorado passing attack that had captivated college football and reached 350 yards in each of its first three games. Sanders would manage just 150 yards against the smothering Oregon secondary with a meager 28.2 quarterback rating, powering a dominant 42-6 UO victory and showcasing its FBS-leading pass defense.  

Oregon has only allowed opposing quarterbacks to throw for more than 150 yards just once this season (Texas Tech), and despite yielding 282 yards through the air that game, the Ducks’ defensive backs also managed to snag three picks that powered UO to a 38-30 victory in Lubbock. Opposing offense are successful on just a third of passing attempts against an Oregon defense that yield well under a yard per drive, setting up a quintessential immovable object vs. unstoppable force affair on the highest stage Saturday.